Know My Name Review - Becca In A Book

Summary

Emily Doe went to a party with her sister on Stanford’s campus. She woke up the next morning to find that she was in a hospital with pine needles in her hair and no memory of how she got there. The police tell her that she was sexually assaulted and found naked behind a dumpster. Her life was changed forever.

My Thoughts

I finished this book days ago and I am still shocked. This book is terrifying, haunting, beautifully written, devastating, and soul wrenching. This author is the most powerful and amazing woman and I am just in shock of how courageous she is. She never EVER gave up, even when everything was stacked against her. This book is not only a book about an assault case, it is about how our culture and legal system has failed so many and helped so many that it shouldn’t.

I remember reading about Emily Doe and Brock Turner in the news and on Facebook so many years ago. I was in shock when I read about the case of course, but I was even more in shock with the response. This poor girl was left naked out in the cold and all everyone could talk about was how Brock Turner was a nice boy and was a good swimmer.

WHO THE F**K CARES? I was disgusted that people would actually disregard the victim and side with this boy. I was mad then, but this book made me even more upset. This jerk was caught and totally did it, but he has the GAUL to say that it was the alcohol. Like the song says, “Don’t blame it on the alcohol.” In the book, it was much more detailed on how the media and the trial emphasized that Brock was a boy that made a mistake and that we shouldn’t ruin his future. As far as I’m concerned, HE DID IT TO HIMSELF! He made the choice to do that to someone, he should be punished and accept responsibility. WHITE PRIVILEGE is SOOOO apparent in this statement and they just allowed this to happen. Also, he turned out to be a liar and a garbage human even before the assault.

This book bought up so many details about the legal system and how it handles rape that I had no idea about. Chanel takes us step by step through the the day of her rape until after the trial and sentencing. I honestly didn’t know that a trial and sentencing were two different things. She took us through the horror of a rape kit and how stupidly expensive it is. UMMMM the fact you have to pay for one is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.

She also takes her readers on her journey of living with the aftermath of the assault and it was truly devastating. I wanted to reach through the book and give her a hug. She is just so honest about her feelings and her struggles that it felt like she was reading her diary to me. She is so amazingly brave and such a strong human.

She also talks about how she got a lot of support from counselors and support groups. She shared some of their stories and they were terrifying. She doesn’t go into much detail, but the truly terrifying thing was that most of those cases didn’t even make it to court. They didn’t have enough evidence or the legal system didn’t think it would get a guilty verdict. I felt like that was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard. I am so ashamed to be a part of a legal system that even thinks that. How can people have hope when they are faced with an attitude like that?

This book also discusses victim shaming. This always makes me mad, but in this book, it made me PISSED!! Throughout the trial and the media buzz and the aftermath, Brock Turner seemed like a golden boy and Chanel was interrogated and ridiculed for enjoying a life most of us do! She didn’t do anything to cause this, Brock had all the power and he is the ONLY one responsible. I wanted to go through the phone and kick that defense attorney and judge in the teeth.

I listened to the audio of this book and it was voiced by the author. I just really loved that. It made the book so much more meaningful and I felt like she was my friend telling me her story. Chanel Miller, you are my friend and I love you. Thank you for facing the sacrifices and the struggles so that more women can come forward and have the courage to speak their truth. This book is such a powerful message not only of Chanel’s truth, but of how our legal system and the way we handle victims needs to be changed immediately. No person should be assaulted by their own legal system just because they wish to speak their truth.