Girl, Groomed: A therapist memoir.... is honestly heartbreaking. I truly hope that this novel was cathartic and helped Odell continue to heal from her trauma. I can't even begin to comprehend how hard her experiences were to live through and then also to find the courage to come forward and speak her truth.

The main reasons why I am rating the book on the lower scale was simply due to the fact of how the story bounces around. It seemed to take a bit of time to get to the real message in the book. Another thing was that I struggled to connect emotionally with Odell, don't get me wrong I hate what she and others experienced but the writing was very clinical and it made it hard for me to create an emotional connection to her and her story.

Overall, I'm happy she wrote it and I'm happy to have read it. I hope it helped her heal and I can only hope it helps other victims of grooming and SA on their own journeys of healing as well.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a fellow SA survivor this was healing to read as the assaults aren’t described in graphic, horrific detail, but the reader is given enough information to know what happened. A compassionate and poignant story that lends credence to the importance of sharing stories like these to take back our power and heal from the perpetrators that harmed us.

Girl Groomed is a profound memoir of a young girl subjected to grooming and abuse by a horse trainer. This story details her personal experiences and how it affected her relationships with others and her overall well-being. Odell elucidates the severe consequences of her grooming ordeal, underscoring the psychological scars that remain. The alternating chapters of her childhood experiences and therapy sessions provide a way to view her healing process.

At times, the passages were overly descriptive which took away from the message of the story. Additionally, the pace of the story was sluggish at times. Odell’s story ultimately stands as a testament to the resilience inherent in addressing one’s past. It is an impactful novel, that provides lessons for survivors and mental health professionals.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

This book was completely heart breaking but offered an interesting perspective that's not always given and I found it interesting coming at it from both angles

I thought this to be a compelling read, very heartfelt. When she writes about a horse being beaten with a twitch that was tied up, and pulling at the rail it was tied to, it was so gripping. So sickening. She describes very well how this man used the horses as leverage in trying to get his way with the girls. I especially liked the last part, when she returns to Virginia twice, and the healing she eventually found there.

Girl, Groomed, A Therapist's Memoir of Trauma, by Carol Odell, LICSW, is a memoir set in Virginia in the 1980's, where we follow Carol, a now psychotherapist who shares her personal account of being groomed and abused by her horse trainer as the then child through to teenager years, and how this silenced trauma deeply impacts her and her marriage many years later. We learn that therapy helps her find freedom and is eventually set free from her past.

I choose to read this 200 paged book because I have never read a book relating to the equestrian world. I also want to understand the different ways people cope with trauma experienced from childhood, and how this undealt, open flowing but invisible wound act out later on, in life and in adult relationships, if any.

I admire the author for sharing her trauma, and her passion for horses. I like how she presents the matter through herself as a child, as a therapist, and as a wife/client of therapy. However, I would have loved to read further information about the therapy sessions itself had this been more available. How she dealt with it as a little girl made me sad but I understand why she did so. I would recommend this book as it has made me understand why people act they way they do in certain situations, which I had never thought of, nor understood before.

Thank you NetGalley, She Writes Press and the author Carol, for letting me read and review this insightful book for free. I am grateful and I enjoy being part of this beautiful network. Many thanks all. Onto the next!

"Girl, Groomed" by Carol Odell, LICSW, is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that explores the complex and disturbing world of child grooming and exploitation. With sensitivity and expertise, Odell sheds light on the manipulative tactics used by predators, the devastating impact on victims, and the importance of awareness and prevention. This book is a powerful and important read, offering a nuanced and compassionate portrayal of survivors and the challenges they face. It's a must-read for those interested in social justice and human resilience.

Memoirs are always hard to rate because they are very personal. However, this was a 5 star because the writing was beautiful and how well it tackled this hard subject. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Addressing how unprocessed trauma impacts adult relationships demonstrates the vulnerability required for genuine healing work.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. What a beautifully tragic memoir about how vile people take advantage of girls by using their authority. I feel so grateful to the author for sharing her story and her road to healing. This book really shows how trauma and events of our past can shape our present and future and the steps we must take to work through it all. This was an easy read and I finished it in one sitting because of how easy it was to follow.

This was a very difficult read. The grooming that occurred was hard to read about, but I think Odell did a wonderful job explaining what happened. Not being a horse person, I was interested in that aspect but I did have some difficulty with the therapy talk. But that’s a me thing. If you’re interested in introspective memoirs, you’ll enjoy this.