A Heart in a Body in the World

A Heart in a Body in the World looks at sexism in a refreshing, needed way. Caletti taps into how some boys and men feel entitled to have their desire reciprocated, to the point where they become scary if rejected. She talks about the pressure women feel to say and do things they do not want to protect a man's ego. She also talks about double binds, like how women are expected to somehow be both assertive and self-abdicating.

I also liked how Caletti depicted anger: showing that there are different kinds of anger, and how anger can fuel action. I liked the elements of Italian culture. I liked how Annabelle's brother and friends believed in what she was doing, often more than she could. I thought the author did a good job showing that healing is not linear, and support can take different forms.

This is a heartbreaking and important book about underrepresented aspects of a timely topic. I'm glad I read it, but it left me raw, because it's all too real. I was thrown by some of Caletti's choices —main gripes: some weird body shaming, convenient coupling WITH that trope where multiple generations of two families fall for each other, naming the Taker at the very end (why?), overall pacing—, thus four stars instead of five. But, I wish I had read something like this growing up. It hit me hard.