Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery by Catherine Gildiner

8 reviews

throwback682's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

2.75

As others have mentioned, this book has lots of problems, including the audiobook narrator putting on Chinese and First Nations accents, deadnaming and other transphobic comments, among others. There were just so many times that I cringed. The author at times seemed self aware but often was just painfully out of touch. The book did feel rather exploitative, and often felt fake. I felt like it was particularly insensitive about sexual abuse, for example the way the author distinguished between “violent” sexual abuse and… what?? It’s all violent! I think I agree with other people who called the book trauma porn. I did (enjoy doesn’t seem like the right word) parts of the book. I did gain some understanding into how childhood trauma can impact people, and felt hopeful at times that I and people I love can heal from difficult things. But overall the book felt pretty icky. I’m kind of shocked how many people uncritically loved it. Definitely read with caution especially if you’re a survivor of abuse, especially sexual abuse or child abuse generally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Genocide, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Excrement, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Dementia

This book is all about people who have overcome HORRIFIC things, mostly in their childhoods. It is very very difficult to read.

arantxalasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

mari_teran's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

lingfish7's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

lauraliz914's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

I absolutely adored this book. I think it’s a more clinically dense, depth-oriented version of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone which I also loved. However, it is not for the faint of heart. I can’t really think of a content warning that wouldn’t apply to this book, so consider yourself warned.

I was so deeply moved by each and every one of these stories. Each person went through hell and are, as Gildiner says, psychological heroes. This book really spells out both the harm people are capable of doing, as well as the resiliency we all possess.

I so appreciate Gildiner’s raw honesty about her own countertransference in each case, including her clinical missteps and clear love for her clients. Her narrative taught me so much about the psychodynamic approach to therapy, and even about my own subconscious processes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Murder

darkcornerofthelibrary's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Genocide, Incest, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Moderate: Animal cruelty

greatu's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

rosemaryslibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation