Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

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

5 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.

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

zoeysdigest's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

A very informative and moving read. It was easier to follow than Maybe you should talk to someone as the ‘case studies’ were clearly segmented, it was also less about the therapist’s own life. However, the characters had more triggering and extreme issues that made reading difficult at times. Would caution all to read up on the content warnings before proceeding.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ali_runs_and_reads's review against another edition

5.0

🎧 Good Morning Monster by Catherine Gildiner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re looking for a compelling non-fiction book, this is it. Catherine Fildiner is a renowned therapist in Canada. In this book she recounts the story of five different patients who changed her life that she considers a hero. Each section of the book follows one patient from the time they enter therapy until they leave, and then a followup when she talked to them about using their story in this book. She goes to great length to conceal identities and maintain her patient’s anonymity. Each story is different. All start out as someone entering therapy who thinks they’re nothing special, but as their story emerges we see they are incredible resilient people. All have been through hell and back and we see how therapy heals them and allows them to grow and live a fulfilling and meaningful life. It made for a great audiobook. These are not easy stories to hear, but all five of her patients truly are heroes. Trigger warnings abound, so proceed with caution. I got this one from the library, but it is also available on Kindle through Kindle Unlimited. I’ve see Good Morning, Monster compared to the book Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, so I’m putting that one on my list. I don’t think I will ever forget the stories in this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

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