I hated this. Zero idea on the fuss. I found it tedious and boring. The characters are flat and unexciting and the plots overall very bland. I don’t tI hated this. Zero idea on the fuss. I found it tedious and boring. The characters are flat and unexciting and the plots overall very bland. I don’t think the book would of held me more than the audiobook, possibly less. This one was not for me despite really high hopes based on the hype.
There are such stereotypical stereotypes if that’s even a thing. It is stagnant in each tale of woe in the book. It seems divided strongly in reviews. Love or hate.
Thanks to NetGalley and the audiobook company for my review copy.
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Boy, this book made me SO angry and I think others battling severe real mental health challenges could feel the same, if you read my somewhat long revBoy, this book made me SO angry and I think others battling severe real mental health challenges could feel the same, if you read my somewhat long review I share why.
I had a lot of issues with this audiobook and it’s message. Firstly, the author narrates it personally and it just doesn’t work. Some are just not meant to be audiobook narrators. His voice at times sounded like the automated voices found on YouTube videos and I didn’t enjoy listening but persevered anyway.
I have very real diagnosed mental health challenges. I have Complex PTSD from a number of serious traumas including facing death twice in horrific circumstances. This PTSD is debilitating. I also have severe chronic depression, the type where getting out of bed is a massive effort and talking takes up too much energy. Let’s add anxiety, a lot of it with my PTSD as trusted people (like Doctors) did things so wrong that I cannot now trust anyone in a “white coat” and can have a full meltdown if a hospital test needs to be done. I also am Autistic and depression and anxiety go hand in hand with Autism in both men and women, up to 90% report this. Only 4% are in employment in the UK.
Rafael’s book in a nutshell breaks all depression, fears, worries and anxiety down to being neurotic (a belittling word used throughout). Telling us we just need to think positive and reframe how we view things and voila! No depression, no anxiety. Are you kidding me? Let’s share an example used of a real client of his who comes to him overwhelmingly anxious with low self-esteem and confidence as she is short. Just on 5 feet tall. His treatment is to tell her she is indeed of short stature but that’s ok.
Then we are told she wears high heels all the time, okay that makes sense until he says she’s NEVER had her boyfriend see her without heels on. Ever. That she leaves the heels by the bed to slip in and out of so he never sees. Excuse me? Like he can’t tell her height lying next to her? Did she shower in them too? Her cure by Rafael resulted in her throwing out every pair of heels in exchange for a pair of trainers and flat casual shoes. Mental health cure at its best. I honestly am surprised if that really was a real case.
Everything is broken down to such basic ways to “cure” depression and anxiety. It’s like self-talk is the magic. Changing how you think. Don’t think the worst. Don’t think everything will be catastrophic. Take the bad thoughts and think positive! Okay so let’s try that with 100 war veterans with severe PTSD, maybe with no limbs, maybe with no family as the PTSD changed them so much. Trust me this method won’t work. I tried over and over personally.
His book is based on CBT methods, reframing thoughts. However that method is very resistant to the things many deal with. Autistic people for example due to how they are neurologically wired since birth. You cannot think your way out of feeling so suicidal after 4 months stuck in bed with crippling loneliness, chronic pain and more. How do I know? I tried it, tried it for 10 years, over and over. I know others that are the same, medication can help, sadly the Author plays down often the very real need to be on medication to reset brain wiring before therapy can even start to be effective.
I found the stories told to be as basic as what a school counsellor may deal with and frankly the book made me angry. This silly simple methodology is ineffective for so many. Yet those people try and try again to just change the way they see the world. Until after years they feel more useless, more depressed as they can’t do it. Trust me. I see this a lot. The best therapy for trauma and PTSD is EMDR and surprisingly Equine (horse) therapy that I highly recommend.
I fear many suffering various diagnosis will be just as disheartened by this book as I am. Maybe as angry as I am. I don’t see “psychology” here I see “positive self-help” and again client examples used are not only hard to believe but also people dealing with fairly minor issues. In a nutshell I disliked it.
Just to show I am not negative about any books teaching ways to manage mental health issues I am listening to another right now that IS offering realistic messages and not sugar coating the really hard stuff. You cannot tell anyone who is in the grip of a real mental health crisis to just think their way out of it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the audiobook publisher for my review copy. All options are my own.
Thanks so much for reading my review, I look forward to reading any comments. Feel free to browse my books read for your next great read. Happy book loving!
A fantastic book. I listened to the audiobook version which is read by the Author. What an amazing life journey he has led and still lives are all shaA fantastic book. I listened to the audiobook version which is read by the Author. What an amazing life journey he has led and still lives are all shared in here. What I loved is none of it is sugar coated. He shares the real lows, the scary times, the times he failed along with highs and successes. His admirable record in teaching resilience to various police forces, the NHS and even political parties, the armed forces is incredible. Resilience is needed everywhere from our own life to those in positions of great responsibility.
Whilst many years were spent in the armed forces this is not a book about war stories or disasters. James makes that really clear. Inspired to learn about sports psychology and seeing how the way athletes learn resilience especially in the mind can be effective for anyone when applied. There is no psychological babble here, it’s easy language and stories anyone can relate to, no matter where you are in life. He shares much from his life so it does have a memoir vibe but it appealed to me even more.
I found this really inspiring and can definitely take away messages from this to apply to my own life. A lot of “self-help” books leave you wondering why you bothered but this is a cut above. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to improve their life even in a small way. There is something in here for everyone. 4 solid stars!
Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
Thanks so much for reading my review, I look forward to reading any comments. Feel free to browse my books read for your next great read. Happy book loving!
A fantastic book. I listened to the audiobook version which is read by the Author. What an amazing life journey he has led and still lives shared hereA fantastic book. I listened to the audiobook version which is read by the Author. What an amazing life journey he has led and still lives shared here. What I loved is none of it is sugar coated. He shares the real lows, the scary times, the times he failed along with highs and success. His admirable record in teaching resilience to various police forces, the NHS and even political parties is incredible. Resilience is needed everywhere from our own life to those in positions of great responsibility.
Whilst many years were spent in the armed forces this is not a book about war stories or disasters. James makes that really clear. Inspired to learn about sports psychology and seeing how the way athletes learn resilience especially in the mind can be effective for anyone when applied. There is no psychological babble here, it’s easy language and stories anyone can relate to, no matter where you are in life. He shares much from his life so it does have a memoir vibe but it appealed to me even more.
I found this really inspiring and can definitely take away messages from this to apply to my own life. A lot of “self-help” books leave you wondering why you bothered but this is a cut above. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to improve their life even in a small way. There is something in here for everyone. 4 solid stars!
Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own....more
I listened to this on Audiobook and recommend it OVER reading it. Check out my review as to why.
I absolutely loved this audiobook! I have to rave abouI listened to this on Audiobook and recommend it OVER reading it. Check out my review as to why.
I absolutely loved this audiobook! I have to rave about the Narrator, what sheer talent and brilliance! One single Narrator managed to effectively not do every single character’s distinctive voice but their tone, accent, country of origin and even dialects! From a Cork to a Dublin accent, on to Glaswegian and British. She even manages ages of characters from very young to old.
Their personalities come to life. It was like watching a movie or listening to a radio play with multiple narrators. Seriously folks, it’s utter genius and it’s what makes the audiobook just pop. I would of enjoyed the novel reading it also but this is THE best audiobook ever. A bad or boring Narrator can kill an audiobook, so choosing one carefully is a must. Kudos!
The book itself is just stunning. It is so special and unique and unlike anything I have read before. Alice, our central character absolutely pops from the first moment we meet her. Following her incredible life journey was amazing. I felt like I knew Alice and was in her world in every way. All the characters are very well written and so distinct from each other. Some to love, some to dislike but each one is clearly defined and important to the overall story.
Never heard of Synesthesia? You will now. This is what Alice lives with and it’s how she sees every single living through different eyes.Others call it her gift “what colour am I Alice?” but to Alice it is a burden and impacts everything. Not a mental disorder but a neurological condition people are born with. It can be many types, you could hear music and see shapes. You could hear a word and it has a colour to it, you may read a word such as “street” and smell oranges. Incredible right?
This brings a unique element to the story so much. Kudos for all the intense and correct research into it. I am excited that so many people who taste this book will know of it. I have a friend who smalls things as colours and tells me mould is like a dark murky purple.
I wanted to know, love and protect Alice. Her life starts out very tough and my heart ached for her. So many things happen in her lifetime and it’s a really emotive story. The characters are each so interesting also and their roles in Alice’s life is fascinating. This is a book that will stir many emotions. I have cried twice reading a book in my lifetime of thousands and the ending of this had tears running down my cheeks.
Beautifully executed. I cannot recommend this enough and the audiobook is out of this world. Try it! I loved everything and I highly recommend this for your reading or listening list right now. Cecilia Ahearn is a genius and has pulled out an absolute corker for us all. I still have Alice’s Dublin accent in my head reminding me of the year I lived there. Did I mention he Narrator? I am actually going to look for other audiobooks she has worked on. Five huge stars!
Thanks so much for reading my review, I look forward to reading any comments. Feel free to browse my books read for your next great read. Happy book loving!
Josh Malerman is a favourite writer of mine and has been for years. I absolutely raved in my review (check it out!) for Bird Box the novel prior to thJosh Malerman is a favourite writer of mine and has been for years. I absolutely raved in my review (check it out!) for Bird Box the novel prior to this.
To really understand this book and where the story picks up you’d have to read Bird Box first. This incredible story won’t be easy to follow fully plus the first book is freaking amazing so go for both!
I chose to listen to the audiobook of this and I really enjoyed it a lot. The Narrator was a brilliant fit. I’ve only recently started to listen to audiobooks, mainly as I’m very unwell just now and reading can be more difficult. I’ve learnt that the Narrator can make or break an audiobook. In this case. It was a great match.
So no spoilers. However we are years down the line from where Bird Box ends and Malorie is still our central character along with her two children. Eyes are still always covered and the dangers, the fear that we met in Bird Box abound.
We get a lot of great relationship dynamics and raw emotions here, a lot of uncomfortable truths, and lies. Human decisions made under extreme circumstances. I WAS Malorie when she spoke in the first person. I felt her love for her children who are now older and their own people, but also heard her terror. Can she continue to protect them? Every mother’s instinct is to do so.
Bear with this book if reading it. It does hit some slow moments but don’t be deceived. The events that unfold are nothing I saw coming. I literally had those “oh my God!” moments out loud. From halfway onwards this book really creates such a unique experience to be in. To be in it with the characters.
As for the lead up chapters to the ending I was hooked. Could not sleep until the audiobook delivered it’s last word. Some of the reveals blew me away. I’ll be impressed if other readers guessed any twists or reveals in advance. Tell me in your comments (but no spoilers on what).
Josh has delivered an exceptional novel. So many scenes that broke me, challenged me and immersed me. One thing Josh has is a darn brilliant imagination.
I really hope this is also made into a movie. This book would be a spectacle of awesomeness on the big screen. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version, perhaps more than if I’d read the book. The characters were so vivid.
So my recommendation is if you’ve not read it yet you must read Bird Box. Then watch the movie (after the book) then flow straight into Malorie. Audiobook, Kindle or Paperback. What you love best. I’d like to give a thumbs up to how well narrated this was.
Five stars from me. Truly immersive and shines the light on the human psyche both dark and bright sides. If you like to really enjoy your characters and being in their story you’ll love this.
If read as a stand alone I feel a lot wouldn’t make sense nor give the significance of the choices characters face now, years on from where they left off. As you read/listen maybe you’ll end up thinking “what would I do?” If living in that world so dark.
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You will always get very honest reviews from me. Remember..a book a day keeps brain fog away....more
Oh my. This was so painful and a total detour from her usual brilliant writing. Firstly I listened to the audiobook, didn’t read this one but I do knoOh my. This was so painful and a total detour from her usual brilliant writing. Firstly I listened to the audiobook, didn’t read this one but I do know reading it would be even more boring than listening to it.
Like Egyptology? I hope so as here is your history lesson and detailed academic and researched facts. Honestly, it’s like being in history class, the one that you don’t really want to be in.
Picoult always researches her book topics brilliantly. However, in this newbie the story and enjoyment struggles to breakthrough the facts, Arabic wording, cultural information and all things Egypt.
I was intrigued by the main characters role as a death doula. That didn’t last long as very quickly you are pushed into the academic world of Yale and Egyptology students. There is a decision made right at the beginning that just seemed rushed and unrealistic to me. See what you think.
This will be a mixed bag of reviews I think. I’ve loved all her books except this one and the one about the Wolves (can’t recall the title). I really disliked this. One star ⭐️ for me, what a let down.
I’ve noticed a LOT of fans rate this one or two stars on Amazon with a common thread of it being like a boring history lesson.
Thanks so much for reading my review! I love to read your comments. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book!
You will always get very honest reviews from me. Remember..a book a day keeps brain fog away. ...more
I decided to try the audiobook version of this after gleefully discovering I can access thousands of great audiobooks and ebooks for free through my oI decided to try the audiobook version of this after gleefully discovering I can access thousands of great audiobooks and ebooks for free through my online area library service linked to a great app called BorrowBox.
This was a woeful struggle to get through. It wasn’t the level I’d expect from Peter James.
Being new to audiobooks I’ve realised it’s not only the story, the characters and pace that matters as it does reading a book but also whomever reads the book can make or break it. In this case it didn’t hit the spot on many levels.
It’s an extremely slow start with droplets of anything “ghostly” happening. It was really hard to stay interested. Annoying characters that bordered on the ridiculous didn’t help. The specific tones, accents and reading style created a lot of eye-rolling.
There is long-winded focus on things like which flavour chocolate choices are being consumed from a tin or a coffee machine. So much inserted boring and irrelevant detail.
All up this really didn’t do anything for me and could see so many ways a lot could have been in the book to really lift it. Would I have enjoyed it more if I’d read the book? I pondered this but realised the pace and plot would not of held me tight anyway.
This isn’t scary or chilling and the whole ghost element is pretty far-fetched. I’ve noticed a lot of other one star reviews on Amazon with similar sentiments. This was boring, at times unbelievable and padded out with mundane paragraphs making you want to fast forward....more
I’ve only just started listening to audiobooks very recently. It was a surprise to find I could access thousands of great audiobooks for free via my lI’ve only just started listening to audiobooks very recently. It was a surprise to find I could access thousands of great audiobooks for free via my library service and app. It’s also given me access to thousands of ebooks for free to loan. So I highly recommend to everyone.
I’ve been a fan of Louis for many years. I’ve watched all his documentaries and find him as a person unique and fascinating to watch as he delves into the lives of others. He isn’t scared to tackle the weird, the wacky, the dark, the real or the taboo.
He reads this audiobook himself and does it really well. Even applying accents and vocal tone changes to highlight his story telling. I knew nothing of his childhood, school journey and the years before his documentary making journey. It was really fascinating and not at all what I’d expect.
I laughed out loud a lot few this as Louis is certainly not afraid to laugh at himself and share candidly the bizarre and sometimes uncomfortable situations his life and work has taken.
Whether you’ve seen one, none or all of his documentaries this audiobook (and the book) is great. Very entertaining! I have to say the documentary that stands out the most for me from all was his lengthy and gutsy expose and digging into the Church of Scientology. That’s really worth watching.
I’ve seen him compassionate with people struggling with drugs, mental health, loss and one thing I admire is how open minded he is to want to hear their stories. I really enjoyed this audiobook and his voice is so unique I liked that he was reading it....more
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