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A review by clarabooksit
Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Jensen has dedicated his life to an important and fascinating job. Here he details some of the most horrific and tragic mass fatalities in the last several decades with sensitivity, grace, and unwavering respect for both the living and the dead. There were parts of this book I could not put down.
However, I find I have to agree with many other reviewers that this needed better editing: there are so many repetitions—some passages are nearly verbatim in two or more chapters—and there are parts that feel anecdotal, even superficial, where I wanted more information, depth and nuance.
I’m glad I read it, though, and I’d still recommend it. It’s a good read but maybe not an exceptional one.
However, I find I have to agree with many other reviewers that this needed better editing: there are so many repetitions—some passages are nearly verbatim in two or more chapters—and there are parts that feel anecdotal, even superficial, where I wanted more information, depth and nuance.
I’m glad I read it, though, and I’d still recommend it. It’s a good read but maybe not an exceptional one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury