Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult by Michelle Dowd

15 reviews

kepompili's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

map415's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

apairofducks's review

5.0

I connected with this book on such a deep level that I’m struggling to articulate my thoughts on it. It’s difficult and emotional and hard to read, and somehow I couldn’t put it down. Maybe a 4.25, maybe a 4.5, but for now I’m giving it a 5 bc wow, oh wow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death and Cancer

abijmieds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Approachable but challenging, Dowd's childlike tone discomforts the reader in light of the dark experiences she shares. A continual reminder of her own youth at the time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death

harperphillips96's review against another edition

dark informative tense slow-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

daniandsn's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

As I eat from the earth, I consecrate what I devour, because there is still some wild left in me, and even darkness can be a gift. We are made of recovery

Stunning in writing, Michelle tells the story of how she grew up and escaped from her family cult. This story is harrowing, challenging, but told in breathtaking detail. We follow the inner thoughts of her as an intelligent young girl trying to make sense of the world around her that tells her children and women alike are not meant to be heard, special, or have opinions of their own. Neglected by even her own mother, who refuses to get too attached to any of her children in case God asks her to sacrifice them, Michelle instead is cared for by the Mountain and its sustaining plants.

Forager is about the trials of abuse Michelle faced as a child, as well as a story of her coming to terms with what it means to be a woman, and the fear that is attached to it in a hyper-patriarical religious cult. 

She tells me I am growing up, that I am becoming a woman. And then she tucks me into bed, like I am a little girl.

It is also the story of trying and failing to control and understand her own body, through diet, connection to the mountain, or having moments where she dissacociates to protect herself. 

We don't bring water, not because Dad wants us to learn to find it within the plants, but because he wants us to suffer the pains of thirst and be humbled, to know only the Lord our God can save us.

I did wish the book went into more details about her escape and living off of the land. Parts of it felt rushed, a chapter sometimes jumping ahead years. 

I would absolutely read more by this author. She has a beautiful writing voice and told a deeply vulnerable story about pain and resilience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

jackslackofshelfcontrol's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

chaoticenby's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Medical trauma

babyfacedoldsoul's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

5.0

This book was really intense and I definitely recommend checking out the content warnings. It was extremely well done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer

kelanor's review against another edition

challenging emotional fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment