First professional book review!

‘I made you, you have to let me. I can do what I want.’

Jenna Young’s Just Listen – A Memoir is a persuasive account of one survivor of sexual abuse, depression and self injury including eating disorders.

Just Listen available as a Kindle download and paperback work from Lulu is a work comprising 14 chapters. I will detail Chapter 1 more heavily because it sets the tone, pace and understanding for the chapters following.

At age 21 Jenna Young found herself in a psychiatric hospital following ten depression years during which time Jenna had been bulimic was becoming anorexic and had resorted to self mutilation to help alleviate the pain she had carried for years after learning at an early age to hide her feelings.

The book opens just after Christmas as Jenna is recovering from a car crash which left her wearing a cast and walking on crutches, she had a job she enjoyed, friends and a life which seemed to be on track.

During a shopping trip another car crash taking place in front of her triggered
emotions she was unable to stifle and ultimately led Jenna to a hospital ER where the nurse quickly noted the scars on her wrist, began to question and a volunteer stay at South Pines Psychiatric Hospital, psychological evaluation and the question, ‘Have you ever been sexually abused.’

Able to at last face the awfulness of the ordeal, to begin talking about the experience, and receive the help and needed reassurance that all victims must have; Jenna began the long road to recovery. Eight days after she signed herself into the Hospital Jenna was released to first face the Confrontation she had to have with her abuser. She sent him an email. His response did not address the abuse, rather he told Jenna he had had a bad childhood. Jenna’s predictable reaction to having no release to her own pain was more cutting,and a second go round at South Pines Psychiatric Hospital.

Jenna’s recovery was a long hard walk filled with stress, learning to deal with
the relentless of the past, able to face the stress, and talking two steps forward
and one back as is experienced by most who have undergone repeated, ongoing anguish.

For a time during the six months Jenna experienced beginning with the first
hospitalization episode, facing the abuse, dealing with stress, flashbacks and
nighmares, more cutting episodes, suicide attempts and desperation plus more
times spent in the hospital were the norm in Jenna’s life, at last Jenna hit what
she realized was ROCK BOTTOM and the long road to recovery could actually begin.

Interspersed within the sequence of events are narratives from Jenna’s journals
written during that period in her life as well as, poems, and letters and emails
from her grandmother. Friendships made and lost, relatives who at first believe
and then deny that the abuse took place are all a too familiar part of most survivor stories.

The last four chapter titles Starting Over Once Again. Falling Fast to the Ground, Picking Up the Pieces and at last A Whole New World sum up and round out the work.

‘I was abused, but that abuse will no longer define me, it is not who I am.’

Jenna Young has written a compelling narrative filled with the denial of abuse,
despair that accompanies such denial and the long road to recovery. Jenna’s story is one that counselor’s, teachers and others can recognize and understand. Familial denial makes recovery even harder, however it is no way negates the impact of the tale.

Today Jenna Young has continued her recovery to the point that she is now at a healthy weight, no longer finds solace in self mutilation, accepts that abuse, the friendships or relationships lost cannot dictate her future and has in fact found happiness in marriage and can plan a future filled with happiness, hope and children with a spouse who is understanding, patient and loving.

Happy to recommend Jenna Young’s Just Listen – A Memoir especially for those who may themselves have been abused as children, for counselors, high school library and home book shelves.

A few typos noted.

Chapter titles include:
Chapter One: The Breakdown
Chapter Two: The Confrontation
Chapter Three: South Pines, Part Two
Chapter Four: The Silent Treatment
Chapter Five: South Pines, Part Three
Chapter Six: Deeper into Darkness
Chapter Seven: South Pines, Part Four
Chapter Eight: Falling Apart
Chapter Nine: A New Beginning
Chapter Ten: Wherever You Go, There You are
Chapter Eleven: Starting Over Once Again
Chapter Twelve: Falling Fast to the Ground
Chapter Thirteen: Picking Up the Pieces
Chapter Fourteen: A Whole New World

During her road to recovery Jenna Young learned:
50% of woman who were sexually abused later develop some form of an eating
disorder; as an anorexic 5’6” 107 pound woman Jenna felt herself fat.
===========================
Reviewed by Molly’s Reviews
molly martin
===========================
Product Details and Shipping Information from Amazon
TITLE Just Listen - A Memoir
AUTHOR Jenna Young http://jennayoung-justlisten.webstarts.com/
GENRE Memoir
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 255 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003NX7LU8

Progresses

Just a month ago, I published my memoir. It took me years to finally finish it, and I was very apprehensive about putting my story out there for the world to see. Given the way my family reacted to me when I broke my silence, I was afraid everyone else would do the same.

But, instead, the complete opposite has happened.

I have had dozens of people write me, telling me their stories. Telling me that I am an inspiration to survivors everywhere. Telling me how strong I am. THAT is exactly why I wrote my memoir, created the websites, started this blog. I want others to know they are not alone, that they are worthy, beautiful, whole.... despite what they may have been told in the past.

I never have seen myself as someone who is strong. In all honesty, I had always viewed myself as very weak. For allowing the abuse to continue for as long as it did, for keeping silent for so long, for turning against my body, slowly destroying myself with each cut, by engaging in destructive and dangerous eating disorders.

But, I have learned, I am strong. I survived it. I moved past it. I found a way to get the pain out and turn in into a strength that I can share with the world.

It pains me more than words to say to know just how many people have gone through what I have been through. I wish I could reach out to all of you and take away your pain, but I can't. But what I can do is hold your hand and let you know that you are not alone, and that things will get better. You have to believe that, IT WILL GET BETTER!!!

Seven years ago, in 2003, I was 21 and thought I couldn't go on any longer. I wanted to die and damn near managed to accomplish that. Dear God, if only had I known then, if only I had listened to everyone that told me that I would pull through, that things would be better, I would have never done the things I did. My life is so different now, it's like the me I am now and the me I was then are two separate people. Yet I still carry her memories, I still have her scars. I still have her fears and insecurities, but I have so much more than that as well. I have a wonderful husband, a man who loves me for all that I am, unconditionally. I have lost many friends, but the ones I do still have are friends in the greatest sense of the word. I have met many people because of this book, who I will always hold near and dear to my heart.

It's been an emotional journey, and I'm only a month in. I alter from feelings of great pride and accomplishment to utter terror and fear of rejection. Not everyone who I know in real life even know I have written a book yet, know a past.nything about my past. Some do, and haven't given any response to it at all, which makes me think they don't agree with me putting my story out there.

But I am so glad I did it.