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Locked In: The Will to Survive and the Resolve to Live
ESPN personality and Paralympics champion Victoria Arlen shares her courageous and miraculous story of recovery after falling into a mysterious vegetative state at age eleven and how she broke free, overcoming the odds and never giving up hope, eventually living a full and inspiring life.
When Victoria Arlen was eleven years old, she contracted two rare diseases simultaneously and fell into a mysterious vegetative state. For two years her mind was dark, but in the third year, her mind broke free, and she was able to think clearly and to hear and feel everything—but no one knew.
When she was fifteen years old, against all odds and medical predictions, she was finally able to communicate through eye blinks, and she gradually regained her ability to speak and eat and move her upper body, but she faced the devastating reality of paralysis from the waist down because of damage to her spine. However, Victoria didn’t lose her strength or steadfast determination, and two years later, she won a gold medal for swimming at the London 2012 Paralympics.
In Locked In, Victoria shares her never-before-published story—the pain, the struggle, the fight to live and thrive, and most importantly, the faith that carried her through. Her journey was not easy, but by believing in God’s healing power and forgiveness, she is living proof that, despite seemingly insurmountable odds and challenges, the will to survive and resolve to live can be a force stronger than our worst deterrents.
Not many people get a second chance at life like Victoria has, and she made a promise to God that she would make every moment count.
When Victoria Arlen was eleven years old, she contracted two rare diseases simultaneously and fell into a mysterious vegetative state. For two years her mind was dark, but in the third year, her mind broke free, and she was able to think clearly and to hear and feel everything—but no one knew.
When she was fifteen years old, against all odds and medical predictions, she was finally able to communicate through eye blinks, and she gradually regained her ability to speak and eat and move her upper body, but she faced the devastating reality of paralysis from the waist down because of damage to her spine. However, Victoria didn’t lose her strength or steadfast determination, and two years later, she won a gold medal for swimming at the London 2012 Paralympics.
In Locked In, Victoria shares her never-before-published story—the pain, the struggle, the fight to live and thrive, and most importantly, the faith that carried her through. Her journey was not easy, but by believing in God’s healing power and forgiveness, she is living proof that, despite seemingly insurmountable odds and challenges, the will to survive and resolve to live can be a force stronger than our worst deterrents.
Not many people get a second chance at life like Victoria has, and she made a promise to God that she would make every moment count.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2018
73 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 10, 2019
Amazing story- NOT an amazing book. I agree with a number of other reviewers here in that Arlen would have done much better to have had a professional biographer write her story. Her story is inspirational, but if better told/written, the book would have had so much more impact. It was painful at times as some of her writing choices ( like continuing to refer to her mother as "mummy" and her stomach as "tummy") were more like I was reading a middle school students version of the events. She glosses over some significant areas (SPOILER: did her family ever pursue those who abused/ attempted to kill her while under their care???) and doesn't provide near enough depth on stages of her recovery and how achieved (one moment she is attempting to walk, and the next page she is walking). Her publishers should have never allowed this to go to print in this short shift version as it deserved a much better telling.
September 24, 2018
It is impossible not to applaud the strength of will, determination and fight to regain her life, but the writing is boring and tedious. The story would have been much improved if it had been a biography by a professional author.
April 27, 2019
Really quick read! Victoria is obviously not a writer, which definitely shows, however her ultimate goal was sharing her story, so I have to give her credit for that. I still gave her a high rating, because of how much I could relate to her story. I struggle with a life-threatening disability myself and many of her feelings and emotions are sometimes my exact thoughts and reactions. It’s nice to know you are not alone.
I found this book in the religious section of the bookstore. I respect that she didn’t shy away from keeping faith an important part of her story.
Her own conclusions mirror mine- family support is everything and hope is what keeps you going. Victoria is very driven. When she sets her mind to it, she will do it! She teaches us that there is no such thing as the impossible.
I found this book in the religious section of the bookstore. I respect that she didn’t shy away from keeping faith an important part of her story.
Her own conclusions mirror mine- family support is everything and hope is what keeps you going. Victoria is very driven. When she sets her mind to it, she will do it! She teaches us that there is no such thing as the impossible.
