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Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
40 reviews
sunny_with_0_chance's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence
spaghetti_noodle's review
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Drug use, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Forced institutionalization
ginnybrooks's review
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
waltyelnats's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual violence
katebooklist's review
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Murder, Incest, Medical trauma, Sexism, Addiction, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Child abuse, Cursing, Dementia, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Child death
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
5.0
I thought the blend of family biography and history of schizephrenia research (and how the two end up intersecting in the 80s onwards) was very effective. The family is large, and I appreciated the list of names (and their dates, spouses, children) and indicator at the top of each chapter on who the focus would be.
Much like the Galvins' experiences, you're in the thick of it with them and it's only at the end, years later and with the benefit of therapy and distance (physical and temporal) that you understand all the events that had to go the way they did to end up with such a unique situation. And all the ways it could've been different for everyone if the family had different resources, lived in a different time, or made different choices. Had Mimi and Don not had 12 children, or raised them differently, or if the brothers were not quite so abusive to each other and their sisters, or if the mental health care system was not the shitshow it was (and in many ways still is), etc.
Reading the book reminded me to continue unpacking my assumptions and immediate reactions -to continue navigating in that gray zone of multiple truths and causes. Almost everyone was responsible for some element of this family's experiences - and yet everyone was also a victim. Both can be true.
If I had to quibble, I would have appreciated seeing more discussion around the cost of mental health care - it's quite experience in the States and I think an overview of how state-led and private patient care differs would be helpful for us non-American readers. Same with the income disparity between the Galvins and Garys - a deeper look at how many of the choices (or lack thereof) that the Galvins had compared to their richer friends/counterparts would have been beneficial (it was only explored in the final chapter briefly).
Hidden Valley Road is a microcosm of society and biomedical/clinical research. And much like in the book, the discussion between nature and nurture continues. We know <i>so</i> much more than we did 50 years ago (in large part thanks to families like the Galvins), but we have so far to go in terms of treatment, social supports, and destigmatizing mental illnesses like schizophrenia.
Sidenote - I really appreciated that the author remained removed from the story. It's obvious in parts that he would've been present in those interviews/scenes, but he never includes himself as a character.
Highly recommend - but please check out the content warnings.
CW: sexual abuse and molestation of family members within the family (and separately by a priest), violence, domestic abuse (between siblings and between couples), murder, horrific treatment of mentally ill humans in the mental health care system (including restraints and sedation), discussions of mental health and illness (depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.), sexism
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Sexism
loveca's review
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ejanep's review
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Pedophilia, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
roozia's review
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
ginac's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Medical content and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Medical content
Minor: Rape