Book Review: The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless

Title: The Wild Truth

Author: Carine McCandless

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult

Pages: 278

Publisher: HarperOne

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook

"The spellbinding story of Christ McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked to Alaska, walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in 1992, fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, but also the rest of the nation. Krakauer's book, Into The Wild, became an international bestseller, translated into thirty-oen languages, and Sean Penn's inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless to global fame.

But the real story of Chris's life and his journey has not yet been told- until now. The missing pieces are finally revealed in The Wild Truth, written by Carine McCandless, Chris's beloved and trusted sister. Featured in both the book and film, Carine has wrestled for more than twenty one years with the legacy of her brother's journey to self discovery, and now tells her own story while in the blanks of his.

Carine was Chris's best friend, the person with whom he had the closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled household, Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family. In the many years since the tragedy of Chris's death, Carine has searched for some kind of redemption.

In this touching and deeply personal memoir, she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth."

My Rating: 3/5

I do rate nonfiction based on writing and how it met my expectation of where the story was going. I thought that this book would centre a bit more on Chris's life and loves before he left, but it makes sense that it followed the childhood experience that Carine and Chris shared. I was surprised to see how much detail this book went into about the affairs and abuse that took place between parents. I would recommend if you are interested in Into the Wild or have follow-up questions about how Chris McCandless ended up where he did, or if you are curious about his family life. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop

 Title: Unfu*k Yourself

Author: Gary John Bishop

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help

Pages: 221

Publisher: HarperOne

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook

"Have you ever felt like a hamster on a wheel, furiously churning your way through life but somehow going nowhere? It seems like there's a barrage of information surrounding us in our everyday lives with the keys to this thing or that thing, be it wealth, success, happiness or purpose. The truth is, most of it fails to capture what it truly takes to overcome our greatest barrier to a greater life... ourselves. What if everything you ever wanted resided in you like a well of potential, waiting to be expressed? Unfu*k Yourself is the handbook for the resigned and defeated, a manifesto for real change and unleashing your own greatness."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was an interesting read, and I think that trying to read it to quickly made it hard to apply to the day to day of my life. That being said, I do plan on reading the physical copy and taking notes on different ways to apply this to my day to day life. I think we all can acknowledge that at some points in your life you have had such negative self-talk that has been a self-fulfilling prophecy. This book is a bit of a slap in the face, that you are just bullshiting yourself when you say there are things you can't do, even with setbacks you can get to your goals with a plan, and positive self-talk. No waiting around to get to where you need to go. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathon Van Ness

Title: Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love
Author: Jonathan Van Ness
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Adult, LGBT
Pages: 276
Publisher: HarperOne
Year Published: 2019
Format: Audiobook

"'Over The Top (is) a lightning bolt- devastating and stirring... generous and frank' The Guardian.

Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey. 

The truth is, it hasn't always been gorgeous for the beacon of positivity and joy.

Before he stole our hearts as the grooming and self-care expert on Netflix's hit show Queer Eye, Jonathon was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn't understand why he was so... over the top. From choreographed carpet figure skating routines to the unavoidable fact that he was Just. So. Gay. Jonathon was an easy target and endured years of judgement, ridicule and trauma- yet none of it crushed his uniquely effervescent spirit. 

Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathon is today. In this revelatory, raw and rambunctious memoir, Jonathon shares never-before-told secrets and reveals sides of himself that the public has never seen. JVN fans may think they know the man behind the stiletto heels, the crop tops and the iconic sayings, but there's much more to him than meets the Queer Eye."

My Rating: 3.75/5

Since this is a nonfiction book, I often have trouble rating these since I can't comment on plot or character. My rating usually comes down to the writing style, how entertained I was and if I was intrigued. I was interested in Jonathan Van Ness's story after watching Queer Eye obviously, but also after hearing about his HIV diagnoses and when that went viral He is a strong individual who has overcome so much adversary and has risen above it. I'm sure that there are aspects of addiction and mental health that are still lingering because there is no cure for such things. The ability to be able to maintain the self-care for yourself after hitting lows is such a priority for yourself that isn't self and that is certainly something that is shown once and again through this memoir. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny