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Reviews tagging 'Suicide'
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up by Evanna Lynch
4 reviews
jaidlyn_7's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, and Suicide
lauren_miller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
this is a very hard review to write.
I absolutely adore Evanna's writing—it is visceral, evocative, creative, whimsical, playful, and honest. and because I love her voice, I found the material, as rough and heart-wrenching as it was, bearable and even at times amusing.
there is nothing amusing about the subject matter in this book. it is written by someone formerly defined by and forever to be associated with anorexia. it is not written lightly, which i think should be appreciated. it does not shy away at all; the mind of someone with an eating disorder is exactly as this book portrays—angry, ashamed, depressed, manic, obsessive, cruel, yet at the same time incredibly passionate, playful, mischievous, lively, thoughtful, sensitive, and even kind. this book is not necessarily for the disordered eaters, but for the outsiders—the parents, family, friends, colleagues, bystanders, and general public that will never truly understand what it means to be in or out of control of one's body. it is a messy and poignant look at the thought patterns, buried far beneath one's physical appearance, that dictate every aspect of a disordered eater's life with such seductive and dark finesse...
...and the reality that these thoughts never go away. an eating disorder can be treated (ethically, I pray) and the recovery label "achieved," but just like any chronic illness, will never truly leave the person.
and that's ok.
Evanna is proof that choosing recovery—making those hundreds of small decisions every day to choose health and happiness over control and "peace of mind"—is hard but possible. I respect and admire that immensely.
I admire this book a lot and hope this is not the last we've seen of Evanna as a storyteller.
5 out of 5 stars.
I absolutely adore Evanna's writing—it is visceral, evocative, creative, whimsical, playful, and honest. and because I love her voice, I found the material, as rough and heart-wrenching as it was, bearable and even at times amusing.
there is nothing amusing about the subject matter in this book. it is written by someone formerly defined by and forever to be associated with anorexia. it is not written lightly, which i think should be appreciated. it does not shy away at all; the mind of someone with an eating disorder is exactly as this book portrays—angry, ashamed, depressed, manic, obsessive, cruel, yet at the same time incredibly passionate, playful, mischievous, lively, thoughtful, sensitive, and even kind. this book is not necessarily for the disordered eaters, but for the outsiders—the parents, family, friends, colleagues, bystanders, and general public that will never truly understand what it means to be in or out of control of one's body. it is a messy and poignant look at the thought patterns, buried far beneath one's physical appearance, that dictate every aspect of a disordered eater's life with such seductive and dark finesse...
...and the reality that these thoughts never go away. an eating disorder can be treated (ethically, I pray) and the recovery label "achieved," but just like any chronic illness, will never truly leave the person.
and that's ok.
Evanna is proof that choosing recovery—making those hundreds of small decisions every day to choose health and happiness over control and "peace of mind"—is hard but possible. I respect and admire that immensely.
I admire this book a lot and hope this is not the last we've seen of Evanna as a storyteller.
5 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Suicide, Chronic illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
bookmarked642's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
Wow. Where do I even begin with this one? What an incredible read! It is a very emotional book, especially for those who have experienced an eating disorder or witnessed loved ones' suffering. And for those who don't have experience with anorexia or anything similar, this may be quite shocking. Evanna does not hold back or sugarcoat anything; she really is brutally honest about speaking her mind. Personally, I found it incredibly reassuring to know that someone else shared similar thoughts to me when I was in that darkest place; never would I have been brave enough to voice them out loud, but it's comforting to know I'm not abnormal or crazy.
There were a lot of similarities between Evanna's story and my own (including going to the same treatment centre, albeit a decade apart) which made this read even more salient for me. However, there were also a vast amount of differences; no two stories are ever the same, and I think it's important to remember that. Every struggle is unique, and every journey is valid. Eating disorders are very competitive and it's easy to find yourself comparing your behaviours and experiences to others', but this is a dangerous game. Evanna makes a point of not including numbers in this book, which is great, and even outlines her view on why many 'recovered' anorexics still find the need to share their lowest weights or most shocking facts which I very much agree with. Still, she does describe many of her behaviours at the peak of her disorder in order to paint a vivid picture of her life, and so this is definitely not suitable for some people who are still struggling and may find these details triggering.
The book doesn't only focus on her eating disorder directly, though; Evanna describes how it was a coping method for deeper issues, and also illustrates how it infiltrated so many aspects of her life even after physical 'recovery'. Restoring your weight and eating healthily does not mean you are 'fixed', and this period is often the most difficult. It is a time of growth and self-discovery, as well as mourning for your disorder. It is a painful and complicated time. Evanna's experience around this time was rather unique in that it involved being hired as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies; this in itself was amazing to read about and also incredibly inspiring (I have a little dream of pursuing acting myself). Plus, it was incredibly inspiring to hear Evanna discuss how having a passion for something other than her disorder helped her begin to move on and embrace life more fully, and move towards recovery.
I could honestly go on and on about this book. It made me cry, but it also made me look to the future a bit differently. It made me think about what I want to do with my life and how I can fill my time with something more meaningful than planning meals and counting calories. Has I have said many times, it is not necessarily an easy or lighthearted read. It is painful at times and Evanna's despair and suffering is clear. But it is possibly the most realistic and relatable account of anorexia I have read to date, and although our experiences were so vastly different, I feel a sense of comfort from her words and hope for myself. Recovery is not instant or easy or neat, but it is possible. You can build a life for yourself without the eating disorder, and it might not be perfect, but it will be real.
Finally, I just wanted to add that the afterword was especially poignant to me. I adore butterflies, too, mesmerised by their beauty. But the 'art' of catching and displaying butterflies breaks my heart. I loved this final note from Evanna.
There were a lot of similarities between Evanna's story and my own (including going to the same treatment centre, albeit a decade apart) which made this read even more salient for me. However, there were also a vast amount of differences; no two stories are ever the same, and I think it's important to remember that. Every struggle is unique, and every journey is valid. Eating disorders are very competitive and it's easy to find yourself comparing your behaviours and experiences to others', but this is a dangerous game. Evanna makes a point of not including numbers in this book, which is great, and even outlines her view on why many 'recovered' anorexics still find the need to share their lowest weights or most shocking facts which I very much agree with. Still, she does describe many of her behaviours at the peak of her disorder in order to paint a vivid picture of her life, and so this is definitely not suitable for some people who are still struggling and may find these details triggering.
The book doesn't only focus on her eating disorder directly, though; Evanna describes how it was a coping method for deeper issues, and also illustrates how it infiltrated so many aspects of her life even after physical 'recovery'. Restoring your weight and eating healthily does not mean you are 'fixed', and this period is often the most difficult. It is a time of growth and self-discovery, as well as mourning for your disorder. It is a painful and complicated time. Evanna's experience around this time was rather unique in that it involved being hired as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies; this in itself was amazing to read about and also incredibly inspiring (I have a little dream of pursuing acting myself). Plus, it was incredibly inspiring to hear Evanna discuss how having a passion for something other than her disorder helped her begin to move on and embrace life more fully, and move towards recovery.
I could honestly go on and on about this book. It made me cry, but it also made me look to the future a bit differently. It made me think about what I want to do with my life and how I can fill my time with something more meaningful than planning meals and counting calories. Has I have said many times, it is not necessarily an easy or lighthearted read. It is painful at times and Evanna's despair and suffering is clear. But it is possibly the most realistic and relatable account of anorexia I have read to date, and although our experiences were so vastly different, I feel a sense of comfort from her words and hope for myself. Recovery is not instant or easy or neat, but it is possible. You can build a life for yourself without the eating disorder, and it might not be perfect, but it will be real.
Finally, I just wanted to add that the afterword was especially poignant to me. I adore butterflies, too, mesmerised by their beauty. But the 'art' of catching and displaying butterflies breaks my heart. I loved this final note from Evanna.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
lonelyeyesonly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Minor: Suicide
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