Reviews

The Feminist Killjoy Handbook by Sara Ahmed

jamjunrb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I was deeply moved by the didactic yet tender and fierce intimacy of this book. Ahemd’s incredible intellect and wisdom make it feel like we’re sitting on the living room floor as an elder teaches and affirms the feminist within us, as a community of reclamation, resistance, and restoration. I also appreciate the academic and experiential lineages she intertwines, as noted by the endnotes, which I found fascinating. This book feels like a genuine handbook filled with reflections, instructions, challenges, praxis, and dedication to liberation at every level. Ahmed’s writing is concise, creative, and confiding, which makes it engaging and energizing. The content is potent and expansive, opening the mind to the horizons of identity, community, and liberation. I cannot recommend this book enough! 

akamuva's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I am continuously moved by Ahmed’s work. This handbook allows me to engage with her as both student and teacher of feminist killjoys. Her killjoy truths, maxims, commitments and equations fueled an already burning fire within me. To burn in communion with other feminists is in of itself a joyful killjoy experience and Ahmed adds not only her fuel but that of a non-normative feminist archive. 
Ultimately one of many important feminist theory guides!!

monicaklaas's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

brisingr's review

4.0

The concept of a feminist killjoy is so dear to me, because I've ver much been that for so much of my life, and this book just managed to explain it, and give me the tools and lessons to remain it. What a blessing!!!

Recommended to everyone who wants to understand how to live in a world that can be so aggravating and tough.

stacysma's review

4.0

Compilation of her previous work so not groundbreaking but still grounding

bethandunlop's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective

4.0

crazylady_usmc's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

3.5

ainavmaroto's review

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

cowboylikestoread43's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

laurareads87's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

The Feminist Killjoy Handbook follows the figure of the feminist killjoy - she who gets in the way of others' comfort, who speaks up to name sexism, who won't just be quiet and go along to get along. Ahmed's work is deeply intersectional & queer, she clearly names transphobia as fundamentally anti-feminist, and her analysis is simultaneously precise and applicable to an array of contexts (personal relationships, institutional contexts, policy-making - she discusses 'scale' early on).

I've read quite a lot of Ahmed's work prior to this, and have an academic background in theory. I did find this book much more 'general audience' oriented than many of her other texts, and likely more approachable; I appreciate the inclusion of a detailed recommended reading list as well as discussion questions. I want to gift this book to a significant number of people in my life.

Content warnings: discussions of sexism, misogyny, sexual harassment, sexual assault, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia