Review by itsmeyseniab - Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World

A review by itsmeyseniab
Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kayla Whaley, Anne Thériault, Jessica Luther, Zariya Allen, Wendy Davis, Nova Ren Suma, Kody Keplinger, Malinda Lo, Daniel José Older, Sarah McCarry, Erika T. Wurth, Brenna Clarke Gray, Mikki Kendall, Becca Sexton, Lily Myers, Alida Nugent, Suzannah Weiss, Kelly Jensen, Mia DePrince, Amandla Stenberg, Michaela DePrince, Constance Zaber, Shveta Thakrar, Matt Nathanson, Risa Rodil, Courtney Summers, Brandy Colbert, Angie Manfredi, Siobhan Vivian, Ashley Hope Pérez, Allison Peyton Steger

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

Individual ratings:
Forever Feminist (Malinda Lo) - 4 stars
What Does "Feminism" Mean? A Brief History of the Word, from Its Beginnings All the Way up to the Present (Suzannah Weiss) - 3.5 stars
Bad Feminist: Take Two (Roxane Gay) - 5 stars

cw:
mention of rape and abortion

Privilege (Matt Nathanson) - 4.5 stars

cw:
mention of rape and abortion

The Book of Questions and Answers (Anne Thériault) - 4.5 stars

cw:
mention of cancer, car accident and depression

The Big Blue Ocean and My Big Fat Body (Angie Manfredi) - 5 stars
Pretty Enough (Alida Nugent) - 4 stars
So I Guess This Is Growing Up (Liz Prince) - 3.5 stars
I Have Always Eaten the Bread (Lily Myers) - 4 stars
Bad Hair Day (Stasia Burrington) - 3 stars
Dragging Myself into Self-Love (Constance Augusta Zaber) - 3.5 stars
The Likability Rule (Courtney Summers) - 4.5 stars

cw:
mention of rape, PTSD

Broken Body, Worthless Girl, and Other Lies I Called the Truth (Kayla Whaley) - 4 stars
All the Bodies (Rafe Posey) - 4.5 stars
Do Female Black Lives Matter Too? (Amandla Stenberg) - 4.5 stars
Judgments (Pomona Lake) - 5 stars
An Interview with Laverne Cox: "I Absolutely Consider Myself a Feminist" (Tricia Romano) - 4.5 stars

cw:
transphobia, mention of murder

Feminism Is as Feminism Does (Mia and Michaela DePrince) - 5 stars

cw:
mention of domestic abuse, slavery and sex trade, sexual assault, FGM

Somewhere in America (Zariya Allen) - 5 stars

cw:
mention of sexual assault, racism, slavery, fatphobia

Choose Your Own Adventure: Why Fandom Is Right For You (Yes, You!) (Brenna Clarke Gray) - 4 stars
Drawing for Inspiration (Michelle Hiraishi) - 5 stars
Facets of Feminism (Mikki Kendall) - 4.5 stars
Opportunity (Risa Rodil) - 5 stars

Don't Cash Crop on My Cornrows (Amandla Stenberg) - 5 stars

A Conversation about Girls' Stories and Girls' Voices with Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers (Kelly Jensen) - 5 stars

cw:
mention of sexual violence

Girl Lessons (Sarah McCarry) - 3.5 stars

cw:
homophobia, sexual harassment, bullying, sexism, eating disorder

The Princess and the Witch (Wendy Xu) - 4 stars

cw:
racism, bullying, racial fetishization

Corny Won't Kill Your Cred: Rearview Mirror Reflections on Feminism and Romance (Siobhan Vivian) - 4.5 stars
Faith and the Feminist (Kaye Mirza) - 4.5 stars

cw:
islamophobia

In Search of Sisterhood (Brandy Colbert) - 4.5 stars
A Feminist Love (Jessica Luther) - 4.5 stars
The "Nice Girl" Feminist (Ashley Hope Pérez) - 4.5 stars

cw:
mention of child abuse, verbal abuse, teen pregnancy, slut-shaming, mention of suicide attempt and depression

Shrinking Women (Lily Myers) - 4 stars

cw:
eating disorder

Dear Teen Me: It Would Have Changed Everything; It Would Have Changed Nothing (Erika T. Wurth) - 3.5 stars

A Thousand Paper Cuts (Shveta Thakrar) - 4 stars

cw:
bullying, racism

The Win That Comes from Losing (Wendy Davis) - 4 stars

cw:
discrimination, sexual assault

Many Stories, Many Roads (Daniel José Older) - 4 stars

cw:
domestic violence

That's What She Became (Jen Talley) - 5 stars
Reading Worthy Women (Nova Ren Suma) - 4.5 stars

cw:
sexism

The Choice is Yours (Kody Keplinger) - 4 stars

cw:
ableism

A Guide to Being a Teenage Superheroine (Allison Peyton Steger and Rebecca Sexton) - 3.5 stars

Don't Peak in High School (Mindy Kaling) - 4 stars

Owning My Feminism (Kelly Jensen) - 4 stars

Much like her anthology "(Don't) Call Me Crazy", I found this collection to be very informative and incredibly important.

I loved the formatting of this anthology, and the incorporation of essays, illustrations, and book/film recommendations for stories that further highlight feminism. I also appreciated the inclusion of various online resources to further educate yourself on the feminist movement!

Content Warnings