Lately I have been seeing a lot more books about IBD. I decided since I love reading to start reading some of these books. I have been impressed by the stories and I decided that maybe I should post some reviews. So, here is my first one for the book The Directive by Rosa Fontana.
I will start by quoting the synopsis from the back of the book. “Lynne McKay is a peculiar twenty something college student. A boring essayist with limited social skills, she is woefully unaware that she’s a recluse in the making. Having experienced life vicariously – only through the books she has read and over-analyzed – she is unprepared when her life is interrupted with the diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease. After being admitted to the hospital, Lynne must shed her introverted shell in order to survive. With an IV pole in hand and a VIP pass to the marble throne at the ready, she reaches out to an unexpected and insistent comrade, Peter, who suffers from the same disease but has penchants for mischief and empathy. During their time in the hospital together, Lynne must consider: is this diagnosis a second chance at life or is it her death sentence?”
My first thought when I saw this book was that it was written by a woman and is told through the eyes of a woman…so would this just be a mushy love story. Thankfully, I was wrong. The book focuses a lot on Lynne and her disease. It deals more with her battles while in the hospital. As I read the story I couldn’t help but feel some of the pain. She describes the disease, treatments, med reactions so perfectly. The author has Crohn’s disease so she was definitely using her experience. However, reading the story I almost felt like this was an autobiography. After talking to Rosa on twitter I would find out it was only based on some of her experiences and people she has met.
I thought this was an excellent read. I had a hard time putting the book down and found myself relating to the characters a lot. I didn’t want this book to end and I really hope she decides to write more about Crohns.
If you want to buy the book you can buy it here. Also, check out Rosa’s page and follow her on Twitter here. Out of 5 stars I give this book 5.
