Musical Chairs
Jen Knox
Indie Memoir/YA
[rating: 5/5]
Available in…
• Mobi/Kindle
… from…
• Amazon
• MobiPocket
Also in paperback
Some time ago, Jen Knox and I swapped memoirs. She sent me a copy of Musical Chairs, which explores her family’s history of mental health diagnoses, her years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement, and her struggle for reconciliation. (That’s from the cover.)
I also sent her a copy of Love through the Eyes of an Idiot. In full disclosure, just as I had started reading her book, Jen sent me an email about mine:
I finally posted my review of your delightful book. Oh how it made me remember how lucky I am to have found Chris after all the relationships (if you can call them that) that came before him. He thanks you. I thank you, for writing a great read.
Truthfully, I’m gratified that Jen enjoyed my book. And I did really want to like hers as well— I always want to like a book from a fellow author, and it upsets me when I don’t. But I will tell you exactly what problems I had with Musical Chairs:
-
I ran across numerous line-editing issues, including misspelled words, bad punctuation (like ending a sentence with a comma, in at least two places), and sentences that made no sense in context. The best typo I found on page 152, where Jen wrote about working at the bookstore: “As I cleared dust from a self in the psychology section…” So, was that an ego or an id? (Ba dum bum.)
-
Some details were missing from spots in the story where I would naturally expect them, popping up as surprises elsewhere. For example, all the time Jen was staying with Miss Sarah and her daughter (in the chapter entitled “Miss Sarah”), I thought Sarah was a white, single mother. It was only much later in the book that I was told that Sarah (or at least her daughter) had darker skin, that she was married to a Latino who had treated Jen rudely, and that she had some pretty bizarre racial ideas.
-
Jen begins with a panic attack, and she concludes as the panic attacks disappear… I think. I have nothing against waxing eloquent, as she did in the epilogue; I’m just not sure how she concluded the story. (But otherwise the epilogue did leave me feeling uplifted and satisfied.)
All of my complaints were counterbalanced, however, by the fact that I literally couldn’t put the damn book down! That’s why I’ve been absent this week. I blew through the entire thing in a little over a day, immersing myself in her story every moment I could. Really, no joke, no exaggeration: I read until I got tired; then I napped, woke up, and continued where I left off; lather, rinse, repeat.
Truthfully, before I started the book, I half expected a melodramatic pity party for a life beset by personal tragedy and self-destruction. On the contrary, Jen drew me into her story, the story of a girl I could hardly believe existed.
At one point, I reclined in a hot bath with Jen’s book in one hand and a cup of Earl Grey in the other. I looked at the cup, a commemorative mug, dated November 20, 1994, for the centennial anniversary of the facility at which my Beloved interned. I suddenly realized that at that very time, Jen had run away from home, 15 years old, and was living with her 19-year-old boyfriend. My Beloved was about to launch her career, and during the same autumn, Jen was about to launch herself into boyfriends and sex and statutory rape and the real thing, erotic dances for money, fights and alcohol and the battle for control and delusions and psychosis and abandonment— But through it all, Jen seemed so… normal to me. I genuinely sympathized with her, felt for her in her quest, desired to reach out to her and provide what I saw she was missing in her life. And I smiled when she finally began to find it.
This is the reason I read independent memoirs, to meet people I might never otherwise know, through them to live experiences I could never otherwise fathom, and to win victories I would never otherwise have even pursued. And Musical Chairs generously filled that need.
-TimK
|
Musical Chairs |
Available in… |
Широкий выбор ковров представлен в интернет магазине нашего города Краснодар, подходящий для всех стилей интерьера.
Лучшие шерстяные ковры
Приобретая ковры у нас, вы получаете гарантии качества и сервиса.
Feel the rush of starburst free spins right now. Expanding wild feature is the heart of the action. 96.09% RTP keeps it fair and thrilling.
взгляните на сайте здесь трипскан вход
dog medicine: VetFree Meds – pet meds for dogs
Why starburst mobile is still everyone’s favorite. Expanding wilds lock and respin for massive chains. Low volatility both-ways win after win.
mexican pharmacy online medication in mexico mexican pharma
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a weblog website?
The account aided me a appropriate deal. I have been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided brilliant transparent concept
https://certicanpharmacy.shop/# CertiCanPharmacy
You really make it seem really easy together with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually one thing which I believe I’d by no
means understand. It sort of feels too complex and extremely large for me.
I’m taking a look ahead in your next submit, I’ll attempt to get the dangle of it!
I for all time emailed this blog post page to all my contacts, because if like
to read it afterward my friends will too.
starburst payout: where every spin sparkles with possibility. Cosmic gems, locked expanding wilds, and respins galore. Low volatility fun awaits.
https://vetfreemeds.com/# pet meds online
При своевременном обращении к специалистам капельница позволяет значительно улучшить состояние пациента уже в первые часы после начала лечения. Медицинская помощь при запое должна оказываться квалифицированно и в комфортных условиях, что снижает риски осложнений и ускоряет восстановление.
Разобраться лучше – капельница от запоя анонимно мурманск
Keep on working, great job!
My Mexican Pharmacy: My Mexican Pharmacy – My Mexican Pharmacy
starburst game never goes out of style. Expanding wild respins create epic moments. Both directions pay — timeless classic.
starburst online keeps players coming back for more. Stunning visuals, expanding wild respins, and wins in both directions. Low risk, high fun — experience it yourself.
This post gives clear idea designed for the new users of blogging,
that actually how to do blogging and site-building.
Критерий
Получить дополнительные сведения – психиатр нарколог на дом в нижнем тагиле
Greetings! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick
shout out and say I truly enjoy reading your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics?
Thanks a ton!
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really
enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
I do not know if it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else encountering problems with your blog.
It appears as if some of the text in your content are running off the screen. Can someone else please comment and let
me know if this is happening to them as well? This could be a
issue with my web browser because I’ve had this happen before.
Cheers
В этом материале представлены детали, которые хоть и занимательны, но не особенно значимы. Мы рассматриваем моменты, которые трудно назвать важными, но всё же решили включить их для полноты картины.
Вот – онлайн покер на деньги
В материале приведены детали, интересные, но не особенно важные. Мы рассматриваем аспекты, которые сложно назвать существенными, но включили их для большей полноты.
Подробнее читать – сиалис онлайн
http://certicanpharmacy.com/# canadian pharmacy world
starburst netent remains unbeatable for a reason. Vibrant space world respin-triggering wilds. Frequent hits and big potential — try it now.
– человек не может прекратить употребление сам; – наблюдается агрессия, страх, паника, бессвязная речь; – нарушен сон, отсутствует аппетит, сильная слабость; – алкоголь стал способом снятия боли или тревоги; – попытки отказа приводят к ухудшению состояния.
Выяснить больше – анонимный вывод из запоя
Одним из ключевых направлений является проведение капельниц, призванных вывести токсины из организма и нормализовать водно-электролитный баланс. Используемые препараты и состав растворов подбираются индивидуально, исходя из клинической картины и истории болезни пациента.
Изучить вопрос глубже – https://narkolog-na-dom-v-yaroslavle12.ru/narkolog-na-dom-czeny-v-yaroslavle
https://vetfreemeds.shop/# pet pharmacy online
dog medicine: vet pharmacy – pet med
online vet pharmacy: п»їdog medication online – dog medicine