Post-Traumatic is a novel that tells the story of Vivan, a lawyer who advocates for mentally ill patients, who is dealing with the memories of her traumatic childhood. Vivan confides in her best friend, Jane, who she met in law school, where they both bond over their traumas.
Vivan faces various challenges such as intrusive thoughts and the memories of her childhood sexual abuse. Vivan has been coping with these issues for years. But after attending a family reunion, Vivan takes a big step where she finds herself all alone as her life begins to unravel.
Chantal V. Johnson is a writer and lawyer, who specializes in tenant law. She graduated from Stanford Law School and has over seven years of experience as a tenant lawyer. Her first novel, Post-Traumatic was published by Little Brown in April of 2022. She currently lives in New York.
The book is well written and engaging, however it does contain a lot of material. Johnson did a good job portraying how Vivian’s problems and self-hatred came from her trauma. However, the book’s ending felt rushed, and it would have been better if Johnson had shown more of Vivian’s growth and how her thoughts evolved throughout the story.
“Post-Traumatic” can be purchased on Amazon, Audible, or Kindle Store. It’s also available at Barnes and Noble and other nearby bookstores. On Amazon, the hardcover book is priced at $16.69 while the paperback is available for $12.04. It’s important to note that this book does cover a variety of sensitive topics including rape, eating disorders, child abuse, mental health issues and more.
Here’s my final rating:
Writing Style: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Logic: 9/10
Overall, I would rate this book a 9/10. I enjoyed reading this book and at times, I didn’t want to be done with it. I believe that this book should be more widely recognized and that everyone should read it. It is truly indescribable how good the book is.
*Editor’s note: Fakheri Zayed is a student writer. All views expressed in the commentary are her own and are independent of the district, Rouse High School and the publication.