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A review by arisbookcorner
Feminista by Erica Kennedy
1.0
I am so disappointed in this book and annoyed at how much I let it get under my skin. The author sounds like an incredible woman so I'm very confused as to how she could have written something so trashy and backwards.
I hate that this book has feminist in the title because it ignores the core tenant of feminism throughout most of the book. Sydney spends far more time engaging in misandry than she does in talking about the double standard women face that holds them back from being equal with men. I get that Sydney isn't supposed to be likable but she reads like a caricature of what ignorant people think feminists are and the book would have been far stronger (and enjoyable) if the main character was actually a feminist. She also completely lost me when she uses a gay slur on a guy she's seeing who she thinks gave her herpes, I mean COME ON. Not only is the term offensive AF but the author lets her make false assumptions about how herpes is spread and that's dangerous.
I was very hopeful that as a chick lit novel centered around a woman of color, it would explore racial dynamics of dating. But nope. I perked up when Sydney goes on a date with a football player because their conversation gets interesting but then the author completely ruins it for a ridiculous scenario that feels so misplaced I'm angry just thinking about it. Also completely baffles me as to why Sydney launches into an explanation of her white heritage every single time someone asks her 'what are you', a classic move we make fun of white people for. And yet she does it repeatedly instead of saying she's biracial, or half white, half Afro Cuban. Instead we have to read her litany of white ethnic heritage and it's annoying. Also she's definitely white on the cover of this book which strikes me as whitewashing. Aside from the annoying way race and class are handled in the book, the writing is cringe-worthy. The characters jump from one situation to the next and seem to pick up conversations that you don't even remember them starting to have in the first place (I'm still trying to figure out why Jeffrey hatched that weird plan with Max and why he made up a boyfriend who then was actually his boyfriend??). The plot is basically taming of the shrew but terribly reimagined so that's disappointing.
I could go on and on about why I disliked this book but overall it's trite, cliche-ridden and stunningly simplistic with major plot holes. I can't even say it was a fun trashy read because I was too caught up in the ridiculous offensiveness of it all. There was so much potential here.
I hate that this book has feminist in the title because it ignores the core tenant of feminism throughout most of the book. Sydney spends far more time engaging in misandry than she does in talking about the double standard women face that holds them back from being equal with men. I get that Sydney isn't supposed to be likable but she reads like a caricature of what ignorant people think feminists are and the book would have been far stronger (and enjoyable) if the main character was actually a feminist. She also completely lost me when she uses a gay slur on a guy she's seeing who she thinks gave her herpes, I mean COME ON. Not only is the term offensive AF but the author lets her make false assumptions about how herpes is spread and that's dangerous.
I was very hopeful that as a chick lit novel centered around a woman of color, it would explore racial dynamics of dating. But nope. I perked up when Sydney goes on a date with a football player because their conversation gets interesting but then the author completely ruins it for a ridiculous scenario that feels so misplaced I'm angry just thinking about it. Also completely baffles me as to why Sydney launches into an explanation of her white heritage every single time someone asks her 'what are you', a classic move we make fun of white people for. And yet she does it repeatedly instead of saying she's biracial, or half white, half Afro Cuban. Instead we have to read her litany of white ethnic heritage and it's annoying. Also she's definitely white on the cover of this book which strikes me as whitewashing. Aside from the annoying way race and class are handled in the book, the writing is cringe-worthy. The characters jump from one situation to the next and seem to pick up conversations that you don't even remember them starting to have in the first place (I'm still trying to figure out why Jeffrey hatched that weird plan with Max and why he made up a boyfriend who then was actually his boyfriend??). The plot is basically taming of the shrew but terribly reimagined so that's disappointing.
I could go on and on about why I disliked this book but overall it's trite, cliche-ridden and stunningly simplistic with major plot holes. I can't even say it was a fun trashy read because I was too caught up in the ridiculous offensiveness of it all. There was so much potential here.