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A review by its_elyses_pieces
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
4.0
What a wild story. "Brain on Fire" was a fantastic and fast read. I'd say the first two thirds were the most gripping, since the mystery sort of wraps up quickly after that point. Still, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good story with a happy ending.
I admit I couldn't follow all of the terminology Cahalan used, especially when it was explaining the functioning parts of the brain. But anyone who loves neurology would likely find those parts to be quite fascinating, getting to read the scientific breakdown of what was happening to her brain.
I really felt for Cahalan as a girl my age going through something so terrifying as to lose your mind. It's not a fear many 24 year-olds consider, I suspect, so I found the first 100 pages were incredibly shocking and heartbreaking to read.
Although quite talented, I wouldn't necessarily celebrate Cahalan as a ground-breaking author. By all means, her writing is good, but it's not the best I've read. She has a tendency in the first 50 pages leading up to the downfall to say things like "This was the last time I ever [insert experience]." And then the next chapter would also finish off saying, "This was the last time I ever saw [insert person]." Or that's how it felt to me.
But don't let that discourage you. For her pointed writing style only added to the experience, in my opinion. It reminded me that the narrator was just a young woman, like myself. Cahalan showed incredible strength and determination in not only surviving the ordeal but going on to share this very intimate story with the world.
A must-read.
I admit I couldn't follow all of the terminology Cahalan used, especially when it was explaining the functioning parts of the brain. But anyone who loves neurology would likely find those parts to be quite fascinating, getting to read the scientific breakdown of what was happening to her brain.
I really felt for Cahalan as a girl my age going through something so terrifying as to lose your mind. It's not a fear many 24 year-olds consider, I suspect, so I found the first 100 pages were incredibly shocking and heartbreaking to read.
Although quite talented, I wouldn't necessarily celebrate Cahalan as a ground-breaking author. By all means, her writing is good, but it's not the best I've read. She has a tendency in the first 50 pages leading up to the downfall to say things like "This was the last time I ever [insert experience]." And then the next chapter would also finish off saying, "This was the last time I ever saw [insert person]." Or that's how it felt to me.
But don't let that discourage you. For her pointed writing style only added to the experience, in my opinion. It reminded me that the narrator was just a young woman, like myself. Cahalan showed incredible strength and determination in not only surviving the ordeal but going on to share this very intimate story with the world.
A must-read.