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thursdd4y's review
5.0
Wendy is an absolute legend. Not only is this one of the best memoirs I’ve read, it’s astonishing how it came to fruition when her memory is deteriorating as time passes. I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned about dementia from this piece of work, and I think everyone should read it. Her outlook on life is refreshing and the way she conducts herself with others who lack understanding is admirable. We can all learn something from Wendy.
epellicci's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Before Wendy Mitchell, I wasn't aware of books or media by people living with dementia, telling their stories in their own words. She is an incredible advocate and this book, delivered so simply with truth and resilience, is unbelievably touching. She doesn't sugar coat a single moment, allowing readers into the depths of her mind and the details of often enormous effort it takes her to maintain her Independence. This makes reading Somebody I Used to Know feel so intimate and surprisingly confident, given how often Mitchell admits to feeling the opposite. It is a mostly joyful, sometimes heartbreaking, and entirely empowering book. I know I will return to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
cseibs's review
3.0
I like the idea of a memoir by a person with dementia. Mitchell's incessant optimism seems unique and perhaps unlike the average person with dementia. I don't know that enough emphasis was put on how extraordinary she was to be able to live independently.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in her late 50s. This is her memoir about what it is like to live with Alzheimer's. The initial part talks about her early symptoms and the shock of her diagnosis, but the majority of the book is about the things that she has found difficult and the ways that she has found to manage her life. It's very well written and thought provoking.
nonna's review
5.0
Wonderful book about trading limitations for opportunities to adapt. The authors unrelenting determination to continue and grow in the face of dementia is nothing short of heroic.