Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

30 reviews

ivi_reads_books's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

This book is a good mix of memoir and history and stats on indigenous people in Canada and the US. The author describes growing up with a bipolar mother in precarious environments and how their suroundings influenced their behavior.
The author doesn't tell the reader what to do or think. She rather observes what happens and what doesn't happen. What gets said and what doesn't and thus encourages readers to self-reflect on their own behavior

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Violence, Death, Deportation, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Police brutality

paperbackportals's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A moving series of narrative and informative essays that explore not only Elliott’s life but the effects of racism and colonialism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Rape, Gaslighting, Body shaming, and Pregnancy

dreamer626's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

3.75

Please check trigger warnings before reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

kchin's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Her voice is strong, writing is clear and brilliant. Everyone needs to read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Police brutality, Murder, Genocide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Racism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, and Colonisation

purplemuskogee's review

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Such an intelligent and moving collection of essays, ranging many topics - trauma, abuse, growing up on a reservation, mental health, fitting in, colonialism... Beautifully written and poignant without pathos. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

dianakamau's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual violence, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Toxic friendship, Cancer, Abortion, and Body shaming

remimicha's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Police brutality, Body shaming, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Cancer, and Death

ltulisiak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a fascinating and heartbreaking essay about discrimination, abuse, mental health, racism, and family dynamics. There were several sections of this essay that were incredibly educational for me, a cis, hetero, white woman who grew up in a very safe, wealthy, and supported environment. Other sections of this book- especially those tackling mental health- resonated with me and helped me to look introspectively about my relationship with myself and with others and how it impacts my mental health. I would highly recommend this essay! 

Additionally, the author is originally from Buffalo, NY, and was partially raised in the greater Cleveland, OH, area, so I felt a geographical connection with her, as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide attempt

raelin's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

What a great book. 

This book covers so many categories, since each chapter is written almost as a stand alone essay then grouped together to make one book that does tie every chapter together into a cohesive work. It is masterfully done. 

All people represented in this work are dimensional humans, with several different facets. Her mother isn’t just a bipolar religious fanatic. Her father isn’t just an alcoholic abuser. They are also caring, loving, supportive parents. This is how real people are, but not often how people are captured in the written word. The beautiful contradictions that fill our relationships with people are so accurately described. 

This book is so much more than memoir. It is also history, inspires self reflection (by directly asking the reader to answer hard questions about their perspective), insight into the writing process, commentary on social media, self persecution, and so much more. 

A definite must read for everyone that can handle the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

clarabooksit's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Colonisation, Classism, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual assault