barbelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Gripping and un-put-down-able. Unbelievable in so many parts that she really went through this abuse and torment. The book touched me deeply as someone who has experienced but a fraction of this growing up.
chromeorange's review against another edition
5.0
It's difficult to write an in-depth review about a memoir, but suffice to say, I loved this book. This and Obama's "A Promised Land" (also a memoir, oddly enough) are the only two books I've rated this high in the last five years. I don't give out a lot of 5-star reviews.
What to say? This reads less like a memoir and more like an actual story. The fact that Tara kept not just a daily diary, but also happened to fill it with conversations that people had, is what really enabled her to write something this rich. Instead of saying "XYZ happened" we get to hear it play out in conversations, and detailed stories. This makes it a lot less dry, and more real, than similar books.
This book must be read alongside a friend/partner/family member because you'll want to discuss the hell out of it. There's so much to unpack in this book I'm not even going to try to cover it. I'll just say that the physical, psychological, and emotional world of this story is just...something else.
The only tiny complaints I have are 1) I would have liked to know more about the actual personality of the author, and 2) Tara often adds heaviness to events by saying "things were never the same," "he was changed forever," "was never quite herself since" yet that's almost never true.
Otherwise, I have no complaints about anything. It's incredibly well-written, and incredibly thought-provoking. I couldn't ask for more in a memoir.
(The Audible narrator won an award for this book. Read it there if you can.)
What to say? This reads less like a memoir and more like an actual story. The fact that Tara kept not just a daily diary, but also happened to fill it with conversations that people had, is what really enabled her to write something this rich. Instead of saying "XYZ happened" we get to hear it play out in conversations, and detailed stories. This makes it a lot less dry, and more real, than similar books.
This book must be read alongside a friend/partner/family member because you'll want to discuss the hell out of it. There's so much to unpack in this book I'm not even going to try to cover it. I'll just say that the physical, psychological, and emotional world of this story is just...something else.
The only tiny complaints I have are 1) I would have liked to know more about the actual personality of the author, and 2) Tara often adds heaviness to events by saying "things were never the same," "he was changed forever," "was never quite herself since" yet that's almost never true.
Otherwise, I have no complaints about anything. It's incredibly well-written, and incredibly thought-provoking. I couldn't ask for more in a memoir.
(The Audible narrator won an award for this book. Read it there if you can.)
cartermon4's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
whitmc's review against another edition
5.0
Could NOT put this down, and have recommended it multiple times in the past week alone. The writing is fantastic and the story is unbelievable but obviously real. What I loved was the very real look into her struggles all throughout her educational journey. It wasn't "and then I went to college and my life changed." She was very candid with her challenges with making decisions that were counter to what she was raised to believe, and didn't exactly know were the right decisions.
kristendabbs's review against another edition
5.0
This book reignited my interest in reading! A shocking memoir about the pains and complexity of charting a new path from our upbringing. Left me asking so many questions about how people become who they are.