There were a few lines that made me feel so seen that I had to put the book down, which sounds corny but I’ve never read a book that has described PTSD the way this did and the way I experience it. The self destruction hurt me and I felt like I was spiralling with Vivian. I didn’t like the portrayal of the psychiatric ward/nurses/patients, however. I thought the juxtaposition of her breakdown and her career was interesting but it felt like a sensationalization of mental illness and psychosis whenever it talked about any of the patients (which highly contrasted Vivian’s mental illness portrayal so that was odd). ( )

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson is a 2022 Little, Brown and Company publication.

The synopsis for this book is quite compelling, but I couldn’t have guessed the type of novel I was about to experience.

The story is hyper-focused on Vivian, a young woman who is a ball of live wires. Her backstory is – as you may have guessed- traumatic. As an adult, Vivian is trying to cope with issues stemming from her family, both past and present, as she navigates her friendships, romantic encounters, and her career.

Vivian is funny- despite the pressures bearing down on her, but I had to wonder if her sense of humor was more of a coping mechanism. Vivien is a sympathetic character, but could also be challenging and not especially likeable at time- and full on contradictions. I tried to understand and connect to Vivien, but the writing style made me feel like I was watching things unfold from the cheap seats instead of up close and personal.

As the story deepens, Vivien’s issues edge closer to the surface, and she spirals further into her anxieties and insecurities- fracturing the fragile grip she has on her life.

At the end of the day, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about this novel. On one hand, I think I get what the author was going for, but on the other hand, I'm not sure the execution fully succeeds, or if a broader, mainstream audience will grasp it or embrace the writing style... Or it could just be me.

*The novel deals with self-esteem, mental health issues, and body image concerns. ( )