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A review by dwdillydally
A Sick History of Medicine: A Warts-And-All Book Full of Fun Facts and Disgusting Discoveries by Jelena Poleksic, Neon Squid
funny
informative
fast-paced
2.0
#easynonfiction #kidsnonfiction #audiobook #dwreads25
Ugh, first dud of the year. This book has a lot of good things in its corner:
- written by a real doctor
- expressive and stupidly funny illustrations
- publisher Neon Squid is an exciting new company dedicated to creating and vetting nonfiction "for inquisitive kids (and kids at heart)
- only 45 minutes long
- a fantastic narrator (Seriously, I'm going to see what else Tim Cambell has recorded
- sprinkled with medical vocabulary
Buuuut, audiobook is NOT the way to enjoy this book. I've not held the book in person, but reading it physically HAS to be better than listening to a literal list of facts. Each fact is 2-5 sentences long. No narrative, no descenable organization like timeline or categories.
I wondered if the author had simply adapted their Twitter feed. Or if this is a list of topics meant to inspire middle-schooler assigned to write an essay. While it was easy to listen to, this was a chore to enjoy. With the right reader, the physical book's redeeming qualities will be appealing.
Suggested for young readers who like...
- gross facts
- silly cartoony illustrations
- absorb fact bites, like Nat Geo Kids
Ugh, first dud of the year. This book has a lot of good things in its corner:
- written by a real doctor
- expressive and stupidly funny illustrations
- publisher Neon Squid is an exciting new company dedicated to creating and vetting nonfiction "for inquisitive kids (and kids at heart)
- only 45 minutes long
- a fantastic narrator (Seriously, I'm going to see what else Tim Cambell has recorded
- sprinkled with medical vocabulary
Buuuut, audiobook is NOT the way to enjoy this book. I've not held the book in person, but reading it physically HAS to be better than listening to a literal list of facts. Each fact is 2-5 sentences long. No narrative, no descenable organization like timeline or categories.
I wondered if the author had simply adapted their Twitter feed. Or if this is a list of topics meant to inspire middle-schooler assigned to write an essay. While it was easy to listen to, this was a chore to enjoy. With the right reader, the physical book's redeeming qualities will be appealing.
Suggested for young readers who like...
- gross facts
- silly cartoony illustrations
- absorb fact bites, like Nat Geo Kids
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic