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rcsreads's reviews
720 reviews
4.0
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I came across Michael Pederson through the Gray Day events in the Oran Mor every year, and his poem about Alasdair's chair. I've never really listened to Frightened Rabbit but remembered the posts on my socials when Scott Hutchison went missing and friends and fans were asking for help looking for him.
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The book is about the friendship between Michael and Scott, the days leading up to Scott's suicide and Michael's grief. It's also about the other Boy Friends who have shaped Michael's life and I enjoyed the emotion of these, rather than the toxic masculinity image of male friendship we're usually presented with.
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I would definitely recommend this one, but obviously trigger warnings for suicide and death as well as drug use/addiction.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Medical content
1.5
Most of Taylor's interview subjects have chosen to be anonymous. For people who have been raped and abused this makes total sense. All the medical professionals are also anonymous though which makes it impossible to verify anything they say and the book ended up very a friend of a friend told me...
There's a weird wee two paragraph section on being gender non-conforming which made no sense and was transphobic. Being non-binary isn't a reaction to the trauma of the patriarchy, it's a reaction to the rules of the gender binary not making any sense. Also the implication that the increased number of trans men in the past 20 years is a reaction to patriarchy is nonsense. The patriarchy isn't new and it would also surely imply that when there used to be more trans women it was because men were being oppressed, which was obviously never the case. Men being dicks doesn't make people want to be one!
Overall some interesting ideas, but very repetitive, lacking in sources and transphobic.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Biphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I did really enjoy how it wrapped up and tied into Howl though, and Tabitha screamed with excitement when Calcifer finally put in an appearance!
Graphic: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Islamophobia and Kidnapping
Minor: War
3.0
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
3.0
Moderate: Biphobia, Cancer, Homophobia, Sexism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
3.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5.0
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Starting Pride month off with "Transitional" by Munroe Bergdorf. I've followed Munroe on social media for years and love her, so as soon as she released a book I made a special trip to Category is Books to pick up a copy. Obviously it's then sat on my shelves for a couple of months because who has ever bought a book and read it right away? Madness!
Transitional is an autobiography but also has lots of information about Munroe's activism in feminism, trans rights and racism. It manages to be both very personal and highlight the issues faced more widely in these communities at the same time.
There's a focus on growth, change and healing and the ways in which we all transition as people. She has, very successfully, tied her personal experience into a look at society as a whole that I think most people could relate to.
TW for racism; homophobia and transphobia; sexual assault; self harm and eating disorders.
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10/10 recommended to everyone!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5