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lowbrowhighart's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Miscarriage, Self harm, and Islamophobia
chronicallyplotting's review against another edition
1.0
What I could not understand is how the author did not have any personal growth from this or takeaways to help anyone else from her medical journey. It was disheartening that she never fought for herself or advocated for a diagnosis. The author even indicated in her book that she became the patient no doctor or nurse wanted to work with because she was whining all the time for things; she became a person who loved medical attention and wanted to be waited on. She wanted people to care for her and used her friends also. I was hoping for a story of how someone overcame addiction or a medical crises that they had to fight to overcome and get care. Because I personally know the struggle to find good care, but it instead was a book of a person who does not like America but lives here and has a political agenda versus a message about her health journey. She focuses widely on anti-trump rants and Anit-American healthcare rants but offers no solutions to change or how any of it personally impacted her. And it was a person who thinks they are the best author in the world who probably has a tinge of Munchausen disease.
Being a person of the chronic illness community myself I was so hoping for more of a survival story, even if it doesn't have a happy ending. Instead I got a political platform and a woman who craves attention and anyone who doesn't give it to her must be racist.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Racism, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Addiction, Medical content, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexism
shaanzeh1_'s review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Drug abuse
Minor: Rape
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I did find parts of Porochista's battle with Lyme disease relatable, and sometimes appreciated a different perspective on some of the same struggles I had (God was kind to me by sending a Lyme-literate doctor very soon after my diagnosis, and I never had to fight the medical system the same way she did). Many sections of her life story, however, such as her time on drugs in college, did nothing for me but renew my irritation with a culture that makes bad choices or bad situations seem desirable.
I wouldn't recommend this one for younger readers, as some choices like the drugs and the string of boyfriends (and also girlfriends, though these are only mentioned in passing) are sometimes presented in a glamorized light.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
krys_kilz's review against another edition
4.0
I found parts of the book a bit repetitive at times and the timeline could be a little difficult to follow, but overall I saw so many of my own experiences between these pages and I am so grateful to Khakpour for opening space for sick storytelling.
"At some point I questioned why I had for much of my life leaped from one person to another, with no end in sight. I'm not sure my conclusions are good, but I can tell you when the body feels out of place it will cling to anything that looks like life. Cities. homes. People. Lovers.
Love is the only good way many of us know how to feel alive.
And the ghost I so often was wanted badly to feel real. And the characters in this section can at least tell you I existed. They might not have thought of me much, but they can tell you I was real. Sometimes too real."
Graphic: Gaslighting, Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Car accident, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Miscarriage, Islamophobia, and Self harm
hamstringy's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Miscarriage and Self harm
readalongwithnat's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Medical content
christinaf's review
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Mental illness
mackenziem12's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
ssreadsintranslation's review
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse