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bookishblond's review against another edition
3.0
Absolutely terrifying; Terri Cheney has so closely captured the bipolar experience.
However, I'm sick of reading about the mental anguish of beautiful and successful women.
However, I'm sick of reading about the mental anguish of beautiful and successful women.
epeolatrist's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the book. Flying through the short personal essays felt almost like a manic experience-- her descriptions are so vivid and each story drew me in. I loved the writing and the pacing of the book. I feared for her and I was exultant with her and I couldn't wait to pick it back up every day. I feed off books about mental illness and especially bipolar disorder, but I don't enjoy them all. This was a really good one. The people complaining about her focus on herself and her confidence in her looks and her abilities have obviously never experienced a manic episode and have missed the entire point of the aptly titled, "Manic".
peripetia's review against another edition
2.0
As far as memoirs go, this was fine. I've read other fine memoirs with the memoirist in question being, well, not the nicest person. But there's just so something so Gen X about this particular author - the entitlement, the casual racism, the snobbishness that she herself admits to but, at the same time, seems oblivious to. The problem is not her behavior during her episodes, which she takes accountability for, it's her personality and maybe most of all, her values.
The writing was fine, but she really isn't as deep as she thinks she is and should maybe eschew to urge to make real life events a metaphor of her moods and thoughts. The shallowness of these observations is just cringey and feels more like a teenager's philosophizing than an analysis of a full-grown adult. Still, the story of her illness was honest and obviously required some painful introspection, which are, in my opinion, the characteristics of a good memoir.
The writing was fine, but she really isn't as deep as she thinks she is and should maybe eschew to urge to make real life events a metaphor of her moods and thoughts. The shallowness of these observations is just cringey and feels more like a teenager's philosophizing than an analysis of a full-grown adult. Still, the story of her illness was honest and obviously required some painful introspection, which are, in my opinion, the characteristics of a good memoir.
thriller_chick's review against another edition
4.0
I've been wanting to read this book for a while now and finally got a copy of it. I loved it and love the way it was written. This book definitely holds up to its reputation as a good read.
tlkpharm's review against another edition
4.0
I have always been fascinated with mental illness, and this book did not disappoint. The author was bracingly honest and entertaining. I enjoyed how this book was told in random excerpts, instead of chronologically. It seemed to feel more authentic when told that way.
books_plants_hikes's review against another edition
4.0
This book was incredibly well written, which made it so easy to pick up and not put down. For people with an open and judge less mind this is an authentic look into the life of a highly dysfunctional bipolar woman. However, let's remember that there are degree to this type of mental illness and this author is that most dysfunctional end of that. There are individuals who learn to live with bipolar in a way that it does not dictate their lives to the extent it has hers.
One last word on the book, if you are bipolar high or low functioning or anything in between stay away from this book. Your life is already a testament of what it's like to live with this illness. Please don't further submerge yourself. I am bipolar and after reading over half the book my boyfriend just told me I don't think you should read anymore. And he was right! If you're bipolar this idea puts ideas into your head. For example, in one part of the book she explains that there is no cute for bipolar, nor will there ever be. The only peace is remission which is only temporary and never permanent. While this many be her absolute truth, it most certainly is not mine. I have been in remission for 2 years, I have retrained my brain to think and react differently and I plan to remain here in remission indefinitely.
One last word on the book, if you are bipolar high or low functioning or anything in between stay away from this book. Your life is already a testament of what it's like to live with this illness. Please don't further submerge yourself. I am bipolar and after reading over half the book my boyfriend just told me I don't think you should read anymore. And he was right! If you're bipolar this idea puts ideas into your head. For example, in one part of the book she explains that there is no cute for bipolar, nor will there ever be. The only peace is remission which is only temporary and never permanent. While this many be her absolute truth, it most certainly is not mine. I have been in remission for 2 years, I have retrained my brain to think and react differently and I plan to remain here in remission indefinitely.