I am super excited to kick off my 2020 book review series with, The Shadow Boxers – Fighting Fibromyalgia – Your Personal Journey by Kim Johnson & Karen Anderson. My goal is to review 6 books, all written by individuals living with chronic illness(es). If you are an writer and would like me to review your book, at my cost, please send me a message.
The Shadow Boxers was purchased from Amazon using personal funds and the review is completely my own.
My initial impression of the book is that I really liked the size. It is not too big or small and fit in my hands perfectly. This may seem like an unusual observation but I have purchased books that were just too small for my hands to hold easily and therefore caused pain or too big and akward to hold, again causing discomfort. The print is also a good size, making the words easy to read. Another bonus is the colors on the cover of the book are easy on the eyes creating another asthetic win.
Shadow Boxers covers all the basics of fibromyalgia, which I have to admit, although I thought I knew a lot about the illness, I still learned quite a bit. The authors’ used not only their stories, but stories of others, allowing us to take a peek into the life of those who live with fibromyalgia and how the illness can affect people in different ways.
But what I loved most about this book is that it is for you to write in. You are an active part of the book, the main character, and with that honor it is imperative that you do your part. Each chapter is followed by a one sentence prompt and it is a place for you to express your own thoughts and feelings, with enough space to write a rather lengthy commentary.
Although I did not write in the book, I did use the prompts to express my own thoughts and I found what I wrote to be quite insightful, I just substituted fibromyalgia for the main illness that I deal with. Active participation is a MUST to get the most out of this book……..it is meant to be written in, to explore your own feelings, to express your frustrations and your inner most thoughts. Once you have made your way through the book, it would be like having a productive counseling session and a whole lot cheaper.
Kim can be found blogging at I Tripped Over a Stone and I highly recommend you check her out………she is an amazing human being and force to be reckoned with!
Simply Chronically Ill 