Written by Chanel Miller, Know My Name is a captivating book that encompasses the author’s experience not only as a sexual assault victim but also as an Asian American. Miller was assaulted by Brock Turner, a former Stanford University athlete, and sentenced to serve only six months in jail after violating her boundaries. The memoir expresses the dark struggles many sexual assault victims face today and the corrupt justice system implemented to combat those who commit life-devastating acts.

In my opinion, Know My Name is one of the most eye-opening books I have read this year. Miller not only speaks about her experience and initial reactions to the event but also motivates other victims to continue fighting legally, even if the odds appear slim. The book was written to keep it engaging, using several different real-life events and personal stories regarding criminal activity. The employment of varying events and how she could draw a recurrent theme within them made me open up and realize how related stories can be when pieced apart.

Diversity is significant as it offers the inclusion of others who have not been recognized within the media. With that in mind, my favorite factor in this book would have to be intersectionality. This memoir opens up the spectrum to diversity as Chanel Miller is a part of two different minority groups. In the book, she successfully incorporates the hardships she went through in court as a woman and as an Asian American. She exposes the racist remarks she had to undergo, one of the crazy examples being that she was invalidated as a victim just because she was Asian. The inclusion allowed me to grow more and more love for this book as, in a way, I was able to connect to the author on a broader scale, and I believe many others can do the same.

Overall, this was a great read! When I first started reading this book, I started pretty slow due to all the schoolwork I had, but as soon as I could find some free time, I could finish the book pretty fast. This is a must-read! I would rate this book 5/5 stars.

Review by: Maureene Cruz

Maureene is a teen volunteer at the Panorama City Branch Library. She is an 11th grader at Van Nuys Senior High Medical Magnet.

—Philip Levie, Panorama City Branch Library