I cannot thank OneWorld Publications & NetGalley enough for sending me an ARC of this phenomenal book, in exchange for an honest review - I have this minute also pre-ordered a physical copy of it because I am OBSESSED with this story!

I am lost for how to adequately express how much I love this story but without giving spoilers - and you should avoid spoilers if you can, because the mysteries unravelling throughout are truly masterful and I genuinely don’t want to ruin the journey for you.

We follow Eli’s first person perspective as he explores his own mental health and memory loss - delving into TraumaLand, a disturbing underground club offering experiences to help the emotionally numb to feel again. I will caution right off the bat that this book contains a lot of potentially sensitive topics around mental health & injury in heavy detail (I’ve listed other Content Warnings below, but those are the two big ones throughout the story). Other than that, I don’t want to risk ruining anything for you - you HAVE to experience this for yourself, it’s an incredible ride!

Josh Silver has made some very clever narrative choices (first person & fourth-wall-breaking narrative by the endearingly dark and sarcastic misfit MC Eli) that made this book all the more gripping, and hooks the reader immediately! The pacing for the first c40% is good, but then it suddenly ramps up and I couldn’t put it down. And the character work is wonderful, just the right amount of development (or sometimes lack thereof) to make the story hit home.

This is a perfect storm of wicked humour, pain, longing, mild horror and conspiracy - think old school Palahniuk, but with a more compelling & heartfelt plot, and incredible cover art! A truly unique, engrossing & devastating story, and I am very excited to rant at all of my friends about how much I loved it for years to come.

Given how many difficult topics this story involves, I am writing a pretty extensive list of Content Warnings below - but I must caution you that at least one of these may constitute a MAJOR SPOILER. I only include it for those who find CWs helpful, so if that doesn’t apply to you, please STOP READING HERE!


—————-

Content Warnings including SPOILERS:


- alcohol use (briefly alluded to)
- bereavement including loss of a sibling (described in detail)
- car crash (crash, injuries & scars described in detail), and hit & run fatality involving a child
- chronic pain
- drowning
- manipulation & gaslighting by loved ones and by people in a position of authority
- mental health difficulties (described in detail throughout) - including being forcibly detained & physically restrained using unnecessary force in a psychiatric hospital unit - experiences depicted include PTSD, post-traumatic dissociative amnesia, disassociation, depression, emotional numbness, mania, psychosis involving auditory hallucinations & violent outburst
- suicide attempt and self-harm (acts not described in detail, but injuries/scars are)
- violence, torture, vomit, choking, blood & burns (all described in detail)

This was a brilliant read, I couldn't put it down! It felt like I was wearing a Traumaland headset whilst I was reading it, the writing was so vivid.
In a landscape of endless trauma shows, it dealt with the subject of trauma as 'entertainment' in a very original and engaging way, it was like an episode of Black Mirror for young adults.
It is such a clever examination of society, both the concept of the 'quick fix' and how it can be weaponised by those in power and of the isolation that so many feel, when we are are seemingly more 'connected' than ever.
There was a point that I started to question the speed at which things started to get resolved, as it felt at odds to the rest of the novel, however after reading further it made sense.
I felt exhausted (in the best way after reading it), and am still thinking about the many questions that it poses.

Traumaland, a standalone psychological thriller by HappyHead author Josh Silver, is a brilliant and gripping read. Silver's own experiences as a psychiatric nurse brings a nuanced yet confronting perspective on how we process trauma, as well as the voyeuristic nature of humanity. I couldn’t put this novel down—the final shocking twist was well-earned and made for a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Traumaland by Josh Silver
-
I've lost count of the number of opening sentences I've written and deleted for this review so far. I'm still processing and probably will be for a while. I also don't want to give too much away because Traumaland is plot-driven and full of potential spoilable moments. But it's also hugely character-driven and I could talk about Eli forever. As someone who has experienced trauma and therapy, I related to Eli maybe a little too hard. For a book with 'trauma' in the title, the narrative voice Silver has lovingly crafted for Eli is rich with dark sarcastic humour and hilarious asides that break the 4th wall, giving me major Fleabag vibes. I feel it's impossible to not fall in love with Eli immediately and that's really important for the story because you have to root for him. Frankly, if you don't, you're the psychopath.
-
I realise I've not really mentioned the plot yet because I'm terrified of ruining anything for potential readers (PSA everyone needs to read this) but I will give you a glimpse. Eli is 17 and he's experienced head trauma following an accident that ensued as a result of his manic behaviour. He is left numb, literally unable to feel emotions. He's desperate to feel something, anything again but is convinced that the easiest way to do this is to force negative emotions by doing bad things. In the pursuit of this, Eli discovers a dangerous underground club called Traumaland where revellers get high on other people's trauma. But it's ok because the trauma is all fictionalised and acted out by professionals... Or is it? That's all I'm willing to give you. What I will add is if the quote "meet me in Montauk" means anything to you, you're going to want to read this book.
-
There's no point being coy about this; Silver is a master at his craft. Happyhead and Dead Happy pushed some boundaries in terms of what YA speculative dystopia could be. His relentless focus on teenage mental health is honourable and extremely important in giving young readers the representation they crave and the reassurance that they are not alone. Traumaland goes a little bit further. What Silver does with this novel is show us how sick it is to revel in others' trauma, and then hold up a mirror to the reader to make us realise that's exactly what we're doing when we watch horror films, or read dystopian novels, or even watch the drama unfold on a British street in one of the popular soaps. We consume trauma for entertainment, but it's ok because it's not real. Silver asks what happens when it is real? Would we turn away?
-
This novel is obviously going to come with some triggers, but if anyone needs reassurance before picking it up, a lot of the potential triggers occur off page. In fact, Silver leaves you to fill in a lot of the gaps for yourself, so you almost choose the level of brutality for yourself. Silver's experience as a mental health nurse means that he knows the effect this stuff could have on readers, and so he's very good at finding the balance of what to show and what to imply. I will never not read one of his books. Thank you to Rock the Boat for sending us a proof. It's already looking a little dog-eared as our librarians are taking turns with it.

Loved this book, loved the story, the characters, the twists and turns. Everything about it was just insane in the best ways!