amy_in_alaska 's review for:

Freedom: My Book of Firsts by Jaycee Dugard

2.0

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This is a book you don't want to give less than 5 stars too, which is probably the only reason I didn't give it 1. The knock is more on the publishers than on Jaycee. Many of the chapters could have imparted good lessons, or even been told in a more interesting way. But many of them read like a diary entry and, like the dreaded vacation photos, really mean nothing to those who weren't there. And all needed basic editing for flow and structure. It was almost like the publisher's didn't care, because they knew people would buy the book based solely on Jaycee's name. Other people mentioned in their reviews about people who experienced trauma being 'stuck' at the age they were when the trauma occurred. I don't know if that's true but, if it is, it's the only reason I can fathom for the publishers having left the book as written, i.e., to further highlight the harm Jaycee suffered at the hands of the Garrido's. I greatly admire her resilience in surviving her ordeal, in working to create a life for her and her daughters after they were recovered, and the work of her foundation. But she deserved better when it came to this book, especially since she mentioned her childhood dream of possibly becoming an author.