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A review by gracer
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
3.0
I think this is how self-help books have been reincarnated for the twenty-first century.
That’s not a bad thing. I’ve gotten a lot of good out of books like these, and I can even include this one. It’s a tough time and it’s nice to be reminded, for example, that “we can do hard things.” I loved the short chapters that made it easy to read a little before getting out of bed in the morning, like a little morning pep talk.
On the downside, it’s a little woo-woo, and a little more spiritual than is generally a good fit for me. More importantly, I felt the writing was strangely organized. The whole book is founded on the concept of a cheetah that’s been raised in captivity: Glennon is sure this animal knows there’s something more, and that feels like a pretty big and loose projection on which to base a 300-page book. And then the content within that seems random. I’m not sure it could have been organized differently, but it felt like a bunch of observations on her life thrown together.
I really liked the beginning and reading how Abby and Glennon met, but beyond that I would have preferred a bit more structure. It isn’t my book, though, so... okay.
The cover is awesome. Bright, colorful, gaudy, a little glittery, messy, and unapologetic. A metaphor, maybe?
That’s not a bad thing. I’ve gotten a lot of good out of books like these, and I can even include this one. It’s a tough time and it’s nice to be reminded, for example, that “we can do hard things.” I loved the short chapters that made it easy to read a little before getting out of bed in the morning, like a little morning pep talk.
On the downside, it’s a little woo-woo, and a little more spiritual than is generally a good fit for me. More importantly, I felt the writing was strangely organized. The whole book is founded on the concept of a cheetah that’s been raised in captivity: Glennon is sure this animal knows there’s something more, and that feels like a pretty big and loose projection on which to base a 300-page book. And then the content within that seems random. I’m not sure it could have been organized differently, but it felt like a bunch of observations on her life thrown together.
I really liked the beginning and reading how Abby and Glennon met, but beyond that I would have preferred a bit more structure. It isn’t my book, though, so... okay.
The cover is awesome. Bright, colorful, gaudy, a little glittery, messy, and unapologetic. A metaphor, maybe?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Infidelity