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A review by donutscientist
Just Physical by Jae
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
I was so excited to read this book with my fiancée who has MS, thinking it would be an awesome experience, just to be disappointed beyond measure. Honestly, on my own I wouldn't have made it past the first few chapters, because it just broke my heart to hear my amazing fiancée, who has been nothing but an absolute light in my life from the moment I met her, read out loud Jill's incredibly demeaning thoughts about herself and disabled people in general. She convinced me to keep on reading, as she believed that these would just be Jill's thoughts in the beginning but soon she would get some help and support from nice friends and also her love interest and her point of view would change.I wanted to believe her but again, this is where the big disappointment set in.
Nobody - not a single character in this book - told Jill that her thinking she (and by extension other people with MS or wheelchair users) were a burden to their partners. I was so hoping for anyone she or Crash told the situation to be like "hey, it sounds like you should see a professional to help you deal with your diagnosis or get some perspective on what the rest of your life might look like" but no one did. Even her friend said they'd rather break up with their girlfriend than be a burden to her, if she was the one with MS. I also thought it would be cool to turn the tables and have Crash come to realize that she, too, might have an accident in that dangerous line of work, that might result in her needing a wheelchair. There was an example of a former coworker who had an accident but it was only used to further exemplify how impossible it is to lead a happy life with a disability, as it was promptly mentioned how he lost everything. And the list goes on. The sudden change of heart at the end practically out of nowhere felt forced and completely unbelievable.
Nobody - not a single character in this book - told Jill that her thinking she (and by extension other people with MS or wheelchair users) were a burden to their partners. I was so hoping for anyone she or Crash told the situation to be like "hey, it sounds like you should see a professional to help you deal with your diagnosis or get some perspective on what the rest of your life might look like" but no one did. Even her friend said they'd rather break up with their girlfriend than be a burden to her, if she was the one with MS. I also thought it would be cool to turn the tables and have Crash come to realize that she, too, might have an accident in that dangerous line of work, that might result in her needing a wheelchair. There was an example of a former coworker who had an accident but it was only used to further exemplify how impossible it is to lead a happy life with a disability, as it was promptly mentioned how he lost everything. And the list goes on. The sudden change of heart at the end practically out of nowhere felt forced and completely unbelievable.
It was just so infuriating to read Jill's repetitive thoughts and I felt like Crash barely had anything going for her character wise except being a stuntwoman.
The general idea of the book sounded awesome to me and that's where the .25 stars come from. I would love to see more diversity in literature, including main characters with disabilities, but not like this. The execution here was such a let down.
The general idea of the book sounded awesome to me and that's where the .25 stars come from. I would love to see more diversity in literature, including main characters with disabilities, but not like this. The execution here was such a let down.
I don't think I've ever hated reading a book this much because I was so genuinely disappointed. I wanted to love this. I wanted my fiancée to love this and see herself represented well. I've never seen her throw a book before but if one had to be the first, this was a solid choice.
This is the first and last book by this author that I'll ever read. I hope no disabled person reads this when they're in a bad spot mentally. I'm not usually this harsh reviewing books but this one just hit different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Chronic illness
Moderate: Lesbophobia