A review by oddandbookish
The Size of Everything by Erin Cole, Jenna McCarthy
5.0
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an amazing but heartbreaking read!
This book is a memoir. It details Erin Cole’s childhood told through short vignettes. What she went through growing up was so sad and intense. When you’re reading it, you keep thinking that her situation might get better, but it doesn’t until the very end.
On the flip side, it was still inspiring. The fact that she was able to persevere and become successful is so incredible.
I really like how the book was written because it had a nice balance between the good and the bad. There were a lot of sad stories but also some more humorous ones. Additionally, I enjoyed the writing style. It was very easy to read and flowed nicely. Using a co-author seemed to help in that regard.
I also liked how honest the book was. It never felt like the author was ever overly harsh or exaggerating. Going back to the balancing aspect, she even highlights a few nice memories/incidents with some of the people who hurt her in the past (like her dad’s girlfriend). She showed her situation as truthfully as possible.
Lastly, I also loved that she included some of her mom’s journal entries throughout the book. It gave a glimpse into her mind and an overall better understanding of why her mom was the way she was. The inclusion of the letters also goes back to the honesty of the book.
All in all, this book broke my heart but was so worth reading. I hope she continues to tell her life story in another book.
This was such an amazing but heartbreaking read!
This book is a memoir. It details Erin Cole’s childhood told through short vignettes. What she went through growing up was so sad and intense. When you’re reading it, you keep thinking that her situation might get better, but it doesn’t until the very end.
On the flip side, it was still inspiring. The fact that she was able to persevere and become successful is so incredible.
I really like how the book was written because it had a nice balance between the good and the bad. There were a lot of sad stories but also some more humorous ones. Additionally, I enjoyed the writing style. It was very easy to read and flowed nicely. Using a co-author seemed to help in that regard.
I also liked how honest the book was. It never felt like the author was ever overly harsh or exaggerating. Going back to the balancing aspect, she even highlights a few nice memories/incidents with some of the people who hurt her in the past (like her dad’s girlfriend). She showed her situation as truthfully as possible.
Lastly, I also loved that she included some of her mom’s journal entries throughout the book. It gave a glimpse into her mind and an overall better understanding of why her mom was the way she was. The inclusion of the letters also goes back to the honesty of the book.
All in all, this book broke my heart but was so worth reading. I hope she continues to tell her life story in another book.