November 12, 2019
I realized too late that the audience for this book is much younger than I (mummy, tummy, bum bum, etc). The story is fascinating, although she only lightly touched on any of it. Instead of learning about the medical mystery and how it was solved and overcome, the book read like a long resume of accomplishments without any real detail. “I did this, and then I did this, then I accomplished this, then I won this.” I was looking for the story, not the resume. The other thing that truly started driving me insane was the unending overuse of quotation marks for a word or phrase that for some reason need to be “emphasized” several times on “every” page. See what I did there? I almost gave up on the book just because of that. Almost. Overall an interesting story, but the writing just “wasn’t for me.”
February 8, 2019
Oh sweet Victoria. I wanted to love your book.
It's impossible not to admire Victoria Arlen for everything she went through and how she turned everything into the life she has now. I loved her on Dancing with the Stars and was pulling for her to win. I can't even begin to imagine what this books means to her. It was interesting to read more about what she was thinking and feeling internally.
Objectively speaking, this story would have been told much better with a professional writer. She uses so many different forms of repetitive language and there were so many moments where all I could think was "okay, move on."
Story-wise - yes, tremendous.
Writing left much to be desired...
It's impossible not to admire Victoria Arlen for everything she went through and how she turned everything into the life she has now. I loved her on Dancing with the Stars and was pulling for her to win. I can't even begin to imagine what this books means to her. It was interesting to read more about what she was thinking and feeling internally.
Objectively speaking, this story would have been told much better with a professional writer. She uses so many different forms of repetitive language and there were so many moments where all I could think was "okay, move on."
Story-wise - yes, tremendous.
Writing left much to be desired...
May 31, 2019
While I admire Victoria beyond words, this book just isn’t enough of the story. I listened to the audio book and kept thinking that I skipped a bunch because one minute she has more eye control the next she’s out of the hospital and playing hockey. I would have preferred more on the recovery and less on swimming . Her story is inspirational, but this story needed more details.
December 6, 2022
I first learned about Victoria Arlen when she appeared on Dancing with the Stars. Learning about her story was heart-breaking but so inspiring. I started following her on Instagram and eventually learned she had written a book. I kept meaning to read it, but just never got around to it. Over Thanksgiving, I decided to download some memoirs to read on the trip back from Alabama and this book was available, so I immediately downloaded it. I recently finished it, and I have a lot of thoughts.
Now, for Victoria's journey, I don't know a person who could say Victoria had it easy. I didn't know much about Victoria's health except what I had learned on Dancing with the Stars. When I learned the physical and mental abuse she endured in places meant to help her heal infuriated me. I cannot understand how people, let alone a healthcare facility, can treat someone so poorly and then excuse their behavior by saying they were doing it to push her to get better. Then to learn that if doctors had recognized the symptoms of her disease, none of her ordeal would have happened just made my jaw drop.
Throughout this book, there were many things that came to mind. One is how Victoria's family had the ability to obtain treatment for her, including specialists. Once she had come out of her vegetative state, she talks a lot about how she used sports to help her heal, both mentally and physically, and it again brought to mind how Victoria's family had the ability to support her in these endeavors, especially once she began to train for the Paralympics. Not everyone who is disabled has these support systems, so I was excited to learn that Victoria has an organization called Victoria's Victory Foundation, which helps others get medical devices, home and vehicle adaptations, and training and recovery sessions to become more independent.
"I am busy, but I'm not going anywhere." This really stuck out to me since I recently listened to Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection (yes, I'm talking about this book again), in which she talks about being deliberate with our time. Victoria talks about how she was so busy, but what was she really doing to move toward her goals? I feel like we've all been in this situation before and a reminder can help us get back to being deliberate with our time.
Now, if you decide this book sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, go into it understanding this book was written by Victoria and not someone with years of experience writing professionally. While she had the help of editors and such, a professional biographer could have possibly helped Victoria share her story in a way that progressed more smoothly as there are some time jumps that come out of nowhere (she's trying to relearn how to walk, then suddenly she's walking). Additionally, she writes the book from the perspective of herself throughout her journey. She uses terms such as "Mummy" and "tummy," and at times, it can sound a bit childish as she is writing about her experiences as a child and teenager who missed many crucial years in emotional development.
Despite these critiques, I gave Locked In four stars. It's a quick read, and it definitely kept my attention.
Now, for Victoria's journey, I don't know a person who could say Victoria had it easy. I didn't know much about Victoria's health except what I had learned on Dancing with the Stars. When I learned the physical and mental abuse she endured in places meant to help her heal infuriated me. I cannot understand how people, let alone a healthcare facility, can treat someone so poorly and then excuse their behavior by saying they were doing it to push her to get better. Then to learn that if doctors had recognized the symptoms of her disease, none of her ordeal would have happened just made my jaw drop.
Throughout this book, there were many things that came to mind. One is how Victoria's family had the ability to obtain treatment for her, including specialists. Once she had come out of her vegetative state, she talks a lot about how she used sports to help her heal, both mentally and physically, and it again brought to mind how Victoria's family had the ability to support her in these endeavors, especially once she began to train for the Paralympics. Not everyone who is disabled has these support systems, so I was excited to learn that Victoria has an organization called Victoria's Victory Foundation, which helps others get medical devices, home and vehicle adaptations, and training and recovery sessions to become more independent.
"I am busy, but I'm not going anywhere." This really stuck out to me since I recently listened to Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection (yes, I'm talking about this book again), in which she talks about being deliberate with our time. Victoria talks about how she was so busy, but what was she really doing to move toward her goals? I feel like we've all been in this situation before and a reminder can help us get back to being deliberate with our time.
Now, if you decide this book sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, go into it understanding this book was written by Victoria and not someone with years of experience writing professionally. While she had the help of editors and such, a professional biographer could have possibly helped Victoria share her story in a way that progressed more smoothly as there are some time jumps that come out of nowhere (she's trying to relearn how to walk, then suddenly she's walking). Additionally, she writes the book from the perspective of herself throughout her journey. She uses terms such as "Mummy" and "tummy," and at times, it can sound a bit childish as she is writing about her experiences as a child and teenager who missed many crucial years in emotional development.
Despite these critiques, I gave Locked In four stars. It's a quick read, and it definitely kept my attention.
January 7, 2019
I remember watching Victoria Arlen on Dancing With the stars and I said to myself if she ever writes a book I'll read in a heartbeat! My favorite dance she did that season was during Most Memorable Year week when she started dancing in her old wheelchair before standing up and walking. As a wheelchair user myself, I thought this routine was amazing! Not only was she dancing part of her dance in a chair but she was also dancing with Val who I love watching and want to dance with. When I found out Victoria was a Christian like me, I loved her even more. Its so refreshing to find a celebrity who believes in God and talks about their faith openly. While some parts of this book were heartbreaking, it strengthened my faith. Read this book!
May 22, 2018
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy due to our patrons love for Dancing with the Stars and Victoria's story of how she overcame all odds and still moves gracefully in the competition and did really well. This story is also VERY inspiring to all that all can be achieved if you believe and be strong and work hard and it goes to show that Victoria is living proof of that and it is always a treat to her an inspirational story making everyone fell confident and accomplishing their goals. Everyone in our community can easily relate to Victoria and it was courageous of her to share her story with the world. It is an honor to reward this story 5 stars!
October 3, 2018
I LOVED this Book!!
IT was if course heartbreaking to Read, especially the Part when she got sick. Ive Seen an Interview with her and became interested in reading the book. I didn't know she was abused by nurses while being locked in her body. I was outraged readng her recollactions of the nurses treating her badly and even hitting and hurting her on purpose.
She's a strong woman and very inspirational !!
Recommended !!!
IT was if course heartbreaking to Read, especially the Part when she got sick. Ive Seen an Interview with her and became interested in reading the book. I didn't know she was abused by nurses while being locked in her body. I was outraged readng her recollactions of the nurses treating her badly and even hitting and hurting her on purpose.
She's a strong woman and very inspirational !!
Recommended !!!
December 26, 2018
Cannot say enough good things about this book! Victoria captured all the emotions and feels of her story. She shared the worst times of her life to the best and how she overcame the predictions of being told that she will never get better or be able to walk again. She is such an inspiration to everyone in our daily lives.
November 18, 2022
Very quick read! Her story was not as detailed as I would have liked but it was a good summary with lots of pages about swimming (which I did not mind). Her journey to where she is today is quite miraculous, she has had to overcome so many obstacles and never gave up! Very inspiring to read.
March 11, 2024
Audiobook . I was inspired by her willingness to keep fighting through all the ups and downs. She had great family support and had a strong faith! I YouTube videos of her on Dancing with the stars! It was great !
October 25, 2018
Heartbreaking
It's hard to imagine anyone going through what she experienced. What's hard to understand is why it took so long for it to be diagnosed. As a parent I can't imagine leaving my 11 year old child in a psychiatric hospital with strict visitation rules. In fact based on how she was before getting sick I wouldn't have agreed with their diagnosis at all. I don't mean to be critical of the choices her parents made because I live in Chicago which has several top hospitals to choose from. It doesn't sound like they had that. Plus the anxiety of rushing her to the hospital when she was so bad would be terrifying. I'm surprised her parents don't have PTSD. I wish there was a little more included about her diagnosis. What causes it etc.!Also, what the doctors say about her incredible recovery. How do they explain it? I also wish she'd been a little more open about the abuse she suffered. Those people need to be fired and charged for what they did. If not they'll do it to someone else. It is an amazing story.
It's hard to imagine anyone going through what she experienced. What's hard to understand is why it took so long for it to be diagnosed. As a parent I can't imagine leaving my 11 year old child in a psychiatric hospital with strict visitation rules. In fact based on how she was before getting sick I wouldn't have agreed with their diagnosis at all. I don't mean to be critical of the choices her parents made because I live in Chicago which has several top hospitals to choose from. It doesn't sound like they had that. Plus the anxiety of rushing her to the hospital when she was so bad would be terrifying. I'm surprised her parents don't have PTSD. I wish there was a little more included about her diagnosis. What causes it etc.!Also, what the doctors say about her incredible recovery. How do they explain it? I also wish she'd been a little more open about the abuse she suffered. Those people need to be fired and charged for what they did. If not they'll do it to someone else. It is an amazing story.
January 29, 2020
It's so hard for me to rate this book. I mean, how do I give less than 5 stars to this incredible personal comeback story. At times, it was hard to believe it was a true story - abuse in the hospital, going to the olympics and winning the gold after being unresponsive for years, landing a job at ESPN and interviewing Michael Phelps as a first assignment, Dancing with the Stars. All remarkable. But the writing style left me wanting more. In many cases, Arlen jumped from A to Z without any details. A few word choices - the overuse of "mummy" and "tummy" made me feel like I was reading something written for a younger audience.
January 17, 2019
This book demonstrates wonderfully the beautiful restoration God can bring to those who are hopeless. Within these pages I found great encouragement to face head-on the troubles in my own life, and was reminded of the importance of trusting in God's plan through our most trying times. Very inspirational story, and a real source of encouragement for anyone who is struggling to find the will to keep persevering in this life.
November 20, 2018
This was an incredible story! Victoria's will to thrive is impressive to say the least. I wish she would have elaborated on her family more to show how her story was possible in the first place. The ending was a tad rushed but overall a very good read. Another choice for my book club, a member knows the family.
November 12, 2018
OMG THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE EVER CRIED WHILE READING A BOOK! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!
June 27, 2020
Victoria lives a 5 star story, but unfortunately it's written in a 3 star way. I wish her writing was done as competitively as the sports in her life, or that she had a better editor (if she had one at all, it's not apparent). The writing itself was very "stream of conscious", which sometimes I enjoy, but in this case less so.
It makes sense for someone who is locked in with only their imagination for years to rely on analogies and symbols, but many were silly when specifically pushing a pseudo-motivated point. The writing, at times, was all over the place, with repetitive mention of the same events or sentiments. She also sped through the the parts that I personally found the most interesting; while vegetative but aware, while learning to walk, and DWTS. She covered how she felt during the vegetative state tremendously, but mostly about her inner monologue and less so about little details, like her parents putting on certain shows for her, etc. What else did she think about besides "I have to get out?" for 2 years? The last two components had barely a brief mention, and I would've loved to know the methods in as much detail as her swimming routine. There are strangely no details on her most recent achievements (walking, DWTS), but a significant amount from when she was 10 (unlikely). Throughout the book, I was massively confused on the current state of her disability. She suddenly could walk again with a few paragraphs of explanation.
