I found this book to be deeply moving and very well written account of terminal illness, a subject which is incredibly hard to get right, and Corey Taylor does.

Here we have a book that I expected to tell a dying woman's story. Being that it is a memoir I expected a portion of the book to reflect on her earlier life story, with the remaining portion being dedicated to her life since receiving the news of her cancer. In truth, there was very little included in this book that focused on the end of the author's life. More than anything she focused on her mother's and father's lives, and then bits and pieces from her life growing up.

It wasn't a bad book by any means, but it wasn't what I really had in mind either. I struggled for a short while with whether or not to keep going because I didn't feel any connection to the author or material. In the end I chose to stick with it, and I suppose I'm glad I did. Though I do wish there was more time dedicated to Cory's later years. Like how she spent her time with her husband and sons in the months following her fatal diagnosis.

I'd like to extend my thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me this review opportunity. I was sorry to read, in the author's bio at the end of the book, that she has since passed. My belated condolences to her family and friends.

I think I chose this book based on the cover, which is lovely, but having little or no information about the subject matter. Wow. Just wow. What a beautifully written work on the experience of illness and impending death.

Taylor, who passed away in 2016, wrote this slim volume as she was in the process of dying from melanoma. It is a very forthright and bittersweet book, but it is not bitter; while it may be of particular interest to Australian audiences (Taylor was a notable Australian author), it will resonate with readers who are interested in palliative care, or with those who have read Paul Kalanithi's "When Breath becomes Air."

What a wise, courageous, and beautifully rendered meditation on death. And how brave of the author to share her experiences. That she finds comfort in her writing and her coming to terms with her impending death is both poignant and heart-warming.

This memoir was heartbreakingly beautiful. It took me several weeks for me to complete reading thanks to the heavy nature of the subject matter. Cory Taylor is a gorgeous writer. Reading her words and experiencing some of the stories that shaped her life settled deeply in my heart to sit there for me to contemplate and wonder about.
About two years ago I bought a Euthinasia drug online from China.

The second I opened up this book on kindle and read this first line over and over again in my mind I knew that this book would be great yet inevitably soul crushing. Cory never shyied away from talking about death, she took the reigns and said her piece effortlessly and with no fear.

In the end, I took the time to look Cory up simply to gaze upon the face of a women who through her words alone filled me with an immense sense of love and respect for her.


When I did I found out she passed away on July 5th, 2016 in Windsor, Brisbane, Australia. That was when I really lost it. While I was already crying from this book from there I was bauling (even though I'm sure Cory would wish I wouldn't cry at all) With her passing the world lost a beautiful writer, one that embodies who she is and writes her soul into the written word.

Maybe it is time that we are more open with one another about death. The grand equalizer of all living things is ugly, harsh, and depressing yet, it is there and we cannot hide ourselves from its existence. No matter what you believe about the afterlife or of death itself this book is an important one to embrace.

In the end all I hope for is a life well lived.

Taylor's book is heartbreaking and important. It feels rushed at times, but that is understandable given the topic and timeframe in which she was writing it. The first part in particular will be good to recommend to anyone interested in the moral argument behind suicide.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. It was well written and a solid addition to the illness/death narrative/end-of-life genre (is it a genre? I've read enough of these that it seems so. But I digress...) There are some incredibly poignant parts and others that didn't resonate as much for me. Nevertheless, I would certainly recommend it to those who might be interested.

It seems churlish to give a poor review to this book, but the hype is very misleading. There is actually very little about dying per se and lots of unresolved grievances. Frankly not a very interesting book.

Cory Taylor writes an honest memoir about what it's like to face death knowing there is no escape. She is very persuasive in her argument for assisted death. I understand her desire to choose if and when she wants to end her deterioration in front of family members. She writes honestly about past mistakes and wishing relationships were better between her siblings. She appears to have seen life in a clearer perspective in her last months because she had time to think about her impending death. The reader can learn about life from Cory Taylor's memoir about facing death. It is a book worth reading.

Thoughtful, introspective book on the most common, and most taboo subject we all face, dying. Incredibly well articulated and written. Loved it.