Haunting and gritty, but everyone should read it!
349547
Ms. Moody's account of growing up in Mississippi, dirt poor, often going hungry and dealing with rampant racism; the impact of realising that people were being killed and brutally simply for the color of their skin, is like no other book I've read on the subject. She is a smart young lady and sees that education is the only way out of where she began in life in a 'rotten wood, two room shack'. She also chronicles her efforts in the civil rights movement and in trying to encourage other African Americans to register to vote, she put herself at risk of being killed on many occasions. However, she doesn't come across as wanting anyone to feel sorry for her; I would call her a most stoic individual. I will be interested to see if I can find anything else she's written; I'd like to see if her 'I wonder' in response to how they would find freedom when they went to Washington was ever answered for her. Extremely moving book! I read it in one day.
1535941
I just finished this book... let me start off by saying that it was powerful. At first I was very angry with this book. I went through similar events in my life and it was hard to read this book. But capturing human trafficking and many other obstacles people have to go through. You have no idea. I was sitting here thinking wow there are others in this world that know what it feels like. The details of what happened in this family could have been better written. There needs to be a warning of the possibility that this book can be triggering for someone who has lived it and has suffered through it. Not just the note of what subjects it covers and not caring if it makes people uncomfortable. The issues in this book happen more often than many people know. There isn't emotion in this book, yes she cries, we all cry. But how does it feel...complete despair and emptiness and anger and etc. This isn't an attack on the author or anyone else. I just wish that you took the time to see survivors and know thier suffering and heartache. This book has really touched me, but at the same time, I would not recommend this book to any survivor of this horrific abuse.

I thought that I would be shocked when I read this, but it only makes me think about my life and how hard it is. I know you want to get the subject out in the open. Did you think about the impact this would have on someone who has lived it and still trying to survive?

Still a good book if you don't mind the details of rape.....
1332474
To be honest, this book is an extremely difficult read. I questioned myself many times, what would I do if I was living through this. Honestly, I don't believe I would survive. We should be aware that things like this go on in our world. This tale can serve as a reminder, to watch over those closest to our hearts and not to ignore when they instigate that there may be something wrong.  I would say that it's an eye-opener as well because I personally was not aware of a lot of things she went through. The thing I found odd was that Jenny's mother did not think it was strange that her six year old daughter was gone all the time. That combined with the fact that she was mean to Jenny and that she probably knew that her husband was sexually abusing her.

We've all heard stories of the practice (Satanic Ritual Abuse) in the news but you'd always think it's just something that happens in the movies. Not real , just scary as an idea. Well, unfortunately it is real, or at least in her case it was. The level of abuse was horrendous. I honestly admire her for carrying on! I guess you have to be darn strong to witness animal murders and ultimately a child being murdered, and continue with your life. I know I couldn't. I thank her for raising the awareness about all the bad things that go with these rituals in the book, and though it's only a couple of pages, it's strikingly convincing and undoubtedly real!

"Twenty Two Faces" is a story of survival. She survived and lives a somewhat normal life. I'm not sure if it's possible after what she went through, but she's the living proof. I thank her for staying alive so she could tell her story!
It will come across as a success by preventing abuse like this happening to others.
It's a well-rounded book about her early life and abuse, how it affected her and how she recovered from it.

I have read a lot of biographies in my life and this one tops the shelf for me, as a student of psychology and philosophy I would recommend it to anyone that wants to know more about dissociative disorder such as dissociative identity disorder.
1894209
Painfully beautiful memoirs of an Afghan-American man, as he grows to accept and forgive himself, make amends, and learns to do the same for others. Through his journey, Amir learns more about his past and his family than he ever knew, but somehow sensed, and it changes him. Haunting imagery and emotional recollections stay with you long after you've finished the last page. Brings powerful and raw clarity to the American reader, lending greater understanding to not just Muslim customs, values and beliefs, and the often stereotypical and damaging effects of racism and theism here, but also the parallel racism and classism within Afghan society as well. A richly complex story that draws you in with vivid and poetic description. I am afraid to watch the film and ruin it. Worth the read!
1564642
So many can relate to this story of an extended family living in poverty and dysfunction as well as a great deal of family violence. Although we know this kind of violence is not particular to poor families, it makes it even more heart breaking somehow.  The particularly violent parts focus on a young girl and her abusive step father. I feel strongly that starting with our society's shaming people and demeaning them is completely destructive and serves no good purpose and we see that clearly here in so many ways, not only with the main characters but with just about everyone mentioned in the book through all generations.  Passing this down seems mindless and criminal when often it is simply unconscious and flows with inertia just waiting for someone to stop it. That was where I found myself, hoping that someone would just make it stop.
Allison does a fantastic job of describing each scene and character so that you see them clearly and remember them well.
Excellent.
99158
A woman drowns, and the last man who spoke to her -- a homeless madman from the area dubbed Bukuru -- is accused of the crime. At his trial, however, Bukuru makes a terrifying accusation: the president of Madia (based on the author's native Nigeria) is a rapist and a murderer. The novel follows the story of the reporter with whom Bukuru shares his story, and Bukuru's own past.

