I'm Afraid of Men - Vivek Shraya

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This book is super short - less than 2 hours on audio. It's a memoir/collection of essays written by am Indian-Canadian trans woman, who was teased as a child for being too feminine, and now is considered not feminine enough to be a "real girl." Both before and after transition, she has been treated badly by men, and explains why they make her afraid.

It was interesting (and sad) to see where our experiences are similar and different, since I'm a cis white woman. But I could still relate in a lot of ways. She has a really unique perspective on masculinity and femininity both, and I appreciated her insight. I appreciated that it's not just a man-bashing book, and she doesn't give women a free pass either. It made me consider again a lot of my own internalized misogyny.

I actually wished this book was longer, because I was really interested in what she had to say. But it's also nice that it's short, because that means it's really accessible for everyone.