atokuyama's review

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emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0


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rockyroadbutch's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.75


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creativerunnings's review against another edition

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hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0


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bookishpip's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

4.0

I was really excited to read this book - I’d never heard of any memoirs that detail life with IBD, a condition that I have and have struggled with deeply in the past few months. Being mid-flare up and being off work for a few months with IBD, I couldn’t think of a more perfect time to read this.

I expected that the book would resonate, but I didn’t anticipate how much. There were so many nuances and intimacies of my own life that paralleled in ways that I didn’t expect - for example, basing my identity around her career, being profoundly impacted by the loss of her father, and the daily mental hurdles that accompany the physical ones. As a result, this book has had a profound impact on me. 

The reason I’ve given this 4* rather than 5, is because I feel that, at the start especially, the book oscillated dramatically between being a memoir, a self-help guide, and an essay critiquing the American healthcare system, which made it harder to follow. Also, large sections of this book are very specific to experiences within the US. This in itself isn’t a bad thing - the author does a great job of reminding the reader that her experiences are rooted within just that, HER experiences as a white, thin, cisgender woman living in America. But it did mean that, as someone not living in the US, large sections devoted to teaching the reader about how to apply for insurance didn’t apply. (But I’ve never been more thankful to have the NHS!)

Overall, I’d love for everyone to read this. This book was validating in so many ways to me as a chronically unwell person, and I think healthy folks could learn a lot about our experiences in these pages.

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elsea_readingelsea's review

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emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0


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the_vegan_bookworm's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This was a compelling, honest look at life with chronic illness. I felt seen and heard as a person with a disability while I read Miller's recounts of her life. This book gave me a lot to reflect on in my own experiences and beliefs about (dis)ability and a meaningful life with a chronic condition, while also validating me for the fears and emotions I experience. 

If you are chronically ill or disabled, I especially recommend this book to you.

This being said, please note the trigger warnings as this book may be difficult to read for some people. Miller discusses the abuse she experienced from her alcoholic father and drug-addicted ex-boyfriend, the nitty gritty of Crohn's (including detailed references to excrement, blood and vomit), medical trauma and ableism of many kinds, and sexual assault. 

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gracegeeks's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0


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imstephtacular's review

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dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0


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emfass's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Part memoir, part journalism, 1000% vulnerable and a must-read, especially if you love someone with chronic illness. I cannot speak from an #OwnVoices perspective, but I hope it would also help a reader with chronic illness feel seen. I listened to this on audiobook, and it was made even more powerful by listening to Miller tell her story in her own voice.

Content warning: the author is descriptive throughout concerning the effects of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), C. diff, and Crohn's disease) and does not hold back about what it does to her body. She also shares openly about many different traumas she has faced throughout her life. (I love The StoryGraph website for more detailed content warnings, if you need them!)

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readalongwithnat's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I received a free ARC from Henry Holt Books in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. My chronic illness differs from Tessa's, but I still found this book to be incredibly relatable. I also liked how it was part memoir and part educational. I want everyone in my life to read this so they can better understand living with a chronic illness.

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