I burned through this, stopping myself at one point to take a breath. Gorgeous, searing writing that will stay with you. This is what reading should be like every time. ( )

Beautiful and lyrical and full of tantalizing puzzlements. In the end, I found it too slight. But I would look forward to reading more by Levy. ( )

There are a lot of valid criticisms of this book, but Levy is such a good writer. Even with its flaws, I found this to be totally worth my time. Read it for the great writing. Read it because it's honest.

In case you're curious, I think valid criticisms are:

1. It's extremely sad. This is not a feel-good memoir. It's a feel-bad memoir.
2. If it irritates you to have to think about the plight of a privileged white woman, this will surely irritate you.
3. There are no profound revelations in this book. It's extremely obvious that we don't all get to have perfect lives. That bad things happen. That we do not have total control over our lives. Like, duh.

But I'll say it again: she's such a good writer.
( )

This book was completely heartbreaking, but so beautifully written. After reading this, I cannot believe how underrated she is. ( )

All her life, Ariel Levy was told she was too reverent, too forceful, too much. As a young woman, she decided that becoming a writer would perfectly channel her strength and desire. She would be a professional explorer-the kind of woman who is free to do whatever she chooses. Levy moved to Manhattan to pursue her dream, and spent years of adventure, traveling all over the world writing stories about unconventional heroines, following her own life
But when she experiences unthinkable heartbreak, Levy is forced to surrender her illusion of conteol. ( )