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rbacon's review against another edition
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs
lucinotlucy's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Mass/school shootings
sarahmae531's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
Minor: Sexism, Cursing, Vomit, Suicide, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
aimzthereader's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cursing, Suicide, Gun violence, Violence, Body shaming, Death, and Mass/school shootings
kamin8882's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
allisoncc's review against another edition
5.0
thousands of trigger warnings, but Chanel's story is essential.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexism, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Grief, Eating disorder, and Cursing
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
4.5
Harrowing and rife with detail, Chanel Miller's account of her own story, covering the years between the party, the trial, the sentencing, and the end of her assailant's prison term, is heartbreaking and beautifully told. Her narration of the audiobook added an unbelievable depth to the story, and the moments where her voice betrayed the emotional impact of her own words were incredibly significant.
I was disappointed towards the end of the book when Miller suddenly brought tangentially relevant incidents of societal injustice that were contemporaneous with her own case and legal battle. I was so deeply invested in her story, and this section pulled me out of it somewhat. Though her analysis of Trump's disturbing statements was powerful, as she picked apart his words piece by piece to connect them to her own experience and trauma, the pivot to police violence felt disconnected and incomplete. I also got a bit disoriented with the timeline at certain points, but only briefly and was quickly drawn back into the story.
After all, Chanel's story is an engrossing one. Her strength and resilience was evident on every page (or the audio equivalent), and I am filled with utter admiration for the way she pursued art and comedy, the way she sought to comfort and protect her little sister, and the way she stood up for herself in the trial, breaking down in tears more than once as she was forced to experience the trauma of this assault over and over again, but refusing to succumb to the defense attorney's leading questions or attempts to make her out as a slutty, silly, unfaithful party girl who must have wanted to be fingered behind a dumpster by a freshman swimmer while her boyfriend was in Philadelphia at school.
Chanel's fury and frustration was resonant throughout her memoir, and I felt it right along with her, but I was most struck by the overwhelming sense of hope that infused her writing. As an aspirational children's book author, Miller seems to know how to hit just the right note, balancing painful, difficult topics and emotions with a way forward. She acknowledges the statistics of sexual assault, the mountain that victims and survivors have to survey, navigate, and ascend before charges can even be brought to court, and the low likelihood of a guilty verdict after all that. She affirms the utter disbelief that overtook the world after her assailant--found guilty by unanimous verdict on three felony charges of assault--was sentenced to only six months in prison, likely to be released after three months on good behavior. Yet, she encourages her readers (and women everywhere) to remember that they are not alone, that they have an opportunity to "dust [themselves] off and go on," as she has started to do, and to keep looking forward.
Graphic, painful, and gripping, this is a book that many will struggle to read. I think it's worth it. Even a few paragraphs at a time (or a few paragraphs altogether), Chanel Miller has a lot to say, and both anonymously and named, she should be heard.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, and Suicide
camilleemcl's review against another edition
Moderate: Cursing
skudiklier's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Cursing, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexism
Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, Sexual content, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Hate crime, Grief, Gore, and Drug use
leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition
4.5
I especially loved how she shared encouraging sentiments, and spoke out for other victims of rape and sexual assault. She calls out the legal system, noting where it fails victims, and not only pushes for change, but actually makes suggestions as to where/how they can improve.
This book is important; it's relevant. I wish I could say it wasn't, because that would mean that there isn't such a glaring problem with rape and sexual assault in our country. If you can, read it. You will not be disappointed.
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, and Cursing
There are multiple detailed accounts of medical professionals performing a rape kit on a victim, including what happens during the kit and what it felt like for the victim.