isagnome 's review for:

Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer

1.0

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I am so glad to finally be done w this book! While i think there is some wisdom lying in these pages and it reminded me of my own inherent magic and the importance of connecting with our pleasure, so much of this book is poorly written, re exerting gender norms and gender essentialism- something that is so dangerous in a world where there is an active genocide of trans and queer peoples. Really the essential point of this book is to get in touch with your pleasure, boost your self esteem, appreciate the magic of being alive and the power you have, and creating a supportive community. While all of this is good and even radical in a sense, the language used is problematic and reductive. Most of the lessons taught in this book i have already learned through attending psychotherapy, pelvic PT, engaging in mindfulness practice, and being present with my feelings. I did enjoy reconnecting with the power and magic that women are, but again i think the language could have been used differently, as a lot of what she's saying walks a fine line between female empowerment and TERFism. You can tell that the author is a millionaire who barely attempts to make this relatable to a working class woman— suggesting to buy a $5,000 dress to live your inner goddess and manifest money. The only people I can see truly engaging with this text are upper class boomer white women -- good for them, I’m sure they also are in need of a new pleasure centered mindset that allows them to follow their dreams. However, if a text that is supposed to be radical and empowering cannot be relatable and accessible to ALL kinds of women, how radical is it? Texts like this further light the fire of transphobia and the language used is problematic. A person doesn’t need to have a vulva to be a woman, nor do they need to even be a woman to access the “feminine power” that is so discussed in this book Also it was incredibly unorganized, stories she had begun to tell in the first chapter were all of a sudden finished in the middle of the book.