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dreamingpages's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
As a survivor, this was challenging to get through. I shed a lot of tears reading this and there were many times I needed to put the book down and take a break.
Ultimately, though, the experience was cathartic. Chanel was able to put into words so many of my thoughts and feelings around SA and r**e culture that I've never been able to articulate. Her anger and hopelessness really resonated me, but so did her resilience and determination to carve out an identity beyond simply being a victim. Chanel is inspiring and so brave.
While I understand that the purpose of this book was to reclaim her identity and call out the glaring systemic flaws in the US system for reporting SA, my only critique is that I feel the book could discourage other women from coming forward. Being realistic about the challenges of the legal process is important, but at the end, I was left with the idea that unless ALL the stars align, your case is utterly hopeless and dead in the water. I feel this is counterintuitive to encouraging change. The more women who feel empowered to come forward, the more likely we are to see major change.
Ultimately, though, the experience was cathartic. Chanel was able to put into words so many of my thoughts and feelings around SA and r**e culture that I've never been able to articulate. Her anger and hopelessness really resonated me, but so did her resilience and determination to carve out an identity beyond simply being a victim. Chanel is inspiring and so brave.
While I understand that the purpose of this book was to reclaim her identity and call out the glaring systemic flaws in the US system for reporting SA, my only critique is that I feel the book could discourage other women from coming forward. Being realistic about the challenges of the legal process is important, but at the end, I was left with the idea that unless ALL the stars align, your case is utterly hopeless and dead in the water. I feel this is counterintuitive to encouraging change. The more women who feel empowered to come forward, the more likely we are to see major change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Medical trauma
maddy4prezident's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Wow. This was a difficult read. It was so beautifully written, but so difficult to digest. Chanel Miller writes with poetry that is at stark odds with the horrors she describes in her memoir. There were many moments I had to step away from this story, because the subject matter is so difficult to digest, but it was well worth the read. Chanel Miller offers hope, beauty, solidarity, and justice in a world that is still so cold and uncaring towards survivors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, and Sexual harassment
brooklyndohrenwend's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
mollywoods18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
vicjp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings
kelseyj18's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
4.5
Very difficult to read at times but I learned so much about the court system and why so many SA victims don’t come forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
dastacy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This should be required reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
whatchareadingheather's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
If the Brock Turner case didn't infuriate you enough, this book will elevate that anger by 1000x. While she easily could have gone on to bash Turner for the scum of the earth that he is, Chanel's story is one of strength and grace while giving us a glimpse into the lengthy legal process victims will endure to receive justice. I highly recommend watching the documentary 'The Hunting Ground' as a companion to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
*********NOT spoilers because this was a very public case, but if you don’t know about it, then you may consider my opinion to have spoilers**********
This book was both easy and hard to read. It feels so rare that women are vindicated, and that was the case here. An empty victory, but I was so proud of that California jury. We Asian women are stereotyped and taken advantage of because of those stereotypes. It’s unusual for BIPoC to get justice, to be believed, but when it’s rape, when it’s the victims who are vilified and scrutinized and intimidated and manipulated on the stand, it feels like BIPoC victims have an insurmountable agony. All that said, that damned judge - UGH!!! I feel like he violated her as much as Brock Turner. I hope they and the defense attorney and his parents share an eternal damnation where they are continuously violated and erased over and over and forevermore for legally gaslighting all women through their aggressively limp actions.
The judge being recalled was a very inadequate outcome. He needs to be tormented everyday for all the subpar sentences he’s surely meted out, because Brock was no way the first one he let off easy. As for this rapist whose sentence was pretty much a step removed from a get-out-of-jail-free card, the women in his area are holding him accountable. Still not enough, but at least his “freedom” comes with a lot of strings now - least according to Google.
Looked up Chanel in Instagram. Happy for her - happy that she’s found a way to thrive, though being an assault victim myself, I know she’ll have her haunted moments too. I wish her luck and send her lots of love.
This book was both easy and hard to read. It feels so rare that women are vindicated, and that was the case here. An empty victory, but I was so proud of that California jury. We Asian women are stereotyped and taken advantage of because of those stereotypes. It’s unusual for BIPoC to get justice, to be believed, but when it’s rape, when it’s the victims who are vilified and scrutinized and intimidated and manipulated on the stand, it feels like BIPoC victims have an insurmountable agony. All that said, that damned judge - UGH!!! I feel like he violated her as much as Brock Turner. I hope they and the defense attorney and his parents share an eternal damnation where they are continuously violated and erased over and over and forevermore for legally gaslighting all women through their aggressively limp actions.
The judge being recalled was a very inadequate outcome. He needs to be tormented everyday for all the subpar sentences he’s surely meted out, because Brock was no way the first one he let off easy. As for this rapist whose sentence was pretty much a step removed from a get-out-of-jail-free card, the women in his area are holding him accountable. Still not enough, but at least his “freedom” comes with a lot of strings now - least according to Google.
Looked up Chanel in Instagram. Happy for her - happy that she’s found a way to thrive, though being an assault victim myself, I know she’ll have her haunted moments too. I wish her luck and send her lots of love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
emilyllebron's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
4.0
I find it hard to adequately “review” memoirs because these aren’t just stories - their people’s lives, people’s experiences; so, it sometimes feels wrong to give a rating but I’m going to try my best to articulate my feelings here.
First off, this is definitely a book that takes a while to get through. It’s a triggering topic to begin with, and there were times I really had to wait until I was in the right head space to continue reading (hence why it took me over a month to finish and over a year to actually pick up). I read a lot of negative comments saying how the book was “too long” and too many parts were “drawn out,” and while on the surface level that may be true for a memoir - on a deeper level it seemed to be the whole point. The way the court system draws out cases just for justice to be within a fingertips grasp and yanked away. The way PTSD from a traumatic event affects you in every nook and cranny of your life - even after years have passed. So in a metaphorical level - the pain of reading through a “slow” book is barely comparable to the pain she felt going through an endlessly slow trial.
Secondly, the comments on this app and others disgust me - and I don’t know that men will ever actually understand. Chanel beat the odds of even getting a case to trial - had samaritans watching out for her and speaking on her behalf - and it STILL wasn’t enough.
Thirdly, I only give this 4 stars because I genuinely don’t think I can ever read it again. It was painful - it hurt - and I hope she at least got some sense of relief from sharing her story and uniting victims that have felt similar ways.
Finally, Brock Turner will forever be dog sh*t and he can burn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape