Phantom Limb

Phantom Limb

2016 • 258 pages

Ratings10

Average rating3.5

15

This is a really dark book and I highly suggest that you check content warnings before continuing to read this book.

The writing itself was really good , the main character though not really “loveable” seemed to be highly relatable to those with mental illness and who have had extreme trauma until the end. The twists aren't really ground breaking and the end was kinda meh.

I know the author has a background in clinical psychology but this book is not an accurate look at mental health, the characters are all caricatures of mental illness. And the hospital setting was wild, all the therapists in this book needed to be fired. This needs to be made more clear somewhere, people shouldn't go into this thinking it is realistic but due to her credentials being included anyone could get the wrong idea.

And the one thing I can't really get over is the depiction of people with BPD, again I know the author has a background in clinical psychology but she should have known better. They are shown as being cruel, dramatic liars, and I don't care if some of them are this is incredibly stigmatizing to people with BPD as a whole. I don't have BPD however I have close friends and family that do and this very much so missed the mark. And even though I enjoyed the other parts of this book I don't know if I'll be able to read her other work as I greatly worry about she might depict other mental illnesses.

I want to make it clear that my opinions come from being someone with mental illness, who comes from a background of severe childhood trauma, and adoption, who has not only been in hospital but who have close family that has, and on top of this has a grandmother with a PhD in psychology.

July 5, 2023Report this review