This book is super weird and Kate Bornstein is a total nutter. With that said there's a lot of great qualities about this book. Cutter, Transgender, Scientologist, Dyke, Addict, Masochist, Magician and Anorexic are just a few of the many labels Kate pins on herself from time to time from her revolving collection of identities. She's had loads of experience trying to figure out how to be her authentic self in this world and I thought she had some good points and some thought provoking ideas to share. I appreciated that she manages to tackle suicidal contemplation with humor and lightness without at all devaluing what people, and in particular teens, go through. So often adults dismiss the very real psychological nightmares that teenagers go through with bullshit platitudes such as, "This too shall pass." I liked that Kate takes a different approach and recognizes that feelings are intense at all ages and recommends non traditional approaches such as doing drugs and having sex. Whether we like it or not, these things sometimes save lives.

I have no idea what I would have thought as a miserable teen reading this book, but I think I might have found it refreshing when I was struggling with the idea that I was going to go to Hell for fucking my boyfriend to just hear an adult say, "Please, go get laid already."

I absolutely adore Kate Bornstein. She is creative, brilliant, positive yet realistic, and just completely fabulous. However, I did not like this book. I felt that this was possibly Kate's most self-indulgent book yet. She tends to talk about herself quite a bit in her books, and I thought this one just really took it over the top for me. I usually would love to read more and more about her, but I couldn't do it this time around. Perhaps this would not bother the first-time Bornstein reader, but for me I felt I had heard it all before.

Still, I think this book was a lovely idea, well done, and hopefully helpful for people out there, just not for me.

This was my first experience reading Kate Bornstein though I’d heard about her (at length) from a friend who enjoys her work. I had also listened to her interview on the Radical Guy Podcast (a great podcast on transgender issues, very informative, you should check it out by the way). So I was familiar with her overall message and her direct and accessible manner of presenting it.

Hello Cruel World is directed at teens and so I take it, Bornstein did not approach all the issues she usually addresses and in all their complexity.

The first part of the book in which she talks about bullies, being an outsider for whatever reason (gender, race, religion, age, etc.) constitute a nice introduction to all these postmodern notions for teenagers or for anyone of any age who is new to all this. However, I could never quite manage to take the second part of the book, in which she details all of the 101 alternatives to suicide, seriously.

Maybe it’s because I’ve felt miserable for being an outsider but I never seriously considered suicide. I may be mistaken, but I really don’t think that if your mind is set on killing yourself, reading this book will actually prevent you from doing it. In that sense, I think the title and the aim of the book are slightly off. I think this would make for a great introduction to these issues, heck every teen should read this, but I’m not sure that the general purpose was nailed.

Nevertheless, I like Bornstein’s style. Someone who can tell you to play nice with other children all the while advocating scarification and drug use isn’t just anybody (I’m simplifying things here, Bornstein doesn’t just tell kids straight out to do drugs, just go read the book, you’ll see). Bornstein has managed to truly rid herself of all these preconceived notions society forces upon us every single minute of every single day. Her analyses are disarmingly simple and logic for that reason.

Overall, interesting because it is pretty accessible but I don’t think it successfully carries out its initial purpose. Recommended, not to those who feel like ending their lives, but rather to those who are looking for an entertaining introduction to issues of gender, race, or anything else that can make you an outsider.

First off, no I did not finish the whole book. I trudged though it for as long as I could before finally putting it down after convincing myself I'd come back later. I have not. It's been years.

I started reading this I don't know how long ago and really, I was not the target audience. I found it pedantic and as if I were being talked down to. But, like I said, I am NOT the target audience. I am not in my teen years nor was I when I decided to read this. This is designated for those of younger ages in the lgbtq+ family who are struggling with their identity and mental health. I thought maybe this would give some insights or whatnot and considering it was written by someone in the community, I figured I might get something interesting out of it. I didn't. Sorry to say. This book was just not for me.

I will say I support what the author is trying to do, support lgbtq+ youth though some grueling years and I find that admirable. I hope this book helps those who are seeking assistance though tough times.

Take what is helpful and throw the rest away. I'm at a point in my life where I need to make massive changes and this has at least given me a few ideas. I found the actual content before the list the most helpful and it prompted me to do a lot of self reflection and journaling.

J’avais aucune idée dans quoi je m’embarquais mais en tant que psy qui bosse avec des jeunes adultes, je suis toujours à la recherche de nouvelles façons d’aborder le mal-être et les ressources qu’on peut mettre en place. La forme est trop décalée pour moi mais j’ai beaucoup aimé l’intro et le superbe travail de traduction.

I read this primarily because I need content I could recommend to people that are experiencing suicide ideation, that I may meet in the future.
As the other reviews already mention, the highly deviant nature of Kate (pertaining to identity) is not something that would be relatable for everyone. The point she makes about exploring different identities, preferences, and being ourselves is nice. I suppose a person might feel more open and free being told that for the first time, which serves the purpose of the book to some extent.
Transgressing the normative ways of labeling ourselves, going beyond either/or options, and being able to choose neither/nor. That there is no one way to be. "Us versus them" as a bad ideology. These are few things I thought were cool.
Then there were the 101 ideas. I'm ambivalent about the author's idea of being free to do anything if it reduces the chances for Suicide. Here, she includes some options under "if you must" like NSSI and such. Just that alone makes it a book I cannot recommend to someone.
Few atypical ideas came off well in my opinion. "Keep Moving", "Rant, Rave..", "Moisturise", etc. While others were of concern for the reason they induce maladaptive ways of thinking, they cause more problems than it's worth. For instance, you start using drugs to deal with stress and suicide ideation, eventually, get addicted, and that makes you suicidal again. It's not a pleasant cycle. She gives appropriate caution but not everyone takes that well. I feel the idea should have been on only suggesting strategies that are not so extreme.
I hope people don't consider this an alternative to therapy. For any reason, if one therapist doesn't induce positive change for an individual even after a few sessions, try a different one. It's a whole field that studies how to prevent and effectively deal with mental health concerns.

DNF’d at 17% - I get this was originally written in 2006; however I’m not exactly clear why a white author from a marginalized community is flinging racial slurs left and right. Nope.

Animar a adolescentes a realizar conductas autoliticas, decir que no hay que curarse de adicciones o TCA... Simplemente no.

This book literally saved my life as a teenager. I appreciated the honesty and respect with which Kate Bornstein treats teenagers. The books focus on harm reduction is valuable.
That said, there are some flaws. It's very much a product of its time. It blatantly erases asexuals. It explicitly assumes early on that everyone wants to have sex. There's some somewhat dated swipes at George W. Bush.

This book saved my life. Would recommend.

This book isn't perfect (what book is) but it saved my life as a teenager and again as an adult, so I will continue recommending it to everyone