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farawayeyes4's review against another edition
5.0
When one thinks of Supernatural or the SPN Family that has formed around it, many thoughts can come to mind. No matter your thoughts or opinions on various seasons, characters, storylines, or more, it is the fandom community that has really and truly made this show special. The television series may be the common bond that drew every fan or cast member providing a story in this book together, but it is the bonds of humanity that really keep them together for life. Supernatural, as a television series, has changed lives. It has provided inspiration, escapism, and good storytelling that allows us to face our own inner demons. It has given us a chance to see the world differently, awakening passions in us that we may not have realized we possessed.
What we find in Family Don't End With Blood is the essence of the show and the fandom that surrounds it distilled to its very best. It gives us a real glimpse and a real understanding as to why so many fans have lasted with the series for well over a decade. It explores the beautiful relationships that the cast has built first as fellow cast members and through the convention circuit that has formed around the series. We have stories of triumph and defeat, hope and despair, joy and sorrow, and everything in between. We have people at their highest and their lowest---sometimes all within the same essay. Many of the esssays discuss the reasons why the show drew them in and kept them there---and why the fandom that they found is the real reason they stayed. It's a snapshot of what the power of our combined goodness and humanity can really bring to the world---a hopeful glimpse of what the world could really be if we simply got out of our own way and accepted one another who we really are---warts and all.
There are some essays, on a personal level, that really stick out to me from this book. Some are by cast, some are by fan, but all of them are by SPN Family---my family by choice. Some of them I know well and some I've never heard of before. Some are close friends. Others are cast that I admire. Those essays that stuck out to me most are: The Road So Far by Laurena Aker, Wayward AF by Kim Rhodes, Stroke of Luck by Rob Benedict, Choosing Life by Burner Cade, and What Does the Fandom Mean to Me by Jared Padalecki. Each one has equal value in my mind for various reasons. The sheer honesty, the emotion, the courage, the triumph over tragedy, the commitment to making the world better no matter the struggle---all these things stick out in each of these essays---as they do in all of them in this book.
I want to call out two by the cast and two by fans in this list in particular: Stroke of Luck by Rob Benedict and What Does Fandom Mean to Me by Jared Padalecki. I also want to call out Laurena Aker's piece and Burner Cade's.
First, Rob Benedict. His piece was powerful and personal for me. My mother had a stroke at a very young age in a time before the life saving medicine that prevented the most damage. She has had the mark of that stroke on her since the last 70s. Reading about Rob's story and how tramatic it was and how much more it could have been drew me closer to Rob instantly. He was candid, real, and fearless in telling us the truth unblemished. I felt so compelled that once I finished the book I told my mother immediately that one essay in it had been written for HER. Rob's piece captured what happened to her and yet it captured what could have been had the medicine been there. It is a powerful story that shows that despite the darkest hours of our lives, there is hope. I want to thank Rob for that personally. I think it's imperative that his story and my mother's show the world true courage.
Second, Jared's story broke my heart. I found myself nodding and smiling in teh beginning, sharing in that 80s child experience that we both share. The joy at following those cartoons (I am gleeful that we both watched He-Man) and the journey he took to acting at such an early age struck me. I recognized in him the sheer drive to be responsible for everything---the fear of letting anyone down and trying to push myself when I probably shouldn't. My heart ached for him as he talked about his struggle to just keep pushing. While some may disparage his honesty because of his status as a lead on a TV show, his candidness gave me a glimpse into some of my own struggle---one that we share in a way but never the same way. His breaking point and the struggle he endured while in its midst shocked me and made me feel deeply for him. The fact that he had come so close to doing something that could never be undone is astonishinng. Even more so, however, is his willingness to get back up and keep fighting anyways. By the end, I felt that I really understand now why he dubbed us SPN Family. We helped him and gave him the space he needed when he needed it most--only to welcome him back after. His courage is a powerful reminder.
I call out Laurena Aker's essay because she's a personal friend of mine and I am so proud of her story. She captured what some of my own feelings about being a fan mean. While I've never been a corporate person or in a big time career---or a mother---as she is, I relate to her struggle to accept her fannish ways. I recognize that confusion and the joy at finally accepting what it means and how it can cause one to take risks. I feel, as I transition slowly into my next career, that I'm following a bit in her footsteps. I'm hoping that I will be half as successful.
And finally, Burner Cade's story resonated because I can relate to feeling trapped. I feel that way a lot these days and I know that there's hope even when it seems darkest. Burner was brave to put this out there---and tell us how powerful our show and fandom truly can be. Her ability to fight back against the darkest of moments and find a reason to continue---no matter what anyone might think of it---shows real strength that I hope to rely on in my own struggles. I hope to find inspiration when I need it most in this particular essay. I thank her for reminding me that when I don't want to fight any more that there is something worth fighting for---that only the best things are worth that effort.
The other essays are just as powerful. They stand as a testament to our very best---not just of SPN Family but of humanity. Mark Sheppard reminds us to never give up---even when this time we live in seems darkest. Matt Cohen tells us to be ourselves. We hear about how fandom has built a mighty and powerful community that gives us all a refuge. I think we all may need it now more than ever---even if someday the show may end, I pray that we'll always have that fandom to turn tow when we need that inspiration.
I want to thank Lynn Zubernis for putting this book together. It is a love letter to my fandom and it reminds me that I belong to a select but large SPN Family. It means more than you'll ever know.
What we find in Family Don't End With Blood is the essence of the show and the fandom that surrounds it distilled to its very best. It gives us a real glimpse and a real understanding as to why so many fans have lasted with the series for well over a decade. It explores the beautiful relationships that the cast has built first as fellow cast members and through the convention circuit that has formed around the series. We have stories of triumph and defeat, hope and despair, joy and sorrow, and everything in between. We have people at their highest and their lowest---sometimes all within the same essay. Many of the esssays discuss the reasons why the show drew them in and kept them there---and why the fandom that they found is the real reason they stayed. It's a snapshot of what the power of our combined goodness and humanity can really bring to the world---a hopeful glimpse of what the world could really be if we simply got out of our own way and accepted one another who we really are---warts and all.
There are some essays, on a personal level, that really stick out to me from this book. Some are by cast, some are by fan, but all of them are by SPN Family---my family by choice. Some of them I know well and some I've never heard of before. Some are close friends. Others are cast that I admire. Those essays that stuck out to me most are: The Road So Far by Laurena Aker, Wayward AF by Kim Rhodes, Stroke of Luck by Rob Benedict, Choosing Life by Burner Cade, and What Does the Fandom Mean to Me by Jared Padalecki. Each one has equal value in my mind for various reasons. The sheer honesty, the emotion, the courage, the triumph over tragedy, the commitment to making the world better no matter the struggle---all these things stick out in each of these essays---as they do in all of them in this book.
I want to call out two by the cast and two by fans in this list in particular: Stroke of Luck by Rob Benedict and What Does Fandom Mean to Me by Jared Padalecki. I also want to call out Laurena Aker's piece and Burner Cade's.
First, Rob Benedict. His piece was powerful and personal for me. My mother had a stroke at a very young age in a time before the life saving medicine that prevented the most damage. She has had the mark of that stroke on her since the last 70s. Reading about Rob's story and how tramatic it was and how much more it could have been drew me closer to Rob instantly. He was candid, real, and fearless in telling us the truth unblemished. I felt so compelled that once I finished the book I told my mother immediately that one essay in it had been written for HER. Rob's piece captured what happened to her and yet it captured what could have been had the medicine been there. It is a powerful story that shows that despite the darkest hours of our lives, there is hope. I want to thank Rob for that personally. I think it's imperative that his story and my mother's show the world true courage.
