Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

7 reviews

jazhandz's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

3.5

I picked up this book because the marketing and blurb makes it sound like science nonfiction. It is not. It is a collection of personal essays that use marine as a metaphor. They’re beautiful essays, they’re very striking, but I was just intensely frustrated the whole time because of the marketing failure. I wanted the sea creatures to be the point of the book, and it didn’t feel like they were. Maybe I would rate this higher if I’d gone in knowing that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Animal death, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Racial slurs

throwback682's review

dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I have no idea how to describe this book. In short, it's a memoir told through the lens of dense scientific info about sea creatures. But that’s…. nowhere near accurate or at least nowhere near adequate. 

Perhaps it’s a string of long strange similes that forces you to re-examine your assumptions about both marine life and humans. 

How does a book flow seamlessly from Lorena Bobbitt to Brock Turner to dead whales to immortal jellyfish? From strap-ons to gender dysphoria to biracial identities to crabs huddled together on the edge of a volcanic vent at the bottom of the ocean? From mother octopuses starving to death for their babies to alcoholism to rape? From the NYC dyke march and the queer history of a tuberculosis hospital to  cuttlefish camouflage? It shouldn’t all be able to fit in one book but it does and it’s spectacular. Example: at one point they perform a necropsy on an early queer relationship after a breakup. 

I had to take breaks during some of the heavier subject matter and you should definitely check the trigger warnings but for me it was well worth the pain. What a brilliant piece of art. The synergy of all the myriad pieces of this book is extremely powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, War, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

TW: victim blaming, sexual assault

The author (they/them) describes incidents of a sexual nature and struggles to categorize them as consensual or assault due to their heavy drinking.

TW: gender dysphoria

They describe parts of their body that make them feel dysphoric, things that help the dysphoria (binding), and things that make them feel euphoric (masculine clothes, packing, the word “boyfriend”).

TW: harm to animals This book deals heavily with marine life in the wild as well as marine science.

There is discussion of human experimentation on marine life, including intentionally hurting or killing animals through various methods. Examples include killing a fish to study it further, and doing various things to traumatize a jellyfish to induce a certain reaction. There’s also discussion of animals eating each other etc.

bishopbox's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Absolutely beautiful writing!! The way the author mixes stories of their personal life and info about sea creatures was so well done! I will definitely revisit this book in the future!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism, War, Stalking, and Animal death

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Death, Homophobia, Animal death, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic

aktreich's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, and Racism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

hannahpings's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

an absolute stunner. perspective and experience are critical and beautiful, and i feel so lucky––though "lucky" doesn't feel nearly like strong enough a word––to have been able to bear witness to imbler's.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Genocide, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Animal death, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Violence, and Transphobia

Minor: Medical content, Body horror, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lia_brd's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Such a great mix of information, emotion and experiences. This was wonderfully crafted and such an amazing read.
If you're looking to learn about sea creatures and to reflect on society/race/queerness, I highly encourage you to pick this up!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Body shaming, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Rape, Misogyny, Animal death, Racism, Death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Fatphobia