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blundershelf's review against another edition
4.5
I have so many bookmarks in this audiobook - Jensen is a very intentional writer and narrator. She clearly shows the readers how gun violence, domestic violence, violence against women and girls, violence against Indigenous people and violence against the land are all connected. There are so many of her words that'll stay with me a long while.
mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Racism, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Child abuse
slimdot's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This is a beautiful book, written so poetically.
gabizago's review
3.0
Interesting memoir that talks about carrying guns and the consequences of it. The author’s life was permeated by gun violence right next door. At times the narrative is not so compelling, but at times it really is.
dreamgalaxies's review against another edition
4.0
I have a booktube channel now! Subscribe here.
Content warnings are, as always, at the bottom.
“It’s okay, I’ve learned, to love the things that make you, even if they’re also the things that unmake you.”
This book is not a chronological memoir, which may upset the expectations of some. It's more of a book of essays organized by theme--but the themes sort of bleed into one another, and the organization is honestly a bit chaotic. Certain events show up multiple times in the narrative while others are sort of skated over. Beyond this, there are certain structural and stylistic choices that didn't really work for me here--the dictionary definitions, for example, and the parallel narratives of Jensen's experiences juxtaposed with those of Black Americans, which didn't dwell enough on any of those people to give a strong impression in my opinion.
The content, however, is timely, thought-provoking, and heart-wrenching. Jensen tells stories about her experiences with violence and poverty living all over the US, including in her family home. This book is much less about the experience of living as an Indigenous person in the United States than I imagined, and is more a meditation on striving toward whiteness and what white culture in America, in fact, looks like--which can be strongly relatable for people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
There are some really strong and important threads here about alcoholism and domestic violence, especially, that I think would make great reading in certain classes. Her descriptions of her interpersonal relationships with her family and with her partners is beautifully rendered and painfully relatable.
CWs: so many. gun violence, police brutality, child abuse (physical/emotional), animal abuse, alcoholism, racism, sexual assault, murder, suicide, trauma.
Content warnings are, as always, at the bottom.
“It’s okay, I’ve learned, to love the things that make you, even if they’re also the things that unmake you.”
This book is not a chronological memoir, which may upset the expectations of some. It's more of a book of essays organized by theme--but the themes sort of bleed into one another, and the organization is honestly a bit chaotic. Certain events show up multiple times in the narrative while others are sort of skated over. Beyond this, there are certain structural and stylistic choices that didn't really work for me here--the dictionary definitions, for example, and the parallel narratives of Jensen's experiences juxtaposed with those of Black Americans, which didn't dwell enough on any of those people to give a strong impression in my opinion.
The content, however, is timely, thought-provoking, and heart-wrenching. Jensen tells stories about her experiences with violence and poverty living all over the US, including in her family home. This book is much less about the experience of living as an Indigenous person in the United States than I imagined, and is more a meditation on striving toward whiteness and what white culture in America, in fact, looks like--which can be strongly relatable for people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
There are some really strong and important threads here about alcoholism and domestic violence, especially, that I think would make great reading in certain classes. Her descriptions of her interpersonal relationships with her family and with her partners is beautifully rendered and painfully relatable.
CWs: so many. gun violence, police brutality, child abuse (physical/emotional), animal abuse, alcoholism, racism, sexual assault, murder, suicide, trauma.
hollycoaster's review
3.0
I was so excited to read this one but it wasn’t what I expected. It read more like a series of essays rather than a memoir. While some of the essays were really poetic and powerful, many of them were full of data and Webster’s dictionary definitions that distracted me from the overall premise. Regardless, she shares her thoughts and experiences on incredibly important topics and I’m still glad to have learned from her/read this one!
whatrachelreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75