When I post a review on Goodreads, I either take a lot of time on it or do something quick and simple. There's one review that I posted in 2014 that, every once in a while, I still get notifications of people liking it. I didn't even remember what I wrote in the review until I copied it for this post.
The review is for Deenie by Judy Blume.
Here it is:
I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was fourteen. At fifteen I had corrective spine surgery. I remember the brace I had to wear after my surgery, and I hated it! Although braces are different now, it was still unattractive and uncomfortable. Mine actually did hurt because the most sensitive part of my spine stuck out a little and the brace dug into it roughly. The first time I had to wear it at the hospital was the day after my surgery and I cried because it caused me pain. I recall a male physical therapist snapping at me and telling me it didn't hurt. Oh, I wanted to hit him! When my doctor finally said I didn't have to wear it anymore, I drew a bikini on it with marker and slashed the padding on the inside with a pair of scissors. Hey, I was fifteen! But it felt great being able to throw it in the trash.
I've never read a story about a girl with scoliosis, and I wish I had known about this book back then. I'm thankful to Judy Blume for exploring this important subject, shining light on it, and for the young girl who inspired Deenie.
I really liked how Blume wrote about Deenie's posture, because my own posture always bothered me and still does to this day. When I was in ninth grade, one of my shoulders was higher than the other and one of my hips stuck out more. I felt like a freak! I also like that Deenie had to see many doctors, because I lost track for how many doctors I had to see to get diagnosed, to get measured for my brace, and to prepare for my surgery.
Deenie is a quick, nice read that explores scoliosis and the thoughts of a young girl who has to wear a brace to fix her spine. This story will not only help teens and parents in this situation, but everyone who doesn't understand what scoliosis is.
A couple more reviews that get some love every once in a while:
Calm the F*ck Down (1 Star)
Your One Word (5 Stars)
You can find me on Goodreads here. I also highly recommend The Story Graph. It's much more relaxed than Goodreads where things can get very heated.
Nice review and you make it personal with your own story. The one good thing about fiction is that it can help us feel not so alone win our struggles. I can't imagine what you've gone through with doctors, surgeries, and braces.
ReplyDeleteIt's never the thing you think will be popular. I never read that one, but I did read a lot of Judy Blume at one point.
ReplyDeleteI can see why people love that review. It's really good.
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