This is a book about dealing with the aftermath of trauma. It is an excellent debut novel. It is beautifully written

Not sure I was in the right headspace to enjoy this character-focused lit fic about a lawyer who advocates for the mentally ill but has her struggles with PTSD which you slowly explore with emphasis on the slow. A lot of people would call the main character a flawed unlikeable main character but you get to understand why she is the way she is and why she observes others so harshly with wit which was funny in parts and screams coping mechanism. Check the trigger warnings I found the fatphobia difficult. Just felt I wanted some of the topics in this book to be fully explored in more detail..

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson is a novel about the aftermath of surviving trauma and the impacts it has.

This was a great read - super easy and flowed so nicely. I raced through it which is always a good sign!

Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal.
This was a beautiful read and I learnt so much. I cried and I smiled and there was nothing more that I wanted from this book. Truly a gem.

Vivian's life is a bit of a mess, but she is a wonderfully written and distinctive character. Polarizing even. She has endured many things in her life and we see how her traumas have shaped her today. Not the most exciting storyline but a brilliant character study.

An intense and raw read with trauma at the forefront. The main character could be considered unlikable, however most of the time I enjoyed being inside their head and being privy to the ugly but real parts of it.

I felt it was a little too long for me though.

Post-Traumatic is an intense, messy and quite dark character study which focuses on trauma and the longstanding impact it has had on our protagonist, Vivian. This is a book which a lot of people may not get or indeed be in the right head space for right now but for those who find it at the right time it is a powerful look at the aftermath of trauma on the mind and body which will have a deep and meaningful impact. While it's not a book I can say I technically 'enjoyed' reading I certainly took so much from it and am so glad I read it.

It's quite astonishing that this is a debut novel because in all honesty the level of writing is quite unlike any I've read before. I was completely struck by how Johnson was able to convey the feeling of hypervigilance so well within the pages and on so many occasions I felt myself there at one with Vivian in a state of over analytical hyper vigilant stupor. The constant unease of hypervigilance is an incredibly hard state to even describe yet somehow Johnson makes it jump straight from the pages.

Trauma and its effects seems to be quite a fashionable topic within fiction at the moment, however, for the most part the stories are woven around a girl who is deeply broken, unable to function or even in some cases has resorted to enforcing her own trauma on others. Chantal deserves huge praise for showcasing a girl who has experienced overwhelming trauma and is still living. Sure, she may be damaged and have a multitude of bad coping mechanisms that cause her to make many bad choices, but within Vivian the author shows us someone can experience a huge amount of trauma and still be a fun, vibrant and contributing person.

Something which is also rarely spoken about normally yet is dealt with amazingly within Post-Traumatic is the concept of estrangement from a biological family or family members. On the rare occasion you see it referenced within books it's a throwaway side plot with little significance and is usually down to something trivial making it seem like a totally taboo concept. However, Chantal gives it the full fleshed airing it deserves and really questions at what point is blood thicker than water and when is the right time to step away. Post-traumatic highlights the importance of self-care and having the ability to walk away from hugely damaging situations despite the social stigma and creating your own chosen family which is right and safe for you.

Despite, the book showcasing such dark and intense subject matters there is an overwhelming sense of humour and wit bubbling through its pages. Vivian exhibits a survivor's gallows humour and is able to make jokes where others would shirk away in horror. Her deeply witty and satirical take on things shows to allow her to detach from her previous traumas and live some days with pure enjoyment and those moments are truly refreshing to read.

On top of the topics I've mentioned above the book also deals brilliantly with issues of race, intersectionality, shame, attachment issues and so many more of the other impacts trauma can have on a person but I have to stop typing at some point.

This can only be described as an essential read, it is an overwhelmingly brilliant debut unlike any I've seen before. Just please be mindful of your own headspace before going into it.
(Very happy to discuss trigger warnings or content etc. with anyone who is considering picking it up)

I'm a bit torn when it comes to "Post-Traumatic" by Chantal V. Johnson. On one hand, it follows the contemporary trend of anti-heroines, who are complex, yet not very likeable, however their stories keep us, readers, hooked. On the other, this novel is not greatly written and in my opinion any work of fiction or non-fiction that explores disordered eating should come with a content warning. Personally, I found parts in which the narrator talks about food from Vivian's perspective quite triggering. Same goes for the descriptions of physical and emotional abuse and medical trauma that are also portrayed in the book.

Of course, one may say that a book title gives the readers an idea about the nature of the story, but that would be a miss.

Overall, I liked the commonness of Vivian's story and the way it was framed. What I didn't like, that at many times it lacked subtlety and in some parts the writing felt a bit clunky.

