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laaurenculpan 's review for:
Suddenly Silent and Still
by Nin Mok
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
disclaimer: i was gifted this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. all words/views are my own.
This isn’t the usual type of book I would read. I’m not a non-fiction reader and I certainly don’t enjoy reading books about medical/health issues- it just has never been for me. However, this year I gave myself an aim of broadening my horizons and so I was thrilled when Nin reached out to offer me the chance to read her book.
It was heartbreaking.
To go from being a healthy, active, abled person one day to someone who couldn’t even lift their head from the bed for fear of being so violently ill and having a disability must be life changing. And yet, Nin took it all in her stride. Sure there are moments throughout the book where you know Nin would do anything to get her old life back, to return to the person she once knew so well but this book isn’t about that. This book is about accepting your fate and dealing with the grief that comes from losing something. We can all relate to grief; whether that be from losing a loved one, to a marriage breaking down to even missing out on getting a job promotion- grief comes in a variety of forms and as I am learning, every person deals with it in their own way. It takes a great deal of courage to be handed this path in life and continue onwards, instead of admitting defeat. Hearing how honest and raw Nin was about her feelings towards everything- including her family and self, was inspiring. It takes a lot for people to honest and I was glad to get a picture of who she was/is as a person throughout.
There were points in the book, where some of the language was lost on me and I did find myself losing focus. Over complicated words and long sentences are sometimes overwhelming and I found that this book had a lot of those. There were a lot of comparisons to feelings/sensations throughout, and whilst this can be helpful, it did start to tire after a while. This was also a hard read at points, particularly relating to the authors previous views on mental health and disability and whilst it isn’t something I have ever agreed with, I can see why it was a necessity to include. However that doesn’t mean it will be a pleasant read to most and so I would advise to take caution.
I am glad that I was able to go out of my comfort zone and read a book like this. Reading is subjective and I think if you can take something away from each persons story, then that can help you grow. Thank you Nin for reaching out, if you ever write another book, I’ll be sure to give it a read!
This isn’t the usual type of book I would read. I’m not a non-fiction reader and I certainly don’t enjoy reading books about medical/health issues- it just has never been for me. However, this year I gave myself an aim of broadening my horizons and so I was thrilled when Nin reached out to offer me the chance to read her book.
It was heartbreaking.
To go from being a healthy, active, abled person one day to someone who couldn’t even lift their head from the bed for fear of being so violently ill and having a disability must be life changing. And yet, Nin took it all in her stride. Sure there are moments throughout the book where you know Nin would do anything to get her old life back, to return to the person she once knew so well but this book isn’t about that. This book is about accepting your fate and dealing with the grief that comes from losing something. We can all relate to grief; whether that be from losing a loved one, to a marriage breaking down to even missing out on getting a job promotion- grief comes in a variety of forms and as I am learning, every person deals with it in their own way. It takes a great deal of courage to be handed this path in life and continue onwards, instead of admitting defeat. Hearing how honest and raw Nin was about her feelings towards everything- including her family and self, was inspiring. It takes a lot for people to honest and I was glad to get a picture of who she was/is as a person throughout.
There were points in the book, where some of the language was lost on me and I did find myself losing focus. Over complicated words and long sentences are sometimes overwhelming and I found that this book had a lot of those. There were a lot of comparisons to feelings/sensations throughout, and whilst this can be helpful, it did start to tire after a while. This was also a hard read at points, particularly relating to the authors previous views on mental health and disability and whilst it isn’t something I have ever agreed with, I can see why it was a necessity to include. However that doesn’t mean it will be a pleasant read to most and so I would advise to take caution.
I am glad that I was able to go out of my comfort zone and read a book like this. Reading is subjective and I think if you can take something away from each persons story, then that can help you grow. Thank you Nin for reaching out, if you ever write another book, I’ll be sure to give it a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Suicide
Minor: Vomit, Pandemic/Epidemic