Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up by Evanna Lynch

4 reviews

rosaryoleander's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is one of the most traumatic books I have ever read and for that reason, I could not possibly recommend it to someone unprepared. And yet I feel like I must recommend it to fathers wondering about the inner workings of their teenage daughters, to women who grew up. Because this book recounts with agonising accuracy the feeling of being young, of bridging that gap between childhood and adolescence, and the utter hopelessness of realising the dreadful loss of innocence. 

Evanna Lynch explores the absolute darknesses of the human soul, of the malignant self hatred of feeling worthless, and she does it without sympathy and pity for herself, but with a shrewd, cold, cruel analysis of her younger self. There are no frills to this story. It is dark and disturbing and heartbreaking to hear how much one so seemingly lovely hated herself. 

But that is the brilliance, because that us what evokes the memory of those places in oneself. 

This book is not an easy read. But it has heart, and hope and understanding of the self, and in the end there is grace. It may not be wonderful, but it is essential. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Medical content, Body shaming, Body horror, Eating disorder, Self harm, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Addiction, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, Body horror, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Mental illness, Bullying, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

azebrareads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Fatphobia, Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Bullying, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

_bookishbella's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Absolutely stunning. It’s shocking, but so well written and something that everyone should read - it has opened my eyes to the truth about eating disorders and I’ve learnt so much. Such an important book not just for sufferers of eating disorders but for everyone who‘s trying to understand or has no experience of them. It’s hard to rate memoirs but this is perfection. Cannot recommend enough but do be aware of the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, and Mental illness