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A review by nataliecoyne
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
So this is the only John Green book I've actually read, which I think is probably something uncommon. But I've seen all of John Green's TikToks and YouTube videos about tuberculosis and it's such a fascinating subject (in a sad way) that I knew I wanted to read this book. This book was really well done, I feel like I learned a lot, and it was deeply moving and impactful. All of the historical and contemporary medical knowledge was very interesting to learn about, but it was also great getting Henry's story throughout the book and putting that personal aspect at the forefront.
On an only tangentially related note, it was great seeing the End TB Now Act mentioned on page 186. This is probably something a lot glanced over but as someone who spent 2 days on Capitol Hill last April, also meeting with Congressional offices to advocate for this crucially important bill, it is something that stuck out to me. Speaking of the End TB Now Act, for anyone curious who might be reading this review: While it did pass the Senate, it did not pass in the House of Representatives (it never even came to a vote on the House floor), and therefore did not become law. Anyway, I could go on a whole tangent about the End TB Now Act, but I'll leave it at that aggravating note (that it didn't become law).
This is an easy 5 stars and a book that I would recommend to absolutely everyone.
On an only tangentially related note, it was great seeing the End TB Now Act mentioned on page 186. This is probably something a lot glanced over but as someone who spent 2 days on Capitol Hill last April, also meeting with Congressional offices to advocate for this crucially important bill, it is something that stuck out to me. Speaking of the End TB Now Act, for anyone curious who might be reading this review: While it did pass the Senate, it did not pass in the House of Representatives (it never even came to a vote on the House floor), and therefore did not become law. Anyway, I could go on a whole tangent about the End TB Now Act, but I'll leave it at that aggravating note (that it didn't become law).
This is an easy 5 stars and a book that I would recommend to absolutely everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, War
Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit