This was probably the most painful reading experience I've ever had and the best book I've read this year. Chanel Miller tells the story of her rape, both the trauma inflicted directly by that and every time she was retraumatized later by the justice system, the lawyers, the press, the institutions. It's awful.

But this book is a lot more than just a story of trauma. Miller is insightful and her words are powerful. She offers criticisms and hope and her words resonate. I think people could gain so much from reading this book, seeing what she went through and the pain it caused her. Seeing how much she went through for her rapist to only spend three months in prison.

Her writing is also gorgeous. Every words was so carefully chosen and so beautifully constructed. You can see it in just her victim impact statement, but given a whole book, her skill is even better showcased. I hope she continues writing because I would love to read more from her, both for her insights as well as her writing itself.

This book feels like a power statement. I cannot recommend it enough, but it is a very difficult reading experience. If you do not feel up to this, I would at least recommend looking up her victim impact statement.