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A review by bisexualbookshelf
Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
DNF at 11%
Immediate turn-off: Multiple uses of the R and F slurs and several antisemitic comments. I understand this is historically accurate to the era, and I can even maybe be okay with the F slurs as some form of reclamation since Maggie is queer, but the R slurs and antisemitism were unnecessary and not used in a critical way.
I understood, based on the book description, that childhood sexual assault would play a role in this. However, since the description implies the accusations of assault were false, I wasn’t expecting to read descriptions of sexual abuse of children. The trial against Lacey’s parents features as a main plot point in the first section of the book, and it’s peppered with descriptions of the sexual abuse the kids claim to have suffered. Quite triggering.
Dissociative amnesia/recovered memories and false memories also play a part in this story. I did not feel that Maggie handled them well, accurately, or with care. She should know that, because of the Satanic Panic and other mass hysteria cases in the late 20th century, "recovered memories" had to undergo a whole rebrand in the psychological community to be taken seriously. Yes, therapists can plant false recovered memories in patients. No, most therapists are not doing this. Yes, we can "recover" a memory of something we never experienced. No, most people suffering from dissociative amnesia are not recovering false memories. With the epidemic of sexual violence that continues to plague our world and the high rates of dissociative amnesia among this population, I was disappointed with the way Maggie handled these experiences. Survivors and neurodivergent/traumatized people deserve better.
Reviews from other readers suggest the content of this book remains dark, bordering on trauma-porn. In addition, other readers have critiqued the book blurb, stating that this book is bettered categorized as literary fiction or coming-of-age and does not have the propulsive, thriller elements it was pitched to have.
All in all, there are other books I want to read that I think would be a better time than this.
Immediate turn-off: Multiple uses of the R and F slurs and several antisemitic comments. I understand this is historically accurate to the era, and I can even maybe be okay with the F slurs as some form of reclamation since Maggie is queer, but the R slurs and antisemitism were unnecessary and not used in a critical way.
I understood, based on the book description, that childhood sexual assault would play a role in this. However, since the description implies the accusations of assault were false, I wasn’t expecting to read descriptions of sexual abuse of children. The trial against Lacey’s parents features as a main plot point in the first section of the book, and it’s peppered with descriptions of the sexual abuse the kids claim to have suffered. Quite triggering.
Dissociative amnesia/recovered memories and false memories also play a part in this story. I did not feel that Maggie handled them well, accurately, or with care. She should know that, because of the Satanic Panic and other mass hysteria cases in the late 20th century, "recovered memories" had to undergo a whole rebrand in the psychological community to be taken seriously. Yes, therapists can plant false recovered memories in patients. No, most therapists are not doing this. Yes, we can "recover" a memory of something we never experienced. No, most people suffering from dissociative amnesia are not recovering false memories. With the epidemic of sexual violence that continues to plague our world and the high rates of dissociative amnesia among this population, I was disappointed with the way Maggie handled these experiences. Survivors and neurodivergent/traumatized people deserve better.
Reviews from other readers suggest the content of this book remains dark, bordering on trauma-porn. In addition, other readers have critiqued the book blurb, stating that this book is bettered categorized as literary fiction or coming-of-age and does not have the propulsive, thriller elements it was pitched to have.
All in all, there are other books I want to read that I think would be a better time than this.