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ameliasbooks's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Very raw, honest and insightful essays. Not in a linear structure and sometimes a bit too repetitive. Reads like a collection of pieces that have been published in other publications before.
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
britreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
The personal essays in here touched on grief, loss, the complexity of faith, disability and so many other topics. Some essays really stood out to me such as 'The Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded', 'Fragments, Never Sent' and 'The Cost of Certainty'. I was deeply moved by the moments where she talked about her twin sister who died right after they were born. I think the ending of 'Fragments, Never Sent' was so moving.
Moderate: Ableism and Medical content
Minor: Child death and Religious bigotry
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
This essay collection made me cry out of catharsis, identification, and sheer reflective beauty, multiple times. I tried to track best essays and ended up feeling like every essay was golden and could be my absolute favorite on reread, but right now I have "What We Are," "Narrative and Need," "The Broken Country: On Disability and Desire," "Public Anatomy," "Fragments, Never Sent," and "Frankenstein Abroad" noted. It might be more accurate to track which themes resonated most: early grief and loneliness, internalized ableism and early-twenties vulnerability and confusion, anger vs. sensitive love, progressive disability experiences and fear but hope for aging. I'm hoping to buy a copy of this to own, highlight, and reread because I am just so filled with love for it.
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry
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