Chantal V. Johnson’s debut's a convincing account of dealing with the aftermath of trauma: as an individual but also as part of the legacy of growing up a Black Latinx woman in a white-centred society. Vivian’s a New York lawyer who works as an advocate for people who’ve been forcibly institutionalised, trying to find ways to set them free, all too aware of the racist assumptions underlying the white mental health system and its damaging impact on Black communities. Outside of her job she’s essentially a loner but shares an intimate bond with Jane, both survivors of dysfunctional families and male violence, self-proclaimed feminist killjoys, attempting to reinvent themselves despite their sense that the odds are stacked against them.

Johnson’s style’s cool and markedly detached, its near-forensic precision mirroring Vivian’s state of mind, her obsession with projecting a carefully-curated, image of control that extends to her own inner narrative. Vivian uses her analytical skills as a tool to negotiate her work and social life, adopting a series of rigid rituals as a means of staving off chaos, the impact of racism, casual misogyny, and the ever-present threat of male violence. At one point Vivian boasts that she knows how to escape a locked car boot, escape handcuffs and survive live burial. But these rituals play out through oppressively rigid forms of self-policing, reflecting wider cultural expectations placed on women; and the ways in which women of colour are pressured to objectify themselves in order to conform to white ideals - from modifying their speech to the cultivation of a bodily self that fits with white notions of what’s desirable. But her constant state of hyper vigilance makes it clear that Vivian’s strategy for living has left her far from okay, as it spills over into fantasies that lead to a series of disastrous relationships with unsuitable men. And when Vivian finally decides to cut herself off from her overwhelming family, it’s rapidly clear things are about to get messy.

Johnson set out to explore what it’s like to survive trauma without resorting to what she’s termed “traditional versions of trauma fiction—the sentimental family saga, the book of lyrical fragments, the ghost girl narrative, and the graphic, harrowing coming-of-age novel.” She deliberately avoids replicating conventional tropes or lapsing into detailed “trauma porn.” She’s particularly keen not to reproduce figures who reinforce all-too-familiar stereotypes, such as “the white girl who can’t make eye contact, speaks in a whisper, and hides behind cardigans.” And, overall, she achieves her goals. Vivian may be afraid but she’s also strong and vocal, capable of working out a way forward that works for her. Johnson’s analytical perspective can be a little wearying at times but that distanced approach also adds to the intensity of her central character’s journey. Along the way, there are some satisfying nods to women who’ve strived to achieve similar things in their own work on gender and violence, in particular artists like Nan Goldin and Ana Mendieta, echoed in Jane’s visual projects. Johnson’s story may have been labelled as yet another in a subgenre of ‘women on the edge’ books tapping into current trends but it’s far from derivative. Admittedly I had some qualms about the ending but other than that I found this a deeply compelling, frequently powerful read.

Post-traumatic is a very raw and impressive debut novel. The main character, Vivian, is fascinating. It is a very character driven story and it can be very tiring and suffocating to be in Vivian’s mind so much, which speaks to the effectiveness of the novel. I especially liked the descriptions of her imagined scenarios. As a woman who spends much time alone I connected with some parts of them. The only thing that brought it down a bit for me was the writing style. I’m looking forward to read what this author brings next.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc for this work!

This book was absolutely brilliant—Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson is easily the best debut I have ever read. With a witty and observational prose, we get transported to the internal monologue of Vivan, a lawyer that advocates for patients in a psychiatric ward and grapples with her past with a mixture of dieting, drugs and men. From the very first chapter, it is clear that Vivian is flawed, which I found extremely refreshing—she's the kind of character that you'll find yourself relating and not understanding at the same time.

This is a mainly character-driven story and the writing reflects that, we know everything that Vivian thinks and feels. So, even when her actions might seem irrational, we get why she does them. The novel is episodic in nature, we get to see our main character's life through a series of events that might seem unrelated at first but start shaping into a cohesive narrative by the ending.

I'd recommend Post-Traumatic to anyone that likes undeniably real character studies that don't shy away from showing their characters in their worst moments.

This novel is about a young black Latinx lawyer who is confronting her dark past. A strong debut concerning coping with trauma, being a state appointedlawyer who advocates for mental health patients in a New York City psychiatric hospital. The narrative is very interior with lots of childhood flashbacks, The protagonist recounts her childhood and uses reflection as a tool to think about past trauma and the inherited trauma of being a mixed race woman who has come from poverty and sexual abuse.

Johnson’s debut is a captivatingly raw, funny and relatable take on the survivor narrative.

Set in New York, Vivian is a young lawyer working in a mental health hospital wing: she has a career, friends and is dating. However she’s also dealing with the trauma of her early life and dysfunctional family.
She’s deeply flawed but self-aware - we see all her anxieties and insecurities, regarding her self-esteem, body image and mental health. Her life feels real and messy - she’s powerful but also vulnerable.
This is a sharp, clever read, both funny and sad, and deeply relatable. The writing is engaging and challenges you to think.
I enjoyed it!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.

I wanted to read more contemporary fiction and I thought this would be the one for me. While I found it interesting and finished it, I think I just expected to like this significantly more.

This book follows Vivian, a lawyer with a dysfunctional family and a dysfunctional way of thinking. After it all becomes too much she begins to spiral blowing up her life in the process.

