Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

L'educazione by Tara Westover

185 reviews

heatherchrisman's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

4.0


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glitterdeww's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Omg. This story... This person. It's been a long time since I've repeatedly yelled at the sky while experiencing an audiobook. 

In Educated, Westover has given an incredible, inspiring, and heartbreakingly traumatic story of her life. I know it will stay with me for the rest of mine.

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oliviacarew's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0


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cartermon4's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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bethanyt123's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad slow-paced

5.0


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alreads420's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

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phantomgecko's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

3.0

I avoided reading this book for a long time because I was pretty sure it'd make me angry. I literally know people mentioned in this book because I married into the extended family. At first, I just heard from that extended family how much of it was untrue and mean. Then I became more familiar with the family and realized I'd probably be more on Tara's side than not.

People from back home have been asking me about this book, and I was embarrassed. "My husband isn't like that. I'm not like that," I wanted to scream. But I didn't know exactly what the book said, so it was hard to defend.

Though doubtlessly exaggerated or bent in certain places, the gist of this memoir rings true. (I've met her father, and tbh, you can only tell he has burn scars if you look super carefully and closely, for example.) Especially with the extended witness testimony, particularly of her brothers, I believe for sure there was an abusive situation, and Tara is as yet still being gaslighted about the whole thing.

I read an article about the family and their reaction that was published just this year (2023), just to really hear both sides. (I know these people but I'm not tight, ya feel? Second cousins and such.) And legit the things some family members said in the article felt exactly the same as how Tara had written them. 

So, still I am embarrassed. Embarrassed that so many people that live in proximity to where I am now legitimately think and act the way of the Westovers in the book. I mean mostly in reference to all the fake medicine and energy healing bs, but also definitely with anti-government sentiment.

I'm glad Tara extricated herself from a garbage situation, and she shouldn't mend ties until they apologize, imho. The writing in engaging, the structure effective, and the musings though provoking.

Though this book isn't about me, I feel it reflects on where I live, so please don't judge Idaho too harshly. And I have to accept some people are stupid and will remain stupid, and there's nothing I can do about it.

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emcheym's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.75


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corganick's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense fast-paced

4.5


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aliwhaley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is fantastic and tragic and inspiring all at once. It’s hard to believe people like this really exist, and the fact that they do is so harrowing. With or without the Mormonism and end-of-days bent, these stories of manipulation and abuse play out time and again, and it is so difficult to read it from inside the mind of the victim. I am so impressed by Dr. Tara Westover.

As a writer, her ability to convey at once how she felt at the time events unfolded, whilst also conveying the incongruity of those feelings now that she has reflected and grown, but also having compassion for her former self is astonishing. She writes terrifying people, and yet their moments of loveableness are believable. You feel every blow with her.

And, as a human, her strength is just incredible. I wish everybody in a similar situation could read this book and know they’re not in the wrong

All the content warnings - this is not a light read 

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