Reviews tagging 'Violence'

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

161 reviews

awoolnerd's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

I listened to this audiobook which is narrated by the author and includes recordings of therapy sessions. I highly recommend listening to this rather than reading it, but any way is good. Also don’t take all of her own truths or “facts” to heart and explore more recent articles on CPTSD if you are feeling hopeless. This is an incredibly moving and powerful read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting

goldfinches's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Racism

sunshinekwl's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I’ve never read a more relatable memoir in my entire life. This book will give anyone who has struggled with CPTSD hope and knowledge that you are not alone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic

kw_masters's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really liked this book. It was encouraging, helpful, and informative without making me feel bad about myself, which medical books on ptsd/cptsd tend to do as they lack experience and empathy. I just wish I had a physical copy to keep my notes.  Library problems!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment

rendezvousgirl's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

4.25

Memoirs are not something I usually gravitate towards, but I really enjoyed this.

Naturally this is going to be a difficult and probably triggering read for anyone with a myriad of trauma, whether the cause is similar to the author’s or not. I really appreciated the emphasis on “healing” in community, through our relationships with other people. The last 15% or so did start to feel a bit boring, and the last chapter was a throwaway to me.

This book made me think of all the people I love and want to reach out to them. I think I’ll be recommending this to a lot of people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

rockyroadbutch's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Eating disorder

khaben31's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Drug use and Pandemic/Epidemic

aurora_is_reading's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This was such an emotional rollercoaster for me. At first I was a little unsure about the way the subject matter would be treated, but Stephanie Foo is amazing at showing her vulnerability and thought process. I throughly enjoyed the discussion about pathologising mental illness and its potential advantages/disadvantages. We need more of this conversation going on! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

failedimitator's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I know she wrote, in the intro, that this book has a happy ending. But honestly, I'm not sure that's true. 

I mean -- yes -- for her, absolutely. Her journey from where she started to where she ended up -- incredible. But also, I don't think anyone in the history of the world has ever worked as hard as Stephanie Foo has to heal. And very very few people have the contacts and resources that she does.

This is not a dig against the book, of course. The writing was phenomenal. And even though it was very heavy, it was still compulsively readable. 

But also, the feeling it left me with was -- Is this really what it takes to heal? This? ALL THIS???

It left me, quite frankly, demoralized. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence

emilycacho's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Although I couldn’t relate entirely to the authors upbringing it did resonate deeply with me. Foo takes us on her healing journey with such openness and authenticity. I loved reading about trauma through this lens. And important and informative read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt