Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones

13 reviews

moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

emotional reflective

5.0

This was amazing and beautifully written. This begins looking at the author's childhood and his experience as a gay Black boy in the south. It focuses not just on his understanding of sexuality, but how that impacts many relationships in his life. The middle goes into his time in college, more fraught in understanding how he relates to himself. Throughout the whole book, he has mentioned his mother, but the last section hones in on this relationship at the end of her life. 

I can't begin to really talk about how impactful various parts of this were for me. Suffice it to say, this was incredible and moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Body shaming

Minor: Cancer

mirandalikesbooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

I've never read a memoir of someone who isn't a well-known public figure. It was interesting learning his story at this personal level of introspection.

I would read this if you're interested in the impact your family has on your identity; the intersectionality of being gay, black, and poor; or the struggle of figuring out how to act when the world is telling you to be someone else.

I guess I finished the book hoping for more resolution - why did his mom act cagey when he came out? How will he approach his relationship with his grandma? Will he learn how to be happy with himself and live authentically instead of approaching life the selfish and guarded way he approached his college years?

Overall a decent read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Animal death

shasi__'s review

emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

mmefish's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A beautifully written memoir that had spoken to my soul more than once (and made me cry).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Torture, Animal death, Hate crime, Murder, and Rape

katielaine_w's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness

Minor: Drug abuse, Animal death, and Alcohol

armontheroad's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I truly cannot put into words how deeply incredible this memoir is!! This was raw and deeply personal. Saeed Jones narrates his audiobook, which in my opinion, amplified the experience. It baffled me how Jones was able to discuss so much hardship whilst somehow managing to keep the book light and funny at points. By the time I got to the end, I could not stop crying. The writing is just brilliant! At the end of the day, this memoir is a love letter to his mother who passed away after being terminally ill for years. It is about the relationship the two of them had, about his life growing up Black and gay, about the religious abuse he suffered throughout his life. It’s a story about family and trauma. I do not recommend it lightly. Please take my trigger warnings into consideration before reading and to ensure the protection of your mental health I suggest doing additional research into trigger warnings beforehand!

CWs/TWs: suicide, racism, hate crime, homophobia, religious bigotry, child abuse, sexual content, pedophilia, childhood sexual assault, RuPaul reference, chronic illness, medical content, death of a parent, grief, rape, murder (minor), fetishization, car accident, physical assault, animal death, eye gore, etc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide, Racism, Homophobia, and Rape

Minor: Murder

kennedybullen's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Cursing

Minor: Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

allwaysbecoming's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful memoir that tells the journey of a Black, queer, Texan. It is filled with poetry and tenderness that leaves you feeling deeply for Jones. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Hate crime

marabdelmageed's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Cursing

stevie's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Medical content, Grief, Chronic illness, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Police brutality and Hate crime