Second, Jared's story broke my heart. I found myself nodding and smiling in teh beginning, sharing in that 80s child experience that we both share. The joy at following those cartoons (I am gleeful that we both watched He-Man) and the journey he took to acting at such an early age struck me. I recognized in him the sheer drive to be responsible for everything---the fear of letting anyone down and trying to push myself when I probably shouldn't. My heart ached for him as he talked about his struggle to just keep pushing. While some may disparage his honesty because of his status as a lead on a TV show, his candidness gave me a glimpse into some of my own struggle---one that we share in a way but never the same way. His breaking point and the struggle he endured while in its midst shocked me and made me feel deeply for him. The fact that he had come so close to doing something that could never be undone is astonishinng. Even more so, however, is his willingness to get back up and keep fighting anyways. By the end, I felt that I really understand now why he dubbed us SPN Family. We helped him and gave him the space he needed when he needed it most--only to welcome him back after. His courage is a powerful reminder.
I call out Laurena Aker's essay because she's a personal friend of mine and I am so proud of her story. She captured what some of my own feelings about being a fan mean. While I've never been a corporate person or in a big time career---or a mother---as she is, I relate to her struggle to accept her fannish ways. I recognize that confusion and the joy at finally accepting what it means and how it can cause one to take risks. I feel, as I transition slowly into my next career, that I'm following a bit in her footsteps. I'm hoping that I will be half as successful.
And finally, Burner Cade's story resonated because I can relate to feeling trapped. I feel that way a lot these days and I know that there's hope even when it seems darkest. Burner was brave to put this out there---and tell us how powerful our show and fandom truly can be. Her ability to fight back against the darkest of moments and find a reason to continue---no matter what anyone might think of it---shows real strength that I hope to rely on in my own struggles. I hope to find inspiration when I need it most in this particular essay. I thank her for reminding me that when I don't want to fight any more that there is something worth fighting for---that only the best things are worth that effort.
The other essays are just as powerful. They stand as a testament to our very best---not just of SPN Family but of humanity. Mark Sheppard reminds us to never give up---even when this time we live in seems darkest. Matt Cohen tells us to be ourselves. We hear about how fandom has built a mighty and powerful community that gives us all a refuge. I think we all may need it now more than ever---even if someday the show may end, I pray that we'll always have that fandom to turn tow when we need that inspiration.
I want to thank Lynn Zubernis for putting this book together. It is a love letter to my fandom and it reminds me that I belong to a select but large SPN Family. It means more than you'll ever know.
kimlynn77's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome essays about the fandom of my favorite show, Supernatural. Now I really want to got to a Con!!
michidoc's review against another edition
4.0
"Family don't end with blood" was given to me as a present from a close friend of mine: since I had been binge-watching Supernatural for fan-fiction reasons and got so immerse in the show, she thought it was a good idea for my birthday present. How true! This lovely volume is not just about Supernatural, it's about how passion for something creative, fun and entertaining can help you cope with the bad things in your life, inspire you, make you better, kinder and happier. Being a nerd all my life I know a lot of this, and at the same time I can feel ashamed, shy, unworthy, silly, pathetic. This book reminded me I am not, that if something makes you feel better, you should embrace it, no matter how stupid it might seem to people who clearly don't deserve your attention or love. I was mesmerised by the stories and moved by them, I was so happy that fans, cast and crew alike channelled the love they have for this entertainment product to do real good, to do charity and help people. Jared Padalecki was the greatest surprise, and I will follow his struggle with a renewed respect.
I highly recommend this book!
I highly recommend this book!
bellsb00ksandwritings's review against another edition
5.0
Two words to describe this book would be "beautiful" and "inspiring"
As a long-time SPN fan I might be biased, but I honestly don't believe I am. This book really was wonderful. The stories brought me either joy or sadness (or both), but they all ended with hope. And I loved all of it. From Jensen's hugs to Jared's words of encouragement, and from all the inspiring fans to Misha's beautiful heart.
