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microbemom's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Violence, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
erica_reads_things's review against another edition
5.0
The parental subject matters of this memoir are unlike anything I have ever read. The only way I can possibly describe Rose Mary and Rex are a cross between granola hippies and conservative hillbillies. This book had my emotions constantly at war - one second this family would be resilient and heartfelt, the next selfish and damaging. What a true, raw look at the complexities of humans, love, family, and growth. I highly recommend listening to Jeannette read this book as well.
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Trafficking, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
Minor: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Body shaming, and Terminal illness
ginnygaleclaire's review
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness, Blood, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Medical content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
5.0
As other reviewers have said, Walls does look at her past with rose-tinted glasses and does not tear down her parents. She tells us what they did, said, didn’t do that they should have done and let’s us the reader feel the anger for her. Which I thought was very tasteful of her, given what all her parents have put her family through.
Definitely one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve ever read. How they were able to save up money, budget at such a young age and be more of a responsible adult then both their parents to make it in New York. The strength of her and her siblings is truly incredible.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Excrement, Medical trauma, Racism, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Abandonment
mandi4886's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Trafficking, Drug use, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Violence
charitylee92's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Terminal illness
wardenred's review against another edition
5.0
"Don't be sad, Mom. I'll write."
"I'm not upset because I'll miss you," Mom said. "I'm upset because you get to go to New York and I'm stuck here. It's not fair."
This memoir was completely engrossing and unputdownable—more than once, I felt compelled to put aside everything else in favor of reading it. It left me with a lot of emotion and a lot of puzzlement and honestly, the author's parents are just bizarre.
This is very firmly a family story. It can even be said that it's a story of endless optimism and unconditional love and free-spirited parents teaching their kids to see every problem or trouble life throws at them as an adventure. Except it's not the abstract, esoteric life that subjects these kids to problems and troubles. Pretty much every bit of pain they face—from a beloved pet thrown out of the car window, to being stuck for 14+ hours in the darkness forbidden to talk, to sinking repeatedly during impromptu swimming lessons, to being put on the verge of getting sexually assaulted, to all the problems that come with living in extreme poverty—all of it is of their parents' making.
Reading about this dysfunctional dynamic was fascinating, the same way particularly inventive horror movies can be fascinating. I guess I... have a lot of inspiration for creating lovable villains now?
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship