Review of My Living Will
Posted: 19 Aug 2021, 18:52
[Following is a volunteer review of "My Living Will" by John Trautwein.]
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.
******
My Living Will
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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.
******
My Living Will
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
