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A review by plantbasedbride
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A courtroom drama blended with a fast-paced thriller with quite a bit of graphic and dark content. Please check trigger warnings before jumping into this one!
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the courtroom and podcast elements of the storytelling and felt that the subject matter explored is incredibly important (rape culture, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, double standards, consent, and the retraumatization involved in pursuing justice). On the other hand, the amount of detail involved in the descriptions of the repeated violence felt exploitative and too much like trauma porn for my taste.
This was an interesting read and quite well-paced, but I would recommend Know My Name by Chanel Miller for a nonfiction exploration of these same themes from someone who experienced similar trauma first hand.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the courtroom and podcast elements of the storytelling and felt that the subject matter explored is incredibly important (rape culture, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, double standards, consent, and the retraumatization involved in pursuing justice). On the other hand, the amount of detail involved in the descriptions of the repeated violence felt exploitative and too much like trauma porn for my taste.
This was an interesting read and quite well-paced, but I would recommend Know My Name by Chanel Miller for a nonfiction exploration of these same themes from someone who experienced similar trauma first hand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying and Death
slut-shaming, loss of a parent, misuse of the term schizophrenic (by a nurse, of all people)