Monday, September 25, 2017

The Day I Died

No, this isn't me talking about my story, but rather a book review! As I write my book I have been reading as many stories of people who have died and come back just to get an idea of what has already been done. A theme I'm finding is that a lot of them are really centered around religion and I know mine isn't going that avenue at all, so that already sets me apart. Sadly, there aren't a lot of books focused on amniotic fluid embolism and I'm sure it's because so many die, it's truly not something you should survive. When I find a book that references that, I automatically purchase it, which is how I came to read this one.

The Day I Died - Melanie Pritchard
In her honest work, The Day I Died, Melanie Pritchard tells the harrowing tale of her sudden death and miraculous healing through the remarkable accounts of those who witnessed it and those closest to her. With powerful insight, Melanie touches on the myriad of emotions and reactions to her miracle, which is approachable to anyone who has experienced tragedy or suffering. By defining her miraculous experience through faithful trust in Christ, the extraordinary reality of God's mercy comes shining through. 

Alright. I have to be upfront and tell you I didn't read the book description, I just saw it mentioned on the AFE Foundation's website so I purchased it blindly. When the book came in I was admittedly worried to read it because while I think people should follow what their heart tells them... religion isn't my thing. So much of it makes no sense to me and I just can't follow something blindly. I'm a science gal, basically.

I went into this book excited anyway because the thing about surviving an AFE, something so rare most doctors can't even identify it in the moment, is that you look for other survivors. You compare stories, you look to the survivors who have gone down the road of recovery for guidance, and you feel like you owe it to the ones who didn't make it to raise awareness. That's how it is for me, and I think I'll always feel that way.

This book, for me, fell flat. I have a lot of things I could say about the book but I won't because it's someone's personal testimony. Their experience.

What I will say is that it wasn't what I hoped for. Essentially, it's the events of her AFE told in multiple ways, from the point of view of her family and friends. What they felt, how they processed the events, and in between it's small commentary from Melanie. She speaks about her faith and how she believes it's what carried her through, that somehow God lined everything up for the event to happen but also that the right people were in the right spot at the right time. I don't disagree with that so  much but all of the religious overtones were just too much for me.

Overall? I'm giving this a 1.5/stars but I'll round up to 2 for Goodreads. I just didn't enjoy it and hearing the same story over and over again just in a different point of view was redundant and made me lose interest. Whomp, whomp.

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