An accessible, smart-assed, and unexpectedly tender exploration of life, love, and disability.
Burcaw (Not So Different, 2017, etc.) returns with a collection of vignettes relating his life as a 25-year-old white man with spinal muscular atrophy, a debilitating disease affecting his whole body.
With the same frankness and gallows humor that marked his Laughing at My Nightmare (2014), Burcaw’s accounts of madcap road trips, love amid explosive diarrhea, and more demystify and normalize “the nastier side of being human” while critiquing—sometimes poignantly—society’s widespread patronization of disabled people. Readers with and without disabilities will cringe at such indignities as kiddie menus, unsolicited prayers, and the titular assumption. Sometimes he gives nondisabled people the benefit of the doubt...if only to keep from ramming his wheelchair into their cars. “Spinraza” and “If I Could Walk” offer nuanced takes on the “cure” debate, exploring the differences between hope and reality and meeting in between. Despite his claim to the contrary, Burcaw matures (somewhat) as he examines his internalized misperceptions, vulnerability, and fears of being a burden. Through his family, friends, and girlfriend’s support—and a darkly comical role reversal—Burcaw finally understands a truth that readers navigating disabilities will particularly appreciate: “When you love someone with your whole heart, there’s nothing you won’t do to keep them safe and comfortable. It’s not a sacrifice and it’s not a burden; it’s a natural instinct.”
An accessible, smart-assed, and unexpectedly tender exploration of life, love, and disability. (photos, not seen) (Memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62672-770-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
A moving account of hardships and triumphs that is bound to inspire future activists, this is a devastating but crucial read.
Although unfortunate circumstances in developing countries prevent girls from getting educations, nevertheless they remain resilient.
Sibert Medalist Stone begins by explaining how the documentary Girl Rising inspired a book that further amplifies and explores the heartbreaking and inspiring stories of girls around the globe who are advocating for access to and freedom of education. Collected from over 45 hours of raw video interview footage, direct quotes from women and girls unveil a distressing web of hardships for girls as young as 5 and the unjust factors that prevent them from bettering their lives: poverty, human trafficking, modern-day slavery, child marriage, and, perhaps the most prevalent, gender discrimination. Around the world, the book zooms in on the struggles of girls from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nepal, Peru, Sierra Leone, among other countries. Both portraits and documentary-style photographs are numerous, and infographic designs will appeal to younger readers. Stone’s passionate, deliberate, and compelling narrative explores the culture of gender discrimination and induces a sense of urgency for a solution. The recounted interviews offer insight, candor, and emotion, sparing readers little.
A moving account of hardships and triumphs that is bound to inspire future activists, this is a devastating but crucial read. (author’s note, appendix, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-51146-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This may work as an introduction to the concept of ACT, but it’s too simplistic to help readers engage in self-directed ACT...
A very generalized introduction to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Developed by psychologist Steven Hayes, ACT is designed to help patients move beyond the stresses caused by negative thoughts. Author and clinical psychologist Sedley begins by acknowledging many of the negative emotions that teens may experience: worry, sadness, loneliness, anger, and shame. Then, using a caveman analogy, he explains that human brains are hard-wired to look for danger, which in the modern age is social rejection. ACT contends that breaking the cycle of negative thoughts involves accepting them—rather than focusing on shame about past behaviors or fear about potential future behaviors—and using mindfulness to focus on the immediate moment. The book suggests activities such as listening to music, staring at a body of water, or paying attention to breathing to aid with mindfulness. Sedley also includes a rating scale to help readers discover their personal values, which they can then use when setting goals for working toward a lifestyle that demonstrates these values. The brevity of topic coverage (typically only a page) necessitates a lot of generalization, and readers may find themselves frustrated. The childish, black-and-white line drawings lend the book a distressingly patronizing feel.
This may work as an introduction to the concept of ACT, but it’s too simplistic to help readers engage in self-directed ACT practices. (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62625-865-5
Page Count: 96
Publisher: New Harbinger
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
