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The Girl in the Green Dress
448 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2025
7 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 15, 2023
The human mind is a beautiful thing. What it did for Jeni to survive the abuse she did is amazing.
Jeni at the beginning of the book does warn readers that there is a lot of hard things to read and that she understands that the reader may need to take a break and process what they just read. She then goes on to remind the reader that she is now ok and she is now safe.
I had to take a lot of breaks during reading this book. The things that her father did to her is unimaginable as a parent, even as a human. How can someone do what he did to a child?
Be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. I cried, my heart broke, I got angry and then happiness and she got the justice she so rightly deserved. More than anything it was finally good to see people start to believe her and stop victim shaming her.
If you were gonna read a book this year. This would be the one. It has been written in such raw emotion and so great to see so many of Jeni’s alters appear and share their stories as well.
Jeni at the beginning of the book does warn readers that there is a lot of hard things to read and that she understands that the reader may need to take a break and process what they just read. She then goes on to remind the reader that she is now ok and she is now safe.
I had to take a lot of breaks during reading this book. The things that her father did to her is unimaginable as a parent, even as a human. How can someone do what he did to a child?
Be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. I cried, my heart broke, I got angry and then happiness and she got the justice she so rightly deserved. More than anything it was finally good to see people start to believe her and stop victim shaming her.
If you were gonna read a book this year. This would be the one. It has been written in such raw emotion and so great to see so many of Jeni’s alters appear and share their stories as well.
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June 24, 2025Intense, confronting and harrowing book. Interesting insight into DID and really amazing what Jeni’s mind did for her. But be prepared for some horrific stories. Photos at the end definitely got me and made it feel so much more real.
June 5, 2025
I knew going in that this would be a hard book to read. I have done some research on DID before this, so I already had an idea of what it is like, and I thought I had a decent idea of what sort of abuse was inflicted to cause DID. What Jeni/Symphony went through was so much worse than what I had imagined.
This is a book that I think everyone needs to read to understand DID, but everyone also needs to be extremely careful going into it. If you have experienced trauma and are triggered, then please be cautious because this book does not hold back on its descriptions. I am grateful that Jeni and George included notes to give readers a heads up that the thing they’re about to read is particularly brutal and told them which page they can skip ahead to. I read this from cover to cover, and I am not someone that has suffered much trauma in my life. I struggled to get through some parts, and Symphony’s Worst Year will forever be stuck in my mind.
The human mind is fascinating, and while DID should never, ever have to develop, it is a testament to the mind’s complexity and strength that it does exist. I am in awe of Jeni for being brave enough to share hers and her alters’ story with us so that we may understand DID better, and I am so grateful that they got the justice they deserved. I hope the people that let Jeni down read this book, and I hope it makes them take a good, hard look at themselves.
There isn’t much more that I can add that other reviews haven’t said. This book is horrible to read, but it deserves its 5 stars. I hope anyone reading this that is struggling with their own traumas find the peace and justice they deserve. You are not alone.
This is a book that I think everyone needs to read to understand DID, but everyone also needs to be extremely careful going into it. If you have experienced trauma and are triggered, then please be cautious because this book does not hold back on its descriptions. I am grateful that Jeni and George included notes to give readers a heads up that the thing they’re about to read is particularly brutal and told them which page they can skip ahead to. I read this from cover to cover, and I am not someone that has suffered much trauma in my life. I struggled to get through some parts, and Symphony’s Worst Year will forever be stuck in my mind.
The human mind is fascinating, and while DID should never, ever have to develop, it is a testament to the mind’s complexity and strength that it does exist. I am in awe of Jeni for being brave enough to share hers and her alters’ story with us so that we may understand DID better, and I am so grateful that they got the justice they deserved. I hope the people that let Jeni down read this book, and I hope it makes them take a good, hard look at themselves.
There isn’t much more that I can add that other reviews haven’t said. This book is horrible to read, but it deserves its 5 stars. I hope anyone reading this that is struggling with their own traumas find the peace and justice they deserve. You are not alone.
June 8, 2024
Extraordinary study of the human mind and what it can do to protect the body it lives in.
Collosal abuse was the norm for Judi for 14 years of her life, inflicted by her disturbed father. The sexual abuse was very hard to read, but it is the basis for the whole book.
Judi's mind created 2,611 alternate beings, each protecting her from different segments of abuse. Each alter had a name.
Her phenomenal therapist, Dr. George, walked her through it all for years with the utmost care. Judi is a miracle of survival, though she sustained permanent physical damage as a result of the abuse.
Judi went on to complete college and attain a Master's Degree. This book is documentation to it all, and will be instrumental to all who suffer from mental illness due to abuse, and their treatment. She is one of the most courageous women I've ever read about, and Dr. George is one man who helped her restore her life.
Collosal abuse was the norm for Judi for 14 years of her life, inflicted by her disturbed father. The sexual abuse was very hard to read, but it is the basis for the whole book.
Judi's mind created 2,611 alternate beings, each protecting her from different segments of abuse. Each alter had a name.
Her phenomenal therapist, Dr. George, walked her through it all for years with the utmost care. Judi is a miracle of survival, though she sustained permanent physical damage as a result of the abuse.
Judi went on to complete college and attain a Master's Degree. This book is documentation to it all, and will be instrumental to all who suffer from mental illness due to abuse, and their treatment. She is one of the most courageous women I've ever read about, and Dr. George is one man who helped her restore her life.
November 8, 2025
i’m currently studying for a degree in psychology, so naturally i picked up this book. it was hard to finish. it’s honestly hard to find the words to review this book. Jeni Haynes is extraordinary and i’m so glad she got justice for what happened to her. i’m honestly shocked the abuse went on for so long, and it still bothers me that the mom didn’t know?? this book was very educational and discussed DID from a scientific perspective. the people that never stood up for Jeni and the doctors and psychiatrists that failed her disgust me. overall, this book was difficult to get through, but Jeni’s story needed to be told.
April 16, 2025
Wow, just wow! This one was a tough read, and at times, I had to put it down for a bit. Then come back to it. I especially liked the feature of being warned of pending horrible bits and the option to skip ahead. Vicarious trauma is a very real thing. That feature minimises its impact.
I honestly have never been so mortified and inspired at the same time! Jeni is a truly remarkable woman. A survivor!
I honestly have never been so mortified and inspired at the same time! Jeni is a truly remarkable woman. A survivor!
January 12, 2025
A childhood of terror and unimaginable suffering at the hands of a parent; the inability to escape from this world left Jeni to save herself the only way possible. Jeni's story is one of pain and triumph and proof the human brain will do whatever it has to to survive.
December 29, 2024
The Girl in the Green Dress is by a victim, Jeni Haynes, and the psychiatrist George Blair-West who treated her. It is very difficult to read, but I found it really worthwhile. Jeni had a horrible childhood thanks to her sadistic father. Jeni survived but developed multiple personalities. The book is a conversation in which Jeni recalls an event and then the psychiatrist, George, discusses how the mind deals with it. I found it fascinating. I learned a huge amount about memories, about different types of people, and about how the the mind works. Jeni writes about her efforts to obtain justice through the legal systems of both Great Britain and Australia. I think that the fact she obtained her PhD while this was happening is evidence that she is a remarkably strong person. Jeni never curls up in self pity. She does not run away and seek refuge in illicit drugs or alcohol. She believes in herself. There is a deep lesson in this book for every one of us. No matter how bad you believe your life is, Jeni Haynes survived worse. Read this book and learn about courage.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews