Animal / Sara Pascoe

Funny, moving, enlightening, sometimes confronting, this "autobiography of a female body" should be put in the hands of every teenager — not just those with traditionally female genitals.

English comedian Sara Pascoe is whip-smart, fearless, and totally open about her life as a woman in the modern world. In exploring aspects of the human experience as it particularly impacts those with a female anatomy (love, lust, menstruation, abortion, orgasm, consent, fantasy) and more specific questions such as why people fall in love the way they do, why women eternally criticize their bodies, what happens at conception, and why pubic hair exists, she draws on events in her own life as well as her parents' and friends'. While this can occasionally make for uncomfortable reading (the part about her termination can certainly be TMI for some people), it contributes to the embracing atmosphere she creates within her book.

Sara doesn't hesitate to place her reader squarely in front of their assumptions, but equally probes her own with an honesty that's quite refreshing. By frequently addressing us, nudging and winking at us, she author seeks to make everyone feel included in the dialogue, while her numerous examples — at times completely preposterous, at others extremely relatable — provide a touch of much-needed relief.

But let's not forget the serious situations so many of our fellow humans around the world must face with every day; lack of menstrual items, genital mutilation, fistulas, rape... all have life-altering consequences, and Sara addresses them in the same straightforward way with which she tackles every other topic. Far from simply "talking the talk," she includes at the end of the book a list of charities and resources that deal with these pressing issues, as well as an urgent, well-argued call for the reform of the prosecution of sexual crimes.

Animal is an informative, entertaining, thought-provoking read. I highly, highly recommend it.

(Sara Pascoe is on Twitter)

I purchased this e-book online

Rating: *****