GG reviewed Love warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
Review of 'Love warrior' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
One of the most important lessons of becoming an adult is that you're not always the hero -- or even the protagonist -- of each of your life's stories. I've read many, better memoirs in this genre, and this one bothered me because the author doesn't seem to have learned this lesson yet. She exaggerates her victimhood over minor setbacks (for example, she has a dramatic meltdown when she learns her husband has, GASP, porn) and yet completely glosses over the major issues, like her recovery from bulimia and alcoholism, which she apparently achieved without help, a program, or too much self-reflection. At the same time, she grossly overstates her "hero" status, regardless of the fact that most grown-ups have survived and recovered from similar or worse situations -- her big "tragedy" is finding out her husband is cheating on her. Yep, that's it! She ended up sounding like a …
One of the most important lessons of becoming an adult is that you're not always the hero -- or even the protagonist -- of each of your life's stories. I've read many, better memoirs in this genre, and this one bothered me because the author doesn't seem to have learned this lesson yet. She exaggerates her victimhood over minor setbacks (for example, she has a dramatic meltdown when she learns her husband has, GASP, porn) and yet completely glosses over the major issues, like her recovery from bulimia and alcoholism, which she apparently achieved without help, a program, or too much self-reflection. At the same time, she grossly overstates her "hero" status, regardless of the fact that most grown-ups have survived and recovered from similar or worse situations -- her big "tragedy" is finding out her husband is cheating on her. Yep, that's it! She ended up sounding like a sheltered "mommy-blogger" type who has never faced true difficulties in life.
There's also a lot of weird god stuff injected into it towards the end, as the author ends up becoming very religious. I didn't find out until I was almost done that this was an Oprah Book Club book, and that explains a lot, in my opinion.
If you want a memoir by someone who is more self-aware, a better writer, and has overcome genuinely significant obstacles, I'd suggest the following instead: "The Rules Do Not Apply" by Ariel Levy, "Lust & Wonder" by Augusten Burroughs, and "Lit" by Mary Karr.
