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yellowfri's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
maggie1025's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25
intorilex's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sad but hopeful memoir about family. Mikel begins his story about growing up in the Synynon cult, as a very small child. It was a compelling start to see experiences through his eyes. He then describes the disorienting experience of leaving, growing up in poverty and having a mom reeling with mental health problems of her own.
Mikel's family involves a lot of misfortune and drug abuse. He is thrusts in recovery meetings and told about the dangers of addiction long before he truly understood what it means. Mikel's brother Tony responds in opposite ways than him about the trauma around them. Mikel's father is wonderful example that guides him to be better even though he's made opposite choices in his own life. The audiobook great music and was read by the author which made it feel more intimate. Mikel learns to reject normalcy and find an outlet for his emotions through his music.
I would recommend this book for those who want to read about overcoming adversity and dealing with substance abuse and mental health within a family.
Mikel's family involves a lot of misfortune and drug abuse. He is thrusts in recovery meetings and told about the dangers of addiction long before he truly understood what it means. Mikel's brother Tony responds in opposite ways than him about the trauma around them. Mikel's father is wonderful example that guides him to be better even though he's made opposite choices in his own life. The audiobook great music and was read by the author which made it feel more intimate. Mikel learns to reject normalcy and find an outlet for his emotions through his music.
I would recommend this book for those who want to read about overcoming adversity and dealing with substance abuse and mental health within a family.
tuabaxl's review
5.0
High recommend for the audiobook version which Jollett narrates and uses music by Airborne Toxic Event as the soundtrack.
cielosbooks's review
5.0
“there is nowhere to put the grief and no way to make sense of it and nothing to do but hold on to each other trying not to be alone with it”
a deeply personal memoir about loneliness, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and trying to become better. i cried THROUGHOUT this like there were times when i was a sobbing mess and couldn’t see the words on the page because of how bad i was crying. there are tear stains on my book now and i have a horrible headache. i will be thinking about this for a long time. what it means to be a son, what it means to be a brother, what it means to be alive.
a deeply personal memoir about loneliness, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and trying to become better. i cried THROUGHOUT this like there were times when i was a sobbing mess and couldn’t see the words on the page because of how bad i was crying. there are tear stains on my book now and i have a horrible headache. i will be thinking about this for a long time. what it means to be a son, what it means to be a brother, what it means to be alive.