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archer8's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very emotional read and had me ignoring my need for sleep. My eyes have been opened from the brutally honest experience of her eating disorder and how it affected so many areas of her life.
wandererreads's review against another edition
5.0
I don't read memoirs often, but when I came across this one I knew I had to. The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting written by Evanna Lynch, otherwise known as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, is a raw and honest look at her battle & recovery with anorexia, growing up as a woman, and how she got into acting/landed her role as Luna. While the main chunk of the book is about her recovery, there is more to the book. She details her life experience, allowing creativity back into her life, veganism, and her love of animals.
A few standout quotes
•"And I decide, now, in this moment, that I want it; I want this body. I want to inhabit her, enjoy her, care for her, and defend her in this world. And I no longer want to be yet another voice telling her she’s disgusting or embarrassing or inadequate or too much. I want to be one of those arresting voices of love and compassion, to offer her a space where she can go to restore, to feel safe, to grow."
•"We're afraid that if we fully surrender to our darkness, we'll never come back from it. We´re afraid our darkness will go on and on and on, that there is no end to it and that we will get lost in it. We're afraid that if we show these ugly, unpalatable parts of ourselves, it will be too much for others; that nobody will love and accept us, and we'll be left alone with only the worst parts of ourselves for company."
•"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."
I loved how authentic she was while recounting her story. I honestly couldn't put this down, I think I binge read the first half in a day. I would recommend checking this one out. If you are into audiobooks, Evanna does the narration.
A few standout quotes
•"And I decide, now, in this moment, that I want it; I want this body. I want to inhabit her, enjoy her, care for her, and defend her in this world. And I no longer want to be yet another voice telling her she’s disgusting or embarrassing or inadequate or too much. I want to be one of those arresting voices of love and compassion, to offer her a space where she can go to restore, to feel safe, to grow."
•"We're afraid that if we fully surrender to our darkness, we'll never come back from it. We´re afraid our darkness will go on and on and on, that there is no end to it and that we will get lost in it. We're afraid that if we show these ugly, unpalatable parts of ourselves, it will be too much for others; that nobody will love and accept us, and we'll be left alone with only the worst parts of ourselves for company."
•"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."
I loved how authentic she was while recounting her story. I honestly couldn't put this down, I think I binge read the first half in a day. I would recommend checking this one out. If you are into audiobooks, Evanna does the narration.
hazelrayson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
emmacraig's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
kristenmneal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
karmanderofmars's review against another edition
5.0
I've never read any account of eating disorders quite like this... it speaks to Evanna's strength and growth as a person that she was able to take control of her own story and tell it in such an honest way. This was definitely a hard read but an extremely important one and showcases the messy, at times brutal and oftentimes beautiful parts of growing up.
sjayne_reads's review against another edition
5.0
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is a memoir by Evanna Lynch (Luna) about her experience with anorexia. Too often these books read as an instruction manual to an eating disorder, but this is a far cry from that. It’s a beautifully written account of the many downsides and horrors of an ed. It is also full of hope which I believe could help those suffering, and those supporting them, to see that recovery is possible after all.
I gravitated toward this novel as a result of my ongoing struggle with anorexia and left it feeling understood and seen because my journey had many similarities with Evanna’s.
This is a perfect read if you want to find out more about the experience of an eating disorder, want to know more about Evanna or even if you are in recovery yourself (though maybe not the early stages) or have a love for Harry Potter. It’s written well enough that any possible triggers are few and far between and it is very moving and hopeful. However, it isn’t trigger free and there is some mention of ed behaviours and self harm.
In saying that, this is probably the best ed memoires that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read my share) and it deeply moved me.
‘You don’t ‘catch’ anorexia… what is infectious is the feeling of inherent unworthiness that so many people carry with them’
This is a memoir by Evanna Lynch (Luna) about her experience with anorexia. Too often these books read as an instruction manual to an eating disorder, but this is a far cry from that. It’s a beautifully written account of the many downsides and horrors of an ed. It is also full of hope which I believe could help those suffering, and those supporting them, to see that recovery is possible after all.
I gravitated toward this novel as a result of my ongoing struggle with anorexia and left it feeling understood and seen because my journey had many similarities with Evanna’s.
This is a perfect read if you want to find out more about the experience of an eating disorder, want to know more about Evanna or even if you are in recovery yourself (though maybe not the early stages) or have a love for Harry Potter. It’s written well enough that any possible triggers are few and far between and it is very moving and hopeful. However, it isn’t trigger free and there is some mention of ed behaviours and self harm.
In saying that, this is probably the best ed memoires that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read my share) and it deeply moved me.
‘You don’t ‘catch’ anorexia… what is infectious is the feeling of inherent unworthiness that so many people carry with them’
books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
5.0
5 ⭐️
Credibility/research: 10
Authenticity/uniqueness: 10
Writing/readability: 10
Personal impact: 10
Intrigue: 10
Logic/informativeness: 10
Enjoyment: 10
No words. I've never felt so seen.
Credibility/research: 10
Authenticity/uniqueness: 10
Writing/readability: 10
Personal impact: 10
Intrigue: 10
Logic/informativeness: 10
Enjoyment: 10
No words. I've never felt so seen.
allison_f_2023's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder