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cnlemigbo's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
3.75
Thistle’s memoir is a very fast-paced and engaging read. He intermixes humor with heartfelt and emotional moments that allow you to get a balanced view of his life and also understand his struggles with addiction, identity, and family. I appreciate how his writing style seems to mature as you go through the book, reflecting his age at different points in time and the process of growing up.
hermana's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is such a wonderful book highlighting important issues and challenges faced by many people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment
Cannot recommend enough!helenabianca's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse
gwalt118's review against another edition
5.0
I always think it's difficult to review memoirs - how do you rate, critique, and even praise the writing of another person's life experiences? Memoirs are always real and raw and beautiful to me, even if they contain pain and sorrow. As I continue to write and journal and piece together what I hope will become a memoir of my own, I am increasingly drawn to non-fiction writing and others' memoirs.
Jesse Thistle's memoir is an incredible picture of a troubled childhood, a young adulthood fueled by drugs, addiction, and homelessness, and ultimately survival. At the beginning, it seems almost like it's going to be a book of vignettes, but slowly a throughline emerges. At times, especially the height of Thistle's addiction and homelessness, this memoir is hard to read. I cried more than once.
But it is a story worth pursuing because of what it teaches us about childhood trauma, drug addiction, criminalization of youth, and all of the social services and other supports that have to come together to help individuals not only survive these experiences but also thrive in what comes after them. That's the thing that sticks with me from Thistle's memoir, more than anything else - it is a memoir of one person's triumph over many evils, but it is also a lesson in the collective nature of recovery. None of us can do it alone, and no one should try to have to.
I listened to this novel, and I highly recommend that format. I almost always recommend audio for memoirs, because I think there is something inherently powerful in hearing someone tell their own story. I could hear the anguish in Thistle's voice, but I could also hear the self-respect beginning to come through and ultimately the pride in his heritage.
This was an absolutely incredible memoir. I am so glad someone recommended it for my IRL book club, and I can't wait to chat about it with friends later this month!
Jesse Thistle's memoir is an incredible picture of a troubled childhood, a young adulthood fueled by drugs, addiction, and homelessness, and ultimately survival. At the beginning, it seems almost like it's going to be a book of vignettes, but slowly a throughline emerges. At times, especially the height of Thistle's addiction and homelessness, this memoir is hard to read. I cried more than once.
But it is a story worth pursuing because of what it teaches us about childhood trauma, drug addiction, criminalization of youth, and all of the social services and other supports that have to come together to help individuals not only survive these experiences but also thrive in what comes after them. That's the thing that sticks with me from Thistle's memoir, more than anything else - it is a memoir of one person's triumph over many evils, but it is also a lesson in the collective nature of recovery. None of us can do it alone, and no one should try to have to.
I listened to this novel, and I highly recommend that format. I almost always recommend audio for memoirs, because I think there is something inherently powerful in hearing someone tell their own story. I could hear the anguish in Thistle's voice, but I could also hear the self-respect beginning to come through and ultimately the pride in his heritage.
This was an absolutely incredible memoir. I am so glad someone recommended it for my IRL book club, and I can't wait to chat about it with friends later this month!
g_mama_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
5.0
ginabyeg's review against another edition
4.0
A well-written memoir, in which Jesse Thistle shares his unique experience of trauma; how it set him on a self-destructive trajectory; and what it took to overcome it. I do wish he had spent a bit more time sharing his life experience in the last few years in terms of staying well. He so descriptively portrays the neglect, trauma, and destructive lifestyle of his past--those leave a mark, and I would have loved to hear more about how he overcomes the micro-struggles he must face internally on a daily basis to stay sober and healthy. He alludes very briefly and casually to a couple facets that seem to keep him on a healthy trajectory, but I feel it's more work than he narrates. Otherwise, it's an engaging read, and sheds light on how childhood experiences and relationships can pave the way for the choices and decisions we make--for better or worse.
brett311's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail