Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer

35 reviews

kasey_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative slow-paced

4.25

This is an investigative masterpiece by Jon Krakauer.
The only thing I wished to see more of was synthesis and analysis of the facts by the author rather than just fairly rote repetition of the court transcripts.

I don't believe that it's Krakauer's job to propose solutions, per se, as this is a complex issue that is beyond the realm of one person. However I would have liked to see a little more analysis of how we got here and what the next steps could be.

This manuscript gets tiring and a bit tedious at times because of the subject matter and dry court transcripts, but it's well worth the read to learn more about an endemic issue of the American Life of young women.

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leoniemacleod's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

4.5

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stacieh's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

5.0

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cait's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I met my first boyfriend when I was 19. I had never held hands, didn't know how to kiss, never had sex. Growing up in a strict Catholic household, I had it in my head that I was going to save my first sexual experience for marriage.

He wanted to go further, but I told him no. By the time we'd been dating for two months, it became a constant push. Sometimes literally, with his hand on my head, but I resisted & he got mad & still I refused.

One night, at a mutual friend's house, I'd had too much to drink, we'd argued again about my reluctance to engage in sexual activities, & he said he'd take me home. I don't remember much after that except him stopping his truck in the middle of nowhere, headlights shining in through his back window, the shock of pain. I remember texting my best friend, later, to say, "So I guess I'm not a virgin anymore." I have no memory of her ever texting me back, of she & I ever discussing what happened after.

I began to engage in risky behaviors afterwards. I cried a lot. I stopped sleeping. I learned not to tell anyone about that night because doing so made him so angry. I became irritable to those around me. I partied & drank until I blacked out. I stayed with him. I tried to break up with him. He wouldn't let me.

When it was finally over, I was physically sick for months. I lost so much weight that tights fit as pants & I couldn't open vehicle doors without help. I continued with my risky behaviors. He spread rumors about me, negatively impacted my social circle, & made me think I was crazy.

And then, by accident, I found myself in a relationship with one of his friends. And then, after some time had passed, I told the friend about that night. He paused for a long moment & then he said, "He raped you."

It seems strange to say it now, but: If an outside male presence hadn't said it, I never would have either. But it's true. I did not consent. I never consented. That made it rape. My control over my body was taken from me & my distress afterwards was because I had been violated. I had been raped.

I never reported the incident to authorities. It took over 5 years for me to seek treatment from my doctor for the depression & anxiety I had experienced since that time. I have now been in cognitive-behavioral therapy for 3 years & my therapist tells me that my reactions, my confusion, my residual sadness & anxiety are normal reactions for victims of sexual assault. I know that, had I gone to police, the only one who would have suffered for it was me.

All this to say that my first 5-star read of 2021 is going to Missoula because of its hard, unblinking portrayal of acquaintance rape, its aftereffects, & the subsequent failures of the judicial system. Not only did it teach me things about my own experiences, but it made me feel so much less alone & inspired by the strong women who stood up & continue to stand for people like me, who are too afraid to stand up for ourselves.

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aj_paperback's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective tense slow-paced

4.0

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