I really enjoyed this emotive read, it was gripping and more emotive than I thought it would be it made me laugh and cry in euqla measure. Well written with an intrigyuing and gripping storyline and engaing and well developed characters. Such a good read.

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.

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.)