thelostshoe's review against another edition
4.0
Title: I’ll Be OK, It’s Just a Hole in My Head.
Author: Mimi Hayes
Publisher: Animal Media Group
Genre: entertainment, humor
Downloaded from Netgalley, auto-approved for Animal Media Group books there. Honest reviews as always.
Description
Don’t Worry, I Have a Hole in My Head: A Memoir on Heartache and Head Injury is a humorous and thoughtful cross between Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stoke of Insight and Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy. Shocking and funny, Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it.
…There I go again. Trying to turn my life into a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a very bad habit I’ve developed, you guys.
from this book by Mimi Hayes
For the topic it is a very easy read. You feel like she’s sitting next to you and telling you every word.
Author: Mimi Hayes
Publisher: Animal Media Group
Genre: entertainment, humor
Downloaded from Netgalley, auto-approved for Animal Media Group books there. Honest reviews as always.
Description
Don’t Worry, I Have a Hole in My Head: A Memoir on Heartache and Head Injury is a humorous and thoughtful cross between Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stoke of Insight and Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy. Shocking and funny, Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it.
…There I go again. Trying to turn my life into a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a very bad habit I’ve developed, you guys.
from this book by Mimi Hayes
For the topic it is a very easy read. You feel like she’s sitting next to you and telling you every word.
afterglobe's review against another edition
4.0
A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.
4/5 - Really, really liked it!
Mimi Hayes is 22 years old when her brain suddenly hemorrhages. And so begins a beautifully vulnerable and playful memoir which relates Mimi's story. By the end of the book, I wanted to give Mimi a hug. Or be her friend. Or both. Strangely enough, despite the very specific and unusual topic of the book, I found it relatable. I, too, have met a "James." I haven't had a brain hemorrhage, but I've had a TBI thanks to a tram plowing me down while I was on vacation (long story that comes down to a bad intersection). There were so many moments in which reading Mimi's account of a hospital stay or the love/hate relationship one has with nurses who stab you with needles made me want to shout: "Oh my God, ME TOO!"
I found myself celebrating every victory that Mimi recounted. I fell in love with her amazing parents and her brain costume. My heart squeezed tight when she described the monster at the end of the book (Mimi, YOU'RE adorable!) and the whole time I felt like I was listening to the story of a dear friend, whom I understood better than perhaps I should have, and who probably would have understood me.
Aside from the nature of our injuries, there are two additional differences between Mimi and myself. One, she is funnier. I don't often laugh out loud while reading, but this book had me giggling like a maniac (on public transport). Two, she is wiser. Reading her account of her recovery made me see blindspots which have been preventing me from moving on. Her kindness to others shone a light on how my grumpiness and frustration in my recovery maybe warranted some overdue apologies to friends and family. And my absolute favorite insight came from her observation that recovering from a traumatic event didn't miraculously make you fixed in every area of your life - once the flowers stop coming and the get-well cards trickle out, you're still YOU. And this means that you still have all of your insecurities, your hopes, your fears, your walls, etc. I love how Mimi addresses not only her injury in this memoir, but ALL of the areas in which she was hurting or needed to heal. Quite frankly, reading this book was cathartic.
My only criticism is that sometimes I did feel that some chapters did veer off topic into tangents, but this is such a minor issue relative to how good the rest of the book was.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a laugh or an inspiring story. However, I would especially recommend this to survivors of physical trauma - especially those who had long hospital stays or arduous PT experiences. That stuff you didn't know about before you were injured, but now wish you could explain to others, but can't? Mimi does it! Read this book, feel better that someone can actually relate for once, and then pass it on to friends and family members who stood by your side in absolute confusion and misery. This book is a brilliant, hilarious, vulnerable roadmap to what physical and emotional recovery looks like.
In short, I am very happy that Mimi chose to write this and would be elated to read any of her future books.
4/5 - Really, really liked it!
Mimi Hayes is 22 years old when her brain suddenly hemorrhages. And so begins a beautifully vulnerable and playful memoir which relates Mimi's story. By the end of the book, I wanted to give Mimi a hug. Or be her friend. Or both. Strangely enough, despite the very specific and unusual topic of the book, I found it relatable. I, too, have met a "James." I haven't had a brain hemorrhage, but I've had a TBI thanks to a tram plowing me down while I was on vacation (long story that comes down to a bad intersection). There were so many moments in which reading Mimi's account of a hospital stay or the love/hate relationship one has with nurses who stab you with needles made me want to shout: "Oh my God, ME TOO!"
I found myself celebrating every victory that Mimi recounted. I fell in love with her amazing parents and her brain costume. My heart squeezed tight when she described the monster at the end of the book (Mimi, YOU'RE adorable!) and the whole time I felt like I was listening to the story of a dear friend, whom I understood better than perhaps I should have, and who probably would have understood me.
