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A review by plantbasedbride
They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up by Eternity Martis
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Eternity was told she would have fun at Western - the quintessential Canadian party school. But what she experienced was anything but.
As a Canadian with connections to Western (I didn't attend but friends and family did), this book really hit home. We, in Canada, are great at ignoring our race issues and feeling superior to America in terms of racism. But we are not immune. In fact, we have a long history (and present) of severe racism and oppression.
We also have serious issues with sexism and misogyny, of which I've experienced more than I care to remember. College is a dangerous time for many young women and can be a source of long-lasting trauma for those of us who make it through.
Eternity's raw and honest retelling of her experiences with racism, misogyny, and misogynoir as a mixed-race woman of colour at Western was eye-opening and infuriating. I was so angry and worried for her throughout. No one deserves to be treated as she was, and she is sadly not alone.
They Said This Would Be Fun is a poignant reminder that "for so long young people have been infantilized and shamed for talking about the things that affect us. We’re told we haven’t worked long enough, lived long enough, been through enough to have our own pain validated."
But I share Eternity's hope that "this book will be an urgent reminder that dismissing the experiences of young people today will have serious permanent implications for our entire society."
A must-read for my fellow Canadians with an ending that had me in tears, this book is well worth your time.
Hear me talk about my thoughts on this book while creating a spread for it in my reading journal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45F0dob7MS4
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, sexual harassment, misogyny, misogynoir, racism, black face, gaslighting, domestic abuse
You can find me on...
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/plantbasedbride">Youtube</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elizabethturn/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethTurn">Twitter</a>
As a Canadian with connections to Western (I didn't attend but friends and family did), this book really hit home. We, in Canada, are great at ignoring our race issues and feeling superior to America in terms of racism. But we are not immune. In fact, we have a long history (and present) of severe racism and oppression.
We also have serious issues with sexism and misogyny, of which I've experienced more than I care to remember. College is a dangerous time for many young women and can be a source of long-lasting trauma for those of us who make it through.
Eternity's raw and honest retelling of her experiences with racism, misogyny, and misogynoir as a mixed-race woman of colour at Western was eye-opening and infuriating. I was so angry and worried for her throughout. No one deserves to be treated as she was, and she is sadly not alone.
They Said This Would Be Fun is a poignant reminder that "for so long young people have been infantilized and shamed for talking about the things that affect us. We’re told we haven’t worked long enough, lived long enough, been through enough to have our own pain validated."
But I share Eternity's hope that "this book will be an urgent reminder that dismissing the experiences of young people today will have serious permanent implications for our entire society."
A must-read for my fellow Canadians with an ending that had me in tears, this book is well worth your time.
Hear me talk about my thoughts on this book while creating a spread for it in my reading journal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45F0dob7MS4
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, sexual harassment, misogyny, misogynoir, racism, black face, gaslighting, domestic abuse
You can find me on...
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/plantbasedbride">Youtube</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elizabethturn/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethTurn">Twitter</a>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual assault