In Trauma Plot, Hood draws on disparate literary forms to tell the story...of three decades marred by sexual violence and the wreckage left behind. With her trademark critical remove, Hood interrogates the archetype of the rape survivor, who must perform penitence long after living through the unthinkable, invoking some of art's most infamous women to have played the role.
Trauma Plot is a fierce argument for the confessional and a kaleidoscopic self-interrogation after sexual violence ... When Hood writes with deep self-awareness, treating her life as a necessary subject for investigation, she venerates every survivor’s story. Trauma Plot is not only sharp but so readable, I devoured it whole ... A blueprint for gathering yourself together in the wake of sexual violence, including those parts pushed into the shadow.
Hood writes rising peril particularly well ... Hood’s writing is exceptional for its own sake; she’s a remarkable critic, illuminating what you know is there, turning your head towards it.
Hood’s writing is strong, elegant, and precise, which makes this haunting account profoundly powerful and compelling ... Hood is simultaneously a lyrical poet who uses language in unexpected ways and an unflinchingly honest, keen observer of base ugliness.
