Brent Runyon

I was disappointed. The book lacks insight for Brent's behavior; he doesn't even seem curious about why he set himself on fire. He also doesn't seem to have much understanding for the effect his actions had on his parents and his older brother. Instead, the book focuses on his becoming aroused during physical therapy, which nurses might want to have sex with him, and what famous people reached out to him. At fourteen, Brent was obsessed with girls, his own sense of humor, and himself. There does not seem to be any adult perspective in this book, written in adulthood. Instead, Brent seems to think his attempted self-immolation now makes him special. As a therapist, and as a reader, this approach saddens me.… (mere)

Currently nearing the end of my first year as a suicide attempt survivor, I found myself relating to a fair amount of Mr. Runyon's experiences. Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with the burn treatment aspect of things, and therefore did not share the lengthy hospital stays and surgeries, but I did share many of Brent's frustrations of dealing with the awkward questions and mental health care system in the aftermath of the attempt.
I did, at times, find myself thinking that Brent, disfigured by his own doing, was awfully critical of the other patients he came across during his treatment, especially considering that many of them were disabled at birth or injured through accidents at no fault of their own.
Although I felt the book might have benefited from a different format (while I understand the idea, it ends up looking unfinished and a bit like a run-on), I appreciated his open and honest portrayal of life after an attempt and the continued struggles to re-identify yourself among your family, friends, and society.
Not all of our scars are as visible as Mr. Runyon's, but we have them just the same.… (mere)

I thought this book was well written and had an interesting matter-of-fact style, but I would have preferred if at some point it had detoured into a more self-reflective tone. This book looks starkly at the reality of one child's choice to attempt suicide. Most of the book deals with Brent Runyan's recovery process. It describes the day-by-day process of lying in a hospital bed and rebuilding relationships with the people he tried to leave behind.

I only read two thirds of this book. I think this would probably be a fantastic read for a teenager going through similar desolation. The book was originally written as a cathartic experience for the author, who has been featured on This American Life. The prose do not suffer despite the fact that it was not originally written for mass consumption, and I think that most people would enjoy the memoir more than I did… (mere)