Victoria's life is incredibly interesting because of the actual events/details, and motivating because of how she handled it, but this book was mostly inner thoughts about her competitive motivation and much less about the actionable events. Frequently, I was bored and skimmed through many of the repetitive monologues. Perhaps I have a more personal problem reading motivational scripts that assert the "any medical miracle can happen if you don't give up" mantra, because while Victoria gives a lot of credit to her mother for constantly seeking answers, she ignores an incredibly important part in anyone's recovery; finances. It's clear that the Arlen family was blessed in that department, but it's hurtful to read as someone who has a vision issue that Doctors erroneously said couldn't be healed after a similar brain swelling event (the studies are still scant) when my family doesn't have the immense time and resources to support full recovery. Motivation doesn't always resonate with others when it's based upon affording nice schools, travel, sports, therapy, etc. A mention of this privilege would've been nice, while omitting the "you can do anything you put your mind to" mantra (it's anything you put your wallet to).
I feel as though I have many more questions to be answered. She mentioned a LOT of abuse in this book.. it seems as though almost every hospital in the NE metro area abused her. Are those individuals in jail? Have those facilities been investigated? Again, recovery/therapy reform would've been a huge detail to discuss in this book to close that loop. If she was abused, countless others have been too, and I hope the Arlen family uses their platform to help eradicate that abuse.
I'd say that many of my complaints, besides the writing style, are based upon wanting to know MORE about her life and the details, which isn't a bad problem to have. Pictures would’ve been lovely!
The good: A lot of lessons she expressed were lovely. While not always stated eloquently, the sentiments she expressed were important. Sans monologue, the descriptions of her efforts were quite interesting and incited emotion. I loved reading about her family members and their interactions. I'm certain she'll continue to make history and unbelievable achievements, and I hope she considers re-writing these chapters if another book is on the horizon.
It makes sense for someone who is locked in with only their imagination for years to rely on analogies and symbols, but many were silly when specifically pushing a pseudo-motivated point. The writing, at times, was all over the place, with repetitive mention of the same events or sentiments. She also sped through the the parts that I personally found the most interesting; while vegetative but aware, while learning to walk, and DWTS. She covered how she felt during the vegetative state tremendously, but mostly about her inner monologue and less so about little details, like her parents putting on certain shows for her, etc. What else did she think about besides "I have to get out?" for 2 years? The last two components had barely a brief mention, and I would've loved to know the methods in as much detail as her swimming routine. There are strangely no details on her most recent achievements (walking, DWTS), but a significant amount from when she was 10 (unlikely). Throughout the book, I was massively confused on the current state of her disability. She suddenly could walk again with a few paragraphs of explanation.
Victoria's life is incredibly interesting because of the actual events/details, and motivating because of how she handled it, but this book was mostly inner thoughts about her competitive motivation and much less about the actionable events. Frequently, I was bored and skimmed through many of the repetitive monologues. Perhaps I have a more personal problem reading motivational scripts that assert the "any medical miracle can happen if you don't give up" mantra, because while Victoria gives a lot of credit to her mother for constantly seeking answers, she ignores an incredibly important part in anyone's recovery; finances. It's clear that the Arlen family was blessed in that department, but it's hurtful to read as someone who has a vision issue that Doctors erroneously said couldn't be healed after a similar brain swelling event (the studies are still scant) when my family doesn't have the immense time and resources to support full recovery. Motivation doesn't always resonate with others when it's based upon affording nice schools, travel, sports, therapy, etc. A mention of this privilege would've been nice, while omitting the "you can do anything you put your mind to" mantra (it's anything you put your wallet to).
I feel as though I have many more questions to be answered. She mentioned a LOT of abuse in this book.. it seems as though almost every hospital in the NE metro area abused her. Are those individuals in jail? Have those facilities been investigated? Again, recovery/therapy reform would've been a huge detail to discuss in this book to close that loop. If she was abused, countless others have been too, and I hope the Arlen family uses their platform to help eradicate that abuse.
I'd say that many of my complaints, besides the writing style, are based upon wanting to know MORE about her life and the details, which isn't a bad problem to have. Pictures would’ve been lovely!
The good: A lot of lessons she expressed were lovely. While not always stated eloquently, the sentiments she expressed were important. Sans monologue, the descriptions of her efforts were quite interesting and incited emotion. I loved reading about her family members and their interactions. I'm certain she'll continue to make history and unbelievable achievements, and I hope she considers re-writing these chapters if another book is on the horizon.
August 24, 2021
When she was 11 years old, Victoria Arlen started to not feel well. Her body was not cooperating. Doctors were unable to diagnose her and labeled her as "attention seeking". They convinced her parents to send her to a rehab facility, that turned out to be a mental hospital, where she endured abuse, physical and mental. Luckily her parents got her out, but not soon enough. She fell into a coma due to constant seizures. It took 3 years to fight her way back to consciousness and then to prove to others that she was awake and aware.
She eventually was able to regain use of her upper body, though her legs remained paralyzed. However, she did not let that stop her dreams of being an Olympic champion. She trained constantly and 2 years after waking up, she broke world records and won gold in the 100 meter freestyle at the 2012 Paralympics. But the IOC questioned her coming out of no where and, despite a mountain of medical and empirical data, declared her not disability qualified to continue to compete.
She turned her anger to determination and, through a help from a special organization, regained the ability to walk and at the age of 23 competed on Dancing with the Stars.
+++++
It is hard to rate this book. Her story is nothing but inspiring. But... the writing of the story felt a bit ... juvenile. I understand that even at 23 she refers to her parents as Mummy and Daddy, but it made it feel like a child telling me the story (I listened to the audiobook) when she said "I looked to see my Mummy there waiting". Or something similar.
I would have liked more details in her struggle to recover. It felt glossed over when she went from waking up, to home, to playing sled hockey or swimming in the span of a couple paragraphs.
I have to agree with other reviews that while she has every right to tell her story her way, I think she would have benefited greatly by working with a professional biographer.
She eventually was able to regain use of her upper body, though her legs remained paralyzed. However, she did not let that stop her dreams of being an Olympic champion. She trained constantly and 2 years after waking up, she broke world records and won gold in the 100 meter freestyle at the 2012 Paralympics. But the IOC questioned her coming out of no where and, despite a mountain of medical and empirical data, declared her not disability qualified to continue to compete.
She turned her anger to determination and, through a help from a special organization, regained the ability to walk and at the age of 23 competed on Dancing with the Stars.
+++++
It is hard to rate this book. Her story is nothing but inspiring. But... the writing of the story felt a bit ... juvenile. I understand that even at 23 she refers to her parents as Mummy and Daddy, but it made it feel like a child telling me the story (I listened to the audiobook) when she said "I looked to see my Mummy there waiting". Or something similar.
I would have liked more details in her struggle to recover. It felt glossed over when she went from waking up, to home, to playing sled hockey or swimming in the span of a couple paragraphs.
I have to agree with other reviews that while she has every right to tell her story her way, I think she would have benefited greatly by working with a professional biographer.
April 27, 2022
This is an incredible story, one that most people will never know or experience. What this woman and her family went through was extremely challenging to say the least. Unfortunately, this incredible story was not well told or written. I really find it hard to believe that her editor let her publish it like it is now. The story lacks MAJOR details and depth. When you finally find out what her medical diagnosis is, it is well into the book. She only mentions the name once, then goes on like it is an everyday occurrence. She mentions her condition again by it's initials, like the reader knows what she is talking about. She is constantly putting words in "quotations", over and over again which is distractive to the reader. She leaves out many people's names and their details, so you can never get into any of their characters or get a sense of who they are. I am almost done reading it, so I have to finish now. It is a really quick read because of what I mentioned above, but I couldn't get into it and would not recommend it to anyone.
December 19, 2020
Story of defying the odds and never giving up. This is the autobiography of Victoria Arlen. She goes from practically a vegetative state but never gives up the will to survive. Knowing what it is like to lose everything, not material things, but rather her entire life and ability to function, she rises to every single challenge.
“It’s easy to get frustrated and cry - we’re human and we all struggle with that. But it’s not okay to keep crying and stop trying.”
“I choose not to go down the path of ‘what if’ because I’d I do, bitterness and regret will poison me for the rest of my life.”
I love her consistent message to never stop getting stronger and better and to keep moving forward.
While some might critique her use of the word mummy and her writing style, I had not heard about Victoria Arlen until very recently and was happy to learn more about her inspiring story.
“It’s easy to get frustrated and cry - we’re human and we all struggle with that. But it’s not okay to keep crying and stop trying.”
“I choose not to go down the path of ‘what if’ because I’d I do, bitterness and regret will poison me for the rest of my life.”
I love her consistent message to never stop getting stronger and better and to keep moving forward.
While some might critique her use of the word mummy and her writing style, I had not heard about Victoria Arlen until very recently and was happy to learn more about her inspiring story.
October 25, 2021
I do not know why I put this on my to read list four years ago, but I never read it because I could never find it at my library. I finally found it and was able to read it. I understand what the people that give it one star are saying when they talk about how juvenile it sounds at times (use of Mummy) and that she could have had an official biographer write it. However I think those people are missing the point. This was an incredibly hard journey to accept what happened and I think she needed to do it herself. That being said I wish I knew more of the medical/adult details others would have had to Provide were it not in the first person.As an adult reading it, I wish I had the details of an adult. But I don’t think that’s the point I actually think this is an excellent book for a young readers not necessarily adults.
April 28, 2022
*DNF
I wanted so badly to read this book- only to have it fail me in the end.
The true story of Victoria Arlen’s victory over Paralysis, health related abuse, and being awake but in a comatose state really pulled my attention. I am in awe of how much Victoria pushed through and is still pushing through to be here- alive today, but her story was not written well at all. There are too many prolonged sentences, Repetitive statements and words, and too much “feeling this and that.” My head was hurting after several chapters, and suddenly I was annoyed with the author. Her usage of mummy had me bashing my head against the wall. She is an adult but yet it seems as though I’m reading a spoiled child’s vague version of a horrific event that is completely detached.
.5 star rating for the book itself.
I wanted so badly to read this book- only to have it fail me in the end.
The true story of Victoria Arlen’s victory over Paralysis, health related abuse, and being awake but in a comatose state really pulled my attention. I am in awe of how much Victoria pushed through and is still pushing through to be here- alive today, but her story was not written well at all. There are too many prolonged sentences, Repetitive statements and words, and too much “feeling this and that.” My head was hurting after several chapters, and suddenly I was annoyed with the author. Her usage of mummy had me bashing my head against the wall. She is an adult but yet it seems as though I’m reading a spoiled child’s vague version of a horrific event that is completely detached.
.5 star rating for the book itself.
February 7, 2019
Locked In: The Will to Survive and the Resolve to Live by Victoria Arlen
I received this newly published book recently and fast-read it, intrigued by her journey of being “locked in” and how she competed in the 2012 Paralympics and Dancing with the Stars (the US equivalent of Strictly). But I read it very fast, as the writing didn’t grip me. I had hoped for more in terms of how her story of faith in God helped her through the difficulties. I confess I’ve not read Jonathan Bryan’s Eye Can Write, but I have heard so many amazing things about it – his story of being locked in, and how his mother learned to communicate with him, and their faith in God. Probably a better one to pick up, to be honest.
I received this newly published book recently and fast-read it, intrigued by her journey of being “locked in” and how she competed in the 2012 Paralympics and Dancing with the Stars (the US equivalent of Strictly). But I read it very fast, as the writing didn’t grip me. I had hoped for more in terms of how her story of faith in God helped her through the difficulties. I confess I’ve not read Jonathan Bryan’s Eye Can Write, but I have heard so many amazing things about it – his story of being locked in, and how his mother learned to communicate with him, and their faith in God. Probably a better one to pick up, to be honest.
January 18, 2020
At 10 Victoria has several unexplainable health problems, and spends much time undergoing tests and scans. Victoria contemplates death and experiences such darkness as on her 15th Birthday the symptoms only worsen and now she is experiencing frequent seizures. She loses her ability to communicate, move her arms and legs and eat without a feeding tube.
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But, Victoria never gives up the will to get better and be better. Her strength and willpower is amazing. Victoria goes on to win several medal in swimming in the 2012 Paralympics and became a fan favorite on Dancing With the Stars.
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This story of strength, will power and a very supportive family with make you believe in the power of self and cry many tears.
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🙌🏻RECOMMEND🙌🏻 Also recommend having a box of tissues handy!
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But, Victoria never gives up the will to get better and be better. Her strength and willpower is amazing. Victoria goes on to win several medal in swimming in the 2012 Paralympics and became a fan favorite on Dancing With the Stars.
📚
This story of strength, will power and a very supportive family with make you believe in the power of self and cry many tears.
📚
🙌🏻RECOMMEND🙌🏻 Also recommend having a box of tissues handy!
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March 29, 2021
A beautiful story. Very helpful if you’ve come to via hearing her story elsewhere (Dancing with the Stars, the ESPN special, hearing her speak, etc) since that framework will inform the details she shares. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I understand that anyone who writes a book has invited the critiques that may come. Fair enough. But I can’t imagine being one of the people whose demons have so damaged them that they felt compelled to type a complaint here about the fact that she calls her mom “mummy” or didn’t provide the legal details surrounding her medical care that they’ve decided they’re entitled to. Thankfully, Arlen will keep moving forward and those folks can get left behind in their malaise.
I understand that anyone who writes a book has invited the critiques that may come. Fair enough. But I can’t imagine being one of the people whose demons have so damaged them that they felt compelled to type a complaint here about the fact that she calls her mom “mummy” or didn’t provide the legal details surrounding her medical care that they’ve decided they’re entitled to. Thankfully, Arlen will keep moving forward and those folks can get left behind in their malaise.
January 11, 2022
Being locked in to your own body must be a horrible thing and Ms. Arlen did a good job of describing it. As a reader of "medical biographies" I found it interesting but would have liked more detail. She talks about learning to walk again and how hard it is but only mentions much later that she has cannot feel her legs. I would have liked to read about what it's like to walk without feeling anything. That is just one example. So I enjoyed this but felt that, in several areas, she seemed to be in a rush to get through writing the book and skimmed through some parts, such as getting in and out of a pool without the use of your legs. Maybe I'm just too curious. Otherwise, the book was very interesting.
February 19, 2022
Honestly this book was not close to what I was expecting. First of all, it seemed like the audience was young kids. I was taken aback completely reading the words “mummy” and other younger type words and it completely threw me off the story. I also found it was a bit all over the place with regards to her situation, I found I was already trying to remember if she was fully aware or not or what was going on. It seemed to me sometimes she was talking about watching her family with her when I had just read she still couldn’t move her eyes.
Overall, not terrible only because it is a true story. But the writing was sub par at best and she should of had someone else write her story for her. Wouldn’t recommend.
Overall, not terrible only because it is a true story. But the writing was sub par at best and she should of had someone else write her story for her. Wouldn’t recommend.
November 8, 2025
This book rating is probably somewhat biased based on the fact that I am a person who has lived a life of medical issues.
So I am able to see this autobiography in a different light than others.
I saw other reviews commenting on the writing style, and I will say Arlen has a distinct voice in her writing of this book, but I personally really enjoyed the cuts to inner thoughts in the story. I can see how it wouldn't work for some though.
It took me awhile to get through this only because I dabble in nonfiction as a side palette cleanse.
I really enjoyed Arlen's story and how she has brought the Gospel and God into it.
She has given me motivation in my own personal life situation and that was her whole goal to be vulnerable in writing this.
loved it.
So I am able to see this autobiography in a different light than others.
I saw other reviews commenting on the writing style, and I will say Arlen has a distinct voice in her writing of this book, but I personally really enjoyed the cuts to inner thoughts in the story. I can see how it wouldn't work for some though.
It took me awhile to get through this only because I dabble in nonfiction as a side palette cleanse.
I really enjoyed Arlen's story and how she has brought the Gospel and God into it.
She has given me motivation in my own personal life situation and that was her whole goal to be vulnerable in writing this.
loved it.
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