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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
She’s not special, only feels that way due to instagram. Maybe if I followed her on IG I’d find this more interesting? She’s just another millennial raised in suburbia who bucks the “traditional” life of marriage, house, kids; in a word, yawn.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I went back and forth between enjoying and being frustrated with the author. But her vulnerability is raw and real. I don’t know her from social media but the comments leave me wondering her authenticity.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Raw, emotional. Man, she's a good writer. Her imagery is stunning. I grew up in the high desert, about 90 mins from Moab; this really made me miss that area.
Although the author writes good descriptions of her misadventures, I just didn’t have any patience for her ascetic lifestyle. She seemed to take a perverse sense of pride in all of the discomfort and suffering she subjected herself to through stubborn, stupid imprudence. Moreover, she came across to me as sanctimonious because she had escaped the treadmill of societal expectations of what constitutes success. I’m far too pragmatic to be charmed by her accounts of hardship through recklessness and unnecessary, self imposed martyrdom.
I was irritated by her disdain for regular rank and file people who strive to make a living and do their best to provide for themselves and their families. It is not necessary to suffer such extreme deprivation and hardship in search of a simpler more spiritual life. I know from personal experience that it’s possible to eschew materialism and consumerism while still living in a humble, rented dwelling with four walls and indoor plumbing. However, it seems that she embraced hardship, the deprivation of creature comforts like cleanliness, a proper bed and basic plumbing, and the discomfort of extreme heat and cold living in an uninsulated van simply because it made for good copy on Instagram and lent her notoriety. The more dramatic and challenging her circumstances, the better the story.
I grew impatient with her smug, self-satisfaction and the endless details about her van breaking down. The gory details of her dog’s accident and vivid description of his extensive injuries and prolonged suffering was just way, way too much information, possibly because I am presently grieving the recent loss of my own beloved dog.
I also frequently wondered how she financed her lifestyle. How did she pay for food, gas and maintenance on her vehicle and in the end, how did she qualify for a loan to buy a property? I don’t know enough about how all the various social media platforms work to know for sure, but it stands to reason that she “sold” her private life to people living vicariously through her melodramatic pursuit of her dreams given that she had no meaningful employment. No, that was beneath her but trading dollars for private details of her reckless, self-imposed martyrdom on Instagram was perfectly acceptable. I’m grateful I only borrowed the book from the library and didn’t help to finance her life by buying her ridiculous book.
I was irritated by her disdain for regular rank and file people who strive to make a living and do their best to provide for themselves and their families. It is not necessary to suffer such extreme deprivation and hardship in search of a simpler more spiritual life. I know from personal experience that it’s possible to eschew materialism and consumerism while still living in a humble, rented dwelling with four walls and indoor plumbing. However, it seems that she embraced hardship, the deprivation of creature comforts like cleanliness, a proper bed and basic plumbing, and the discomfort of extreme heat and cold living in an uninsulated van simply because it made for good copy on Instagram and lent her notoriety. The more dramatic and challenging her circumstances, the better the story.
I grew impatient with her smug, self-satisfaction and the endless details about her van breaking down. The gory details of her dog’s accident and vivid description of his extensive injuries and prolonged suffering was just way, way too much information, possibly because I am presently grieving the recent loss of my own beloved dog.
I also frequently wondered how she financed her lifestyle. How did she pay for food, gas and maintenance on her vehicle and in the end, how did she qualify for a loan to buy a property? I don’t know enough about how all the various social media platforms work to know for sure, but it stands to reason that she “sold” her private life to people living vicariously through her melodramatic pursuit of her dreams given that she had no meaningful employment. No, that was beneath her but trading dollars for private details of her reckless, self-imposed martyrdom on Instagram was perfectly acceptable. I’m grateful I only borrowed the book from the library and didn’t help to finance her life by buying her ridiculous book.
I had no idea who Brianna Madia was and read this book on the recommendation of a friend. After finishing this and learning more about Brianna (her claim to fame is largely via Instagram), I think the target audience for this book are her fans and followers.
There were some stories within the book I enjoyed - such as the slot canyon adventures or sterotypical van life issues trying to get into Mexico. A majority of it, however, jumped around in a way that was often hard to follow. I felt more attached to all of her pups than her throughout the book, so some personal stories were hard to have much of a reaction to.
The most polarizing topic for Brianna and this book - Dagwood the dog - was heart wrenching to read and clearly Brianna poured herself into a painful retelling of that incident. However, after reading more about Brianna, it also became clear that this part of the book is part of her attempt to explain her side of the story once again. The level of detail and pain for this story is so much more significant than any other part of the book.
I listened to the book and the author does a nice job narrating it. I had a feeling if I was sitting down to read it, some of the things others mention in their reviews (poor editing, etc.) would have changed my experience with the book.
There were some stories within the book I enjoyed - such as the slot canyon adventures or sterotypical van life issues trying to get into Mexico. A majority of it, however, jumped around in a way that was often hard to follow. I felt more attached to all of her pups than her throughout the book, so some personal stories were hard to have much of a reaction to.
The most polarizing topic for Brianna and this book - Dagwood the dog - was heart wrenching to read and clearly Brianna poured herself into a painful retelling of that incident. However, after reading more about Brianna, it also became clear that this part of the book is part of her attempt to explain her side of the story once again. The level of detail and pain for this story is so much more significant than any other part of the book.
I listened to the book and the author does a nice job narrating it. I had a feeling if I was sitting down to read it, some of the things others mention in their reviews (poor editing, etc.) would have changed my experience with the book.
Having zero knowledge of Brianna Media’s social media presence, I found this book through an acquaintance’s story on instagram. Figured I’d give it a shot considering I love memoirs written from an adventurous soul (and I find kindred spirits in dog people).
It takes a lot of moxie to admit you’ve withheld the truth from people. And I’ve gotta give props to Brianna for sharing her life in this way. I look forward to reading her second memoir (whenever I get around to it).
It takes a lot of moxie to admit you’ve withheld the truth from people. And I’ve gotta give props to Brianna for sharing her life in this way. I look forward to reading her second memoir (whenever I get around to it).
An excellent start to my year - Brianna feels like a fast friend. Her journey, both emotionally and physically, is a revelatory look into how we could all stand to do more with less. Disregarding social pressures and norms, Bri makes a life for herself and her beloved dogs in her 90s Ford adventure van. Her willingness to share her fears, trials and triumphs is endearing and her spirit feels so very familiar. We can all identify with a need to wander our chosen parts of the earth, but this book also explores the soul and it’s rocky, often mountainous terrain. Don’t skip this book - fast track it to the top of your list (especially if you love dogs, the desert and good adventure.)