selilabude's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
contextremoved's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
amongstchaosshereads's review against another edition
Absolutely brilliant!!
“And maybe I will live a happier, wilder, more colourful and unpredictable life if I can finally abandon the debilitating and brutal pursuit of perfection. If I can learn to love butterflies from afar, and watch them fly away.”
“It will get easier’ is probably the most offensive thing you can say to someone in the grip of pain. You are borrowing from a future that isn’t promised, a future that depends entirely on their endurance of the pain. You are taking for granted a well of strength within them that they may not possess, fast-forwarding through the ugly bits that you don’t want to watch but they must live through, nonetheless. ‘It will get easier’ is not a helpful thing to say to someone for whom only the present moment can exist, so vivid, so intense that it’s not possible to imagine a moment beyond it. The future doesn’t matter to someone enduring an unimaginable pain, so let’s not entertain that childish fantasy. All that matters is the pain that is consuming you in this moment, that you grit your teeth and try to survive it. You invalidate the pain and the damage it inflicts when you hasten to skip past it to a brighter tomorrow. Sometimes things are just unremittingly shit and the only respectful thing to do is to stand next to the person going through it and scream along with them.”
No star rating as I find it a little uncomfortable rating someones life story.
Will not rate a memoir.
“And maybe I will live a happier, wilder, more colourful and unpredictable life if I can finally abandon the debilitating and brutal pursuit of perfection. If I can learn to love butterflies from afar, and watch them fly away.”
“It will get easier’ is probably the most offensive thing you can say to someone in the grip of pain. You are borrowing from a future that isn’t promised, a future that depends entirely on their endurance of the pain. You are taking for granted a well of strength within them that they may not possess, fast-forwarding through the ugly bits that you don’t want to watch but they must live through, nonetheless. ‘It will get easier’ is not a helpful thing to say to someone for whom only the present moment can exist, so vivid, so intense that it’s not possible to imagine a moment beyond it. The future doesn’t matter to someone enduring an unimaginable pain, so let’s not entertain that childish fantasy. All that matters is the pain that is consuming you in this moment, that you grit your teeth and try to survive it. You invalidate the pain and the damage it inflicts when you hasten to skip past it to a brighter tomorrow. Sometimes things are just unremittingly shit and the only respectful thing to do is to stand next to the person going through it and scream along with them.”
No star rating as I find it a little uncomfortable rating someones life story.
Will not rate a memoir.
jocieee201's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
A very illuminating read. I feel as though I understand what it’s like to be in Evanna’s head, as well as others who have struggled with eating disorders. It’s so refreshing to be in someone else’s mind, and to read someone as articulate as Evanna. I haven’t struggled with this issue myself, but picked up this book because I like Evanna’s acting and activism, and she did not disappoint. Thank you for sharing your story- I know I’m certainly better having read this memoir.
ekinnaman's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This wasn’t at all a light memoir about being Luna Lovegood (even though it does touch on that). Instead, this is a VERY heavy discussion of Lynch’s experience with an eating disorder. I loved the way she talked about everything with such respect and nuance; eating disorders are so misunderstood and I feel like this book made them much more understandable even in horror of it all.
cajunliterarybelle's review against another edition
4.0
Those who read Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died for the journey of her eating disorder and triumphing professionally and personally despite all that would probably really enjoy this book. Evanna Lynch brings the reader through her whole ordeal with depression, anorexia, and struggling with body dysmorphia. She never downplays the impact anorexia had on her life. She provides a glimpse into the rollercoaster of her mental state and happiness through life and her career and how anorexia played a part. Being given the role of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter was definitely a highlight of her life, as she dotes on the character in this memoir. Don't read this book, though, for a lengthy look into her time working on the Harry Potter movies. That dream was clearly amazing for her, but it's only a small piece of the entire book.
I really enjoyed learning from her experience with anorexia, because I could never fathom before how someone can go down that path. Her accepting herself and her body as an adult is inspiring. The audiobook is read by Evanna Lynch herself, and she does a wonderful job.
I really enjoyed learning from her experience with anorexia, because I could never fathom before how someone can go down that path. Her accepting herself and her body as an adult is inspiring. The audiobook is read by Evanna Lynch herself, and she does a wonderful job.
kenrenreads's review against another edition
5.0
Luna Lovegood was my favorite character in the Harry Potter franchise (right next to Hagrid), and I remember when her experience with (CONTENT WARNING) an eating disturbance began to be discussed in interviews during the filming of the later movies. This book covers (as she says) many of the tragedies of glories of her upbringing before, during, and after her involvement in the Harry Potter movies.
This is raw and unfiltered, and listening to her tell her story via audiobook was incredibly tragic and simultaneously encouraging to hear how she has recovered while growing up.
Definitely consider content warnings before reading, but I truly think Evanna Lynch has written an incredible memoir for herself.
This is raw and unfiltered, and listening to her tell her story via audiobook was incredibly tragic and simultaneously encouraging to hear how she has recovered while growing up.
Definitely consider content warnings before reading, but I truly think Evanna Lynch has written an incredible memoir for herself.