The SPN Family makes me so proud. They really encourage to go and do good in this world. To help people and save lives. You know, the family business.
As a long-time SPN fan I might be biased, but I honestly don't believe I am. This book really was wonderful. The stories brought me either joy or sadness (or both), but they all ended with hope. And I loved all of it. From Jensen's hugs to Jared's words of encouragement, and from all the inspiring fans to Misha's beautiful heart.
The SPN Family makes me so proud. They really encourage to go and do good in this world. To help people and save lives. You know, the family business.
goodverbsonly's review against another edition
I’m actually not finished. I still have Jared’s section left, but I’m actively dreading starting it, even though it’s the only chapter I wanted to read. Because one: it’s an hour long (i am obsessed with Jared Padalecki as a concept), and because I know what’s in there. Like, what I have been referring to: the summer both jared and i had a mental health crisis in europe, which i know is kind of in bad taste, but once i thought about it i just can’t stop thinking it’s so funny. this is the first reason i cannot meet him, bc i would say it and it would be so inappropriate. the second reason is like, if he ever looked in my direction i would pass away. i’m not like big into celebrities, but spn is something else. obviously, like that’s kind of the point.
i did finish his section and the book. i am obsessed with him as a concept. he’s so funny.
the whole thing is kinda much for me, as nice as it is. and it clearly comes from the top, and if it didn’t the show wouldn’t have gone on for 15 years, and considering the thousands of fan interactions j2 have every year, so many more of them would have gone wrong if they weren’t decent and conscientious human beings. i do think it’s probably best that we stop telling them, as a collective, about being suicidal, just because hearing that a dozen times is probably a lot, and i do think that it would be better to put a barrier back between fan space and creator space and that no fan environment has more blurred the lines than spn, but it’s nice. it’s nice that after 5 years away, i can slot back into fan space and resume my parasocial relationships with these grown men.
anyway, before i finish this, as promised, my spn essay i’ve been thinking about since the finale aired, which fundamentally ties in with jared’s akf campaign.
spn was not always a good show, but it meant something to people who were on the Outs. for me, it was simply a fun genre show that helped with the general Loneliness that comes w teen angst and being weird and quiet and nerdy. in some ways it stood out only bc even in 2012 there was so much of it, and in the darker times of High School it was the only thing i was looking forward to. (literally simple as: i won’t die before i find out how spn ends. i had a lot health anxiety in high school and was convinced that i simply wouldn’t wake up
i did finish his section and the book. i am obsessed with him as a concept. he’s so funny.
the whole thing is kinda much for me, as nice as it is. and it clearly comes from the top, and if it didn’t the show wouldn’t have gone on for 15 years, and considering the thousands of fan interactions j2 have every year, so many more of them would have gone wrong if they weren’t decent and conscientious human beings. i do think it’s probably best that we stop telling them, as a collective, about being suicidal, just because hearing that a dozen times is probably a lot, and i do think that it would be better to put a barrier back between fan space and creator space and that no fan environment has more blurred the lines than spn, but it’s nice. it’s nice that after 5 years away, i can slot back into fan space and resume my parasocial relationships with these grown men.
anyway, before i finish this, as promised, my spn essay i’ve been thinking about since the finale aired, which fundamentally ties in with jared’s akf campaign.
spn was not always a good show, but it meant something to people who were on the Outs. for me, it was simply a fun genre show that helped with the general Loneliness that comes w teen angst and being weird and quiet and nerdy. in some ways it stood out only bc even in 2012 there was so much of it, and in the darker times of High School it was the only thing i was looking forward to. (literally simple as: i won’t die before i find out how spn ends. i had a lot health anxiety in high school and was convinced that i simply wouldn’t wake up
beth_books_123's review against another edition
3.0
Remember when SPN was my life?
I'm never finishing this book. Season 15 was the WORST thing ever. THE WORST!
I'm never finishing this book. Season 15 was the WORST thing ever. THE WORST!
b00kdragon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0