Reviews tagging 'Grief'

How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones

34 reviews

moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

emotional reflective

5.0

This was amazing and beautifully written. This begins looking at the author's childhood and his experience as a gay Black boy in the south. It focuses not just on his understanding of sexuality, but how that impacts many relationships in his life. The middle goes into his time in college, more fraught in understanding how he relates to himself. Throughout the whole book, he has mentioned his mother, but the last section hones in on this relationship at the end of her life. 

I can't begin to really talk about how impactful various parts of this were for me. Suffice it to say, this was incredible and moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Body shaming

Minor: Cancer

fanchera's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Adult/minor relationship

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

I've never read a memoir of someone who isn't a well-known public figure. It was interesting learning his story at this personal level of introspection.

I would read this if you're interested in the impact your family has on your identity; the intersectionality of being gay, black, and poor; or the struggle of figuring out how to act when the world is telling you to be someone else.

I guess I finished the book hoping for more resolution - why did his mom act cagey when he came out? How will he approach his relationship with his grandma? Will he learn how to be happy with himself and live authentically instead of approaching life the selfish and guarded way he approached his college years?

Overall a decent read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Animal death

oddreads_nicolestins's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I am simply wowed by this memoir! Jones literally has poured so much hurt and self-realization on the page, I was right there with him searching myself with the same questions! I really liked how he split it up in chapters, with years/months to guide us through his major moments/memories. But look, Saeed Jones really tore me up with this one. Especially the parts including his mother and grandmother- that weird place where you are technically estranged but still deeply interdependent, especially in times of financial or emotional distress. WHEW if you haven't read this and you're a memoir person like me, get your hands on it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Homophobia

Moderate: Medical content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, and Sexual violence

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Car accident, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

mazeeee's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

incredibly moving. grief is such a bitch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Bullying, Homophobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

This is gorgeous and poetic and so intimate. I'm excited to read more from Mr. Jones. It's a tough memoir to read - Jones has been through so much pain. An important display of the failure of our social systems too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Bullying, Grief, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Medical content, Rape, Violence, Cursing, and Racism

Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

thefatpaperback's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Homophobia, and Medical trauma

darkwillow's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Death, and Grief

amerikanerin's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Death, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia

mmefish's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A beautifully written memoir that had spoken to my soul more than once (and made me cry).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Torture, Animal death, Hate crime, Murder, and Rape