wild_er_ness's review

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emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

4.75

‘There was a psychiatrist who tried to put me on Prozac. I quoted Brave New World. “I want to know what passion is! I want to feel something strongly!” The psychiatrist responded, “I think that passion might be a chemical imbalance.”’

‘I didn’t just understand the weight of my abuse logically. I felt it, like a blade through flesh, like a bone popping out of place. I felt it like a lover saying it’s not going to work: sharp, immediate, and terrifying. I actually felt, with searing clarity, the horror of what happened to me—maybe for the first time ever. I felt how tremendously sad it was that I was forced to make my parents feel loved at such a young age. I felt how courageous I must have been to endure that torture, day after day for so many years, by the people I trusted most in this world. I felt a sense of love and adoration for my childhood self that I’d never been able to summon before.’






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martieliz's review

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challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0


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lucajgrainger's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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jiao_li's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

I love books written by journalists! This one is really well-researched. Just like the title "What My Bones Know," Stephanie Foo truly delves into the effects of Complex PTSD on the body and even how mental illness can be passed down through DNA. I'm not particularly fond of biology, so I didn't fully grasp that part, but I imagine it would be even more fascinating for someone who enjoys biology.

This is my first time reading about Complex PTSD; I didn't even know it existed until I read this book. Since it's about Complex PTSD, the first part of the book was understandably quite traumatizing, but it concluded beautifully. I'm glad that she didn't dwell too much on the story of what caused her trauma but instead focused on the healing process.

Stephanie Foo quit her job to embark on a journey of healing, and she literally tried everything! In this book, you'll find various types of therapy. Personally, I was intrigued by EMDR, and the concept of self-parenting was new to me as well. I appreciate that she emphasizes in her book that healing doesn't have to be expensive.

Overall, it was a really good read, and I would highly recommend it if you enjoy memoirs that focus on mental illness. If you're going through a similar experience, you might want to skip the first part and, of course, read the last part!

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vicjp's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0


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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

I’m not good at reviewing books that wow me, but this blew me away. I love a book that both moves me and educates me, and this did both in spades.

Foo narrates her journey toward self-discovery and well-being with incredible candor and immersive storytelling. Her writing feels effortless and inclusive: it’s not just her story but an invitation to the reader to join her on her journey.

I loved it. Highly, highly recommend. A favorite of the year, for sure.

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4leisurely_reading4's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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madeleinebay's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

5.0


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aishallnot's review

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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axelstudies's review

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75


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