I find it difficult to rate memoirs because they are so personal; I certainly steer clear of rating the experience, but rather focus on the writing style and content. I always appreciate someone’s honesty in writing their own story; unfortunately, much of this particular story seemed somewhat contrived and forced. For example, she discussed her and her younger boyfriend in the bathtub ad nauseam, and explained her status as a cougar excessively! We get it already: you’re dating a younger man and your sex life is fantastic, now let’s get on with the story! Also, one particular joke lost its charm after countless references to Cousin Seamus’ accented pronunciation of a particular curse word. In addition, there were so many irrelevant details thrown in (i.e. what outfit she wore to her first chemo appointment, what she ate for breakfast on any given morning, etc…), that I found myself skimming often, just to get to the important parts of the book. Finally, her attempt at humor by "speaking for" Seamus was never as humorous as she must've intended it to be.
On a more positive note, I appreciated that she shared her own journey with us so that we had a clearer understanding of what, exactly, happens during a woman’s struggle with breast cancer. Some of the information was surprising and unexpected, and it was during those moments that it felt most honest. I feel bad that she and her poor pup went through so much in such a short amount of time, and was happy for her when things worked in her favor. Seamus was certainly one heck of a challenging canine, and it was very evident that she had unusual patience and undying love for him. Also, I was happy for her that Chris seemed like a truly strong partner.
Read 2/21/14
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