Review of Dragons to Butterflies
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Huini Hellen
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Review of Dragons to Butterflies
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dragons to Butterflies" by Johnnie Calloway.]
How often have you blamed yourself for childhood events you couldn’t control? How often have people blamed you for their individual choices? Do you think that you can rise above the mental monsters that threaten to consume your adult state of mind every time you seem to be overcoming traumatic experiences? Dragons to Butterflies by Johnnie Calloway presents the author’s childhood and adulthood life, detailing the impact that psychological and emotional experiences had on him and the solutions he sought to address his challenges.
At age five, Johnnie described himself as “momma’s boy”. Therefore, his mother’s death did not go well for him and instead ushered in a wave of traumatic experiences that almost consumed him right in his adulthood. Johnnie recounts how people in Kentucky shunned his family, believing them incapable of achieving anything significant. People thought he would eventually fall under the “Calloway curse”, following the frequent domestic issues characterizing his family and the constant visits to his home by the police. Will Johnnie find the strength to fight the beast that lives within him, always hungry for his previous indulgences?
Written from the first-person point of view, this book vividly paints a clear picture of the impact of childhood trauma on an adult. It shows how it will impact his relationship with his friends or partners. For example, Johnnie’s father had always advised him, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” This falsely misled him to develop mistrust in his relationships, always imagining that everyone was out to manipulate him. The author was candid about his experiences, especially his attempt to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs, to the extent that it almost sounded like fiction. It pained me to imagine that Johnnie’s trauma hurt him so severely that he did not see any reason to continue living.
This book shows the detrimental impacts of childhood trauma, which include but are not limited to suicidal thoughts, drug abuse and mental disorders, among others. The fact that Johnnie almost crashed down and his therapists could not place a finger on a single mental disorder that he seemed to be suffering from illustrates the depth and multiple effects of childhood trauma. However, Johnnie’s decision to seek help is quite inspiring for all adults who may have undergone similar experiences. For example, the Twelve Steps of recovery enabled him to assume leadership roles and even allowed him to help other people overcome their challenges, restoring Johnnie’s confidence in himself and his abilities. What I liked the most about this book is that it emphasizes that there is always a solution to anyone’s predicament, regardless of how bad they think their situation is.
There were a few grammatical errors and typos, but they did not detract from my enjoyment of this book, reinforcing my belief in its professional editing. There is nothing I liked the least about it which would prevent me from awarding the maximum rating of five out of five stars. I recommend it to readers seeking authentic ways or books detailing how to overcome childhood trauma.
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Dragons to Butterflies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
How often have you blamed yourself for childhood events you couldn’t control? How often have people blamed you for their individual choices? Do you think that you can rise above the mental monsters that threaten to consume your adult state of mind every time you seem to be overcoming traumatic experiences? Dragons to Butterflies by Johnnie Calloway presents the author’s childhood and adulthood life, detailing the impact that psychological and emotional experiences had on him and the solutions he sought to address his challenges.
At age five, Johnnie described himself as “momma’s boy”. Therefore, his mother’s death did not go well for him and instead ushered in a wave of traumatic experiences that almost consumed him right in his adulthood. Johnnie recounts how people in Kentucky shunned his family, believing them incapable of achieving anything significant. People thought he would eventually fall under the “Calloway curse”, following the frequent domestic issues characterizing his family and the constant visits to his home by the police. Will Johnnie find the strength to fight the beast that lives within him, always hungry for his previous indulgences?
Written from the first-person point of view, this book vividly paints a clear picture of the impact of childhood trauma on an adult. It shows how it will impact his relationship with his friends or partners. For example, Johnnie’s father had always advised him, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” This falsely misled him to develop mistrust in his relationships, always imagining that everyone was out to manipulate him. The author was candid about his experiences, especially his attempt to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs, to the extent that it almost sounded like fiction. It pained me to imagine that Johnnie’s trauma hurt him so severely that he did not see any reason to continue living.
This book shows the detrimental impacts of childhood trauma, which include but are not limited to suicidal thoughts, drug abuse and mental disorders, among others. The fact that Johnnie almost crashed down and his therapists could not place a finger on a single mental disorder that he seemed to be suffering from illustrates the depth and multiple effects of childhood trauma. However, Johnnie’s decision to seek help is quite inspiring for all adults who may have undergone similar experiences. For example, the Twelve Steps of recovery enabled him to assume leadership roles and even allowed him to help other people overcome their challenges, restoring Johnnie’s confidence in himself and his abilities. What I liked the most about this book is that it emphasizes that there is always a solution to anyone’s predicament, regardless of how bad they think their situation is.
There were a few grammatical errors and typos, but they did not detract from my enjoyment of this book, reinforcing my belief in its professional editing. There is nothing I liked the least about it which would prevent me from awarding the maximum rating of five out of five stars. I recommend it to readers seeking authentic ways or books detailing how to overcome childhood trauma.
******
Dragons to Butterflies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. - Marcus Aurelius
Latest Review: A Walk in the Twilight by John J Bosco Jr.
