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breeisreading_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
It feels odd, and almost wrong, to rate a memoir like this with a star rating, as if this book can be rated with an arbitrary system like that.
This was not easy to read, of course, and from the first page as Sebold launches straight into the night of her attack and rape, I was unsure if I could read this, unsure if I had the bravery and power in me to immerse myself in that kind of trauma.
But I am so glad I did. I cried so many times reading this book, but Sebold writes so well, allowing us full access into her thoughts, feelings and emotions, while also giving us the cold, hard facts, and entwining both of these things together, that it was hard to pull away from this. I have been reading this book for the past 4 days, and every moment I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking of it. I feel like I know Sebold now, like an old friend almost, speaking so candidly and openly about her life and her time in college.
This book is ultimately about her rape and its consequences and how it definitively changed her life, but it expands on her life in college, her relationships with her family, her friends, boyfriends, her interests, her jobs, her studies, and all of the many nuanced people she meets along the way.
It offers a brilliant insight into the American judicial system which was fascinating, especially the long chapter about midway through which detailed the trial and the court proceedings. It ruminates on patriarchy, race, gender, sexuality and double standards.
Definitely a book I will be thinking about for a very long time.
This was not easy to read, of course, and from the first page as Sebold launches straight into the night of her attack and rape, I was unsure if I could read this, unsure if I had the bravery and power in me to immerse myself in that kind of trauma.
But I am so glad I did. I cried so many times reading this book, but Sebold writes so well, allowing us full access into her thoughts, feelings and emotions, while also giving us the cold, hard facts, and entwining both of these things together, that it was hard to pull away from this. I have been reading this book for the past 4 days, and every moment I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking of it. I feel like I know Sebold now, like an old friend almost, speaking so candidly and openly about her life and her time in college.
This book is ultimately about her rape and its consequences and how it definitively changed her life, but it expands on her life in college, her relationships with her family, her friends, boyfriends, her interests, her jobs, her studies, and all of the many nuanced people she meets along the way.
It offers a brilliant insight into the American judicial system which was fascinating, especially the long chapter about midway through which detailed the trial and the court proceedings. It ruminates on patriarchy, race, gender, sexuality and double standards.
Definitely a book I will be thinking about for a very long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
alexthereadingdragon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Incest
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Conflicting book. After keeping up with the news about Anthony Broadwater's exoneration I wanted to read for myself how this got so wrong. Everything Alice Sebold went through is tragic and I honestly do feel sorry for her. And I know it's a knee-jerk reaction to start questioning the rape itself but that's not right. She was abused. Nonetheless, I don't feel she was coached by the cops or DA to pick the wrong man. She was sure herself that Anthony Broadwater (Gregory Madison here) was her rapist and thought that all the questioning the defense brought up was unfair. The cops biases and system helped her get the result she wanted bc she was sure AB was her rapist. She's aware she was the perfect victim and used that as her countermeasure. She wasn't lead on but the prosecutors and cops didn't do much to look deeper. I'm still appalled how no one even gave a thought how messed up her “well #4 and #5 looked like identical twins” was such a racist dogwhistle. AS does try to kinda go out of her way to show she's not that racist but in her effort she comes across as a “I have Black friends” type of person. I don't know, maybe her prejudice was always there and the rape and PTSD exacerbated it. Now there are a lot of instances in the book I find myself questioning (like if it's true she saw him on campus after the lineup and cross). I also feel weird about how she says that she wished many times her rapist had been white. It's weird how she felt no one took her seriously because the law considered her a hysterical white racist woman and that Black people had more power because of their disadvantages judicially or something. It's like she kept feeling that her rapist being Black diminished her trauma. There are so many sad and strange things about this book and made me think so many things that I don't feel comfortable voicing that I'm glad it's being pulled (I illegally downloaded this idc) because a lot of people's characterizations in it are unfair and mean. I understand AS felt she was speaking her truth, but it turned out that truth was askew.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism
robynne1118's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism