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A review by weird_but_fucking_beautiful
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
If any book can reach down and spill the guts of sexual assault so viscerally, it’s this one. Chanel Miller’s use of similes, metaphors, and analogies paints a disturbing and upsetting picture of what it feels like to be a victim of sexual assault. I connected deeply to her prose and her stream of conscience narrative. Her journey to eventual redemption, self love, and acceptance is fraught with betrayal, self doubt, loss of independence, and debilitating fear. Chanel’s choice to report the assault is met with denial of culpability, a criminal justice system that is designed to victimize the victim, and a barrage of dehumanizing comments from complete strangers. At times she second guesses her choice to report the rape, but she never wavers in her desire to want the perpetrator, Brock Turner, to apologize and to understand the devastating impact his selfish act of privilege and entitlement has on her psyche. There are obvious trigger warnings about sexual assault that comes with reading this memoir, but I highly encourage anyone whether you’ve been assaulted or not to read Chanel’s powerful personal account of her struggle to find peace and acceptance from within. Her 12 page impact statement alone is so moving and heart wrenching that only apathetic individuals will not find themselves moved beyond tears. As Chanel so aptly says
“I give what I can, you take what you need.”
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Gaslighting