This book is sloppy: it’s cyclical and repetitive and not what it was described as. If I’m reading about a fire department employee with many years experience I don’t want to read about you waxing lyrical about everything but your experience as a first responder. The author has. Two great story options here, responding during covid and responding to the George Floyd call. Would have been a better book if that’s all the book focused on. The chapter titles were irrelevant and often not accurate as the author just yaps on about anything. Needed a better structure and tighter edit to be impactful.

I’m definitely not a non fiction reader- but I found this book really interesting! Gained some new perspectives that, although uncomfortable, are really important to consider. Also enjoyed some of the descriptions of calls.

Will post review on Instagram and goodreads 30 days out from pub date!

I did not finish. The first few pages were so off putting. Maybe the target audience is first responders and not regular people but I love medical documentary and hearing stories from my friends in the medical field I was so excited for this book. But the first several pages felt like a discipline board of anyone who calls 911. I don’t want to read a book about a doctor who thinks he’s above his patients so I decided to DNF.

I could not finish this book. It is extremely repetitive. I understand firefighters and EMTs have an extremely important job but for the last 2 days I feel like I read the same thing over and over and over. From the types of calls they get (important/not important calls - FYI only call 911 in an emergency), stating that most calls are not actually fire related, making it known that fire & cops show up every time a call is made, types of patients they encounter, and the sexism, racism, machismo (this word is repeated too many times to count) in the field. I thought this would dive a little deeper into specific situations and maybe it does but I cannot devote any more time to this book and risk reading the same things I just read.

In this memoir, Jeremy Norton provides a true-life account of emergency responders. He details the good and the bad, providing insight into what occurs during emergencies. Most of us have no idea what goes on behind the scenes of firefighting and being an EMT. This book changes all of that. It provides a front seat view to the sorrow, anguish, and sometimes, triumph when unexpected events occur. The skills that emergency personnel must possess shine through in this book. Emergency personnel are impacted personally, socially, physically, and mentally while performing these jobs. Reading this book really gives you a clear understanding of what they go through. I applaud these individuals and as I enjoy reading memoirs and books about medicine, this book was excellent. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Much of this was good, but I had trouble staying involved in it at times, as the author is admittedly verbose.

Jeremy tells us his story of being a firefighter in Minneapolis through some of the biggest moments of the past few years including the death of George Floyd.

One of the most powerful lines In the book happened within the first chapter - ‘The 2020 uprising and reaction were even much the language of the unheard. Except I suggest it was more accurately the language of the ignored’

That really stuck with me.

Trauma Sponges by Jeremy Norton is a thoughtfully written series of essays, even op-eds, about the very real experiences of a Minneapolis firefighter. Norton lays bare the challenges of the job in a racially tense world. It's insightful reading if not a bit repetitive. His calls for fairer treatment to the public are earnest and need to be heard and acted upon. This is not the book to read if you are looking to relive scenes from "Emergency." It is one that causes you to think. Thanks to #NetGalley and #UnivofMinnesotaPress for the chance to preview this book.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy


Based off the cover and brief description, I thought this was going to be a fast pace read. However, this was a bit of a slow start for, I understand having to build up the background of the author, but it seemed repetitive. I would have enjoyed more stories early on. Or begin with a traumatic story to entice the reader. There were some interesting stories and I recognize the importance of explaining the mental approach of the healthcare provider, but I still struggled with paying attention even myself who works in healthcare.

I read this book with my teeth clenched the whole time. I also had to put it down several times because it become to heavy.

Yet, the reality is, if it were not for people like Norton, who dedicate their lives to helping others, where would we be?

I have always wondered how it goes - beyond the obvious. - what goes through your mind when you are exposed to so much pan and death, with no prospect of it ever getting better.

This book shows me that there is a life after closing those ambulance doors - sometimes good and sometimes bad.

This book is brutally honest and I appreciated that.

Appreciate the work author does. Book was interesting.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.