Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

11 reviews

maddy4prezident's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

This was such a fast, informative book and it was so well written. So much so that I found myself recommending it to people before I even finished. Foo's narrative style is at once both rich with information and full of character and personality that makes it a fast, enjoyable read. Her willingness to be vulnerable and admit her own shortcomings while still focusing on a generally positive and hopeful arc made the book an excellent read. It invited reader to relate to Foo while also reflecting on their own experiences and applying the knowledge she imparts into the reader's own life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Self harm

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

wow, this is such a necessary read. while there are some dark personal moments, they are coupled with informative commentary. also, i really recommend the audiobook because their are audio clips from the authors therapy sessions which i thought added a lot. please check content warnings!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Bullying, Ableism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

emileesmith's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, and Drug use

ebonyrose's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

 Stephanie Foo's memoir What My Bones Know details her painful, abusive childhood and her eventual understanding of a diagnosis of C-PTSD. This memoir was equal parts vulnerable and informative. I didn't know a lot about C-PTSD prior to reading this book, and Foo's memoir allowed me to learn about the condition in the context of her painful life as a child of abusive and neglectful parents, and an adult struggling to grapple with the effects of that. I appreciated Foo situating her abuse in a very specific cultural context (she is Chinese-American, but was born in Malaysia), and I appreciated the ways she discusses mental health challenges and how they might manifest differently in people of colour.

I am so impressed with Foo's courage and honesty, and how hard she has worked to understand herself, and to begin to heal. A very solid memoir. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse

Minor: Alcohol and Eating disorder

402reader's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Alcohol, and Abandonment

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, Violence, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Death, Alcohol, Rape, Addiction, Police brutality, Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Hate crime, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, War, Excrement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, and Cancer

gabyisafreeelf's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Eating disorder and Body shaming

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This was really good. It struck me how candid Stephanie was being about her childhood traumas, how those experiences affected her and as a result rippled down to all of Foo's relationships and aspirations.
The descriptions of the childhood abuse was palpable, sickening, and incredibly sad. Major content warnings for these scenes, please take care while reading.

The relationships with her parents in her adulthood was also fascinating. How she manages to maintain some contact with her father despite how much he hurt her. We do what we must to find mental and physical safety but how much we can crave love from our parents even if we fear them. It's a constant balancing act and so emotionally exhausting.

I don't know very much about psychiatry and psychology so this aspect of the memoir was a bit over my head but I still followed along. She made it pretty easy for non-experts to understand the different kinds of treatment she sought. This memoir is so sad, reading about Foo encountering so many hurdles and struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Knowing that she was well enough to write this memoir, reflecting on her life does little to lessen the second-hand blow of her life story to the reader. It's heavy heavy heavy.

I wish her the best in continuing to heal and understand herself before and after the trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Bullying, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Self harm, Hate crime, Ableism, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism

Minor: Body shaming, War, Incest, and Infertility

negative self-talk, bad therapy experiences, victim blaming.

rebeccaquinton's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, and Racism

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Thanks to Random House for the free copy of this book.

 - WHAT MY BONES KNOW is a masterpiece of a memoir. Blending Foo's personal story with the research she did to learn more about her own condition, the book sheds light on the little known and understood diagnosis of C-PTSD.
- Given that C-PTSD happens when there is extended, repeated trauma, this book also gets into generational trauma and the history of Foo's family and their traumas, which I think a lot of people will relate to, even if you're not of the Asian diaspora.
- I feel like I don't even know what to say about this book. It's so good. Please read it, and also go listen to @thestackspod episode with the author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Gaslighting, War, Alcohol, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Rape