Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom

5 reviews

bashsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars is a magical "memoir" that uses poetry and allegory to show what being a trans femme is like - from running away from home, forming a found family, defending herself, and growing as a woman. Though it uses unreality to prove its points, there are no rose-colored glasses in this short book. Everything is brutal, as the lives of many trans women are. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read more by Thom.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Classism, Blood, Transphobia, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Self harm, Stalking, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Medical content

Minor: Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Drug use

-Usage of the f-slur as an insult.

chattie_the_mad_chatter's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

For such a small book it really packs a punch.
This has a magical realisim, surreal feel that is so full of truth.
There are wonderful metaphors abounding displayed as a physical reality and inserts of poetry.

This book I had to put down at certain moments and breathe as I felt so moved by our protagonist and their friends and know that their story Echoes so many stories that go Unheard in our world. 

So many moments that feel powerful, and give hope and show anyone who is not trans how it feels. It has been a delight and a horror to walk in her fabulous stilleto shoes for a moment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

blackcatkai's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

CW: abuse, transphobia, death,  self harm, sexual content, violence, medical content/trauma, racism, blood, casual ableism

this was a wild ride of a novel. what part is fantasy, what part is made up, what is real and what isn't? though that's probably not the point by any means, I loved the mix of magical realism and surrealism. different readers will probably interpret things their own way but a lot of it, to me, felt like ways for the MC to process the trauma and struggles she went through as a young trans girl who just ran away from home.

we've got girl gangs, mermaids, revenge plots, and found families. we've got struggles and hardships but also hope. cheering our MC on is so easy to do and you feel for her as she finds her place in the world and what she wants. I can see the fast paced writing/plot and the uncertainty of what is or isn't real putting some readers off, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Violence, Medical trauma, Self harm, Gun violence, Murder, Blood, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Ableism

yaoipaddle's review

challenging emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Listened to the audiobook. It was just ok. A fun and quick listen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Murder, Hate crime, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Medical content, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Body shaming

plantbasedbride's review

challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What an entrancing memoir, unlike anything I’ve ever read. Dark, imaginative, fast paced, thoughtful, and, in equal measure, harrowing and joyful, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars explores the experience of a young Asian trans girl stepping into womanhood through a fantastical lens of colourful metaphor. A story of sisterhood and transformation.

Kai Cheng Thom has found a unique literary voice through which to share her lived experience, and I am endlessly grateful that she has chosen to share it with the world. Thom’s work is poetic yet blunt, dreamlike yet firmly rooted in reality.

“Little cocoon apartment, I love how you rattle and shake in the wind. You are mine like nothing has ever been before. Someday you'll tear open, and I'll fly out with the wings I have grown inside you. Still shimmering. Still wet.”

I highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Death, and Medical content