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loiscc's Reviews (313)
Know My Name is a memoir about the author's experience being the victim of sexual assault. This book is comprehensive in the way it presents the ensuing trial which garnered a lot of media attention and public scrutiny.
Listening to the audiobook made me sufficiently indignant especially during those moments when Chanel Miller, who narrates her memoir, became emotional whilst recounting the loss of privacy, self-doubt, gaslighting, victim-blaming, threats and paranoia that affected her and her family, over the course of the trial and beyond.
This book incites important conversations about how society treats women, men's entitlement to female bodies and the unfairness of the criminal justice system. It also gives insight into the hidden affects that some victims of sexual assault have to face, such as the crippling expenses.
I'm glad that Chanel Miller decided to share her experience despite the emotional trauma she would've had to relive in order to tell her truth. Its a memoir that speaks to fellow sexual assault victims and emboldens them to speak up in a society that tries to drown out their voices.
Listening to the audiobook made me sufficiently indignant especially during those moments when Chanel Miller, who narrates her memoir, became emotional whilst recounting the loss of privacy, self-doubt, gaslighting, victim-blaming, threats and paranoia that affected her and her family, over the course of the trial and beyond.
This book incites important conversations about how society treats women, men's entitlement to female bodies and the unfairness of the criminal justice system. It also gives insight into the hidden affects that some victims of sexual assault have to face, such as the crippling expenses.
I'm glad that Chanel Miller decided to share her experience despite the emotional trauma she would've had to relive in order to tell her truth. Its a memoir that speaks to fellow sexual assault victims and emboldens them to speak up in a society that tries to drown out their voices.
This book is a super short read but it makes a powerful statement. It outspokenly confronts the toxicity of masculinity through the lens of a trans woman's experience. Vivek Shraya speaks about the harmful effects of gendered stereotyping by drawing upon the many challenging events in her life and how these particularly threaten people of ethnic minorities and women. Shraya narrates her own experience of questioning, uncertainty and fear in an unflinching way. I loved listening to the author narrate the audiobook!
She of the mountains explores the ways in which humanity and divinity are linked through the story of an effeminate boy who is questioning his sexual identity. He's attracted to guys but can't help his growing affections towards a worldly girl from his college. His story is told in tandem with those relating to Hindu mythology, a story about the goddess, Parvathi, the giver of life and the different forms she inhibits. This book imagines life devoid of the social constraints of gender whilst also acknowledging the harm that often comes as a result.
Freshwater is a surrealist novel about a Nigerian girl called Ada, who is a human vessel for the powerful gods that inhibit her body. As her consciousness of her godly origins slowly unfold, she is soon forced to realise her true destiny.
I loved how audacious and symbolic this story was. The subversive ways in which religious imagery and mythology were used felt very open to interpretation and as such, I couldn't help but think that the gods inhibiting Ada's body was a metaphor for body dysphoria and the subsequent transitioning she underwent.
At times I thought Freshwater was so abstract that it was hard to connect with all the inner turmoil Ada was facing, particularly all the extreme measures she was driven to in order to satiate the desires of the hedonistic gods inside of her. But I also thought this story had a lot of depth and significance.
I loved how audacious and symbolic this story was. The subversive ways in which religious imagery and mythology were used felt very open to interpretation and as such, I couldn't help but think that the gods inhibiting Ada's body was a metaphor for body dysphoria and the subsequent transitioning she underwent.
At times I thought Freshwater was so abstract that it was hard to connect with all the inner turmoil Ada was facing, particularly all the extreme measures she was driven to in order to satiate the desires of the hedonistic gods inside of her. But I also thought this story had a lot of depth and significance.
Natives is a non-fiction cum memoir book that looks critically at the state of lingering racism and racial inequality that continues to persist in the U.K despite the general attitude of ambivalence and denialism to these crippling issues that disproportionately affect the black British population.
This book is so necessary and valid! Akala speaks passionately but with just as much eloquence and authority on matters concerning anti-black sentiment in this country. This book particularly analyses the adverse implications of race and class, true to the title of the book, but personally, as a reader affected by not only race and class but gender as well, I would've loved a critical discussion on that last point, because he discuses everything else so seamlessly, it would've made me feel even more represented but I feel like I can't really critique the book on its absence of any concrete discussions about the ways in which black women have to navigate life in Britain because, this book does specify in the title what the general focus will be. But ultimately, Natives is a crucial book that anyone who claims to care about human rights should read.
