Official Review: It's My Party by Jeannette Watson

[HouseOfAtticus]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "It's My Party" by Jeannette Watson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“Sleep and death became intertwined, causing nightmares.”


It's My Party by Jeannette Watson is a memoir that traces the life of the author who was born into a celebrity family with a number of secrets. Both Jeannette and her father suffered from depression, and this heavily affected their lives. At one point, things got so bad that Jeanette had a mental breakdown after long years of hiding her condition. In response o this breakdown, she moved with her family to New York City to find greater freedom. She opened a beautiful bookstore called Books & Co. and her life took a turn when she met her second husband Alex Sanger. Eventually, the bookstore was closed and Watson turned to the path of spiritual healing.

In this memoir, the author eloquently talks about a different generation and how it affected her. This story helps the reader understand depression from a different perspective. It also acts as a guide on the path to healing. This piece is perfect for readers who love confessional works, and is well suited for people of all ages. I feel that adults as well as young adults would love to read a work like this.

The most conspicuous theme of this memoir is depression. Depression is essentially an overriding idea that looms over the author’s words like a shadow, unwilling to relent. Even before she says it, it is clear from the words of the author that there is a lingering sadness within her. In the first chapter, when she talks about her siblings, there is a sense of moroseness that is conveyed to the reader.

It is quite clear that the author has inherited this depression from her father. When she mentions his autobiography, there is a very important line that stands out. He wrote, “I often ended up carrying my frustrations home with me, where my wife and children would bear the brunt. Olive would spend the entire day working with them, and she’d have them all shined up and ready to greet me when I came home. I’d come in the door and say, ‘ at child’s sock isn’t pulled up. That child’s hair isn’t combed. What are these boxes doing in the hall? They should have been mailed.’” These words clearly show that the depression that plagued the author’s mind was there in her father too.

Another thing that is very significant in the context of this memoir is the writing style of the author. I found her style quite idiosyncratic and eloquent, and felt that she was able to effectively project her emotions onto the reader. It is for this reason that the reader will find that he is able to relate to this story quite well.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for a number of reasons. It has been beautifully penned down and is well edited. In my opinion, It’s My Party is a very powerful piece and I strongly recommend it to all readers.

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It's My Party
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Like HouseOfAtticus's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

It's nice to hear of other's suffering from something that afflicts so many people. It's lovely that the author came forward to share her story. Thanks for the review.

[Manang Muyang]

Illness knows no social class. Like death, it is the great equalizer. Of course, the rich have better access to medical intervention, but wealth and celebrity do not make for immunity. I feel for the author. Depression is depressing, and that is not a redundant statement.

[Lebs]

Mental illness is very difficult to talk about, let alone write so publically about. That this author managed to bring to word this heavy affliction is brilliant. You describe it very well when you say "shadow". However, I would definitely give a trigger warning on this book for those who struggle with depression to be prepared when they read this.

[milke]

Appreciate the review. I am currently doing my research on mental illnesses, and it'd be very interesting to hear what someone has to say about it through experience. The cover of the book has also very much intrigued me- I'll definitely keep this book on tabs.

[HouseOfAtticus]

You would love this book then, because it gives an insight into the mind of someone who is hostage to such a situation.

[Boypnet1]

For me I have no comments simply because the book is a very nice one out there.Author thank u for your goodjob done

[BookHausJ]

Bringing something to an open is really not that easy. Telling someone about depression, your experience and struggle may not be good for them. But this is really alarming because as I heard from the news even a young age person can suffer from this mental disruption. Hope coming this book out can help our society. Looking forward to read this book. Thanks for the review!

[Marissa Michael]

Depression is rampant to many people but ironically most people failed to come to understanding about it. Thank you for your insightful review. It appears that this book provides more clarity to depression.

[bookowlie]

I enjoyed reading your review! I applaud the author for writing about her struggles with depression. It's a nice bonus that she has a nice writing style, since sometimes people rush to write their own story even if they don't have good writing skills.

[gali]

A memoir that traces the author's life as a daughter of a celebrity family sounds interesting. That her story helps to shed light on depression is a plus. It is also to the author's credit that the book is well edited and that she managed to project her emotions. I am not fond of memoirs, but I am glad you enjoyed the book. Thank you for the review!

[Vickie Noel]

I think the review did a great job portraying the brooding theme of depression the book contains. It would be interesting to see how people of all sorts coped with depression at a different age and than than ours. Extra points to the author for an error-free production.

[Humble8]

Depression is one of the biggest challenges many people are facing in life. Thanks for this review,there's hope when life continued. The author enlighten and also give a strong point on how to escape from this terrible situation call depression. I love your review and it is a most read to me.

[davidcoin]

The issue of depression is a life threatening thing.The autor clearly spelt out the fustrations associated with it. I find the book very good for all ages to read.

[ktrae910]

Sounds like a typical American childhood to me. I think the best thing about these kinds of books is that they show that no matter where you are or how much money you have we all face the same problems in life. Depression can infiltrate every aspect of life, but I always say, where there's life, there's hope.