In short: this book is amazing. It weaves together the themes of love, forgiveness, morality, family, corruption, and violence. The scenes are haunting; the writing is beautiful. I can't recommend it highly enough.

No, seriously. Go read it. Right now.

Started: January 18, 2015
Finished: January 23, 2015

Rating: 10/10
2616839
This sorta-autobiography (heavily fictionalized, according to the author) is an amazing trip to yesteryear that is hauntingly, beautifully written.  My own teen years were two decades earlier yet every bit of this story felt familiar, like these were people I had also grown up with.  Opening on her 16th birthday, this story touches on her relationship with Knight but focuses on her relationship with Harley.  And what an explosive relationship that was!  The author's first-person narrative is raw and visceral, examining her stark reality with brutal honesty and a wicked sense of humor.  This is part of a larger story, but it reads well as a standalone.  It's definitely a read-all-at-once book - there's no putting this aside until you've reached the very end.  The glossary was absolutely brilliant: It was put in the front so it not only makes sure the readers are informed but reading through it sets the tone for the rest of the book as well.
3110327
This book is a wild ride but it is beautifully written. It's haunting and just incredible! I do think that if you are sensitive to suicide/depression, do not read. It may be triggering. I had originally purchased/read this book many years ago and I lent it to a friend who had lented it to someone else. I am happy to have a copy again. It's a story you will never forget.
912261
_Free_, by Lisa Litberg, is a haunting tale that evokes a myriad of emotion in the reader as it follows the plight of a lost young woman self-named Free on Grateful Dead tours.  The first person point of view perfectly suits this story. It allows us to feel her sense of estrangement, fear, and all-too-rare happiness. In one sense, it's a coming-of-age story as we follow Free's exploits around the country, but this is no feel-good tale. I found myself worrying about her as she flew by the seat of her pants in oftentimes dangerous and volatile situations. Free represents just one young girl of a lost generation of kids running away from painful home lives. While many of these kids fall prey to the specter of drugs and predatory people, Free has the grit to maybe make it through the morass of street life to find and save herself. Litberg has created a well-written, compelling story that engages readers as we take the metaphorical and physical journey with this young woman. But it leaves us wondering if freedom isn't just another cage. I'm a fan of intimate character studies, so this book captured my interest and imagination. As with most great books, it leaves us with lingering questionsand wanting more. _Free_ is highly recommended!
961037
There are a few books that I wish everyone would read; this is one of them.  A far far more compelling book than 1984, Kallocain probes what it means to be a good citizen.  That this book is not more widely know is unfortunately due most likely to the fact that it is Swedish and that it has been issued by a university press. But this is a rip snorting good tale that will keep you riveted and make you think.  And there is lots to ponder: surveillence issues, the idea of good citizenship; the question of who or what is "the enemy"; what war is about; the use of mind altering drugs in the management of society; and so on. Read it and pass on word of it to others!  It deserves attention!
1486490
This book is very well written! I couldn't put it down! It made me emotional near the end, and it really hit home. However, let me make this clear as other reviews have as well, it is a very triggering book, and unfortunately does give out "tips" essentially. However, I can't really knock the book for that. For if it didn't go in depth, and it didn't show the gritty and didn't really spell out how horrible it is to go through something as that... it would've been a hollow book that just skirted around the dangers, the issues, and the struggle that the ED is.

Just as a warning, if you are influenced easily, please don't read this book. It hits hard. And it will make you very conscious about yourself, and what you eat.

Despite it being an easy read, and the format very easy to skip around a lot and breeze through, I did find this book very enjoyable!
74120
While I won't rehash the whole plot line as that has already been done, I will say that this is a brutal haunting story based on a true crime, and Ketchum's writing will make you squirm while you read it.  It is certainly not for the faint of heart, nor should it be considering the storyline.  When reading about something this brutal and ugly and that really happened, a good author should put you there in that world with the characters and Ketchum does that effectively enough that you are conflicted between wanting to read the whole book in a sitting, while at the same time really wanting put the book down so you don't have to find out what horrifying thing is happening next.  Considering a real human being suffered these things, it SHOULD make readers feel traumatized and if an author can't accomplish this then he has not done the story justice.  This book fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective) accomplishes this and by the end of the book leaves the reader feeling emotionally spent and traumatized.  As a mother of daughters, in particular, I had a very hard time reading this, and even though I read this a couple years ago the story still haunts me.  Crimes against children are always a tough read.  It also is an interesting perspective on the ugly side of human nature and the power of peer pressure within a group.  This is probably Ketchum's best novel, so if you are trying him out for the first time this is good place to start, but be forewarned it is not an uplifting tale, but instead an ugly look into the brutal sides of human nature.
1721919
powerful and raw, this is a sci-fi book that even non-sci-fi lovers, like myself, can enjoy.  my only complaint is that i didn't read it sooner!

