Review of Overspill by Charlotte Paradise

This is a novel about trauma. But unlike many books of this kind, it centres around the survivor and how she navigates life beyond trauma. Whilst there absolutely are moments that make for uncomfortable reading here, this is not trauma-porn and it doesn’t torture the reader with detailed descriptions. Rather, we are told only what is neccessary as Sara works out why she is the way that she is and that is what I think is most powerful about this debut. 

Sara is 25 and has never used a tampon without having a panic attack and when she starts dating Miles, its not long before her struggles around sex come to the fore. Miles is all green flags in the beginning but the lack of touch begins to forge an emotional distance between them too. Whilst Miles contemplates his communication style and how he handles relationships, Sara must confront a much deeper underlying problem that her mind may have buried but her body can’t forget. 

Overspill is a novel where the more I think about it, the better it gets. Points that might be criticisms elsewhere, such as slow pacing or odd dialogue, seem purposeful here. The slow pace reflecting Sara’s own and the dialogue indicative of flawed, imperfect characters that come across so human and raw. It is a tender and fresh perspective on how the body keeps the score of trauma and Charlotte Paradise manages to reflect the cruel balancing act of desire and disgust, pain and pleasure that many survivors of sexual abuse struggle with. This felt like an important debut and one I’m sure will resonate with many readers. 

Reviewed by Abi

Published on 24/04/25 by HarperCollins

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