Reviews

I heard Australian musician Clare Bowditch chat about this memoir on the Routines and Ruts podcast. She had some cool things to say about fear and creativity. And being Bowditch is a successful musician who lives a meaningful creative life, this book piqued my interest. ⁣
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Your Own Kind of Girl is about the nervous breakdown Bowditch had in her early 20s. An experience that stopped her completely in her tracks and forced her to face the negative thought patterns getting in the way of her living a creative life.⁣ During this hard time, Bowditch made a goal to write a book about the breakdown in the future. This is the book.⁣
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Your Own Kind of Girl is far from perfect, but seeing as it’s Bowditch’s first book, nor should it be. Early chapters focus heavily on her eating disorder but later chapters paint the picture that once she lost the weight and found success, all was well. I know this isn't really how recovery goes, so would have loved to read how she manages those issues now.
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But all in all, this book should be in the world. There’s a lot of identification for people with anxiety/compulsive thinking patterns here and hope to those who may feel lost. The message? Recovery is possible!⁣
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Your Own Kind of Girl is also helpful for anyone who wants to make a go of it in a creative field. Bowditch made a clear decision to live a creative life and stuck to it. This book is a testament to that.