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125 reviews for:
Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real about Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America
Amy Reed, Julie Murphy
4.13 AVERAGE
125 reviews for:
Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real about Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America
Amy Reed, Julie Murphy
4.13 AVERAGE
I recommend people of all genders, ethnicities, political standpoints, to pick this book up.
Nearly every essay hurts, and certainly every author brings her personal story in a way that will resonate with you some way. Whether you experienced sexual abuse, have been the victim of racism, or are part of the lgbt, you can feel the struggle of the authors.
It often hurt for me to read, as a trans boy who has never experienced anything like cat calling or worse. To read about the every day struggles of women, and realising they face every more on top of this if they are not cis and white. It’s confronting, and I often needed to take breaks in between stories. It forms a knot in your belly which I believe we need to feel more often, as society.
It is after all, our responsibility to untangle it.
Nearly every essay hurts, and certainly every author brings her personal story in a way that will resonate with you some way. Whether you experienced sexual abuse, have been the victim of racism, or are part of the lgbt, you can feel the struggle of the authors.
It often hurt for me to read, as a trans boy who has never experienced anything like cat calling or worse. To read about the every day struggles of women, and realising they face every more on top of this if they are not cis and white. It’s confronting, and I often needed to take breaks in between stories. It forms a knot in your belly which I believe we need to feel more often, as society.
It is after all, our responsibility to untangle it.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I really like that there are these kinds of essay collections out there. I love that it is available for young girls. The intention of this is amazing. I appreciate that there are women who feel they can share their experience.
Some of my favourites:
- Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed
-Chilled Monkey Brains by Sona Charaipotra
-Easter Offering by Brandy colbert
-Tiny Battles by Maurene Goo
-Fat and Loud by Julie murphy
-The One Who Defines me by Aisha Saeed
Some of my favourites:
- Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed
-Chilled Monkey Brains by Sona Charaipotra
-Easter Offering by Brandy colbert
-Tiny Battles by Maurene Goo
-Fat and Loud by Julie murphy
-The One Who Defines me by Aisha Saeed
"Change happens when we speak up and when we listen, when we have empathy and compassion, when we stand up and empower ourselves and others. What happens next is up to all of us; it is what we create together."
Thanks to Riveted I have access to this anthology for 24 hours.
Since I can't finish all of the short stories, I will tell you what I read and what I liked.
❤ = Really Liked. ❤❤ = Loved
"Finding my Feminism" by Amy Reed - ❤
"Fat and Loud" by Julie Murphy
"Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing my Indigeneity and Creativity" by Christine Day
"Chilled Monkey Brains" by Sona Charaipotra - ❤❤
"Myth Making" by Somaiya Daud - ❤
"Black Girl, Becoming" by Tracy Deonn Walker - ❤❤
But the older I got, the more the lines blurred, the more I realized there's not really a hierarchy of identity but a strange constellation within myself." - Somaiya Daud
I know now that I am not responsible for living within the limited imaginations of others, nor am I insufficient because they cannot full conceive of me. I know this because art once whispered, then yelled, then roared through me that it is the world that might be ill and that I am becoming whole." - Tracy Deonn Walker
THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE AN OPTIONAL READ IN CLASSROOMS.
Since I can't finish all of the short stories, I will tell you what I read and what I liked.
❤ = Really Liked. ❤❤ = Loved
"Finding my Feminism" by Amy Reed - ❤
"Fat and Loud" by Julie Murphy
"Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing my Indigeneity and Creativity" by Christine Day
"Chilled Monkey Brains" by Sona Charaipotra - ❤❤
"Myth Making" by Somaiya Daud - ❤
"Black Girl, Becoming" by Tracy Deonn Walker - ❤❤
But the older I got, the more the lines blurred, the more I realized there's not really a hierarchy of identity but a strange constellation within myself." - Somaiya Daud
I know now that I am not responsible for living within the limited imaginations of others, nor am I insufficient because they cannot full conceive of me. I know this because art once whispered, then yelled, then roared through me that it is the world that might be ill and that I am becoming whole." - Tracy Deonn Walker
THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE AN OPTIONAL READ IN CLASSROOMS.
I’m sad I can’t rate this book higher but around the 44% mark it was clear most of the stories would center around the 2016 election and how it relates to their own individual life experiences. I love being able to read from different authors to see if I’d be interested in reading other books of theirs. They all started blending together after a bit.
I read this book for a group read but I can tell it has made me feel down due to the hard to read and hear about repeatedly subject matter. If anything about the 2016 election, the candidates or outcome of that election are triggering to your mental health then I would maybe pass on this book.
I read this book for a group read but I can tell it has made me feel down due to the hard to read and hear about repeatedly subject matter. If anything about the 2016 election, the candidates or outcome of that election are triggering to your mental health then I would maybe pass on this book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Really cool and informative. Hard to read now that trump got reelected but worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism, Rape
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Review copy: purchased
Our Stories, Our Voices is a collection of very personal stories from a wide variety of women. These authors show us many challenges facing young women in this country. They also emphasize individuality and valuing ourselves and each other. In the first essay, “My Immigrant American Dream,” Sandhya Menon wrote, “there is no one way to be American” and in “Roar,” Robin Brown states, “There’s no single right way to girl.” While no book could possibly share all experiences, readers will likely be able to connect with many aspects of these stories and see hope for the future no matter where they are in life.
I so appreciated the honesty in these stories. When reading, there is a sense that someone is sitting with you speaking their truth even if it’s hard. Some of these authors have shared intense and very disturbing experiences. The editor provides a note at the beginning so readers may need to take care with certain essays containing specific violence or abuse. With all of the stories though, even if the authors were traumatized, there is a sense of hope and healing. No matter how dark the stories, the book offers encouragement and more hope than not.
Over and over again, the writers told about finding their own voice and the sense of empowerment that can bring. These women don’t claim to have all of the answers and some are still actively working through pain and issues from the past, but they offer what they’ve learned. They offer themselves. They encourage others to speak, to be active, and to be the change they want to see.
As with any anthology, some essays stood out more than others, but this is a solid collection that will speak to many young women. There were a few unpublished writers who submitted essays and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them. Tracy Deonn Walker, wrote a final piece, “Black Girl, Becoming,” which left me breathless.
Recommendation: Get it soon. These stories inspire and also remind us all that we are not alone.
Our Stories, Our Voices is a collection of very personal stories from a wide variety of women. These authors show us many challenges facing young women in this country. They also emphasize individuality and valuing ourselves and each other. In the first essay, “My Immigrant American Dream,” Sandhya Menon wrote, “there is no one way to be American” and in “Roar,” Robin Brown states, “There’s no single right way to girl.” While no book could possibly share all experiences, readers will likely be able to connect with many aspects of these stories and see hope for the future no matter where they are in life.
I so appreciated the honesty in these stories. When reading, there is a sense that someone is sitting with you speaking their truth even if it’s hard. Some of these authors have shared intense and very disturbing experiences. The editor provides a note at the beginning so readers may need to take care with certain essays containing specific violence or abuse. With all of the stories though, even if the authors were traumatized, there is a sense of hope and healing. No matter how dark the stories, the book offers encouragement and more hope than not.
Over and over again, the writers told about finding their own voice and the sense of empowerment that can bring. These women don’t claim to have all of the answers and some are still actively working through pain and issues from the past, but they offer what they’ve learned. They offer themselves. They encourage others to speak, to be active, and to be the change they want to see.
As with any anthology, some essays stood out more than others, but this is a solid collection that will speak to many young women. There were a few unpublished writers who submitted essays and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them. Tracy Deonn Walker, wrote a final piece, “Black Girl, Becoming,” which left me breathless.
Recommendation: Get it soon. These stories inspire and also remind us all that we are not alone.