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madetofly's review
5.0
This book essentially recounts the entire story of the Hollingsworth v. Perry trial from the very beginning all the way to the Supreme Court. Sprinkled into that story are bits of the author's own experiences that parallel what is happening in the trial.
As someone who was in high school for the bulk of the events described in this book, I was somewhat aware of what was going on with the case, but I had very little knowledge of all of the ins and outs of it. I never really knew exactly what it was that went on over the course of the case. This book does an excellent job of telling the story of the trial and going through all of the arguments made by either side. The author writes about how important the case is because it forced both sides to lay out their arguments and see how they held up in debate and fact-checking.
One really great aspect of the book is that even though you know which side the author falls on the issue, both sides arguments are presented, so you see the full extent of what was argued in court. As someone who's not extremely knowledgeable about law, I was also able to follow along easily and was never confused as to what exactly was going on.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Prop 8 and this case or gay rights in general. It does an excellent job of both fully telling the story of the case and also never being boring or dry. I actually felt like I was on the edge of my seat at times while reading even though I knew the final outcome of the case. The personal bits that the author added also add to the book beautifully. This was just all around a really incredible book.
It also seems pretty fitting that I read this in June while we're awaiting the outcome of another marriage equality case from the Supreme Court, a case that is also mentioned in the end of the book. That added a bit more to the experience of this book I think since I knew that that is so close to coming, and that tie in to something mentioned in the book that is really about to happen while I was reading added a certain dimension to my experience with the book I think.
I received this book for review from Goodreads First Reads.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-speak-now-by-kenji-yoshino.html
As someone who was in high school for the bulk of the events described in this book, I was somewhat aware of what was going on with the case, but I had very little knowledge of all of the ins and outs of it. I never really knew exactly what it was that went on over the course of the case. This book does an excellent job of telling the story of the trial and going through all of the arguments made by either side. The author writes about how important the case is because it forced both sides to lay out their arguments and see how they held up in debate and fact-checking.
One really great aspect of the book is that even though you know which side the author falls on the issue, both sides arguments are presented, so you see the full extent of what was argued in court. As someone who's not extremely knowledgeable about law, I was also able to follow along easily and was never confused as to what exactly was going on.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Prop 8 and this case or gay rights in general. It does an excellent job of both fully telling the story of the case and also never being boring or dry. I actually felt like I was on the edge of my seat at times while reading even though I knew the final outcome of the case. The personal bits that the author added also add to the book beautifully. This was just all around a really incredible book.
It also seems pretty fitting that I read this in June while we're awaiting the outcome of another marriage equality case from the Supreme Court, a case that is also mentioned in the end of the book. That added a bit more to the experience of this book I think since I knew that that is so close to coming, and that tie in to something mentioned in the book that is really about to happen while I was reading added a certain dimension to my experience with the book I think.
I received this book for review from Goodreads First Reads.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-speak-now-by-kenji-yoshino.html
shays's review
3.0
In his examination of the trial, Yoshino lauds the technique of the plaintiff’s legal team in intermixing personal testimony with expert witnesses, arguing that “the lay witnesses kept the testimony from feeling dry, while the experts kept the testimony free feeling idiosyncratic.” Perhaps utilizing a similar technique, Yoshino mixes in personal anecdotes, often starting or finishing a chapter with a personal touch. read more
rondasue27's review
5.0
I like books that make me think. I also like books that teach me something. This book does both. I don't see how anyone approaching this book with an semi-open mind wouldn't see how marriage equality would make so many lives better. It presents every side of the argument and calmly uses what happened in the actual trial to prove that marriage equality is the best solution.
Plus, you get to know pretty much everything that happened at trial without having to read that horribly long transcript of the trial.
**received my copy via Goodreads First Reads**
Plus, you get to know pretty much everything that happened at trial without having to read that horribly long transcript of the trial.
**received my copy via Goodreads First Reads**
sunvts's review
4.0
i'd had this book on my tbr since reading yoshino's first book, [b:Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights|255301|Covering The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights|Kenji Yoshino|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388786983s/255301.jpg|2573958]. in COVERING, yoshino makes arguments i agree with, some i don't, and/but the book definitely prompted a lot of thought and reflection on my part.
SPEAK NOW is definitely less... philosophical than COVERING; it's a nonfiction history, constitutional law book more than a theoretical manifesto. which is to say – it wasn't what i was expecting? but i still really, really enjoyed it. yoshino can be a bit dense, and there were a few sentences i had to reread multiple times to really understand what he was trying to say, but still, for a book on constitutional law and court proceedings, i found the text to be pretty accessible.
for me, the biggest takeaway from this book was the importance of the prop 8 trial in paving the way for nationwide marriage equality. naive as it may sound, as a non-lawyer, i hadn't really thought about the lasting impact more local trials can have in terms of setting precedents and introducing certain language into the legal lexicon. i also really appreciated the bonus bits at the back of the paperback edition, where yoshino addresses criticisms from more grassroots queer organizations that criticize the focus of the mainstream lgbtq's movement on marriage, rather than homelessness, transphobia, and other issues affecting the community that seem more dire.
all in all, definitely a very valuable read for me. and, if you're unfamiliar with the prop 8 case, i highly recommend dustin lance black's play adaptation of the trial transcript, a reading of which was filmed (ft. martin sheen, brad pitt, george clooney, and many more)! you can check out the full, hq recording HERE.
SPEAK NOW is definitely less... philosophical than COVERING; it's a nonfiction history, constitutional law book more than a theoretical manifesto. which is to say – it wasn't what i was expecting? but i still really, really enjoyed it. yoshino can be a bit dense, and there were a few sentences i had to reread multiple times to really understand what he was trying to say, but still, for a book on constitutional law and court proceedings, i found the text to be pretty accessible.
for me, the biggest takeaway from this book was the importance of the prop 8 trial in paving the way for nationwide marriage equality. naive as it may sound, as a non-lawyer, i hadn't really thought about the lasting impact more local trials can have in terms of setting precedents and introducing certain language into the legal lexicon. i also really appreciated the bonus bits at the back of the paperback edition, where yoshino addresses criticisms from more grassroots queer organizations that criticize the focus of the mainstream lgbtq's movement on marriage, rather than homelessness, transphobia, and other issues affecting the community that seem more dire.
all in all, definitely a very valuable read for me. and, if you're unfamiliar with the prop 8 case, i highly recommend dustin lance black's play adaptation of the trial transcript, a reading of which was filmed (ft. martin sheen, brad pitt, george clooney, and many more)! you can check out the full, hq recording HERE.
manogirl's review
3.0
This is a super easy read; it makes Perry v. Hollingsworth and its consequences completely understandable for the lay person (versus a lawyer). If you've already read one of the more in-depth books about the case, however, this'll be a very redundant and unnecessary read. If you haven't, and you're interested in knowing more about the trial, though, you can't go wrong with this.
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