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What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You by Heather Corinna
lorimichelekelley's review against another edition
3.0
Being 54 years old and still going through this $h!^, I was drawn to the title because I keep thinking this is over with and all of a sudden I'm asking myself, "What fresh hell is THIS????" as symptoms continue to return and get worse and go away and come back and develop differently and I wanna scream and throw stuff and cry (I actually do scream, cry and throw shit). And now I know it's normal and I feel better, crying tears of relief instead of anger. Well, a little anger. a lot. Because this is going on 7 years now. I wouldn't say the book is "blisteringly funny." It has an occasional funny part. What it does best is let you know that you're okay and you'll be okay, even though it might take 10 effing years. And when you're done, things will more than likely be better. God help me if this doesn't end soon. The book didn't give me any additional information about "treatments" that I didn't already know. It did give a brief history of western medicine and menopause and it was more than depressing. Anyway, if you're in this age bracket or maybe supporting someone going through it, it's not a bad read. And after I paid $12 for the book, it went on sale for $3, so now it's affordable. god!
creativerunnings's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a really good and even entertaining book. I also liked that the trans community was included.
smemmott's review against another edition
4.0
The author writes from a personal perspective, while also being as inclusive as possible. I was occasionally annoyed by the chatty, informal, approach, and was less interested in the beginning of the book, such as the history of what traditional medicine got wrong about menopause. For me the strength of this book was the emphasis on the intertwined physical and emotional experience of perimenopause/menopause, and aging in general. Some thought provoking perspectives related to my own experience. The explanations of the physical, cognitive, neurological, and mental health aspects were clear though sometimes more superficial than I would have liked. I don't think there's strong scientific evidence for the "mini-herbal" chapter at the end, or some of the nutritional advice, which is a bit concerning, but those aren't emphasized.
kmoses87's review against another edition
4.0
I felt it was very useful and written in an entertaining way.
greymalkin's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.5
I love the inclusion of how menopause and perimenopause might affect queer and diverse people differently than cis-women. I also liked the focus on this being just one more life stage instead of "The End" or "The Change".
I didn't even particularly mind the strident tone and anger. What I did mind was losing confidence in the author's credibility. They would say something very very confidently and loudly, and then take it back or even contradict it just pages later. e.g. "This guy is horrible for recommending estrogen therapy to deal with menopause" and then a few pages later "estrogen therapy will help ease so many perimenopause symptoms you should totally consider it and if not I will keep arguing for its miracle powers in every chapter from now until the end of the book."
They would also make sweeping generalized statements and then add a line to allow for someone with a different experience, but the way that it is phrased made it seem very othering where not having this shared perimenopausal experience means that this book isn't for you or that you can't be part of the club because you are "too lucky" to understand what everyone else is going through.
I also had issues with the extensive use of acronyms and terms without defining them. the author doesn't even define perimenopause until over 25% of the way into the book.
The repetition of information and advice was mind-numbing and made it hard to read because every time I picked it up again I would wonder if I actually read the section already or if it was just that similar to the last one.
The topic is great. The appendices are also really good. The lists of recommended resources are also really helpful. I rather wish the book had been just a chapter or two and then all the end-matter.
I didn't even particularly mind the strident tone and anger. What I did mind was losing confidence in the author's credibility. They would say something very very confidently and loudly, and then take it back or even contradict it just pages later. e.g. "This guy is horrible for recommending estrogen therapy to deal with menopause" and then a few pages later "estrogen therapy will help ease so many perimenopause symptoms you should totally consider it and if not I will keep arguing for its miracle powers in every chapter from now until the end of the book."
They would also make sweeping generalized statements and then add a line to allow for someone with a different experience, but the way that it is phrased made it seem very othering where not having this shared perimenopausal experience means that this book isn't for you or that you can't be part of the club because you are "too lucky" to understand what everyone else is going through.
I also had issues with the extensive use of acronyms and terms without defining them. the author doesn't even define perimenopause until over 25% of the way into the book.
The repetition of information and advice was mind-numbing and made it hard to read because every time I picked it up again I would wonder if I actually read the section already or if it was just that similar to the last one.
The topic is great. The appendices are also really good. The lists of recommended resources are also really helpful. I rather wish the book had been just a chapter or two and then all the end-matter.
kburns2004's review against another edition
4.0
As someone tiptoeing towards perimenopause, I found this book super helpful. I really appreciate someone laying it all out there about what to expect.