Drawing inspiration from the audacious life of the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who embraced a life akin to that of a dog, Bite Your Friends embarks on a remarkable journey through history and personal reflection. This genre-defying memoir raises poignant questions about the motivations behind individuals' willingness to endure physical hardship in pursuit of freedom while challenging readers to ponder their capacity for bravery and authenticity.

From the brutal arenas of ancient Rome, where martyrs faced wild beasts, to the gritty S&M leather bars of 1970s New York and the defiant actions of groups like Pussy Riot, this enthralling blend of memoir and social history delves into the lives of extraordinary individuals—saints, philosophers, artists—who defied societal norms and power structures using their own scarred or stigmatised bodies.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Yesbody.

I felt that the author did a great job of interweaving her personal life alongside the the larger-than-life, beyond-the-boundaries-of-the-bodies artists, writers, fighters and personalities in the book. I appreciated the way the book was split up into four separate books. My favourite book was Book Two, Chapter Two and the story of Perpetua. Her defiance, integrity and sheer blinding courage was very interesting to read about.

Some books I enjoyed less, where the people mentioned reminded me of the term 'art monster' - a term by Jenny Offill that I have seen prop up in books more frequently, but in a different context. In this case, the line between someone being a 'body militant' isn't very appealing when you consider what they are embodying or how they treat others.

Overall, I enjoy books which introduce me to artists from a range of practises that have unfortunately not be praised or appreciated in their time and I felt this was an interesting perspective on it.