(12/17/2009)
I'll admit, there were chapters that made me feel almost violated because they were so grotesque. But these things happened to him...funny or appalling, things like this happen to people every day, usually not in this amount. The things that happened to him stayed in my mind all day, and I could not stop thinking about the story throughout the entire work day. This is definitely not a children's book and there are truly disgusting things that happen to him throughout his childhood. But the way that Augusten is able to draw strength from these situations, see the humor in the psychotic people and situations that popped up in his life, and the way he sums up his experiences in the end truly made the book worth it. His honesty and ability to find irony in every situation made this book funny, touching, and unforgettable.