rainyreadingrite's review against another edition
5.0
Mel has a sincere, humorous, as well as eloquent voice. Her book is jam-packed with useful advice, information, explanations, and experiences. A+ writing, too. Probably the best book by a YouTuber I've read so far. Heck, among the best non-fiction books I've read so far. Loved. It.
raluca_emilia's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Loved Melanie for years now on Youtube but it was such a breath of fresh air to hear these types of issues coming from a human that actually lived them and not from text books or therapists.
Highly recommend her :)
Highly recommend her :)
sendusia's review against another edition
4.0
Youtubers have really become a force in our modern society. With social media and it's influencers quite literally influencing the world, it is lovely to have Melanie Murphy as one of those forces. As someone who is only a year younger than Melanie herself, I find that I can relate to most of what she shares in her autobiography.
Part comical and part heartbreaking, Melanie's story is one of resilience, strength and growth. I opted to listen to the audiobook version and found it to be the best way to experience Melanie's story. It actually felt as though she was telling me her story and all the shit that she put herself through. Melanie doesn't shy away from the gritty shit that she put herself through and hits upon taboo subjects such as bisexuality, sex and organisms (gasp!).
The part of her story that I was drawn to was that of her body dysmorphia and Orthorexia disorders. I've been there. I've experienced it. I felt that loneliness, that secret hatred you have for not only yourself but for others due their apparent freedom with eating. DAMN was it a hard place to be. That lead to binge drinking, which led to binge eating and well, I had no one to turn to but my therapist.
Due to my own life circumstances and Melanie's way of sharing her story, I adored this biography. Melanie shares her story with vulnerability and strength that helped me understand my own struggles and my own strength. It was nice to read a story about an individual who had experienced similar struggles and was able to overcome them. Maybe it's my bias or the fact that she's hilarious and crude, I would recommend this story to those who just need a little motivation from their Irish granny.
Part comical and part heartbreaking, Melanie's story is one of resilience, strength and growth. I opted to listen to the audiobook version and found it to be the best way to experience Melanie's story. It actually felt as though she was telling me her story and all the shit that she put herself through. Melanie doesn't shy away from the gritty shit that she put herself through and hits upon taboo subjects such as bisexuality, sex and organisms (gasp!).
The part of her story that I was drawn to was that of her body dysmorphia and Orthorexia disorders. I've been there. I've experienced it. I felt that loneliness, that secret hatred you have for not only yourself but for others due their apparent freedom with eating. DAMN was it a hard place to be. That lead to binge drinking, which led to binge eating and well, I had no one to turn to but my therapist.
Due to my own life circumstances and Melanie's way of sharing her story, I adored this biography. Melanie shares her story with vulnerability and strength that helped me understand my own struggles and my own strength. It was nice to read a story about an individual who had experienced similar struggles and was able to overcome them. Maybe it's my bias or the fact that she's hilarious and crude, I would recommend this story to those who just need a little motivation from their Irish granny.
eleana's review against another edition
2.0
The content itself is a bit messy but not bad, I just couldn't really get to grips with the tone of the writing. Too informal, not necessarily in the good way. It's more ofba 2.5 really. I think you need to be a bit younger to enjoy this properly but I did like bits
cakereads's review against another edition
2.0
Melanie Murphy is an Irish YouTuber who posts videos on make-up, relationships, sexuality and self-care. This book is about her own struggles with life issues and the lessons learned from these experiences.
Rating it 2 out of 5 doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book - I did. It's a simple, quick read, like you're having a down-to-earth chat with a friend. The main problem is that the book doesn't offer anything new, and the author's "I'm your gabby best girlfriend" shtick is annoying after a while.
Fans will like reading about the bits of her life she hasn't shared in her videos (yet). The parts of the book that touch on issues like depression and anxiety, and eating disorders will be useful for people going through the same issues; she offers helpful insight into how she overcomes these problems.
But ... there isn't really anything new in the book. I'm not diminishing her struggles in any way. It's shitty that she has to go through such horrible experiences. But because the book is written such a subjective way, and she doesn't refer to external sources to validate her tips and advice, it's hard to have much substantial takeaway.
Take for example, the section on 'Beauty and Confidence':
Meh. This is the kind of generic advice that everybody receives that don't really tell us how to get there. Sure, self-confidence is a very personal journey - if you don't want to be confident, there's no way anyone else can make it happen for you. Perhaps it is useful for people to hear such things again and again, just to remind them that it could happen if they tried.
If it's basic self-care tips that you need, this is the book for you. I'm lucky enough that I'm at a stage in my life where self-confidence or mental health don't really impede me from living my life. But if you want to be better, if you want to be happier, this book could be useful.
I can see how with better editing and sharper focus, the book could be better. Would I read another non-fiction book on her life? Nah. But I would check out her fiction work, if she ever writes that YA fantasy novel she talked about in a recent video. Her writing is solid.
This review can also be found on my website.
Rating it 2 out of 5 doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book - I did. It's a simple, quick read, like you're having a down-to-earth chat with a friend. The main problem is that the book doesn't offer anything new, and the author's "I'm your gabby best girlfriend" shtick is annoying after a while.
Fans will like reading about the bits of her life she hasn't shared in her videos (yet). The parts of the book that touch on issues like depression and anxiety, and eating disorders will be useful for people going through the same issues; she offers helpful insight into how she overcomes these problems.
But ... there isn't really anything new in the book. I'm not diminishing her struggles in any way. It's shitty that she has to go through such horrible experiences. But because the book is written such a subjective way, and she doesn't refer to external sources to validate her tips and advice, it's hard to have much substantial takeaway.
Take for example, the section on 'Beauty and Confidence':
Be smarter than the masses, gang. Accept that everyone perceives beauty in different ways and just because Jimmy over there doesn't find you beautiful doesn't mean that Joe around the corner won't you so astonishing that he won't be able to keep his shit together and might even jizz in his pants just a tiny bit. (pg 157)
Let go of the concept of perfection and #goals. You define what is perfect to you. We all desire different qualities and characteristics and we all like different things, so we shouldn't feel like just because somebody else thinks something is #goals that we need to conform. (pg 182)
Meh. This is the kind of generic advice that everybody receives that don't really tell us how to get there. Sure, self-confidence is a very personal journey - if you don't want to be confident, there's no way anyone else can make it happen for you. Perhaps it is useful for people to hear such things again and again, just to remind them that it could happen if they tried.
If it's basic self-care tips that you need, this is the book for you. I'm lucky enough that I'm at a stage in my life where self-confidence or mental health don't really impede me from living my life. But if you want to be better, if you want to be happier, this book could be useful.
I can see how with better editing and sharper focus, the book could be better. Would I read another non-fiction book on her life? Nah. But I would check out her fiction work, if she ever writes that YA fantasy novel she talked about in a recent video. Her writing is solid.
This review can also be found on my website.
chrissylilly's review against another edition
5.0
A great insight into the mind of a fellow 20-something and SO relatable! Mel touches on so many important topics from body image, eating disorders, depression, friendship, sexuality and more. A great read, but an even better listen on Audible since it's read by Mel herself! Like listening to your best friend on the phone! Awesome job!
cerysbd's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0