Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson

10 reviews

chasinggrace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Vivian is so relatable to the female psyche that you want to hate her, but you can’t, because staunchly hating her would ignore how much you have in common with her. 

The writing is refreshingly modern without being cringey (which doesn’t mean that you won’t cringe at Vivian, but to her credit, she is funny). 

I really think this book is a fantastic snapshot of the modern anxious woman and how she must navigate a world that is positively fucked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Classism, Medical content, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Racism, and Sexual content

jtpgdavey's review

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, and Adult/minor relationship

schwelo's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is a story about surviving trauma, taking control back, and struggling when old coping skills no longer work. There are moments of darkness and anxiety, but it’s told with a kind of brutal honesty and wit that keeps you engaged in the story and understanding the main character’s perspective even as her life unravels and she finds a new path forward.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Child abuse

sha's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

I liked a few quotes (hence the .5 stars), but none of the characters were likeable and the pace was so slow. Plus a cat was killed and that immediately makes it 0 stars for me. Also wow look at the tigger warnings. I wish I didn’t read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

ebonyrose's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have a soft spot for unlikeable, insane, wretched women characters in novels. I love them. Love when they are irredeemable, crass, and awful people. And, even so, the main character of this novel was almost too much for me. She was so...abhorrent. Judgemental, mean, vindictive, selfish beyond measure and very unpleasant. But Vivian was also sharp, funny, fierce and deeply traumatized. It was hard not to get pulled into the deepest and darkest recesses of her mind and not begin to root for her, just a little at first. And then a lot. Post-Traumatic has a meandering plot following Vivian's life as a psych ward lawyer, pothead and dating addict, but this is a character study first and foremost. The plot is really very secondary to the deep interiority of this novel.

I was struck by the writing in this novel. It is that distinctly millennial style - sharp and darkly funny, with such crystal clear and honest observations about people and relationships that it almost takes your breath away. So many moments in this novel where I'd stop and think I thought I was the only fucked up monster whose ever had a (weird/ violent/ bizarre/ scary/ devastaing etc etc) thought like that?! In the vein of Normal People, or Luster or Insatiable, reading this book was cathartic, frustrating, frightening, and illuminating all at once. I won't forget it any time soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Classism, Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, and Misogyny

muddymind's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Fatphobia, Rape, Misogyny, and Child abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia and Drug abuse

graceesford's review

dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Misogyny

Minor: Mental illness and Police brutality

blkbookbae's review

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Animal death, Eating disorder, Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Police brutality, and Misogyny

Minor: Rape and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

travelseatsreads's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Post-Traumatic is an intense, messy and quite dark character study which focuses on trauma and the longstanding impact it has had on our protagonist, Vivian. This is a book which a lot of people may not get or indeed be in the right head space for right now but for those who find it at the right time it is a powerful look at the aftermath of trauma on the mind and body which will have a deep and meaningful impact. While it's not a book I can say I technically 'enjoyed' reading I certainly took so much from it and am so glad I read it. 

It's quite astonishing that this is a debut novel because in all honesty the level of writing is quite unlike any I've read before. I was completely struck by how Johnson was able to convey the feeling of hypervigilance so well within the pages and on so many occasions I felt myself there at one with Vivian in a state of over analytical hyper vigilant stupor. The constant unease of hypervigilance is an incredibly hard state to even describe yet somehow Johnson makes it jump straight from the pages. 

Trauma and its effects seems to be quite a fashionable topic within fiction at the moment, however, for the most part the stories are woven around a girl who is deeply broken, unable to function or even in some cases has resorted to enforcing her own trauma on others. Chantal deserves huge praise for showcasing a girl who has experienced overwhelming trauma and is still living. Sure, she may be damaged and have a multitude of bad coping mechanisms that cause her to make many bad choices, but within Vivian the author shows us someone can experience a huge amount of trauma and still be a fun, vibrant and contributing person.

Something which is also rarely spoken about normally yet is dealt with amazingly within Post-Traumatic is the concept of estrangement from a biological family or family members. On the rare occasion you see it referenced within books it's a throwaway side plot with little significance and is usually down to something trivial making it seem like a totally taboo concept. However, Chantal gives it the full fleshed airing it deserves and really questions at what point is blood thicker than water and when is the right time to step away. Post-traumatic highlights the importance of self-care and having the ability to walk away from hugely damaging situations despite the social stigma and creating your own chosen family which is right and safe for you. 

Despite, the book showcasing such dark and intense subject matters there is an overwhelming sense of humour and wit bubbling through its pages. Vivian exhibits a survivor's gallows humour and is able to make jokes where others would shirk away in horror. Her deeply witty and satirical take on things shows to allow her to detach from her previous traumas and live some days with pure enjoyment and those moments are truly refreshing to read. 

On top of the topics I've mentioned above the book also deals brilliantly with issues of race, intersectionality, shame, attachment issues and so many more of the other impacts trauma can have on a person but I have to stop typing at some point.

This can only be described as an essential read, it is an overwhelmingly brilliant debut unlike any I've seen before. Just please be mindful of your own headspace before going into it. 
(Very happy to discuss trigger warnings or content etc. with anyone who is considering picking it up)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Racism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Dark yet brimming with dark humor, Post-Traumatic examines trauma and its impact through a refreshingly non-white lens while also serving as a rebuke of the U.S. medical and judicial systems.

Almost everyone in this book is messy, and I don't mean in a bad way. The characters have stuff going on, each going through different things, yet they're rendered multidimensional and complex by yet harming one another in some way, thereby illustrating the impact and often cyclical nature of trauma. The main character Vivian perhaps best embodies this point through her current struggles with various issues - be it insecurity, body dysphoria, an eating disorder, looking to men for validation, infidelity, etc. - borne from her traumatic and abusive childhood experiences.

I also like how the novel delves into the topic of family, which is even more complicated for POCs as a result of historical exploitation and intergenerational trauma. Is blood truly thicker than water? Can familial bond justify neglecting self-care and having one's boundaries crossed? The author explores both sides of the argument well and this aspect is thought-provoking.

The exploration of social issues are enjoyable as well, such as the intersectionality of identities and the exploitative medical and justice systems. The former is often darkly comic and witty, and the latter is adeptly shown, perhaps aided by the author's personal and professional experiences.

Though I personally think the writing could be more distinctive, overall I enjoy this novel. For its representation and the issues it raises and explores, Post-Traumatic is a novel that's long overdue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit, Death, Rape, and Sexual assault