Edana, or Dana as she is nicknamed, is a modern black woman married to a white man, both struggling writers.  on her 26th birthday, Dana is inexplicably transported into the South of the early 1800's where slavery is still practiced in full force.  she is "called" there by a red-headed boy named Rufus, who is drowning and she saves his life.  ironically, he turns out to be one of her slave-owning ancestors and it becomes clear that it is her duty to protect him.  this begins the series of time travels, as Dana is called back each time Rufus is in danger, 6 times over the years to save his nearly pathetic life. each time causes Dana to be stuck in the world that does not welcome her, until her own life is threatened and she is spirited back to her own time.  in this way, she learns what it means to be a slave, a woman, a wife.  as such, expect a tale with lots of life and lots of near-death, lots of fear and raw emotion.

  "I hadn't known quite as well then what there was to fear.  I had never seen a captured runaway like Alice.  I had never felt the whip across my own back.  I had never felt a man's fists."

with startling honesty and depth, Butler grabs you from the beginning and never really lets go, even after the book is over.  there is so much strength and conflict that is nearly overwhelming, between characters, between and within the races, and between the times.  on top of that, Kindred is well constructed AND well written, bringing together so many powerful themes into a profound tale of fiction: abuse, racial and sexual tensions, literacy, physical and emotional courage, which all serve to show us what it might have been like to be a slave.

  "My back began to ache dully, and I felt dully ashamed.  Slavery was a long slow process of dulling."

the relationship between Dana and Rufus is one that caused the most conflict for me as a reader.  as much as i didn't want to, i found myself in the same position as Dana, having compassion for Rufus.  his upbringing and surroundings pushed and pulled him into the expected behaviors of a white slave-holder - sometimes abusive, cruel and unpredictable.  and yet, it was so obvious that he wanted to be good.  in his own way, he loved his slaves, and this becomes pivotal in the outcome of the book.  i kept thinking of the quote "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

the other struggle that i felt with overwhelming surprise was how easy it had become for Dana to fit in as a slave.  she finds herself conflicted with how seemingly "real" the time there feels and she comes to even call it home.  during one of her reminisces comparing her two lives, she explains that "(Slavery's) time was a sharper, stronger reality.  The work was harder, the smells and tastes were stronger, the danger was greater, the pain was worse."  and i felt that, too.  it made my life in this century feel less significant, much like i imagine she felt when she returned to the 1970's apartment that she shared with her husband.

Kindred is not a feel good book, nor an easy read, but altogether, this was a stunning work, one that begs to be read and that i would recommend for everyone.
4817143
I will start off by saying this: trigger warnings. All the trigger warnings. This is a heartbreaking book and the main character experiences, as NPR stated, "the harshest childhoods in fiction."

That aside, wow. WOW. This book is beautiful, haunting, twisting (and twisted) and, as I mentioned, heartbreaking. The book begins by diving into the middle of 4 best friends' twenty-something lives -- in the beginning I had a hard time keeping each one straight. After spending short sections of the book focusing a bit on each one, I saw that Jude would be the main focus of the book. Jude is hard working, loyal, tortured, and self-hating. From the outside his life seems forward-moving and fortunate, even. Inwardly, Jude struggles to overcome his incredibly painful childhood, despite being surrounded by wonderful friends and a loving family who legally adopted him as an adult. As the book follows Jude and his friends and family throughout his adult life, Hanya Yanagihara spends sections of the book providing flashbacks of Jude's childhood, painting a clear picture of where he's come through and providing the reader with understanding of who he is and why is the way he is as an adult.

I won't give anything else away, but I will say it is one of the best books I've read this year. I won't soon forget Jude and his friends and family. This book is recommended for those who like sobbing so hard your tears blur the words on the page in front of you.
2055065
Although I usually don't like to read books that have a lot of violence and hardship in them, I had a feeling that this book would have a strong core, and wanted to give it a try. It does have a positive core, despite the tragic events. It was a moving story, although definitely very hard to read at times. However, sometimes violence serves its purpose, as it did in this case. This is a story of human strength and power of soul, which is hauntingly real. I suppose the only reason I don't give it the full five stars is because it was so hard to read at times that it made me want to skip pages, but that is my problem, as I am quite sensitive.
626250
This is a gritty, in your face real novel that takes you through a range of emotions: from hatred, disgust, sadness and sensible. I love how the story gives the first person view of working in law enforcement and what it takes to actually uphold the duty to protect and serve.  The simplistic form of writing makes the story hard to put down. Riveting is an understatement. I would definitely recommend for anyone to read - but only if they can handle real world life stories!
4454056
I heard about Alice Sebold's story long before I dared to pick it up. When I ventured tentatively through its pages, I realized I'd made a find: a beautifully-written tale that encapsulates a horrible crime and a horrible person living in the midst of an ordinary neighborhood near unaware parents and children. Isn't that really how such things happen? While an indicting commentary on modern life, the author weaves the victim's experiences and thoughts throughout her exploration of the Susie's death on the rest of her family. If only Susie can have her wish and come back to life, but that's not in the cards.

Though bounded by grief and the need to heal, ultimately we come to hope, just as Susie does. Bravo!