bambooboy's review against another edition

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5.0


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crystalisreading's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Transformative book,  for both the author,  and any reader open to what she is telling us. Highly likely to be triggering to anyone with cptsd. I had to set it down and take a break multiple  times. But I also learned so much,  about myself and about others.  the audio version is well-done too. Foo works in radio and podcasts, and you can tell.  Hugest recommendation! just please check content warnings first.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of #WhatMyBonesKnow by Stephanie Foo. 

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ruthmartinartist's review against another edition

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5.0


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samcsmith's review

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4.0


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vicjp's review against another edition

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5.0


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gabhopesreads's review against another edition

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5.0

This is the best memoir I've ever read. It's so well-written, phenomenal on audio and one of my favorites this year so far. I loved the narration, plus the included audios of her therapy sessions. I loved how she went into details about history, hers and forgotten history, erased history. I loved how it felt like I was put under a microscope and dissected, but in actuality she was explaining her C-PTSD. At the end, the message of hope mirrored my own that I was lucky enough to find years ago. I wish I'd read this sooner, when I'd been drowning in my diagnosis. But the thing with C-PTSD is it's always there, so this will be helpful to read at any point in my life. 

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katharina90's review against another edition

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4.5

I'm always on the lookout for books about C-PTSD to foster a deeper understanding of my own complex trauma. 

Foo writes about this topic in a very approachable way, blending memoir and journalism. At times it's a painful read but less triggering than I expected. What I found most interesting was her work with Dr. Jacob Ham. 

I didn't love that the author sometimes presents subjective statements and experiences as universally true. I also strongly disagree with her generalization that Psychologists are more knowledgeable than LCSWs. 

"We're gonna keep practicing curiosity and exploration rather than judgment, and it's through that practice that you'll start to be nicer to yourself."-Dr. Jacob Ham 

"This was Dr. Ham’s whole theory: that because of its repetitive nature, complex trauma is fundamentally relational trauma. In other words, this is trauma caused by bad relationships with other people—people who were supposed to be caring and trustworthy and instead were hurtful. That meant future relationships with anybody would be harder for people with complex trauma because they were wired to believe that other people could not be trusted. The only way you could heal from relational trauma, he figured, was through practicing that relational dance with other people. Not just reading self-help books or meditating alone. We had to go out and practice maintaining relationships in order to reinforce our shattered belief that the world could be a safe place."

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starlit_pathways's review against another edition

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4.75


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wetdirtreads's review

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75


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zombiezami's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0


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