Reviews tagging 'Racism'

How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones

57 reviews

fanchera's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Adult/minor relationship

mirandalikesbooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

I've never read a memoir of someone who isn't a well-known public figure. It was interesting learning his story at this personal level of introspection.

I would read this if you're interested in the impact your family has on your identity; the intersectionality of being gay, black, and poor; or the struggle of figuring out how to act when the world is telling you to be someone else.

I guess I finished the book hoping for more resolution - why did his mom act cagey when he came out? How will he approach his relationship with his grandma? Will he learn how to be happy with himself and live authentically instead of approaching life the selfish and guarded way he approached his college years?

Overall a decent read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Animal death

hatchtag's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

I listened to the audiobook read by the author - highly recommend. This book was difficult to get through at times, in terms of content, empathy, and emotions it was triggering...but it was so, so worth it. Jones is a fabulous author with a story worth hearing. It was equal parts interesting due to the stories and the storytelling...he narrates so beautifully, toeing the line between classic narrative memoir and poetry. Whether or not you share identites with Saeed, you should consider reading is book, sitting with it, and letting it seep into your consciousness. I likely will re read (or re listen) in the future, which I almost never do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs

Minor: Homophobia

souplover2001's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Racial slurs

julian7's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Racism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death

mcmontgomery's review

challenging hopeful fast-paced

5.0

I read this in a single stretch - didn't even look at my phone or get up to go to the bathroom. I'm going to need to sit with it for a little while before I can articulate my thoughts more coherently, but it was raw and beautiful and I loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Homophobia

dmwpg's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

When I was still on Twitter, I followed and always enjoyed Saaed’s takes and quips and all the other things Twitter is for, so when I saw his book at the library I felt compelled to pick it up 

This book is a beautiful look back on his life as a queer young man, about his relationship with his mother, about racism and homophobia and hurt and about love. His prose lets you know that he is a poet - so many turns of phrase that gave me pause and made me feel deeply - but it was still very accessible 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Violence

mazeeee's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

incredibly moving. grief is such a bitch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Bullying, Homophobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

This is gorgeous and poetic and so intimate. I'm excited to read more from Mr. Jones. It's a tough memoir to read - Jones has been through so much pain. An important display of the failure of our social systems too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Bullying, Grief, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Medical content, Rape, Violence, Cursing, and Racism

Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

shasi__'s review

emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs