What do you think?
Rate this book
Exposed: A Memoir
As a young child and teenager growing up with Dermatomyositis, Helen discovers how indubitably frustrating it can be at times to find acceptance among her peers and the people she encounters on a daily basis. We experience firsthand just how uncomfortable the human stare can be, and what one would do in desperation for that ¿miracle cure.¿ Told candidly and at times humorously, this is a story of a young girl¿s determined odyssey into young adulthood.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
I was very excited to read this book. This memoir is about a young girl who grows up with dermatomyositis (dur-muh-to-mi-uh-SI-tis), which is an uncommon disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash. It is a very quick read at only 142 pages, but is very fascinating.
Helen is diagnosed with the disease when she is very young. She describes how she functions with not being able to walk and at times not even being able to hold up her head. She describes the feelings of her family and her frustration at not being able-bodied. At times it is very intense and you can feel the anger and the rage that Helen has for the world and why she questions God about why she got this disfiguring condition.
I found that a lot of the things that Helen railed against were some of the same things that I was unhappy about when I was younger. One of the things I could identify with was not having a date for the prom. A lot of teens don't go to their senior prom. I think, as does Helen, that we as a society have put too much pressure on going to it. She remarks that she felt alone many times in her life even when she was with many people. I have felt that way also.
Pick up this book so that when you meet someone in a wheelchair or who is "different" than you, you can put yourself in their place and make their life a little bit easier for them. EXPOSED is a good, quick read that will give you empathy for others.
I was very excited to read this book. This memoir is about a young girl who grows up with dermatomyositis (dur-muh-to-mi-uh-SI-tis), which is an uncommon disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash. It is a very quick read at only 142 pages, but is very fascinating.
Helen is diagnosed with the disease when she is very young. She describes how she functions with not being able to walk and at times not even being able to hold up her head. She describes the feelings of her family and her frustration at not being able-bodied. At times it is very intense and you can feel the anger and the rage that Helen has for the world and why she questions God about why she got this disfiguring condition.
I found that a lot of the things that Helen railed against were some of the same things that I was unhappy about when I was younger. One of the things I could identify with was not having a date for the prom. A lot of teens don't go to their senior prom. I think, as does Helen, that we as a society have put too much pressure on going to it. She remarks that she felt alone many times in her life even when she was with many people. I have felt that way also.
Pick up this book so that when you meet someone in a wheelchair or who is "different" than you, you can put yourself in their place and make their life a little bit easier for them. EXPOSED is a good, quick read that will give you empathy for others.
Displaying 1 of 1 review