Aside from the nature of our injuries, there are two additional differences between Mimi and myself. One, she is funnier. I don't often laugh out loud while reading, but this book had me giggling like a maniac (on public transport). Two, she is wiser. Reading her account of her recovery made me see blindspots which have been preventing me from moving on. Her kindness to others shone a light on how my grumpiness and frustration in my recovery maybe warranted some overdue apologies to friends and family. And my absolute favorite insight came from her observation that recovering from a traumatic event didn't miraculously make you fixed in every area of your life - once the flowers stop coming and the get-well cards trickle out, you're still YOU. And this means that you still have all of your insecurities, your hopes, your fears, your walls, etc. I love how Mimi addresses not only her injury in this memoir, but ALL of the areas in which she was hurting or needed to heal. Quite frankly, reading this book was cathartic.
My only criticism is that sometimes I did feel that some chapters did veer off topic into tangents, but this is such a minor issue relative to how good the rest of the book was.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a laugh or an inspiring story. However, I would especially recommend this to survivors of physical trauma - especially those who had long hospital stays or arduous PT experiences. That stuff you didn't know about before you were injured, but now wish you could explain to others, but can't? Mimi does it! Read this book, feel better that someone can actually relate for once, and then pass it on to friends and family members who stood by your side in absolute confusion and misery. This book is a brilliant, hilarious, vulnerable roadmap to what physical and emotional recovery looks like.
In short, I am very happy that Mimi chose to write this and would be elated to read any of her future books.
canary20's review
2.0
Ms. Hayes went through hell and I can't imagine what she went through, because you know not everything is in the book, and I give her props for all of that. I wish it would have been more serious than comedy. I hope she is on the road to recovery and helps others with her book.
amanda28's review
3.0
Advance copy made available to me through NetGalley.
Reading Mimi Hayes' book is less like reading a memoir and more like settling in with a hot chocolate and hearing the interesting and wild story of a new friend that you'd like to know better. Opening with romantic rejection and ending with self-love, she makes an excruciating life experience (a brain hemorrhage that derails her life plans and causes her to have to relearn how to see, walk, think, and speak) accessible. Yes it's written in a casual style, yes it has jokes about a safe word, but it will also make you think deeply about the privilege of good health, which we take for granted. By the end, whether the writing style is for you or not, you'll find yourself cheering for this writer, and be inspired to be kinder to yourself!
Reading Mimi Hayes' book is less like reading a memoir and more like settling in with a hot chocolate and hearing the interesting and wild story of a new friend that you'd like to know better. Opening with romantic rejection and ending with self-love, she makes an excruciating life experience (a brain hemorrhage that derails her life plans and causes her to have to relearn how to see, walk, think, and speak) accessible. Yes it's written in a casual style, yes it has jokes about a safe word, but it will also make you think deeply about the privilege of good health, which we take for granted. By the end, whether the writing style is for you or not, you'll find yourself cheering for this writer, and be inspired to be kinder to yourself!
ramonamead's review
3.0
This is a thoughtful, humorous memoir of the before, during, and after of Mimi's life when she experienced a sudden brain hemorrhage at 22. Sometimes a bit too light for my tastes for such a serious subject, I can appreciate that she was able to maintain her sense of humor. The writing is a straightforward and simple style, and the author veers off topic at times, which interrupts the flow of her story. Otherwise it's a touching account of what happens after tragedy, when one is faced with finding a new normal in order to move forward.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced Digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced Digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
aquahogcodes's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Animal Media Group for a digital advanced readers copy of this book.
Partial Goodreads Synopsis: Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it. At first Hayes uses a blanket of comedy to cloak herself from her new reality—after all, sending out funny tweets is far easier than admitting to the world that she’s lost basic motor functions like walking and talking. Humbled by the pain, she must admit to herself that that she is no longer the carefree, 20-something planning to marry her high school sweetheart.
This book took a while to get through but it was totally worth it. This memoir is a wonderfully frank description of the unpredictability and ridiculousness of our short, human lives. Through her own experiences, the author manages to show us a mirror and bring us face to face with the realities we try so hard to avoid. Every day we wake up to our mundane lives and try our best to make life all peaches and rainbows. But when life finally catches up to us, to fix what we think only we can, we resist it for the longest time possible, falling into our old habits before it finally knocks some sense in us. I'm making this book sound really serious, which it is, but it's also insanely funny and detailed. Mimi Hayes shares her uncensored opinions about our fairy-tale expectations, awful exes, even more awful brain injuries, Bruce Willis's immortality and the miracle of poop. I'm not kidding, and neither is she, even though she manages to express all of this with the utmost empathy and hilarity.
This is definitely an awesome feel-good-yet-will-give-you-all-the-feels memoir to have on your bookshelf for the days you need another person's voice telling you it's okay to not always be okay.
3.5/5 stars
Partial Goodreads Synopsis: Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it. At first Hayes uses a blanket of comedy to cloak herself from her new reality—after all, sending out funny tweets is far easier than admitting to the world that she’s lost basic motor functions like walking and talking. Humbled by the pain, she must admit to herself that that she is no longer the carefree, 20-something planning to marry her high school sweetheart.
