sharonfalduto's review

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Various essays by only children who are also writers, including John Hodgman, Lynn Harris, and Teller. Some relished their only status, others longed for a sibling. They also wrote of their own family plans, and how they felt about having more than one child themselves.

starrspirit's review

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As an only, I related to almost every story in this book in some way. Great read.

fairislemeadow's review

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2.0

Couldn't finish this one. The writing was too pretentious and a lot of the stories felt unfinished. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for relatable only-child non-fiction.

hyzenthlay76's review

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4.0

I could relate to so much within these pages: the neccesity of solitude, the intensity of parent-child relationships, the gravity of being the pointed end of the family branch...an emotionally honest and thoughtfully arranged collection of essays.

mw_bookgraph's review

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5.0

A bunch of essays written by only children. It was excellent. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps it doesn't matter if I only have one kid or more than one kid. A lot is going to depend on my kid and who she is and how we raise her.

Man, I hope I raise her right...

coldinaugust's review

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4.0

I nodded a lot in recognition of seeing some of my experiences as an only child reflected, and I was amazed at the diversity in family structure in the essayists. Some folks hated being an only child, and some folks loved it. The authors wrote essays about growing up as an only, how it affected their relationships and family planning choices, and how only children are affected by the end of their parents' lives.

noemi's review

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2.0

There were some interesting essays in here, including one by John Hodgman and another by Teller (of Penn and Teller), but I wish that there had been more variety in the contributors, in terms of age, cultural background and socio-economic status.
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