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creaturekind's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
lapoo99's review against another edition
1.0
Rarely do I give something one star. But the self congratulatory, ambiguous prose left me no choice. I blacked out reading entire pages and I haven’t done that since Rand’s philosophy chapter chunks.
mattycakes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
It was good to know others have had the same questions I have and come to similar conclusions, but the book felt unfinished. These could not have been the only questions she had, right? I needed more. Maybe she’ll come up with a sequel…Hope so! Hers is a voice that is needed for blindly following MAGA evangelicals now more than ever, because when talking about faith, critical thinking often goes out the window because it contradicts the definition of faith.
sadiesargar's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't plan to finish this book in two days, but I found it irresistible. This is an absolutely stunning set of essays that treat what are generally considered to be cultural embarrassments (evangelical Christianity, the midwest) with a dignity and respect, but O'Gieblyn (an ex-Christian and lifelong midwesterner) doesn't shy away from criticizing either. Like many people who leave a faith and love a region they don't particularly fit in with, she is cognizant of existing between two places — rejecting her faith but unable (or not desiring) to shed its contours or metanarrative, cutting against both midwestern niceness and secular hubris. She steers each of these essays through incredibly tight turns, and does so without ever coming close to the edge of the road. Very highly recommended for fans of Joan Didion, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Walker Percy, etc.
timhoiland's review against another edition
3.0
An uneven collection of essays, including some five-star writing.