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miem1004's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
ambergamgee's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve taken some time before sharing my opinion here. I know a lot of people loved this book, and I suppose I did too. However, many of the dysfunctional scenes that had many readers shocked and horrified just resonated with me and my own experiences. While I do read books like this to help process my own childhood, it feels so icky to me to hear people rave about this book and others like it. It makes me feel like they're voyeurs bestowing pity on us and we’re a freak sideshow (even though it’s obviously not my story).
The book is well written and I will likely read her next book. However, I have a major bone to pick: I believe she should have given it more time between the falling out with her family and if not the writing of the book (I imagine that was therapeutic in a way) but at least the publishing.
The whole book describes horrible scenes with her father. He is/was an ill man. There is not a single scene, in my recollection, of tenderness or love between her and her father. It really paints a painful and specific picture.
Then at the end he says something about loving her, and she says something like “I know you do, that was never the question/issue.” I had to stop, because that moment was SO out of place. In not a single scene does she show his love. To me that was precisely the issue the whole time: does he even love his children? I suppose there may be those memories, but since she wrote and published this book within a year or two of the falling out, she didn’t share any of them.
I suspect that if she had given it more time for the wounds to heal that we may have a more well rounded view of things. Maybe that moment with her father would have made more sense.
Anyways. Yeah. Lots of people live like this. It sucks.
The book is well written and I will likely read her next book. However, I have a major bone to pick: I believe she should have given it more time between the falling out with her family and if not the writing of the book (I imagine that was therapeutic in a way) but at least the publishing.
The whole book describes horrible scenes with her father. He is/was an ill man. There is not a single scene, in my recollection, of tenderness or love between her and her father. It really paints a painful and specific picture.
Then at the end he says something about loving her, and she says something like “I know you do, that was never the question/issue.” I had to stop, because that moment was SO out of place. In not a single scene does she show his love. To me that was precisely the issue the whole time: does he even love his children? I suppose there may be those memories, but since she wrote and published this book within a year or two of the falling out, she didn’t share any of them.
I suspect that if she had given it more time for the wounds to heal that we may have a more well rounded view of things. Maybe that moment with her father would have made more sense.
Anyways. Yeah. Lots of people live like this. It sucks.
annaruggiero's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
lauracooleyjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book... no, this author and her story, are amazing. Gut-wrenching and raw, she gives the “coming of age story” whole new meaning. This isn’t a story, it is her reality. Hats off to her. I highly recommend reading this!
thebookishgranny's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0