While this book was obviously well done and well researched, it wasn't quite up my alley. There were more than a few instances where words and terms flew over my head. The content itself was great, but the voice and severity of the topic left me wanting more and more explanation or an index of terminology.

The New Sex Wars: Sexual Harm in the #MeToo Era by Brenda Cossman

This book is DENSE. This started as my nonfiction-on-the-subway read at the beginning of last semester, and it eventually felt way too demanding to read during a semester of grad school.

The New Sex Wars presents feminist conflicts from the 70s to the present day #MeToo movement. There is so much tension between different camps of feminist thought regarding how we ought to address prevalent sexual harm. Cossman weaves together a history that reveals how debates haven’t seemed to change with suggestions from other theorists for how to reframe conflicting views to better address issues surrounding sexual harm and the law.

One part that stuck with me was her use of “reading beside” from Eve Sedgwick, which provides a way to understand the contesting claims of the sex wars and #MeToo together. Reminds me of a popular phrase: both and.

Unfortunately this book didn’t keep my attention, and I struggled to finish it. The research is incredible, but it comes across super dry. I’d say that this is a book better suited for researchers, academics, or historians interested in the history of feminist approaches toward sexual harm. I could see this being assigned in college courses and students getting a lot out of it. I suspect I’ll revisit this one eventually, especially if I take on any feminist research.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations. I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is clear that this book is extremely well researched and the author is very knowledgeable about the challenges facing contemporary feminists. The New Sex Wars outlines the primary points of contention between older and new generation feminists, particularly as they pertain to the #MeToo movement. I gleaned the main points that the author intended for this book to convey, but some of the finer points were difficult for me to follow. The frequently used jargon kept me bogged down in trying to remember what the terms meant rather than being able to follow the lines of logic being presented. Overall, I think this book is an insightful read that I would recommend to those who already have a significant education in gender studies or feminism; I felt that this book was a tad too high brow to be accessible to a lay audience.

To start- this is definitely an academically leaning book, and if that's not a style of writing you enjoy, this book may not be for you. With that out of the way, I learned a lot from this book- I've mostly been an armchair gender studies person, and the book provided great context for the dissenting feminist and queer opinions of the last 40 years or so. I thought Cossman set up reading potentially inflammatory topics well by centering the reader on reparative reading and "reading beside". It took me longer than normal to read through this book because the topics can be triggering- I had strong preexisting opinions on #MeToo and the use of carceral mechanics to respond to sexual violence. I think Cossman could have centered survivor perspectives a little more- she definitely approached the subject from the communal, not the individual, although I recognize at the end of the day that's how these movements work. I don't know if my opinions have changed, but I feel more open-minded to alternates such as restorative and transformative justice than I have previously. At the end of the day, all feminists have a common goal- to ensure women have agency, safety, and equality. The anger in the community that is channeled at each other versus the patriarchy is of course our greatest hindrance. I may revisit this review later once I've mulled over the contents more. Thanks NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book for someone interested in learning about the war on victims of sex crimes by habitual predators. The systematic protections by a patriarchal society has shielded offenders from consequences for far too long and this book sheds a light on those harmful practices, policies, and procedures.

I like the chapter breakdowns however, they are long and repetitive at times. Cossman does talk about the usual predators but there were some that I did not know about like the lesbian professor in NY harassing a male student. Talking about less known offenses/offenders would have made it a more interesting read. Otherwise, at times, it felt like something I could go on Twitter for. I did appreciate the insight on pornography and the objectification of those women.

The infighting among feminists was a fascinating read. It is disappointing to watch that play out in the press but important to note in a book like this one. This title is relevant for today especially with the movements it talks about and the second and third wave feminist movements.

I like that Cossman touched on cancel culture and how it can claim victims before we know the full story. There definitely can be some improvements in the current movements and the objectives feminists have. This book points out the flaws in the 21st century feminist activism without calling the movements pointless.

Legal scholar Brenda Cossman offers a somewhat sloppy analysis of the relationship between the feminist and queer "sex wars" of the 1980s and what she terms Sex Wars 2.0 of the #MeToo era. While her underlying objective of analyzing various movement approaches to sexual harm -- and particularly the use of the law in addressing sexual harm -- is worthwhile, and her introduction to the possibilities of restorative or reparative justice a useful contribution to the literature on legal responses to sexual harm, the attempt to shoehorn a number of disparate moments of activism into a single framework is not convincing. The sex wars of the late 1970s into the early 1990s happened at a distinct historical moment with its own sociopolitical pressures and internal fissures within both feminist activisms and queer communities. Both feminist activists and LGBTQ+/queer activists form very different types of intellectual and political coalitions in the 2010s than they did in the late 20th century. While comparisons can at times be useful, Cossman's determination to treat both moments as part of a single through-line does the very thing she objects to: erases internal differences and nuance. A much tighter focus on the use and limits of the law in addressing sexual harm, and the potential of restorative/reparative anti-carceral justice frameworks to meet an unmet need would have been more effective and, I think, draw on the author's strengths.

This book was obviously well researched, but truthfully, I found myself feeling lost for a good bit of it. I'm not sure if it's because I couldn't easily go back a few pages to see what I had missed as I would do in a physical book, but I struggled a bit following it. I will say that Brenda Cossman incorporates essential people/authors/speakers/etc. and information throughout the book. The topic is extremely important as well.

Cossman's book provides some necessary background history to the #metoo movement. In it, she explains that this current wave is a second round of "sex wars" that she argues builds off of those in the 1970s; that prior debate was one between feminists concerning the role of pornography, whether it was liberating or demeaning, and its impact on society. She discusses sexuality from a queer and feminist divide, using an inclusive lens that takes in several voices that may be left out of the traditional narrative. She advocates, in the end, for a "reparative stance" towards these sex wars, trying to bridge the divide between stakeholders.

The criticism I have of the book is that Cossman does a lot of previewing that in some places detracts from what she is trying to say. She sets up what she will discuss in future paragraphs, explaining what will be coming. There's definitely merit in laying out an argument, but in this case it's to the point of distraction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book. This book was difficult to read because it is such a heavy topic, but it’s an important book to read nonetheless. I found it to be very interesting how Cossman analyzes the Me Too movement and it’s history. The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was how it seemed a bit slow in some parts of it, but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel.