dion campbell

Absolutely incredible

Revisado: 01-05-25

This book was SO SO good, I think I got through it in like two days because I couldn’t stop listening. It’s almost unbelievable but the author is so honest and the account of the tragedy and how it played out is so personal. I will be thinking about this for a long time.

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Perfect, personal, and beautifully written/performed

Revisado: 11-27-24

One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. Such a deeply personal glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of a trans person. There’s an amazingly female perspective throughout, given that the author lived so much of his life as a woman, wife, and mother. The tug between the male and female perspectives and even gender alliances/allegiances is honest and heartbreaking. Thank you Oliver for being so brave and then also brave enough to share it with us.

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Absolutely brilliant

Revisado: 03-29-23

I had to take time to process my feelings after finishing this book and wait to write a review. First of all, I loved it. It might be my favorite book; I can't believe it's not a classic. Stuart has a Steinbeckian gift for building a world that feels absolutely real and creating characters who are deeply complex. The story is heartbreakingly beautiful but not difficult to read. None of the characters are 2 dimensional. Not one person in the story is too easily forgiven for their deeds or made to be unforgivable, and they're all so understandable--even when they're awful. Maybe especially when they're awful. As a woman I have to commend Stuart for writing women so well and with so much care and insight. On top of all that, the narrator is truly amazing. I would recommend this audiobook to someone over a physical copy just because the reader adds so much to the story. I Highly recommend this audiobook.

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Wonderful personal thru hike story

Revisado: 07-23-22

I honestly read every thru hiking memoir I can get my hands on, and I love how they’re all different even though they’re about the same journey. This one is less about the technical minutiae of the hike and more about the hiker’s internal personal experience, which was wonderful. He’s so genuine and humble, he gives off this youthful innocence that’s really refreshing. Like the opposite of cynical. I’m so glad he took the time to share his adventure with us through this book.

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Thank you Carrot!

Revisado: 01-22-22

Carrot Quinn weaves such a beautifully, sickeningly real portrait of herself, her schizophrenic mother, the people with whom she interacts during her travels, I LOVE feeling like I’m in her shoes while listening. Her first book was wonderful, especially because I love hiking memoirs so much, but this one has a maturity of structure and cadence that really lets her talent shine. I also love this narrator. Sometimes I forget I’m listening to a book at all and the story plays in my head like a film. I loved it. Good story, good writing, good reading. I sure hope CQ has more books in her.

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Personal, honest, engaging... wonderful.

Revisado: 04-21-21

I’m a sucker for hiking memoirs but this one had something special. So much vulnerability and honesty from such a brave and badass woman. Anish is so humble, a little neurotic, self deprecating and stubborn, so very human. The whole way through I never knew whether she’d make it, it was a total rollercoaster ride of expectation, hope, and futility. It’s a beautiful adventure of the body and of the spirit. Thank you, Anish, for another wonderful read.

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What a story!

Revisado: 03-13-21

It’s hard to explain why or how but I’ve never felt so close to a book’s author before while listening to an audiobook. She is so candid and so intimate in the retelling of her story, you start to really see the world through Cupcake’s perspective, and what a perspective it is! The narrator is so perfect and so fun to listen to... I can’t recommend this book enough. Cupcake’s story is a gift to anyone and everyone who takes the time to hear it.

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I loved *almost* everything about it

Revisado: 09-20-20

Hoping this will help someone else: I love Augusten Burroughs a lot, but there were two parts in this book I had to fast-forward through because they detailed what I’d consider animal abuse/animal cruelty. I’m not trying to be a snowflake and I’m not complaining about it. I still finished the book and loved the parts I did listen to. I’m just saying: if you’re sensitive about that sort of thing, here’s a fair warning. You might have to skip a couple chapters or maybe choose a whole nother book. (Dry was my favorite by AB so far.) I laughed out loud multiple times in this one though. Lots of good stuff.

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Great trail memoir, terrible narration

Revisado: 07-30-20

If you love trail memoirs, especially about the PCT, this is a pretty solid one. Lots of details about stops, mileage, planning, gear, logistics, and fun along the way. The narrator however DROVE ME NUTS; I almost returned the book. So many mispronunciations, like basic words my 6 year old can read. “Foliage” pronounced as “foil-age” and “repugnant” as “re-pyoo-jant” and things like that. I can overlook one or two but there were A LOT. I still really enjoyed the book though.

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Surprisingly wonderful

Revisado: 12-22-19

At first listen I thought “ugh this narrator!” I thought he sounded wet voiced and hoarse in a way that was going to be too much to bear. It either gets better a few chapters in or you become accustomed to it, I don’t know. I ended up loving the narrator and the way he brought the book to life. And then... What an epic story. I don’t usually read books of this sort and wasn’t sure I’d like it at all. But I did, very much so. The humanity in the characters is just wonderful. Heartbreaking and heart warming at the same time. It’s a commitment to get into a heavy tome like this, but this one was worth it.

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