Reviews tagging 'Death'

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

10 reviews

moonyreadsbystarlight's review

emotional reflective

3.75

Some poems were quite strong, others I had a hard time with. The style was a bit repetitive for the bulk of the poems, but I did like the prompts after each poem - that was interesting and had some that I think I'll revisit and do. I think I'm just a little too jaded to really appreciate this. Maybe I will try it again when I am feeling more optimistic but I had a hard time getting into parts of it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Murder, and Physical abuse

sabrinalefebvre's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

So much more joy and hope than I was expecting in this! Such beautiful writing and prose!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Hate crime and Death

Minor: Murder

jayisreading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.75

A collection of letters wrapped in compassion, Kai Cheng Thom—a trans Asian Canadian woman—writes from the heart to embrace every human as sacred beings. In spite of the pain she has dealt with in her life, in spite of all the hateful people in this world, she writes with hope and sincerity. She writes to trans women, sex workers and their patrons, herself, among others to remind them (and the readers) of the love and beauty that exist in this world. Especially in a world that’s weighed down by hurt and grief, Thom’s words are more needed than ever for us to take a moment to reflect.

I also appreciated that, between each letter, she invited the reader to practice an act of self-love and self-reflection. For example: “Write a letter of forgiveness to someone. That someone can be yourself.”

I read this collection and listened to the audiobook simultaneously, and I found that hearing Thom reading each letter herself left a greater impression on me.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Death, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Racism

arakwordmaven's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

When I despair at the ignorance, intolerance, self-righteousness and suffering in the world, this book helps me remember that freedom, beauty, kindness, and love are also here. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Grief

kimapede's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing tense fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Transphobia, Murder, Death, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Stalking

aliyahoff's review

challenging reflective fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia

Minor: Sexual violence

tenthousandactualbees's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Death, and Homophobia

meganpbell's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

What do you do when the world threatens your belief that all beings are worthy of love? In this powerful collection of poems, prayers, and spells, a Chinese Canadian transwoman writes to reclaim her love of being human, through  tender and intense letters addressed to such diverse recipients as J. K. Rowling, johns, and Jesus Christ, to fellow trans femmes, to the church of social justice, to compulsive caregivers, and many more, each with a suggested action, my favorite being: “Think of someone you’d like to punish….send them a book of poetry instead.” Read this brief book to fall back in love with being human—it begins by falling in love with the powerful, spiritually wise, and redemptive words of Kai Cheng Thom.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Gun violence, and Homophobia

river23's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Minor: Stalking, Self harm, and Death

annajoyreed93's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

“the secret of resilience is the art of surrender.”
from to a lost sister

“a child who keeps secrets to survive becomes a solider in their soul.”
from to the Animorphs

“i was seven years old when I told my first lie, and i still remember how it tasted: salty, savory, delicious, dirty, divine, dangerous, powerful, like freedom. how it came from nowhere, from the empty air, from a secret place inside my body that i’d never even known was there. how it felt electric, alive, like turning a key in a lock and stepping into the light. here was magic. here was escape. here was the power to twist reality with nothing but words, abracadabra alakazam, through the act of speaking, i create. here was shapeshifting, becoming someone else. with a lie you become lovable, at least for a while, until you’re discovered and everything turns to dust once again.”
from to the confabulists 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Transphobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Racism, Homophobia, Death, Suicide, and Rape