This book is so necessary and valid! Akala speaks passionately but with just as much eloquence and authority on matters concerning anti-black sentiment in this country. This book particularly analyses the adverse implications of race and class, true to the title of the book, but personally, as a reader affected by not only race and class but gender as well, I would've loved a critical discussion on that last point, because he discuses everything else so seamlessly, it would've made me feel even more represented but I feel like I can't really critique the book on its absence of any concrete discussions about the ways in which black women have to navigate life in Britain because, this book does specify in the title what the general focus will be. But ultimately, Natives is a crucial book that anyone who claims to care about human rights should read.
Real Life is queer, realist science fiction that felt like a sociological character study. It follows an introverted and docile Wallace who left behind a traumatic childhood in Alabama to move to the American Midwest in pursuit of his studies in Biochemistry.
But life as the only black gay man on his lab team comes with its own set of challenges, such as the daily microaggressions, the open hostilities, not to mention the constant looks of suspicion he gets from his white counterparts as well as the predominantly black cleaners. During a late summer weekend, Wallace faces several confrontations with his peers that threaten to change the course of their friendships.
This book is very character focused in the way it looks at the relationships that exist between Wallace and his friends, the sense of disaffection between Wallace and his family and the growing tension between him and Miller.
Real Life is a sentient expression of raw emotion. I loved the dialogue, it was very believable (albeit with an insufferable amount of whitesplainning) and the way thoughts and emotions were described. I listened to the audiobook but this story felt so nuanced that I feel like I would appreciate it more if I read the physical book.
But life as the only black gay man on his lab team comes with its own set of challenges, such as the daily microaggressions, the open hostilities, not to mention the constant looks of suspicion he gets from his white counterparts as well as the predominantly black cleaners. During a late summer weekend, Wallace faces several confrontations with his peers that threaten to change the course of their friendships.
This book is very character focused in the way it looks at the relationships that exist between Wallace and his friends, the sense of disaffection between Wallace and his family and the growing tension between him and Miller.
Real Life is a sentient expression of raw emotion. I loved the dialogue, it was very believable (albeit with an insufferable amount of whitesplainning) and the way thoughts and emotions were described. I listened to the audiobook but this story felt so nuanced that I feel like I would appreciate it more if I read the physical book.
Stay with me is the gut-twisting debut novel about the intense tribulations of motherhood, as told through the story of Yejide. Her story coincides with the military regime of 1980s Nigeria. Stay with me is about loss, severed relationships, regret and the chance for redemption in the face of flawed humanity.
tw: child death, chronic illness
Adébáyò's writing perfectly captures the acuteness of Yejide's suffering as well as the other characters, their anger and guilt and pain. The dialogue was superb, the transitions between timelines was constructed well and seeing that I listened to the audiobook, I have to praise the excellence of Adjoa's Andoh's narration. She gave a truly heartfelt performance.
tw: child death, chronic illness
Adébáyò's writing perfectly captures the acuteness of Yejide's suffering as well as the other characters, their anger and guilt and pain. The dialogue was superb, the transitions between timelines was constructed well and seeing that I listened to the audiobook, I have to praise the excellence of Adjoa's Andoh's narration. She gave a truly heartfelt performance.
Under The Udala Trees is a tragically heartfelt novel about finding love in the face of war and intolerance.
tw: homophobia
The story follows the life of a young Nigerian girl, Ijeoma, who grew up living the harrowing effects of the Biafran War and through an unlikely friendship later discovers that she is attracted to girls. Ijeoma's mother constantly condemns her daughter's sinful ways and Ijeoma battles wanting to live up to her mother's expectations of her but also loving freely.
This book was not without its flaws but transgenerational life stories are my calling. There's so much scope for building up character journey and growth. In this way, we got to understand how a lot of the characters have been shaped by their circumstances and have changed accordingly.
Some moments seemed to drone on a bit and there were some tangents but overall I loved the tender and heartfelt way in which the story was told. The intimate scenes were handled with care, albeit directed towards an older audience and the ending was hard-hitting such that it inspires hope.
tw: homophobia
The story follows the life of a young Nigerian girl, Ijeoma, who grew up living the harrowing effects of the Biafran War and through an unlikely friendship later discovers that she is attracted to girls. Ijeoma's mother constantly condemns her daughter's sinful ways and Ijeoma battles wanting to live up to her mother's expectations of her but also loving freely.
This book was not without its flaws but transgenerational life stories are my calling. There's so much scope for building up character journey and growth. In this way, we got to understand how a lot of the characters have been shaped by their circumstances and have changed accordingly.
