A review by steveinadelaide
Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution by Laurie Penny

challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a book about feminism, sexuality, and power. The author writes from a feminist perspective, and the book includes their* own experiences with gender and sexuality. They discuss how feminism has changed over the years, and how it has affected their own life. They also address the issue of consent, and how it is often misunderstood. They also discuss cyberbullying which has become a problem that needs to be urgently addressed.

Penny writes with a passion that is often angry and which, at times, tips over into a ranting style and is somewhat repetitive. However, their writing is poetic, sometimes hyperbolic, and highly articulate. They have a gift for metaphors and similes, which makes the book more readable than many books on similar topics.

The book is aimed at a young adult audience, but it will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about feminism, sexuality, or power dynamics. It is an important contribution to the feminist conversation, and it is likely to inspire readers to think about these issues in new ways.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in feminism, sexuality, or power dynamics. It is a powerful and necessary contribution to the feminist conversation. It would be important to follow this one up by reading material that is written in a calmer style and presents the issues in a more evidence-based, scholarly way. But UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a great read.

*NOTE: I have used plural third-person pronouns because that is what this author prefers.