The memoir portions were really well done, but the attempts to make it more academic were uneven. I particularly found the foray into supporting the mThe memoir portions were really well done, but the attempts to make it more academic were uneven. I particularly found the foray into supporting the mad incomplete. I think trying to drop saints into the madness bucket is suspect (St. Francis giving things away isn't the same as setting oneself on fire and terrorizing the innocent men of the author's hometown.) There is a well thought-out case for supporting the mentally ill, but I think this attempt was so poorly done, it would have been better not to include it at all. Skewing the data and drawing false parallels felt disingenuous, while shrouded in academic language and trendy buzzwords. Further parallels were drawn, but not supported regarding capitalism, feminism, racism...and I don't know what she wanted to say there, other than surely these things had to do with her mother being unstable. The ending went on and on, as if she added a term paper to the end for filler.
One more thing...there's emerging evidence that if you have an inherited predisposition for psychiatric issues, the marijuana of today can trigger these illnesses. That's just a health warning, not a critique of the book....more
Highly recommended to listen to the audiobook. Snippets of songs and vocal nuance rendered this self-effacing memoir a true pleasure. Sometimes Bono iHighly recommended to listen to the audiobook. Snippets of songs and vocal nuance rendered this self-effacing memoir a true pleasure. Sometimes Bono is grandiose, but he knows it, and his long friendships are a testament to his good heart....more
As a memoir writer, Favale is great. Once she delved into her personal practices, she was less engaging. There didn't seem to be much introspection inAs a memoir writer, Favale is great. Once she delved into her personal practices, she was less engaging. There didn't seem to be much introspection in the writing, just more of a wholehearted dive into the most traditional of Catholic practices; veiling, singing in Latin, that sort of thing. As a committed Catholic myself, there is nothing wrong with that, but in terms of a good story, it lacked the wrestling required to keep the momentum. You know when your friend meets a guy and talks about him nonstop (his beauty, general awesomeness) for 10 hours? Well, this was kind of like that. Not much conflict, lots of repetition. For those who don't know about the types of devotions you might find in the Catholic church, this would be a nice stepping stone....more
Heartfelt, honest, with a storytelling style that pulls you in with a feeling of intimacy, I find myself wishing Leanne Morgan was my friend. She justHeartfelt, honest, with a storytelling style that pulls you in with a feeling of intimacy, I find myself wishing Leanne Morgan was my friend. She just seems like an all around wonderful woman. Listen to audiobook version that she reads for full effect....more
I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by the author. The first half was hilarious, and the second informative. Romance fraud is much more prevalenI listened to this on audiobook, narrated by the author. The first half was hilarious, and the second informative. Romance fraud is much more prevalent than you may think it is, and the scammers employ just about every trick in the book. Some of the cases were pretty sophisticated, and all of them were sad. I feel like I got a crash course into techniques, scripts, scammer lifestyles, how smart people are drawn into their schemes, but still managed to laugh a lot. For a non-academic of the subject, she was very thorough, and put it into common sense ways that could educate while entertaining.
I listened to this purely because of the title, so had no idea it would be so comprehensive, and it was time well spent. ...more
Super uneven. The memoir section was written well, but the deep dive into influencers of the past and present were terminally dull. They were also uneSuper uneven. The memoir section was written well, but the deep dive into influencers of the past and present were terminally dull. They were also uneven (the history of veganism and racism) or gossip rag recounts of some YouTubers. It seemed like the author was patching together papers to make the page count required for publication....more
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