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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I found this essay collection really interesting. It gives the reader a glimpse into what it is like to be an author in the speculative fiction genre. It seemed less of a collection of essays on feminist issues (although there was a lot of discussion of these issues) and more of stories about the author's life. It felt more like a memoir. This is not a negative, rather it gives the reader insight into these issues through a more personal filter. When the author writes about the Affordable Care Act, she does so using her own experience as a striking example. It makes these big abstract concepts and issues real. Since this is a collection of essays that were written prior to the collection, some of them have repetitive information, but this is only an issue if you forget that these are separate pieces that were not originally meant to be part of this whole,
"Because as much as I didn't hate myself, and was happy to toss a couple years' worth of body project hours into actual, tangible accomplishments the way a dude would, it wasn't my accomplishments I would get judged on by casual observers. I'd be judged on whether or not I had the "discipline" to take up less space in the world."
Raise your hand if you're surprised I picked this up based on it's title alone. Nobody? Huh.
But in all seriousness. Read. This. Book. Some of the things Hurley talks about have been said many times, though they ALWAYS NEED TO BE SAID AGAIN. But many of her thoughts felt truly revolutionary to me, even though THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETELY OBVIOUS. Her essays about the power of representation and about body image in particular voiced many things that I feel like I knew without knowing, that I never fully voiced before. As a European, I was also HORRIFIED by her essay about US health care, or lack thereof. I always knew things were bad there, but this was eye-opening and scary. I bought the audiobook, but I'll need to get a hand on the print copy as well to copy out all the quotes. If you have any interest in feminism, representation or just the world we live in today, go read this. Now.
Raise your hand if you're surprised I picked this up based on it's title alone. Nobody? Huh.
But in all seriousness. Read. This. Book. Some of the things Hurley talks about have been said many times, though they ALWAYS NEED TO BE SAID AGAIN. But many of her thoughts felt truly revolutionary to me, even though THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETELY OBVIOUS. Her essays about the power of representation and about body image in particular voiced many things that I feel like I knew without knowing, that I never fully voiced before. As a European, I was also HORRIFIED by her essay about US health care, or lack thereof. I always knew things were bad there, but this was eye-opening and scary. I bought the audiobook, but I'll need to get a hand on the print copy as well to copy out all the quotes. If you have any interest in feminism, representation or just the world we live in today, go read this. Now.
The best way to read this book is to consume a few essays at a time instead of all (or a lot) in one go as it tends to get repetitive-- which is understandable for a collection of essays previously published over the course of a few years. Overall, great content. A must-read.
The concepts discussed are important and Hurley attempts to be engaging and current and uses current examples (e.g. Mad Max) to illustrate her point. However, I grew weary of the writing style.
Because.
Nearly every essay.
Has these short.
Short.
Sentences.
And paragraph breaks.
Seriously.
It works in Internet articles but was a bit too much for me personally in book form.
TL;DR: Good ideas, personally grew tired of the style.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Because.
Nearly every essay.
Has these short.
Short.
Sentences.
And paragraph breaks.
Seriously.
It works in Internet articles but was a bit too much for me personally in book form.
TL;DR: Good ideas, personally grew tired of the style.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, Kameron, for writing a book that felt like it was speaking to me specifically. I know it wasn't, but the fact that I felt that way leads me to believe that there are a lot of other people out there reading it who feel the same way, and that means feeling less alone. Thank you for sharing your life experiences - some of which are very close to my own.
Thank you for asking hard questions and providing hard answers. For not pulling any punches.
Thank you for making me feel both anger and optimism. For writing a book that is for everyone even though it has the big, nasty F-word in the title. Seriously though, this book is for *everyone*, especially people who are afraid of or unsure of feminism.
I really needed this book right now. I'm so very glad it found me.
Thank you for asking hard questions and providing hard answers. For not pulling any punches.
Thank you for making me feel both anger and optimism. For writing a book that is for everyone even though it has the big, nasty F-word in the title. Seriously though, this book is for *everyone*, especially people who are afraid of or unsure of feminism.
I really needed this book right now. I'm so very glad it found me.
I expected something different really, I bought this book based on the title. When I realised it was essays, I was ”Okay, I like essays too” thinking of Roxanne Gay’s essays. This isn’t on that level. The first part was okay, even the second part but the last 2 I just skimmed through.
Maybe if I had read authors other work before, I could have gotten more out of this collection.
Maybe if I had read authors other work before, I could have gotten more out of this collection.
Enjoyed this. Highlighted a lot. Enjoy books by smart, strong women -- geekiness is a bonus and a half. Stuff on Gamergate, efforts to write inclusive books, backlash when one writes inclusive books, the perils of being female on the internet. Cannibalistic llamas. The "uj."