Book Review: 400 Days of Oppression

 "400 Days of Oppression" by Wrath James White 

For once I'm going to pull from the book of Rachel and I'm not going to tell you what this book is about. I'm gonna tell you how it ripped my heart to shreds instead and also suggest you go in blind and open to the storyline. 

*As always, please check triggers!* 

This story was so much more than I expected it to be. I was aware of some of the plot and what was involved, but this story is so much more than what's at the surface. You gotta dig deep and not care to get dirty. This story changed my outlook on so many things; slavery, the BDSM world, and even psychological trauma. 

In our buddy read Natasha was a character we discussed a lot and I'm still not sure how I feel about her. Her character created a wave of emotions inside of me ranging from disgust all the way to respect. Kenyatta's character was a brutal and cruel man. As Natasha stated, "he was never a slave", so his desire to torture and create chaos inside these women who loved him so much is beyond understanding to me. 

You don't have to have an understanding of the BDSM dynamics and community to read this story, though it does help. All you need to really know and understand is that everything this woman endures will never truly compare to what actual slaves endured, there's no true comparison. For me, this was the most important party of the story. The second being that love can make you act foolishly, without any self respect, at basically any time. If you find yourself ever feeling some of the emotions Natasha expresses inside these pages, take that as your sign to run. The BDSM world doesn't work this way, this isn't the dynamic they want amongst their ranks. 

I think the tattoo scene of this book is what sticks with me the most. The rage and pain Natasha feels is palpable at the end but still, it isn't any true comparison to what black women and men experience every single day. This book isn't just about kinks and sex, it's about so so much more. You just have to be open and brave enough to pick it up.