Book Description
From a darkened world, bound by four walls, a young woman called Jessica tells the tale of her battle against the M.E Monster. The severest form of a neuro immune disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis went to war with her at just 15 years old. From beneath her dark glasses, Jessica glimpses a world far different from the one she remembers as a teenage school girl. This true story follows her path as she ends up living in hospital for years with tubes keeping her alive. This harrowing story follows the highs and lows of the disease and being hospitalised, captured through her voice activated technology diary called ‘Bug’ that enables her to fulfil her dream of one day becoming an author. It provides a raw, real-time honesty to the story that would be impossible to capture in hindsight.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'A Girl Beyond Closed Doors' by Jessica Taylor-Bearman.
Read and reviewed a physical copy for Jessica Taylor-Bearman, Hashtag Press and Literally PR.
Publication date 19th October 2023.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in Jessica's 'A Girl' series but can be read as a standalone.
This novel consists of a preface, 46 chapters and an update. The chapters are medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
I will start by saying that this isn't my usual chosen genre but I'm an eclectic reader and happy to read most books. I must say that if you are the same as me and don't normally read non fiction then don't let that put you off and pick up your copy of this great book today.
This memoir takes us on a journey through the author's life from 2017 until 2023 all through these years she is bravely fighting and living with MS which she calls the MS monster while struggling with a much wanted and loved pregnancy but one which the MS Monster makes so much harder for her!!! It is an emotionally packed book filled with romance, tragedy, loss, love, heartbreak, pain, struggles, happiness, tears of joy, tears of sadness, laughter and absolutely every emotion that you can think of. I will be honest and admit that i was not quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book but whatever it was I got so much more!! This is not just a story of Jessica's life during pregnancy but of her love, friendship and strength for her husband and carer Samuel, the struggles she goes through with the so called professionals along her journey who gaslight her, criticise her and make her second guess herself throughout, the support she has from her sister Becky and her parents amongst others and the pain, suffering and heartbreak they went through together and the family they made. Jessica's fantastic writing skills really sucked me deep into her life where I could see everything come to life in front of my eyes and he left me with the emotions that she was going through. My heart went out to both her and Samuel on so many occasions. Jessica and Samuel have wanted a baby for so long and didn't think it was possible and even when they find themselves waiting to bring life into this world, life and the MS monster has kicked them down so many times. The attitude on others angered me so much and especially when the people who should have been supporting her and Sam make them feel even worse than they already do. However, throughout it all you can see the strength that both Jessica and Samuel have both for and with each other and their baby and how they are both fighters and when most people would give up after going through just half of what this amazing couple went though, they both keep fighting strong as they know they have more fight left in them. I was absolutely intrigued in the life that Jessica tells me and it felt like she was sitting across the table from me telling me about her life over a cup of tea going from laughter to sadness and back to smiling several times. I absolutely loved some of the stories she told me and I enjoyed "listening" to her reminisce. While reading this book John will take you through her absolute joy when she discovers she is pregnant, her heartache when others kick her over becoming a mum with MS, the love and support that she has with her husband Sam, the struggles of living with MS, the fight she constantly has with so called professionals in hospital, her determination to keep her baby safe in the womb as long as possible, her heartache when she is struggling afterwards and so much more but I wont go into any more events from there as I don't want to spoil it for future readers.
It is a beautiful, heartbreaking and authentic read packed with life experiences, emotions and Jessica's writing skills ensures the reader that she puts all her emotions and strength into everything she has written about and you can hear the shock, pain, love, struggles, proudness and so many other emotions she has gone through to tell her story in her evocative writing. She gives his own experiences and tells us where she got any information and statistics from. One of the things that I absolutely love about Jessica and her book is that although there is so much tragedy and heartache in her life that she is so full of gratitude and thanks for what she has and her strength, hope and gratitude absolutely shines through the pages. I had never heard of Jessica Taylor-Bearman before picking this book up but I now feel I know her, Samuel and her family enough to want to meet them all and tell them how amazing they all are! Jessica and Samuel are both amazing and strong people that have gone through so much more than what most have broke most people as individuals let alone as couples yet they have fought individually and together every step of the way and you can just tell from reading this book how lovely this couple are! This book, although filled with tragedy, is an amazing read, inspirational and made me smile so many times that I would definitely recommend it to absolutely anyone looking for a pick me up, motivation or inspiration regardless of what is happening in their lives. I loved going on Jessica's journey with her from before the pregnancy to the end and I cannot wait to pick up her previous two books 'A Girl Behind Dark Glasses' and 'A Girl In One Room' and read her life experiences previous to 2017. Although this is the third book in Jessica's series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
Clear your schedules, grab the tissues and get ready to take a journey with Jessica through her pregnancy journey!!! You wont regret it and you wont be able to put it down!!
Congratulations Jessica on a fantastic, poignant, beautiful read that takes the readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride. You truly are an inspirational woman and I hope to read more books about your life and hopefully soon! The best of luck to yourself, Samuel and your family!!
Overall an emotional rollercoaster ride through Jessica's struggle with MS, pregnancy and the love between herself and her amazing husband Samuel. A truly beautiful, poignant and authentic page turner that will keep you hooked through.
276 pages.
This book is just £4.99 to purchase on kindle and £13.99 in paperback via Amazon (at time of review).
Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
Jessica Taylor-Bearman shares her inner-most thoughts and real-time emotions – adapted from her diary growing up as a teenager in South-East England – as she experiences the terrifying discovery that, aged 15, instead of partying, studying and socialising, she would rapidly become bed-ridden, ultimately unable to move, speak, eat…Despite the odds, Jessica never gave up. Her dream was to become an author, to be able to marry, leave the hospital, enjoy life. In July 2018, her first book, A Girl Behind Dark Glasses, will be published by Hashtag Press.
Supported by a hugely successful crowdfunding project, Jessica’s story will be unveiled at an ideal time – Jessica features in a film called Unrest by Jennifer Brea, a journalist and filmmaker from New York, which aims to raise awareness about severe Myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E). After winning a prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the now Oscar-nominated film is now on general release in the UK, coinciding with a review of the controversial National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidelines into the diagnosis and management of the illness.
Social Media Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayletay
Website: http://www.jaytay.co.uk/
Purchase Links
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/6WXpYZt
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/69rivvG
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