Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

18 reviews

tieflingmom's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Cancer, Rape, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Addiction, Homophobia, Death, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Child abuse, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Animal death, Biphobia, Dementia, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Self harm

cozy_academic's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Addiction, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Pedophilia

pacifickat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I'm not sure I could have read a memoir about someone with more different life experiences to my own, but here's to a year of reading broadly! 

The audiobook absolutely made this book work for me as a reader. There were so many jokes and moments that relied on anticipating the correct voice intonation in order to completely land, and it was fun hearing JVN's humor come through in the audio narration. Plus, I would have hopelessly butchered all the Russian pseudonyms in my head.

Lots of trigger warnings could be applied to this book (childhood trauma, sexual content, drug use, self harm, bullying, etc.), but I have rarely heard more accurate or compelling descriptions of addictive behaviors and the self-destructive-yet-all-consuming mental state behind them than here. This felt like an extremely honest and open account of the author's most formative life experiences, and I can't help but admire that. 

I also really appreciated learning a bit about AIDS/HIV stigma, treatments, and current positive prognoses when caught early and managed carefully. This kind of information is truly a public service to get out there in the open.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Bullying, Chronic illness, Self harm, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Dementia, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Death, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia

amoremeg's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

5.0

This book was so informative and deeply JVN. I learned so much about them and all of it through the most original and self-loving perspective. Truthful, compassionate, and funny the whole way through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Addiction, and Chronic illness

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Gun violence

moodreader89's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Addiction, Cancer, Eating disorder, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

officialdani's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

I love JVN and loved this book! I respect so much him sharing his past struggles with such a mass audience, owning all parts of himself, and celebrating his wins. As he mentions the goal of writing this book, I genuinely believe it will help so many young LGBTQ+ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Self harm, Addiction, and Cancer

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Bullying, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Drug use, and Death

Minor: Infidelity, Homophobia, and Grief

angryglitterwitch's review

5.0

This incredible book made me feel so seen that I'm taking it to show my therapist this afternoon. Can't really offer higher praise than that!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Child abuse

kayschwe's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

miniando's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Moderate: Chronic illness

greatexpectations77's review

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

An absolute treat. I love how much work that Jonathan Van Ness has put in with his mental health that he can share all of this. And the audiobook is just so good. I would jump to read anything else that he publishes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Addiction, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Cancer, Death of parent, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Bullying, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Religious bigotry, Body shaming, and Animal death

Could be helpful for survivors of trauma, who have done some processing, to show that things can and will get better