Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson

7 reviews

narbine's review against another edition

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

I’ve never had a book retell PTSD & hyper-vigilance so well. The worrying that others are going to harm you. The weird feelings you get when you see affectionate parents and also scolding adults towards children. 
(minor spoiler)

The therapy scenes were truly well done as both a person who receives therapy and is a therapist. The questions of being a Black girl in therapy and wondering how the race of the therapist will impact your work.

There was a realness and rawness I have not experienced in other books before. The protagonist was messy and not always likable, but that’s what made me love her and root for her. Again, the realness and the ickiness that comes with humanity and trauma. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, and Mental illness

Moderate: Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal cruelty and Police brutality

georgiahb's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Rape

octobermontoya's review against another edition

dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Post-Traumatic is a survivor story, although it isn't always in-your-face obvious. The story revolves around Vivian, a straight, Afro-Latina, millennial lawyer/patient advocate who works in a New York psychiatric hospital. Most of the book follows Vivian as she contends with her relationship with her biological family, her attempts to self medicate with alcohol, weed, and men, and her eventual

PTSD diagnosis

. The book is full of Vivian's dark sense of humor, which she shares with her best friend, a queer Black woman (Jane) who is also a survivor. Vivian is relatable in that she's messy and anxious, and it's easy to root for her even when she's making embarrassing and unethical decisions. Before getting the audio book, I read a review which described Post-Traumatic as cool and stylish, and despite the seriousness of central themes of the book, I agree with those adjectives. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Police brutality

tetedump's review

dark emotional funny fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Physical abuse, and Vomit

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

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