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jaiari12's review
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
honneyyy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder
Minor: Rape and Violence
tetedump's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, and Alcohol
graceesford's review
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Mental illness and Police brutality
blkbookbae's review
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
katieb1034's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
biblioboyd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
allie8973's review
- 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
5.0
"The best writing was like a good friend, in the way that it gave you permission to be yourself."
This book was so interesting and reflective. I felt like thoughts that I have never consciously thought were being reflected back to me. I didn't have the extent of the trauma the main character did, but I felt like so much of her behavior was my behavior too. The writing is in third person present tense, which sometimes makes it hard for me to relate to a character, but I think it was excellent in this case because the reader is removed from the story which allows the reader to see their selves in the character while also judging the characters (and therefore themselves).
I would not read this book if you are not in a place to handle a lot of mentions of child abuse, rape, fear of men and fear of getting attacked. also the eating disorder behaviors is a big part of the character's inner dialogue so please don't read this if you are going to be triggered by that. I would say two years out from my disordered eating, this was hard for me to read, but again the third person tense allowed me to have a bit of remove from the writing.
This was excellent! Probably my favorite book all year. Excellent debut novel by Chantel V. Johnson
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Child abuse and Rape
Minor: Animal death
nimmzi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc for this work!
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide attempt
Minor: Rape
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
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.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Vomit