One thing I did love was the way Vivian was written. Getting into her head felt so much more intimate than in other books I've read. Her thinking I didn't agree with and also the way she after but she felt real and messy and I was so engrossed by her that I felt embarrassed and hurt when certain things happened. Honestly, that is the way to write the main character. While I didn't like her which I never do with main characters anyways I did find myself rooting for her towards the end and sympathies and empathising with her.

I also loved the monologues that Vivian had. Vivian as a character was aware of the way she sounded when she went off on one but honestly, I didn't mind it. It felt like talking to someone significantly smarter than me and some bits of it made me think about my perceptions of certain things which I appreciate. There were certain interests she had that went completely over my head but that was hardly a big issue.

I think I expected more to happen in a way. The way this seemed was that some massive event makes Vivian spiral and from then it gets a bit crazy but it was very much a build-up thing. I just wished that something bigger happened to prompt the later events and I found myself halfway through hoping something big would happen.

Also, the ending felt a bit rushed and unfinished. I felt like a lot was skipped through very quickly and I wish there was some more time spent on Vivian's healing, I think I would have benefitted a lot from that. Also in the same vein, there were some things that I wish there was a little more depth put into. A lot of Vivian's past experiences affect the way she acts now but they seemed very glossed over.

Overall I got a lot more out of this book than I didn't expect. I did enjoy it and would recommend it, especially so I can discuss it with someone else.

Although the premise felt both personal and right up my alley, the execution fell kind of flat; Johnson's novel is definitely well-written and delves in a delicate manner into themes such as mental health, issues with self-esteem and struggles based on one's body image.

I really wanted to love this but the way this is written is not great. This type of technical yet unrefined writing strikes me as both very green and not very suited to fiction. In other words, one couldn't call the writing in this book 'prose'. The opening is rather clumsy and we have a few spiels about the female gaze that were very 'unnatural' in that they came out of nowhere and didn't convince me as believable in that scene or whatever. I was also not particularly into the way the mc's disorder eating is depicted....all to say: this book needs some serious revising.

This is an important book with a highly distinctive voice. I’m not sure everyone is ready to read this yet, but it is deeply relevant. As a person with trauma in her past as well I appreciate so much what the author is doing in this book. It accurately reflects the experience of someone who suffers from PTSD symptoms and feels extremely validating.

Vivian is such an interesting, complex and layered character that to me felt very relatable. Not all of her actions are designed to make her seem likable, but they are always understandable. I loved reading her inner monologue and felt deeply with her.

The plot is episodic which I liked - at times reading the book it felt more like a memoir than a novel. Not only Vivian but all characters are realistic and their interactions are reminiscent of conversations oneself could have had.

Before I talk about the very satisfying ending (which I will put behind a spoiler line), I want to mention that a lot of trigger warnings for all kinds of abuse and assault apply to this novel - but all these topics are handled with care and are never written about in a gratuitous way. Vivian also struggles with disordered eating and shame about her own body, so if this is triggering for you, proceed with caution.

SPOILER FOR THE ENDING

I so so loved the ending for this! A lot of books that write about similar topics and life experiences end in tragedy or at least an unchanged status quo. This one though shows the protagonist getting help, going into therapy and forming meaningful relationships. She is far from “cured” at the end of the story, but she is living and she is managing. I’m so proud of Vivian for being so strong and I admire the author greatly for giving this character a realistic yet hopeful ending.

(Thank you to NetGalley, Chantal V. Johnson and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Dialogue Books for providing me with an eARC for this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions in this review are my own.)

I enjoyed the writing style of this novel, however, I found the main character to be a little flat, and the supporting characters to be underdeveloped. I enjoyed the subtle humour laced throughout the novel, but I think the subject matter was just too heavy for me.

Post-Traumatic is a novel about a Black, Latinx woman dealing with trauma and hypervigilance, who needs to find new ways to survive. Vivian works as a lawyer advocating for patients at a mental health facility and spends her time dating, dieting, and getting high, and joking with her friends about the effects of childhood abuse and trauma. A series of events, starting with a family gathering, lead Vivian to find herself more alone and more in need of direction than before, looking for how to keep going and fix what she needs to.

This isn't really a book with a huge amount of plot, but is more of a character study, following Vivian as she goes to work, socialises, and self-medicates. It feels almost episodic at times, with each chapter a particular section or extended scene, and I liked the way this really made you feel Vivian's isolation when she shut people out, with the book moving on without them. The writing also depicts a lot of Vivian's mental state well, especially scenes of her hypervigilance where you as the reader also aren't sure what's actually happening. I liked the almost understated ending, though at times in the book I felt the pace was a bit slow.

A powerful book that explores trauma and survival, but is also packed full of detail, Post-Traumatic is not always a fun read, with times when you can see the characters judging people or making bad choices, but is an interesting one, getting into the head of a character who does not have the answers.