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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer
51 reviews
niamhreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
A really hard read in terms of the content, but the writing style makes it very 'readable.' This is a thoroughly researched book which documents the Missoula rape crisis that left women and girls vulnerable to the unwanted advances of college and football students. Krakauer is not afraid to call out blatant lies and misleading information throughout this book when it was clear that police and state officials were lying or misrepresenting facts. He was consistently on the side of the victims while also providing interesting - but harrowing- interview transcripts from the rapists at the heart of some of the accusations. While vile to read, they provide an interesting insight into how these acquaintance rapes are thought of by those who commit them (hint: they don't think of them as rape in the slightest, despite their own disgusting tellings of some incidents). Well worth a read, if you can stomach it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence
sonygaystation's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical content
jnhen's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
qsick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
cateyackerman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Rape
devanyb21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
floratristan's review
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Extremely depressing, infuriating and frustrating read. At some point it's just hard not to scream, it seems like any man, even your close childhood friend, could be a potential threat and rape you. And no matter how much evidence you gather, how obvious your case is, there are a multitude of hurdles: the slim chance of the police taking you seriously, then of the DA accepting to prosecute your case, then of the case verdict being "guilty". And even if all this happens, there are still extremely mild sentences and many options to appeal.
I find it interesting that colleges in the US have a kind of legal system. I wonder if that's the case for any European universities (not as far as I know) and why that is. Is it because expulsion is only possible once a criminal investigation happens? Reminded me of the UdK case.
I also find it interesting that there are different levels of how much proof you need, even in court between criminal and civil cases. Beyond a reasonable doubt or just through the sheer multitude of evidence.
Lastly, I think it's important to know statistics in order to talk about the subject in an informed way: over 90% of accusations of rape are true, and most rapists are serial rapists. What makes me especially angry is when female friends or people like Kristin Pabst betray victims of rape. I just don't get it! I empathie so much with the women telling their stories, with the feelings they describe even if their reactions don't make sense in a rational way, about the trauma afterward, etc. So how someone like Pabst can turn off her empathy or forget what it's like to be a woman in a misogynistic society is beyond me.
4,5 stars because I found it a little bit strange that in the beginning, Huguets story was partly told from the perspective of her father and how hard it was for him to face his daughters rape. I get that Krakauer is a middle aged man who probably empathises with the father's position the most, but especially at the beginng of the book this perspective should not have so much weight, because it promotes the idea of paternalistic, macho, "my daughter's innocence and purity are virtues that I as a father need to protect vehemently more than other qualities she might have" narrative
I find it interesting that colleges in the US have a kind of legal system. I wonder if that's the case for any European universities (not as far as I know) and why that is. Is it because expulsion is only possible once a criminal investigation happens? Reminded me of the UdK case.
I also find it interesting that there are different levels of how much proof you need, even in court between criminal and civil cases. Beyond a reasonable doubt or just through the sheer multitude of evidence.
Lastly, I think it's important to know statistics in order to talk about the subject in an informed way: over 90% of accusations of rape are true, and most rapists are serial rapists. What makes me especially angry is when female friends or people like Kristin Pabst betray victims of rape. I just don't get it! I empathie so much with the women telling their stories, with the feelings they describe even if their reactions don't make sense in a rational way, about the trauma afterward, etc. So how someone like Pabst can turn off her empathy or forget what it's like to be a woman in a misogynistic society is beyond me.
4,5 stars because I found it a little bit strange that in the beginning, Huguets story was partly told from the perspective of her father and how hard it was for him to face his daughters rape. I get that Krakauer is a middle aged man who probably empathises with the father's position the most, but especially at the beginng of the book this perspective should not have so much weight, because it promotes the idea of paternalistic, macho, "my daughter's innocence and purity are virtues that I as a father need to protect vehemently more than other qualities she might have" narrative
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Bullying, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
abbuelita's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book made my blood boil, not because of the author but because of the subject matter. The way the women featured in this book were treated by the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and society at large is horrendous. Important read, as this issue is certainly not unique to Missoula but unfortunately happens at every college campus everywhere. Just be forewarned that there are very graphic descriptions of rape and sexual assault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
aysia_dukes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
kensullivan95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Rape