This book took a while to get through but it was totally worth it. This memoir is a wonderfully frank description of the unpredictability and ridiculousness of our short, human lives. Through her own experiences, the author manages to show us a mirror and bring us face to face with the realities we try so hard to avoid. Every day we wake up to our mundane lives and try our best to make life all peaches and rainbows. But when life finally catches up to us, to fix what we think only we can, we resist it for the longest time possible, falling into our old habits before it finally knocks some sense in us. I'm making this book sound really serious, which it is, but it's also insanely funny and detailed. Mimi Hayes shares her uncensored opinions about our fairy-tale expectations, awful exes, even more awful brain injuries, Bruce Willis's immortality and the miracle of poop. I'm not kidding, and neither is she, even though she manages to express all of this with the utmost empathy and hilarity.
This is definitely an awesome feel-good-yet-will-give-you-all-the-feels memoir to have on your bookshelf for the days you need another person's voice telling you it's okay to not always be okay.
3.5/5 stars
sarabook's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded up.
‘I’ll be OK...’ are the memoirs of Mimi Hayes, focusing on the initial diagnosis and her subsequent recovery after a brain haemorrhage caused by a cavernous hemangioma (which she calls an angioma). It covers the difficulties she faces getting her initial diagnosis and the rocky road to resuming a normal life after surgery.
I have a personal history with regards to brain injuries like this, and I work everyday within a busy Neuroradiology department. As such, I feel a certain affinity towards stories involving anything neurological and was initially drawn to these memoirs because of this. The author is endearing as she takes us through her story, and I instantly warmed to her as she recounts her ‘back story’ of sorts in the build up to her haemorrhage. Her story is easy to follow, and I found the writing style matched well with the author’s obvious quirky personality - although I admit that at times I found the endless movie references a little grating. It felt almost as though she was using humour, along with the movie references that often ended up going off on a tangent, to deflect from digging deeper into her emotional state at the time. This often took away from the more serious points that she was trying to get across.
I would perhaps have liked some explanations in terms of how the American health care system works in comparison to my own beloved NHS. Beyond knowing that you need health insurance, I have no idea how Americans access healthcare, and I think a small paragraph outlining how this system works may have allowed me a greater degree of understanding with regards to the difficulties Mimi encounters when initially trying to gain a diagnosis from her doctor. Perhaps a more detailed outline of what a cerebral hemangioma is also would be helpful to readers who perhaps don’t know what they are (and their tendency to bleed).
I liked the photos that we’re scattered throughout. They added a more personal touch that allowed me to connect with Mimi and put faces to names. I also loved the interactions between Mimi’s family, especially with regards to the Halloween costume ‘incident’. They were written about with an obvious amount of love that just jumped off the page and was wonderful to read about.
Granted this isn’t [b:The Diving Bell and the Butterfly|193755|The Diving Bell and the Butterfly|Jean-Dominique Bauby|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336930564s/193755.jpg|565494], but I enjoyed this, and with a bit of tighter editing to decrease the amount of times this went a bit off topic, it would make a good account of one individual’s recovery following brain injury.
3.5 stars rounded up.
‘I’ll be OK...’ are the memoirs of Mimi Hayes, focusing on the initial diagnosis and her subsequent recovery after a brain haemorrhage caused by a cavernous hemangioma (which she calls an angioma). It covers the difficulties she faces getting her initial diagnosis and the rocky road to resuming a normal life after surgery.
I have a personal history with regards to brain injuries like this, and I work everyday within a busy Neuroradiology department. As such, I feel a certain affinity towards stories involving anything neurological and was initially drawn to these memoirs because of this. The author is endearing as she takes us through her story, and I instantly warmed to her as she recounts her ‘back story’ of sorts in the build up to her haemorrhage. Her story is easy to follow, and I found the writing style matched well with the author’s obvious quirky personality - although I admit that at times I found the endless movie references a little grating. It felt almost as though she was using humour, along with the movie references that often ended up going off on a tangent, to deflect from digging deeper into her emotional state at the time. This often took away from the more serious points that she was trying to get across.
I would perhaps have liked some explanations in terms of how the American health care system works in comparison to my own beloved NHS. Beyond knowing that you need health insurance, I have no idea how Americans access healthcare, and I think a small paragraph outlining how this system works may have allowed me a greater degree of understanding with regards to the difficulties Mimi encounters when initially trying to gain a diagnosis from her doctor. Perhaps a more detailed outline of what a cerebral hemangioma is also would be helpful to readers who perhaps don’t know what they are (and their tendency to bleed).
I liked the photos that we’re scattered throughout. They added a more personal touch that allowed me to connect with Mimi and put faces to names. I also loved the interactions between Mimi’s family, especially with regards to the Halloween costume ‘incident’. They were written about with an obvious amount of love that just jumped off the page and was wonderful to read about.
Granted this isn’t [b:The Diving Bell and the Butterfly|193755|The Diving Bell and the Butterfly|Jean-Dominique Bauby|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336930564s/193755.jpg|565494], but I enjoyed this, and with a bit of tighter editing to decrease the amount of times this went a bit off topic, it would make a good account of one individual’s recovery following brain injury.
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