Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

Leerschool by Tara Westover

151 reviews

oliviacarew's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, and Grief

maddiet425's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs and Antisemitism

alreads420's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child abuse, Gore, Torture, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, and Antisemitism

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

3.0

I avoided reading this book for a long time because I was pretty sure it'd make me angry. I literally know people mentioned in this book because I married into the extended family. At first, I just heard from that extended family how much of it was untrue and mean. Then I became more familiar with the family and realized I'd probably be more on Tara's side than not.

People from back home have been asking me about this book, and I was embarrassed. "My husband isn't like that. I'm not like that," I wanted to scream. But I didn't know exactly what the book said, so it was hard to defend.

Though doubtlessly exaggerated or bent in certain places, the gist of this memoir rings true. (I've met her father, and tbh, you can only tell he has burn scars if you look super carefully and closely, for example.) Especially with the extended witness testimony, particularly of her brothers, I believe for sure there was an abusive situation, and Tara is as yet still being gaslighted about the whole thing.

I read an article about the family and their reaction that was published just this year (2023), just to really hear both sides. (I know these people but I'm not tight, ya feel? Second cousins and such.) And legit the things some family members said in the article felt exactly the same as how Tara had written them. 

So, still I am embarrassed. Embarrassed that so many people that live in proximity to where I am now legitimately think and act the way of the Westovers in the book. I mean mostly in reference to all the fake medicine and energy healing bs, but also definitely with anti-government sentiment.

I'm glad Tara extricated herself from a garbage situation, and she shouldn't mend ties until they apologize, imho. The writing in engaging, the structure effective, and the musings though provoking.

Though this book isn't about me, I feel it reflects on where I live, so please don't judge Idaho too harshly. And I have to accept some people are stupid and will remain stupid, and there's nothing I can do about it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

thekiwibibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.5

A well written memoirs, I actually thought it was fiction for the first chapter!
I was hooked from the start & really loved the message. Everyone needs to read this!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Terminal illness and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

tobiolovebot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book was transformative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

kemrick19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

rating a memoir is always hard, but it is especially difficult in this case — what can I say except that I was hooked on the story, which is absolutely horrible considering this is her actual life and not just some thriller typa special effects. I'm glad she finally found the courage to stand for herself, yet I can also absolutely understand why she didn't want to or couldn't do it (not that I can relate, I'm so grateful to be privileged in the fact that most of all this sounds like a fever-dreamish nightmare to me).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism

pipcorn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Antisemitism

vireogirl's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

4.0

Such a tough book. So many terrible experiences. Twisted truth. Yet laced with the hope of change. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Pregnancy