katrinarose's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Part memoir, part self-help, part political/sociological analysis, this was a wonderfully realistic yet hopeful book. As someone who has her same diagnosis (but has not gone through the level of severity she has) I empathized with her harrowing medical trauma. Her writing style kept me hooked. I imagine the self-help aspects to be invaluable for those with severe chronic illness and are written with such tenderness. She also rounds the book out with many statistics and research articles both to infuriate the reader about the state of healthcare in America but also act as a call to action. Since I am able to forget about my diagnosis 90% of the time, I don’t feel I am the exact target audience, however I loved it and would recommend to anyone chronically ill, anyone who has a chronically ill loved one, or anyone interested in the topic of healthcare in America.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

laurenkimoto's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

4.0

Why isn’t heart wrenching an option for the mood of the book??

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

the_vegan_bookworm's review

Go to review page

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. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

gracegeeks's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sierrascha's review

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

imstephtacular's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kelseyland's review

Go to review page

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A good guide for newly chronically ill/disabled people and/or their loved ones, since it's mainly focused on practical, day-to-day information along with stories of the author's experience with Crohn's disease. 

Content note, per the author: Hospitalization, sexual assault, physical and emotional abuse, details of bowel disease 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kennyrae89's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

Great book to read for people dealing with chronic illness. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

spaghettireads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings