Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson (Kristina's Review)

Life, In Spite of Me: Finding Extraordinary Hope After Making a Fatal Choice by Kristen Jane Anderson


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Kristen was only seventeen years old when she decided she had had enough. Life, as far as she was concerned, wasn't worth living. In an attempt to end her life, she laid down on railroad tracks and waited for the next train. The next train indeed came and severed Kristen's legs from her body. Miraculously, Kristen survived and has since accepted Christ as her savior and learned to live life "in spite of herself".

From a story standpoint, it is not my place to like or dislike a memoir. This is Kristen's story and I feel that one cannot like or dislike another person's story of how God has worked in there life. Technically this book was enjoyable and well-written. The book is fast-paced, beginning with the initial suicide attempt at the train tracks and then the immediate recovery before walking you through the events that led up to the attempt. Kristen also scatters 'notes to the reader' throughout the book. These notes are snippets of what Kristen wishes someone would have said to her when she was struggling with depression.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. It was well-written and fast-paced. Kristen's writing style is clear and flows well. This book ends up being quite inspiring despite the morose beginning and suicide attempt. This is book is definitely well worth the read! I give it three stars!

A copy of this title was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review purposes. Receiving a free copy has in no way influenced the content of this review.