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justlily's review against another edition
3.0
This book was interesting but so hard to read. There were a handful of moments that had my stomach rolling, the idea that such horrible things had actually happened to this child. The kind of strength it must take to come out of that at all, let alone to come out a well-put together person is astounding.
It was a little slow and long-winded in parts but overall very emotional and a unique read.
It was a little slow and long-winded in parts but overall very emotional and a unique read.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
4.0
Julie Gregory’s mother was always concerned about her daughter because of her mystery disease. Doctor after doctor found nothing wrong with Julie, so her mother continually searched for new doctors, doctors who would diagnose Julie with a life-threatening condition—hopefully one that would require open-heart surgery. As Julie grew older, she began to realize that she wasn’t truly sick and that her mother would say whatever she thought the doctor would want to hear in order to diagnose Julie. A long line of invasive treatments ensued, never to end because, after all, you can’t fix what isn’t really broken. In her autobiography, Julie explores her childhood as a Munchausen by Proxy child, a form of child abuse in which the caretaker invents illnesses for the patient in order to receive attention.
This book may be very difficult for some readers because of the graphic descriptions of the abuses suffered by Gregory, and the invasive medical procedures she had to endure. Munchausen by Proxy is difficult to determine because the parent or caretaker seems to have the patient’s best interests at heart. Hopefully by writing this book Gregory will have alerted health care professionals to never take information at face value and to work to make sure this doesn’t happen to others.
This book may be very difficult for some readers because of the graphic descriptions of the abuses suffered by Gregory, and the invasive medical procedures she had to endure. Munchausen by Proxy is difficult to determine because the parent or caretaker seems to have the patient’s best interests at heart. Hopefully by writing this book Gregory will have alerted health care professionals to never take information at face value and to work to make sure this doesn’t happen to others.
sarahenn's review against another edition
3.0
whoa. this is one of those books that will make you ANGRY - because of the awful, blatant child abuse that goes unnoticed for decades. very well written, i can't believe this is a true story.
gayle_carr's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, not bad, not great. A compelling story, just could have been written better.
blueviolin's review
4.0
A heartbreaking memoir of a girl growing up in a horribly abusive family. Both parents suffered from mental health issues, but her mother's Munchausen by Proxy is the central issue of the story. The writing is unflinching, and there were points where I felt a bit faint reading about the torture inflicted on this poor girl. My only complaint is that the text flashed between time and tenses, and that led to a few confusing moments.
romadera's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Abandonment, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racism, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt
obsessivejules's review against another edition
4.0
The more I read this book, the more shocked I was that a mother would do this to her child.
This book shows the strength and perserverance that Julie Gregory has and everything she has endured all at the hands of someone she thought she could trust.
This book shows the strength and perserverance that Julie Gregory has and everything she has endured all at the hands of someone she thought she could trust.
bookishblond's review against another edition
4.0
So creepy! I read the entire book yesterday. I couldn't put it down. Totally worth sacrificing my homework for :)