Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - The House of My Mother

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

506 reviews

underwaterlauren's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Even rating this feels wrong, and, in a way, I almost feel guilty for reading it, because who am I to want to know more about the struggles this young woman has already suffered through? More than just an account of her life and abuse, this memoir also poses some difficult questions about the nature of the social media landscape we live in. It looks at the thin, thin line between empathy for other humans, parasocial relationships, and straight out voyeriusm. This was a challenging read, to be sure, and, in the best way, I hope I never hear from this family or this young woman again.

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rachellmennig's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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emsbookishness's review against another edition

5.0

I remember hearing about Shari’s family a lot last year following the court case so it’s great to finally hear the story from Shari herself. Her perspective is vital and offers the important details of someone who actually grew up in that house. After reading this books it’s apparent there were problems long before the family joined Jodi Hildebrandt’s cult and even before Ruby started vlogging their entire lives.

This book was very well written. I found Shari’s writing articulate and detailed. I’m honestly amazed that she’s only a couple years older than me, but it’s very apparent that Shari had to grow up and mature much faster than a normal child. She truly had to endure so much.

If you’ve heard of this story I would definitely recommend reading Shari’s book. Just be aware that it’s a heavy and emotional read. It contains descriptions of child and emotional abuse as well as sexual assault.

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louise_2712's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

Absolutely beautifully written, Shari perfectly told the story in the way it should be done, and gave closure to allow her siblings to recover and live a private life.

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rserpico's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring fast-paced

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zaback_mara's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Listening to Sheri share her story and reclaim it was empowering. She did an excellent job of detailing and painting the picture of her life while protecting those who went unprotected. I am so glad the world has hear her voice and that she found and claimed it all on her own. After listening to her book, it made me reflect on how I have been at times not always a conscious viewer. I wish for peace and healing for herself and her family.

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booksandbesitos's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

As a daughter of a mother who was a constant Facebook user (not to ruby’s extent but definitely a frequent sharenter) who often made me repeat scripts and take pictures and videos, this book made me feel very seen. I liked the way it written. Shari told her story while also allowing a space for readers to reflect and connect with their own experiences.

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jewellelizabeth's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective

Though I was a YouTube teen, I never watched 8 Passengers, but I was aware of them and frequently had them recommended to me by algorithms on various social media platforms. I remember finding even just Ruby's Instagram bio very odd (it was something like "showing the world there is power and influence in motherhood"), seeing some concerning clips from 8 Passengers and Connexions, and reading with horror when the news broke in summer 2023. But my god, even with all of that background knowledge, I could not have imagined just how truly horrible growing up in that house was. This book is incredibly dark—Shari Franke minces no words about the situations she's endured over the years. I am in awe of her bravery, and for being the first of what I'm sure will be many children of family vloggers coming forward to share their story.

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erica_0000's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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lauramcc7's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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