Review of My Living Will

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

[Following is a volunteer review of "My Living Will" by John Trautwein.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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John Trautwein is part of "the saddest club on earth": parents who've lost their kids to suicide. But it wasn't always this way. The Trauts, as they are affectionately called, had a close-knit, loving, and picture-perfect family. Will, his eldest son, was talented, athletic, kind, and popular. Nonetheless, he hanged himself on the fifteenth of October 2010. The Trautweins are, however, "the face of suicide in America": normal families, even outstanding ones, that go through this tragedy. A grieving John, aided by his friends and family, decided to put a stop to this. He now runs the Will to Live Foundation, devoted not only to spread awareness about teen suicide but to provide an actionable plan to prevent it. My Living Will is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel, in which John retells how he went from Pollyanna and oblivious to grieving father to the leader of a teen suicide prevention movement.

I can honestly say I've never read such a transforming non-fiction book. Without falling into profanity or exaggeration, the author speaks with a no-nonsense voice which, unlike some fiction books about suicide, takes away all possible romanticization of the topic. Sports metaphors usually irk me because I know nothing about sports. However, John Trautwein, a former major league baseball player, blends them seamlessly into the story. What I liked the most, though, is how commonsensical all the author's concepts are. The one that blew my mind was kids usually don't trust adults, but other kids with their problems. So the best way to help a troubled teen is by inspiring and educating other kids around them. Through his process, the author has created his very own terminology, and they're so accurate and useful terms that they stick with the reader. For example, “life teammates,” those people we usually meet in our youth and who carry us through bad times and celebrate with us joyous occasions.

The only fault in an outstanding book is that it has a little more than ten editing mistakes. These are minor and don't interfere with the reading experience. My Living Will by John Trautwein is an engaging, moving, and eye-opening book with a flawless, relatable narrative style that approaches an essential societal issue, which is why I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. It pains me not to give this book a perfect rating because of the number of editing mistakes.

I would recommend this book to teenagers, parents, educators, and coaches. Readers interested in psychology or even mental health professionals could benefit from reading such an insightful account of grieving the loss of a suicidal son. The author is a devout Christian, so the story heavily relies on mentions of his faith and his relationship with God. These comments aren't presented in a preachy or invasive tone, but staunch atheists, for whom the mere mention of religion is bothersome, might want to skip this read. Of course, people who have attempted suicide or who are currently battling suicidal thoughts should evaluate if this book would be inspiring or triggering for them.

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My Living Will
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[Stephanie Runyon]

This sounds like a refreshing approach to suicide. In 2006, I was admitted into a Mental Health Institution for 9 weeks for two failed attempts at suicide. Besides being placed on antidepressants and antipsychotics, they tried to tell me I was selfish for what I did. At the time I didn't think so because I was dealing with addiction, a psycho ex-boyfriend, and child protective services had taken my 2 older children from me. Looking back, I still disagree, what I really needed was to be told that I could be stronger and face my demons head on. By 2007, I had managed to be clean and sober for over a year, had my home, a job with benefits, and my children were back home with me again. It was a sober-living program with my church that actually taught me otherwise. This book sounds like it is founded on similar beliefs that I learned. Great review!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This sounds like a refreshing approach to suicide. In 2006, I was admitted into a Mental Health Institution for 9 weeks for two failed attempts at suicide. Besides being placed on antidepressants and antipsychotics, they tried to tell me I was selfish for what I did. At the time I didn't think so because I was dealing with addiction, a psycho ex-boyfriend, and child protective services had taken my 2 older children from me. Looking back, I still disagree, what I really needed was to be told that I could be stronger and face my demons head on. By 2007, I had managed to be clean and sober for over a year, had my home, a job with benefits, and my children were back home with me again. It was a sober-living program with my church that actually taught me otherwise. This book sounds like it is founded on similar beliefs that I learned. Great review!

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad you made it. What the author proposes is very similar to what you probably experienced in the community that your church provided: an environment of trust. I think you'd love this book.
Thank you for your comment!

[Ruchi Raina]

This book was so heartbreaking. There was grief but still so much hope. The author found light in the darkness and used it to light the way for other parents and children to ensure they wouldn't have to go through what he had to. It was great to see the author spread awareness about mental health. Thanks for the beautiful review.

[Kaushiki Parihar]

This book was really heart-touching. It is so courageous of the author to share his pain to help people overcome depression and suicidal thoughts. Amazing review!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This book was so heartbreaking. There was grief but still so much hope. The author found light in the darkness and used it to light the way for other parents and children to ensure they wouldn't have to go through what he had to. It was great to see the author spread awareness about mental health. Thanks for the beautiful review.

It is heart-wrenching, but I am happy that so much light came out of Will's tragic death.
Thank you for your comment!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This book was really heart-touching. It is so courageous of the author to share his pain to help people overcome depression and suicidal thoughts. Amazing review!

It takes an amazing amount of courage to revisit the grief and to admit all the things that went wrong. But I'm so glad the author had such bravery!
Thank you for your kind comment.

[RHD]

Suicide, especially at times such as these, is an underrated and a much ignored issue. A non-fiction contribution by an author on the forefront is timely and necessary. Great review, Lunastella

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

Suicide, especially at times such as these, is an underrated and a much ignored issue. A non-fiction contribution by an author on the forefront is timely and necessary. Great review, Lunastella

Sadly, it is more common than we care to admit, and I'm sure an honest account like this one will help.
Thank you for your kind words.

[Mtibza eM]

This review is honest and insightful but u don't think I will enjoy reading this book.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This review is honest and insightful but u don't think I will enjoy reading this book.

Staunch atheist? Probably not. But thanks anyway for taking the time to leave a comment.

[Andrea Francene]

I haven't read the book and might not due to the genre, but I find it really inspiring when people can get up after experiencing something so heartbreaking and dedicate their lives to helping others get through it as well. And from your review, I appreciate a book that doesn't sugar coat things.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I haven't read the book and might not due to the genre, but I find it really inspiring when people can get up after experiencing something so heartbreaking and dedicate their lives to helping others get through it as well. And from your review, I appreciate a book that doesn't sugar coat things.

It must be incredibly hard to be direct without being insensitive, but the author does an amazing job at it. And I agree, it must be incredibly hard, but it's a great way to give meaning to a "random" tragedy.
Thank you for your insightful comment.

[Honest-reviewer]

I too have reviewed this book. I must say that I totally loved it. I appreciate the author’s positivity. Great review!

[Satwik Mohanty]

This book is sad and inspirational at the same time. What happened to Will was sad but how his family reacted to it was truly inspirational.