April Book Review: A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me will leave you in stitches

Disclaimer: The following review may contain some spoilers revolving around the plot and background. The review is simply my own opinion, you may disagree.

This year, I will be reviewing books based on their genres. This month’s genre is Non-Fiction.

In these reviews, I will rate the books on a starring system using an appropriate symbol: bookmarks.

5/5 Bookmarks: This book will land in my all-time favorite book list and you should stop what you are doing and read it, no matter what.

4/5 Bookmarks: You should try to read it at some point in your free time.

3/5 Bookmarks: If you are bored or going on a long trip, it might be fun to read.

2/5 Bookmarks: I would not really bother unless you enjoy the author.

1/5 Bookmarks: The book would make a better coaster for your Coke than a book.

0/5 Bookmarks: Congrats! You now have kindling! (just kidding, please do not burn books; just do not waste your money or your time with this one)!

This April, I read *A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me* by Jason Schmidt. This memoir tells the story of a young man surviving a drug-addicted father in a world of rapidly changing moods, precarious living situations, and wildly inconsistent emotions.

In a world drowning in fiction, it is important to remember and recognize that memoirs matter. Memoirs tell the true stories of people that may never have been able to share them otherwise. A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me by Jason Schmidt, tells one such story of Jason growing up surviving the strange life of his father Mark, a gay man whose life revolves around drugs, crime, and his battle with AIDS. The memoir is funny and disturbing within the same breath, and asks the question: how do you find your moral center in a world that doesn’t seem to have one?

I picked this book up almost by mistake, finding it on-sale in the Teens section of my local Barnes and Noble. However, once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. Jason’s life is a bit like a car crash, to put it bluntly, and the reader almost can’t believe that this happened — that society could fail one person in such a horrific manner and the fact that Jason still made it out alive. Jason’s unique perspective allows a window into the life of a true outsider. A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me is phenomenal and relates to teenagers on a deep level. I recommend this book to anyone going through a hard time and everyone who isn’t. This a very mature book dealing with emotional and physical trauma, but if you feel as if you can take it, please read this book. Rated 5/5 bookmarks, A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me is a book that shows a good kid overcoming a bad childhood.