A review by amys_hygge_reads
Any Girl by Mia Döring

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Any Girl by Mia Döring

The Story 📚
As an outsider, Mia lead a normal teenage and young adult life. Secondary school, college - the usual things. But the truth was much scarier. Sexually assaulted by a class mate, and then sexually groomed and exploited by an older man - Mia’s childhood was taken for her. Mia found herself within the Irish sex trade for many years, where her abuse continued. With this memoir, Mia tells her story of a young girl trying to survive, and how this trauma seeped in and affected every aspect of her life. Alongside this, Mia examines Ireland as a collective society - and the views and opinions we place on women and sex.  

The Review 👩🏻‍💻
From being a woman, someone who has worked within women’s refuges in Ireland - and has friends working in violence against women’s services in other countries - I have heard a lot of stories. But that doesn’t make it any easier. 

I generally try to avoid saying anything negative about non-fiction, particularly around something traumatic. This is Mia’s voice -  her chance to say whatever she wanted. But, I did find the second half of the book a little repetitive. However, I swapped between reading and audiobook - and I always say if the author reads their own non-fiction, it definitely adds to the readers experience by listening in. 

A raw and honest look into a horrible corner of Irish society. Obviously the nature of the book has multiple triggers. Mind yourself.