Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

26 reviews

pacifickat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I'm not sure I could have read a memoir about someone with more different life experiences to my own, but here's to a year of reading broadly! 

The audiobook absolutely made this book work for me as a reader. There were so many jokes and moments that relied on anticipating the correct voice intonation in order to completely land, and it was fun hearing JVN's humor come through in the audio narration. Plus, I would have hopelessly butchered all the Russian pseudonyms in my head.

Lots of trigger warnings could be applied to this book (childhood trauma, sexual content, drug use, self harm, bullying, etc.), but I have rarely heard more accurate or compelling descriptions of addictive behaviors and the self-destructive-yet-all-consuming mental state behind them than here. This felt like an extremely honest and open account of the author's most formative life experiences, and I can't help but admire that. 

I also really appreciated learning a bit about AIDS/HIV stigma, treatments, and current positive prognoses when caught early and managed carefully. This kind of information is truly a public service to get out there in the open.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Bullying, Chronic illness, Self harm, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Dementia, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Death, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia

minaegg's review

dark emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

4.75

Very vulnerable and heavy read with difficult subject matter. The book is still beautiful and uplifting, with some lovely humor. Jonathan shows that despite experiencing trauma and adversity, we all have the capacity to heal and thrive. Ultimately his story is about learning to love yourself and to forgive yourself, to care for yourself, to know that you matter, always. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Medical content, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, Eating disorder, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Child abuse, and Terminal illness

rcsreads's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Bullying, and Drug use

book_dragon_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Wow. I want to hug jvn.
I can't believe want this beautiful person had to go trough...

Please look at the tws!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Self harm, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Cancer

emmehooks's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

A beautiful and honest memoir about JVN, largely before fame. Their journey through abuse, substance use, homophobia, and the continuing impacts of trauma was well written and narrated, didn’t shy away from the hard times, and was supplemented by things they learned from professionals. 

Jonathan’s personality and sense of humor is easy to love but I greatly appreciated the way they those to use their platform to also advocate for trauma care, recovery, destigmatizing HIV/AIDS, and learning to accept, love, and prioritize yourself even when it’s hard. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Homophobia, Addiction, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Rape, Mental illness, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Bullying, and Terminal illness

Minor: Medical content and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

_inge's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.0

This feels very authentic. It’s clearly written by Jonathan, so that does mean it’s not structured as nicely or does anything special, but you can tell so much thought and effort has been put into it. Jonathan explains issues within the LGBTQ+ community because JVN feels they’re important to share, not because the publishers wanted to put them in. I’d especially recommend the audiobook, I really can’t imagine this coming across as well on paper. 

This audiobook was genuinely a hopeful one. We all mess up in life, we might not immediately achieve our goals, but if you stay true to who you are despite what others might say or do, you’ll get there in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Grief, Death, and Addiction

Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, and Vomit

andreabrown's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Death of parent, and Cancer

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Child abuse

ladieswholunch's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Drug use

kayschwe's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

hellokitty's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cancer, Addiction, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Vomit and Blood