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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
This is just a fascinating read and one that I will be thinking about for a long time. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for any of the family members to survive it. The mix of family story and science/psychiatric developments is perfect.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The story of the Galvins is a heartbreaking but thought-provoking tale of how far we've come in treating mental illness. It's hard to read this and know that some want to take us back to this dark ages by spouting nonsense about the neurodivergent.
5 stars for the story, less for the writing style, which is sometimes deliberatively provocative and could use tighter editing. Things like this: "the boys were only growing one way." Uh, if you mean they were both growing taller and bulkier, that's actually two ways.
A lot of people will reflect on this family, the sins of the parents and the tradeoff between the damage the boys caused and the knowledge gained from their experience. I was surprised by the moment that broke me:Don, the long-time abuser, sitting alone in a room while all his siblings are in another room, reminiscing about their mom without him. Don, demure after years of medication, insisting that his younger siblings are his children--a coping mechanism for dealing with the life he never had. It really shows the heartbreaking nature of a condition like his. I hope he is finally at peace.
5 stars for the story, less for the writing style, which is sometimes deliberatively provocative and could use tighter editing. Things like this: "the boys were only growing one way." Uh, if you mean they were both growing taller and bulkier, that's actually two ways.
A lot of people will reflect on this family, the sins of the parents and the tradeoff between the damage the boys caused and the knowledge gained from their experience. I was surprised by the moment that broke me:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Pregnancy, Abandonment
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This book was really interesting. About schizophrenia and a family with a lot of kids that had schizophrenia.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
A fascinating condensed history of schizophrenia treatment and research told through the lens of the Galvin family, who have had an indelible mark on the field. Also, just achingly upsetting :(
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Murder