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bashsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Westover has a vivid and transporting sense of description, and Whelan reads her words with a measured and flowing cadance (although I could do without her attempts at Idaho accents and masculine tones when reading dialogue). Westover is also extremely cognizant of the core of memoir - that it is one person's truth, and that one person's truth has power. Add that to how it demonstrates the highly political nature of education, and of course Westover has a captivating book.
That said, I feel part of the appeal for a lot of people is the shock of Westover's upbringing and a certain desire to gawk. This gawking desire draws lots of people to memoirs, but Educated is especially primed for it. I have to wonder how others are engaging with it - hopefully more than on a 'damn, that was crazy' level.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Animal death, Racism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
pandemonicbaby's review against another edition
5.0
This book is such a marvelous, deeply interesting exploration of the power of education, of the meaning of family, of struggling with abuse and still being able to forge an identity for yourself afterward. Her path towards education is also a path towards being able to think for herself, instead of being told what to think by others. This might be the strongest, most powerful message woven in between the threads of this memoir, an ode to finding yourself through education.
So much nuance, so many tiny little intricacies present in the text show that Tara Westover truly is a historian -- that she's able to see the many different versions of a story and present them to the reader, making them reflect upon the significance and meaning of each unique account. "[...] nothing final can be known", as she quotes John Stuart Mill.
I feel like I'm going to reread this soon, just so I can underline the passages in this book that are so powerful they would make anyone stop reading just to reflect upon them. I shouldn't have been scared of underlining this book, gosh!! I gotta start being more willing to do that, whenever I think it might be important to me.
All in all, wonderful book. Marvelously crafted, beautiful writing, moving and powerful message. I cried reading this. I think it will stay with me forever.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Blood, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Murder, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Racism, Miscarriage, Mass/school shootings, and Genocide
insideunder's review
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cancer, Medical content, Body shaming, Classism, and Death of parent
nightpath's review against another edition
5.0
Tara Westover is a truly talented writer, and clearly a deeply reflective person. To have spent so much of her life journaling to no end and learning at a steep cost to her wellbeing, it is amazing that this book even exists.
There are few stories that allow you to see so clearly how much of a certain experience you have taken for granted, but this book takes you out of yourself entirely and shows you in absolute clarity what it is you have been given, simply by receiving an education.
My only note is to trigger warn - the book is intense and graphic and it may not suit everyone!
Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Death of parent, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
paytonwaddell's review
5.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Sexism, Mental illness, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming
lilianmathilda's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Body shaming
fanchera's review
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body shaming
naomib_'s review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Murder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Body shaming, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racial slurs
Minor: Blood, Murder, and Abandonment
zadam812's review
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Body shaming
Moderate: Gaslighting, Racism, Mental illness, Medical content, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal cruelty
hcop's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Antisemitism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness