Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Places I've Cried in Public

This book was excellently written, even though it was talking about such a traumatic subject.
I probably wouldn't recommend reading this until you're in your late teens. It's one of those books where you also need to be in a good place mentally, and personally, I don't think I could have coped with the dark subject matter in this book until I was at least 17-18yrs old.
This book really gave me a good glimpse into how trauma bonds are formed in abusive relationships, and if I didn't already, I certainly now have a better idea of the signs to look out for.
I cried along with Amelie as Reese sucked her even further into his web of lies and abuse. I hated how Reese silently manipulated her into destroying all her other relationships, including her besties from back home. It broke my heart when Amelie told Alfie about Reese.

Even more so when she later told Alfie that Reese had raped her that same night!

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whosfernn's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I just finished reading this book for the second time and annotating it and it's still a five star read for me. I've never related harder to a piece of media in my life, which really stings considering the context. This book has helped me come to terms with some really difficult stuff that's happened in my life and I'm so, so glad I read it. It's heart-breaking, but it's written incredibly well and I think you should give it a chance.

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hayleygray's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

At first, I struggled to get into this book. The writing style didn’t intrigue me and I felt the beginning was a little lacklustre. However, as I reached the main turning point, everything made sense. This is a story about a teenage girls journey to finding herself after surviving horrific emotional and sexual abuse from her boyfriend. I felt close to her throughout the story and only wanted the best for her. My heart broke when hers did, my tears ran when hers did, and I was proud of her every step of the way. This is not an easy read… it contains some dark and disturbing imagery and realities of women who undergo domestic abuse. But it needed to be told. And Bourne told it well.

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