Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

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

11 reviews

lexi_ag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is one of those books that completely reframes the way you think about other books. Every piece of this was heartbreaking inspiring and amazing. The audiobook is so phenomenal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault

frog4earth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad

*I do not rate memoirs!* I am someone with diagnosed C-PTSD, and in the years since my diagnosis, I have never felt more heard than I did reading Stephanie Foo’s memoir. Not only did I feel heard and understood, but I finally felt like someone was ACTUALLY giving me the first steps to healing. I’ve already tired of the same old words and the same old methods — “you should meditate” “you should try yoga” “you should try A, B and C.” And while I know these methods work well for a lot of people — most notably those with non-complex PTSD — they don’t, and have never, worked for me. This revelation felt damning at first — like I would be forever cursed to living a life of all the things that come with this diagnosis. But this memoir has changed so much for me, and to Stephanie Foo, I am grateful. Thank you for sharing your journey, and for being a pioneer in opening the realities around C-PTSD & how to truly live with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault

rubellaface's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Quick caveat: I do not have C-PTSD. I am a second-generation Filipino American who grew up to have high-functioning anxiety & depression due to tiger parenting, growing up Asian American, and being forced to become an alpha daughter. 

Reading this book triggered me and had me questioning my reality and how I’ve often laughed-off or disassociated my personal trauma in order to succeed in life (and therefore be perceived as being okay). Her coping mechanisms were/are my coping mechanisms, and funnily enough, I didn’t even realize they were coping mechanisms. So as Stephanie went down the rabbit hole of finding out what her bones know and how to fix it, I was right beside her– transfixed and checking my own bones for fissures and trauma from similar situations in my family life. 

Cause Stephanie Foo does not pull her punches when recounting her childhood. Every abusive situation is described in a way that is almost clinical and ripe for analyzing. Her book is basically an emotional autopsy of her trauma, and the way she uses her journalism background to thoroughly vet every single c-ptsd-related therapy is both thrilling and heartbreaking. As a reader, you want Stephanie to find a therapy that works for her and that can “cure” her, and I just wanted to hug her each time a practice or therapist failed her. 

Needless to say, I was emotionally invested in Stephanie’s book. I cried towards the end as she found stable ground and the tools to fight for her peace of mind. And I cried again at the similarities in how we approached our weddings and wedding guests. Her healing journey echoed and reaffirmed my own, and I will recommend this book to all my AAPI friends who I know have gone through sh*t and are trying their best.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism

Very triggering. Sometimes in a good way.

birbmcbirb's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is THE book I now recommend about C-PTSD. To both those with it, and those trying to understand it. I wasnt left drained and triggered like so many other CPTSD books, and Ms. Foo is a wonderful writer. I powdered through this book in 3 days, and it only took that long because I was busy each day. Any other mental health book would have left me triggered and burnt out, this book amazingly did not, but not because it pulled punches in talking about abuse and recovery. Im going to be so annoying about suggesting everyone reads this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Colonisation

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

ruthmartinartist's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Addiction, Racial slurs, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Body shaming

kitta's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

maxthefish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I cannot word my love for this book in a proper way. It made me cry and it was intense but I couldn’t stop reading. Even working 10 hour shifts and being in school at the same time I finished it in four days. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Child death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

smolgalaxybrain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad

5.0

If I could give this book a 10/5, I would.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, War, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Racism and Sexual assault

exhaustedreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

The first 20% was rough, and I almost DNF. So glad I pushed through as it turned out to be a beautiful and moving story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

Minor: War and Sexual assault

starlit_pathways's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Mental illness, Torture, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Drug use

Moderate: Racism, War, Hate crime, Car accident, Xenophobia, and Death

Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault