Looking back on titles I have in Netgalley I see that this book was on a disc that stopped working on my computer so I do not have this book to be able to give feedback and write a review after all this time. I apologize and hope you may still consider me for future acceptances of books

I enjoyed the graphic novel a lot!
I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. As the teacher in charge of stocking the senior school library, I like to ensure that the books are diverse and the students are exposed to both excellent fiction and excellent modern non-fiction. I think that this is both a fascinating and well-written book that has much to recommend it and will keep the students interests. It is good to stretch their reading interests by providing them with books about subjects they might never have considered before and this definitely does the job well. It is also good to find books that I know the teaching staff might enjoy as well as the students and I definitely think that this applies in both cases. Absolutely recommend wholeheartedly; a fantastic read.

I picked it due to the description: "Limp is the darkly hilarious story of Simon Eli Vella's epic battle with crippling introversion, substance abuse, and erectile dysfunction."

It's not really that funny, mostly just sad, and more a series of chronological anecdotes than a memoir. I guess that passes for "memoir" these days, having read more than a few in that style in the last year or so.

The author was a sickly kid, who became an alcoholic and generally awful ahole. He finally met The One and became less awful and grew up at the age of 38.

My biggest complaint is that he never explains the cause of the horrendous sinus problem that caused him to continuously run snot out of his nose for years on end. Maybe he never found out the cause, but it would have helped had he said that.

Recommended for anyone interested in reading about anxiety that can leave a person paralyzed emotionally, or anyone with nothing better to do and would enjoy reading a memoir from a non-famous person.

This was an in depth look into a hardcore drug users life before he turned it around. I struggled a bit with his destructive behavior, but am glad that he found his moral compass eventually. There was humor, which made it an easier read, even though there were some tough themes.

Book review
Title: Limp
Author: Simon Eli Vella
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Rating: DNF
Review: The opening to Limp was great, Simon talks about his childhood and how he coped with both physically illness due to a sinus problem and mental impairment because he was very introverted and had trouble concentrating making him a target for bullying. Simon was also quite gullible but not in the traditional sense because he is trying to deal with the chaos inside his mind he ignores the outside world and does everything he is told even if these things are dangerous. He also doesn't have the normal emotional responses for a child of his age making him quite strange. I loved Simon's internal monologue who he named Morgan Attenborough (because he sounds like cross between Morgan Freeman and David Attenborough). It isn't hard to see Simon feels extremely isolated both at home and school and feels he doesn't fit anywhere but he is quite manipulative and cunning making him a difficult person to read and predict. As Simon enters his teenage years he begins shoplifting everything from pornography to pocketknives which ultimately earns him a suspension from his Catholic school. Simon is rightly scared of what his father's reaction will be. Simon's father is a Vietnam veteran who is an introvert much like Simon.
As we approach the 1/4 mark in the novel we see Simon discover women and sexual desire and because of his introverted nature he can't really understand his adolescent hormones and the responses they cause. All the while Simon's mother is trying to cure him by sending him to a youth group where he meets Jason. They quickly become friends and Jason introduces Simon to alcohol. Simon soon learns while he drinks he becomes more confident, more open and he enjoys being able to release himself from his mental prison. As Simon finished school and does university studying an advanced certificate of marketing, associate diploma of marketing, and bachelor of business majoring in marketing. After finishing all this he is being pressured into the workplace where he has no desire to do and has struggled to hold onto a job since he was thirteen. Simon does find ways to temporarily become relatively normal namely alcohol and various did like LSD and marijuana.
Despite the humor in this book the pace was slow, clumsy and just confusing at times. I also found that the book wasn't really relatable for me and it would only really appeal to men going through the same struggles. Although I didn't finish it I would recommend giving it a go as it is funny but I'm just wasn't into it. I am not a huge fan of memoirs anyway and despite being real I didn't like the substance abuse that Simon frequently indulges in even as a minor.

It took me a while to get into this book, but it ended up being a refreshing look at inadequacy, anxiety and addiction. A must read if you're looking for a comedic take on dark subjects.

If you've ever felt like the outsider, the skinny kid who just doesn't quite fit in, the inadequate person with an adult body and no idea what to do with it, you'll relate to this book. This comedic look back on a life lived will make anyone smile, even through the tough times. A must read if you've ever felt like life hated you or you just weren't doing it right.

Simon is not the nicest or most rational person you would want to meet, but this was well written and an OK read.

I appreciate the author's storytelling efforts, but this failed to hold my attention.

Limp is an interesting non-fiction book about one guy's journey through severe anxiety, depression, drug addiction, erectile dysfunction, a seriously runny nose and coping with society. What makes this book worth the read is that it is not clinical nor is it told by doctors or psychologists. Simon gives us the ability to crawl inside his head and experience life as he does. His constant self-narrator, Morgan Attenborough (the explanation of why his narrator has this name is definitely unique!) is sometimes funny, sometimes self-deprecating, and other times down right cruel. Simon's world is crazy, confusing, and scary at times. What makes this even more interesting, is that his journey is quite different from what an American would have. Simon is Australian and views Americans through the lens of Hollywood movies, which sometimes complicates his path to self-realization. His quick wit keeps the reader entertained and his writing makes the reader feel as if they are on the same journey with Simon, embarrassing parts and all. He is a man who willing let life take him on his journey rather than try to influence his own.


"I journeyed out to the ChemFix offices ready to leave the world completely unchanged."


He is a classic loser with no life ambitions, until a prolonged and expensive legal battle led him to some of his most important discoveries and decisions of his life. For Simon, life would no longer let him be a spectator, instead it forced him to join in.

I felt connected to Simon and found myself compelled to keep reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this book

While calling itself a funny memoir, LIMP is a somewhat dark look at the Australian author’s life… from childhood to adulthood. The book’s appeal lies in the brutally honest way the author views himself and his past foibles. As a fan of this genre, I found it a quick read with a laugh or two sparingly scattered within its pages. My thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy…

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way it built up and showed how Simon overcame his early hurdles. I found myself staying up later than usual to see what would happen next.

I received this book courtesy of Net Galley and its publisher, Surfeit Publishing.

The book is intended to be humorous and at times it is a “laugh out loud.” If foul language isn’t offensive to you, you may find it humorous. There are plenty of one liners that will make you laugh.

It is a book with “serious” topics with attempts at lightheartedness. The author experienced serious issues: substance abuse and erectile dysfunction. It was painful to read about the challenges he encountered as a child – health issues, bullying and insecurities. The challenges he encounters as he is maturing including being an introvert. He seems to get his act together after making it through college and obtaining a job with responsibilities and growth potential.

I think is intended to be a lighthearted read but I found it more distressing than humorous. You find yourself rooting for him to succeed. The book gets better as it progresses.

"A skinny runt, Dad regularly called me, a phrase that bore uncomfortable phonetic similarities to something more offensive, which I'm pretty sure is what he really meant."
Thus starts one of the strangest books I've read in a very long time. I had a really difficult time connecting to Simon's story for most of the story. The memoir really lost my attention when its focus turned to his addiction to drugs. During that point, I did a lot of skimming over those chapters because, while there is humor present, I had a very little interest in reading it. During that time, I was formulating my review of the book. I felt it would rank between one or two stars because I could NOT wait for the book to end. Then came the epiphany that turned my review into three stars. I felt that Simon's flooding the hotel room and wanting to do right by his friend the most redeeming quality of the book. I started caring about what happened to him at that point. I wanted everything to work out for him and I wasn't disappointed.

I love memoirs, and Limp by Simon Vella did not disappoint! Simon is a guy who has endured some major insecurities in his early life. His entertaining book leads his readers through his humorous and not-so-humorous adolescence and young-adulthood. My heart ached for him, yet I found myself chuckling with the words he chose. I loved that he wrapped up his story with how all the events of his youth have contributed to the man that he is now, and how he can celebrate that. I read this very compelling memoir on the beach in record time!

This is a very funny and poignant true story of Simon Eli Vella's impotence. How, one wonders, could such a difficult and embarrassing condition be funny? In the author's capable hands, it is.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. A longer review will be posted on Amazon soon.

Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir
5/5

One look at the books I've read and you can tell I'm not a big nonfiction reader. However I picked up Limp by Simon Eli Vella because of two words: "comedic memoir." The synopsis sounded like it would deliver on this promise and being a bit nosy I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm really glad I did! Limp definitely delivers on being funny while exploring the author's introvertedness and anxieties that lead him down the path of least resistance and substance abuse to cope with other people. As a fellow introvert I can definitely relate to a big portion of this book, especially living in two worlds: internal vs external.

This book was funny, honest and often brutal, especially in the author's portrayal of both himself and the others around him. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and recommend it anyone, especially to those who like memoirs.

I received this book for free from the author/publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.