Reviews tagging 'Racism'

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

106 reviews

roreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

dianewhitley's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Racism, and Toxic relationship

bereftidiot's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Moderate: Racism

It was a painful read, but a necessary one.

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

baileeliz_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

i don’t rate memoirs typically so i won’t give a star rating, but this is possibly the most important book i’ve read on CPTSD and highly encourage anyone who has this diagnosis to read it if they are able. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Racism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

wildsalmons_reading's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective

4.25

💣💣💣 Lots of swearing but such a great memoir. I really enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship

rubellaface's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Quick caveat: I do not have C-PTSD. I am a second-generation Filipino American who grew up to have high-functioning anxiety & depression due to tiger parenting, growing up Asian American, and being forced to become an alpha daughter. 

Reading this book triggered me and had me questioning my reality and how I’ve often laughed-off or disassociated my personal trauma in order to succeed in life (and therefore be perceived as being okay). Her coping mechanisms were/are my coping mechanisms, and funnily enough, I didn’t even realize they were coping mechanisms. So as Stephanie went down the rabbit hole of finding out what her bones know and how to fix it, I was right beside her– transfixed and checking my own bones for fissures and trauma from similar situations in my family life. 

Cause Stephanie Foo does not pull her punches when recounting her childhood. Every abusive situation is described in a way that is almost clinical and ripe for analyzing. Her book is basically an emotional autopsy of her trauma, and the way she uses her journalism background to thoroughly vet every single c-ptsd-related therapy is both thrilling and heartbreaking. As a reader, you want Stephanie to find a therapy that works for her and that can “cure” her, and I just wanted to hug her each time a practice or therapist failed her. 

Needless to say, I was emotionally invested in Stephanie’s book. I cried towards the end as she found stable ground and the tools to fight for her peace of mind. And I cried again at the similarities in how we approached our weddings and wedding guests. Her healing journey echoed and reaffirmed my own, and I will recommend this book to all my AAPI friends who I know have gone through sh*t and are trying their best.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism

Very triggering. Sometimes in a good way.

birbmcbirb's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is THE book I now recommend about C-PTSD. To both those with it, and those trying to understand it. I wasnt left drained and triggered like so many other CPTSD books, and Ms. Foo is a wonderful writer. I powdered through this book in 3 days, and it only took that long because I was busy each day. Any other mental health book would have left me triggered and burnt out, this book amazingly did not, but not because it pulled punches in talking about abuse and recovery. Im going to be so annoying about suggesting everyone reads this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Colonisation

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

edeanreads's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Racism

clarewatts7's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts