Madeline
I’m not sure how I feel about Furiously Happy. On one hand it’s completely funny and covers a subject that needs to be talked more about, depression. But on the other hand, Lawson is off the wall, a bit of a loose cannon, and should NOT be the spokesperson for depression.
All the Taxidermy
You see the raccoon on the cover? That raccoon is not just a metaphor, like I had thought. But one of two actual taxidermied raccoons she personally has. In addition, she has taxadermied bear, taxadermied unicorn, a bag made out of an armadillo, and a small collection of other dead animals. As I read on, it seems as though this was a habit she got from her father who does taxidermy for a living. Go figure.
Off The Wall Ideas
Furiously Happy jumps from subject to subject. Whoever reads this book should expect to read about edible monkey glitter. They should expect to hear reasons why the song “We wish you a Merry Christmas” is not a nice song. A story about dressing as a koala bear to hold a koala bear that may or may not have Chlamydia. Using spiders instead of gold as currency. All while describing her anti-psychotic medication, pulling out her hair, and her horrible self cutting.
The One Reason to Read Furiously Happy
One thing that Lawson makes clear in her book, and I personally 100% agree, all mental disorders come in a huge range of flavors. This is where she would make a potato chip or a jello joke. Everyone is different. Everyone handles it differently. And everyone should be treated differently. She is more honest than most about her mental status. And as someone who has some minor issues of her own, I can applaud that.
I happened to read this book during one of the most stressful times I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t have a panic attack. And I didn’t pull out my hair. But I was stressed. As a habit, I went for my morning run during and put on my current audio book, and at this particular time it was this one. After my run, I felt better. I didn’t feel alone and I felt like I could handle this stress. And that is a big reason to recommend Furiously Happy.
