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Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
Black and Blue: a memoir of racism and resilience by Veronica Gorrie
16 reviews
brittanybarnard's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
sopsyjo's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
carlytenille's review
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
madamegeneva's review
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
offtheraels's review
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Police brutality and Grief
zzara's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
wetdirtreads's review
4.5
Black and Blue was impossible to put down, first and foremost, because of phenomenal storytelling. The language was clear, concise, and accessible, making the book so easy and pleasant to glide through, even though the subject matter was gruelling. The chapters were short and digestible, but also often ended on cliff-hangers – so it would’ve been easy for me to pause wherever without getting overwhelmed, but I also couldn’t bring myself to stop. And I didn’t want to.
Ronnie’s storytelling reads just like a mob yarn. It’s accessible to, but very clearly not written for a non-Blak audience. Ronnie doesn’t waste time coddling the white reader, nor trying to define the incommensurable. Her delivery is direct and unapologetic, with no concern for whether you ‘get’ it – those who do will, and those who won’t aren’t her responsibility to hand-hold.
The other reason I sped through Black and Blue was because of the subject matter. While Ronnie never dwells on horrific scenes for the sake of shock value, speaking her reality necessitates discussion of deeply distressing experiences. I knew that this book would be incredibly triggering for me, so I read it in a day partly to look after myself – to minimise how long I spent in a trauma response state.
You might be wondering why I chose to read a book that I knew would activate a trauma response for me. And it's because I knew that Ronnie's truth-telling would also be equally as healing. I often cried during this book as gruesome details of violence were recounted. But I also bawled my eyes out when Ronnie perfectly articulated mob experiences I'd never been able to put into words before. And because she generously taught me so much about experiences I'll never personally know. And because I was overwhelmed by the gratitude I felt for being permitted to read her story.
l've had some mob ask me if I think Black and Blue would be okay for them to read. Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question. I can only recommend reading up on the trigger warnings before going into it, assessing whether thev're personally manageable for you, and proceeding with great care and caution. But what I can definitively tell you is that, for me, reading Black and Blue made me feel held as much as hurt.
(Review initially posted on instagram)
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Torture, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
lucyr21's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Dementia
katiiekhaos's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, and Alcohol
demo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, and Car accident