Title: My Thinning Years Author: Jon Derek Croteau
Source: TLC Book Tours
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:
Summary: This was a tough read, but also engaging and eye-opening.
It was clear from an early age that Jon was not the athletic, all-American boy his father wanted him to be. His father responded with fear and hate, trying to change Jon with physical and emotional abuse. As a teenager, Jon’s internalized homophobia caused him to continue abusing himself, with eating disorders and excessive, unhealthy amounts of exercise. Only years later, by cutting his father out of his life and out of his head, was he able to come to terms with his sexual identity and to recognize that he deserved to be happy.
Like The War on Women in Israel, I expected this book to be frustrating and depressing to read. Fortunately, I was wrong once again. It was a difficult read and my heart ached for Jon as I read about his abusive childhood, but I also couldn’t set this book down. I think it helped that I knew Jon was writing this book from a better place in his life and I wanted to read as quickly as possible to get to the point where things worked out. The physical abuse also came across as less damaging then the mental abuse and the book wasn’t graphic at all.
This wasn’t the most enjoyable book I’ve ever read and I don’t think any book involving such tough topics ever will be. However, it was a very good book. It was well written and it opened my mind to someone whose life is different from my own. I like to think that if I ever encounter someone who needs the kind of support Jon needed from his friends, this reading experience will help me be there for them. This is such an eye opening book, I’d recommend it everyone.
For some other perspectives, check out the other stops on the tour.
Jancee
I think I’m going to pass on this one, just because so much of my real life has dealt with helping friends overcome PTSD from abuse and dealing with a bit of emotional abuse myself growing up. While it sounds good, I just don’t know that I want to spend more time with the topic than I already do.
DoingDewey
That makes sense! I thought this was a tough read without anything in real life to connect it to. I’m sure it would be much harder if it reminded you of struggles your or a friend faced.
Amanda
What a good find! When I was making the reading suggestions list for the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge, it was really hard to find a book about anorexia in men. More talk is needed of eating disorders, and how anyone (anyone!) can have one.
Laurie C
I’m not sure that this book is for me, but I enjoyed your review!
DoingDewey
I was really nervous about taking this book for a review! I ended up being glad I did, but I was terrified it would be too difficult to read.
Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf
Oh wow… I want to read this book. I don’t *want* to read it. But I *do* want to read it. Sounds like an important, difficult read. Thanks for hosting a giveaway.
DoingDewey
That makes sense! I mostly decided to be brave and pick this up because I’ve been looking for more books about LGBT people/characters and have almost exclusively picked up fiction so far, but I ended up being glad I did. It was worthwhile and wasn’t so graphic I found reading it really unpleasant, even though it wasn’t a happy book. I’d recommend it 🙂
Heather J @ TLC Book Tours
Definitely not a pleasant read but a powerful and moving one for sure.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
DoingDewey
Thanks for having me Heather! I would never have picked this up on my own, but I’m so glad I decided to take a chance on it for the tour. I thought this was really incredible memoir.