Some moments seemed to drone on a bit and there were some tangents but overall I loved the tender and heartfelt way in which the story was told. The intimate scenes were handled with care, albeit directed towards an older audience and the ending was hard-hitting such that it inspires hope.
Date Me, Bryson Keller is an LGBTQ young adult romance novel about a school dare whereby the most popular jock at Fairvale Academy, Bryson Keller, must agree to date whoever asks him at the start of every week. Enter our awkward, blushing protagonist, Kai Sheridan, who brazenly asks Bryson to date him even though he's still 'in the closet.' What started as a fake relationship blossoms into so much more as the two young men connect and open up to each other in ways they never thought possible.
I expected to rate this book lower than I did as it is essentially the archetypal compound of every Disney channel original movie you've ever grown up watching, only with a male on male lead romance in place of a heteronormative one. That being said, this book was heavily cliched in a moth-eaten way so I was cynical whilst reading it. But, inasmuch as the romance lacked authenticity in places, there were surprising moments where I actually got swept up in the feels (wild) and I felt quite touched by the softness and vulnerability of Kai and Bryson's relationship (swoon).
This book was technically hard to fault, despite lacking in originality. To this end, the author does acknowledge the other stories that have influenced Date Me, Bryson Keller, such as, Seven Days: Monday - Thursday by Venio Tachibana (to which it bears a striking resemblance). The premise may be a carbon copy of Seven Days but I do feel like the author, Van Whye, used the premise to tell his own story. His real life experiences mirror that of Kai, so this book definitely has an 'own voices' dimension to it as well. I appreciated the fact that it tackles hardier topics such as homophobia, 'outing', and racial representation in a way that is accessible for younger readers.
In short, Date Me, Bryson Keller was a truly swoon worthy read!
I expected to rate this book lower than I did as it is essentially the archetypal compound of every Disney channel original movie you've ever grown up watching, only with a male on male lead romance in place of a heteronormative one. That being said, this book was heavily cliched in a moth-eaten way so I was cynical whilst reading it. But, inasmuch as the romance lacked authenticity in places, there were surprising moments where I actually got swept up in the feels (wild) and I felt quite touched by the softness and vulnerability of Kai and Bryson's relationship (swoon).
This book was technically hard to fault, despite lacking in originality. To this end, the author does acknowledge the other stories that have influenced Date Me, Bryson Keller, such as, Seven Days: Monday - Thursday by Venio Tachibana (to which it bears a striking resemblance). The premise may be a carbon copy of Seven Days but I do feel like the author, Van Whye, used the premise to tell his own story. His real life experiences mirror that of Kai, so this book definitely has an 'own voices' dimension to it as well. I appreciated the fact that it tackles hardier topics such as homophobia, 'outing', and racial representation in a way that is accessible for younger readers.
In short, Date Me, Bryson Keller was a truly swoon worthy read!
Surviving Home is a potent collection of autobiographical poems about the harsh challenges of life as told from the perspective of a black American woman. Canyon’s collection deals with the piercing themes of family breakdown, addiction, racial disparity and loss of faith. These poems were written with a lot of nuance, to the point where they sometimes felt overwhelmingly abstract, but there was also an emotive sense of intention as well.
Some of my favourite poems in this collection include the following;
The Tyger, Interrupted
This poem left the most lasting impression on me. It is a dual narrative, whereby a girl’s reading of William Blake’s poem Tyger, Tyger is constantly interrupted by the chastisement of her mother. It has an understated profoundness that is telling. The mother’s efforts to quell her daughter’s reading is indicative of the expectations society places on women, especially those from low-income, ethnic minority backgrounds where any sense of academic agency is dismissed and familial submissiveness encouraged.
Follow the link to read the full review:
https://lochanreads.com/2021/07/11/book-review-surviving-home-by-katerina-canyon/
Some of my favourite poems in this collection include the following;
The Tyger, Interrupted
This poem left the most lasting impression on me. It is a dual narrative, whereby a girl’s reading of William Blake’s poem Tyger, Tyger is constantly interrupted by the chastisement of her mother. It has an understated profoundness that is telling. The mother’s efforts to quell her daughter’s reading is indicative of the expectations society places on women, especially those from low-income, ethnic minority backgrounds where any sense of academic agency is dismissed and familial submissiveness encouraged.
Follow the link to read the full review:
https://lochanreads.com/2021/07/11/book-review-surviving-home-by-katerina-canyon/