Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (5/5 stars)

I could list a hundred different things that I learned from reading this book. I learned about the importance of being true to yourself. I learned that sometimes, who you are isn’t enough for some people, through no fault of your own, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice who you are and contort yourself into the person others think you should be. I learned that there is darkness and sorrow everywhere, even in places where there should be light and joy.

I’m finding this review difficult to write, honestly, because this book struck several chords within me as I read. Like Westover, I, too, grew up as–and still proudly declare myself to be–a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (You might have heard us referred to as “Mormons.”) Unlike Westover, however, my upbringing did not involve extremism, familial abuse, neglect, or any of the other horrors Westover depicted in her memoir. I was shocked to hear that people claiming to be members of my church could do such horrible things, have such narrow mindsets, or possess such debilitating beliefs about the world, God, and how to treat your family. My heart ached for the author as I read. I can’t imagine having lived in the environment she experienced.

Despite the dissonance between Westover’s traumatic upbringing that just so happened to be tied to extremist “Mormon” views and the truths that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints espouses/my personal experiences with The Church and its teachings, I feel I gained a lot of insight from reading this book. Westover approaches topics from her life that involve The Church in a respectful way, which I greatly appreciated. The book is extremely well-written, and its message of hope and self-confidence meant a great deal to me.

I highly recommend this book to all readers, but I do have to include the following disclaimer: just because Westover endured such difficult trials during her upbringing in The Church does not mean that that is the average church member’s experience, or even a remotely common experience. The Church strongly encourages the pursuit of education, developing healthy and loving family relationships, and following the example of Jesus Christ.

Language: 8/10 (Mild/rare swearing).
Sex: 10/10 (No sexual content).
Violence and gore: 5/10 (Action-movie level of violence and gore).

Plot: N/A
Characters: N/A
Writing style: 10/10 (Westover’s writing style is dynamic, powerful, and moving. I really can’t complain about it at all! I will, however, admit that I consumed the audiobook version of this story, and I can therefore only comment on the quality of her writing by the way it was read rather than written).

Genre: Nonfiction, memoir, adult literature, new adult literature
Potential triggers: Familial abuse, car accidents, fire, disownment, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 18+.