Reviews

Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar

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mckennacat's review against another edition

3.75

Very insightful, can tell she wrote it herself, loved the way she talked about her family in a way that felt pretty objective neither villainizing them or excusing their bad acts

archaicrobin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

First of all, this memoir is about Jill’s experience growing up as a child reality star and her gradual realization and escape from her manipulative and abusive parents and their cult of a religion.

Jill does not go into detail about the abuse she suffered from her brother Josh but does touch upon it and the trial. Jill writes about the Duggars from before the show to the messy end of it and beyond. This memoir is her sharing her growth as an individual and her power as a victim to claim her pain and move forward with firm boundaries in place.

I could relate to Jill finding the strength to cut off abusive and toxic family and having to face the trauma of her past instead of continuing to ignore and push it away.

While I greatly enjoyed this memoir it was a little slow at first and I almost wanted to put it down, but I am so glad I didn’t. If you were ever aware or interested in the Duggars, or are looking for a memoir about a woman of faith having to reanalyze and come to terms with the abuse caused by that faith, I would recommend!