Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Cancer can strike at any age; just like any other disease. At times this book was hard to get into cause the author seemed to be crying for most of the book. I’m glad she’s learned all she could on her cancer and started advocating for herself. I think doctors sometimes dismiss womens’ pain when they know there’s something more serious going on. I’m glad she’s in remission.

I felt honored and privileged to read about Kaite’s battle with cancer. I felt so much pain at the beginning when she was continually misdiagnosed as having anxiety. I know I have been in very similar situations where I knew something was wrong with me and I kept getting dismissed. Fortunately for me, I needed ended up in Katie’s situation with a very serious/life-threatening disease. I also was so upset during her battle with cancer when healthcare workers did not listen to her when she told them something was wrong.

Katie had to continually advocate for herself throughout her diagnosis and treatment and ask endless questions to ensure she was receiving the best care. Although there were so many aspects of the book that spoke to me but these two are standouts – “It made me wonder how different interactions with physicians, in general, might be if we were granted more time with them.” and “It was the first time a doctor had acknowledged the struggle and delay I’d faced leading up to my diagnosis.” The first talks about the trust that you need to have faith in your physicians especially when dealing with something so serious and unique as Katie’s cancer. You can see the impact of this as Katie develops relationships with her physicians and how it changes from Katie just being a number or a case and more of a person. The other statement is about treating Kaite with respect. Yes, mistakes were made and she wasn’t listened to, but now we are hearing you and we will take care of you.

Another aspect of the book that also touched me was Katie’s relationship with her husband. They had only been married for two months and yet, Katie’s husband stood by her side. It wasn’t perfect and they each had their moments, but their love for each other was undeniable. They are both extra special people.

Lastly, Katie is just amazing. She was afraid and many times didn’t know if she was making the right decisions, but she preserved. She has raised money for cancer research, raised awareness about rare types of cancer, provided guidance and support for others going through similar situations and of course, her book is a major resource for patients and advocates. The book is not only practical but also inspirational.

I loved this book and would encourage everyone to read it. I especially think it would be a great read for healthcare professionals so they can gain some insight into how patients feel and what they experience.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#NetGalley, #TwoYoungForCancer, #KatieColeman

Everybody has a story and Katie's story was certainly one that needed to be shared. Her courage, strength and unrelenting spirit is an inspiration. The biggest lesson from her story is to not be afraid to advocate for yourself. You are the expert on you, and if something seems off, don't be afraid to push for answers. Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book.

Katie Coleman receives a rare metastatic oncocytoma, an extremely rare kidney tumor diagnosis at just 29 years old. This completely stalls her life as she planned to purchase a home with her newlywed. Fortunately, she secures her stable remote software engineering job and maintains her health insurance to immediately start her treatment. She uncovers an online community of supporters, peers, and survivors from cancer and starts to also document her journey on Instagram. She becomes savvy by communicating with fellow rare cancer diagnosis patients and seeks multiple doctor opinions across the country for guidance and advice. Her journey starts in Utah, transfers her to Austin, Texas, then again to the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Coleman cautiously navigates through each healthcare system with expected anxiety and nervousness. However, she slowly but surely learns to voice her concerns and feelings and stands firm on her thoughts despite some dismissive comments from some healthcare professionals. She also documents her marriage with her husband as they discuss the what ifs of their future together, with him by her side each step of the way.

I appreciated the various anecdotes she shares on how to advocate for yourself when professionals might dismiss or disagree with your own experiences and research on your own diagnosis. Beyond that, I felt like the author focused a lot on her sadness and insecurities, almost too much crying at every turn of the page. It distracted me from her fight against the disease.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: I've read a lot of cancer literature, and this memoir fills an important niche in exploring the experience of young woman diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer who must learn to navigate the medical system to get the very specialized care that she needs to survive. Unfortunately, for me, it just did not feel well edited. I never got much of sense of the author. At 29, Coleman was diagnosed with a very rare form of kidney cancer--a typically benign form that had metastasized, so rare that less than 10 cases were known and there is no consensus about treatment. . She wrote this book about 4 years later. Diagnosed at the height of the Covid 19 pandemic she had to learn to navigate medical care and oncology care without a medical background. She moved from Utah to Texas to receive care at MD Anderson and then ultimately via an internet connection, to the NIH where her cancer was more definitively treated. The author did not provide much background about herself and as her cancer is rare and the prognosis is unclear, she is still very much an active oncology patient. There are other memoirs about young people with cancer that are very well written. It is very hard to criticize a young cancer patient's memoir. I found myself wishing for more insight, depth and clarity. Coleman posts about her experiences on Instagram and the book had the depth of that short form.

I'm not sure I can review this book without making it personal, and I'm not sure I can review it as a book in itself. It's so deeply personal, that to critique it's writing style for instance seems insensitive. So I will instead comment on what I felt when reading it.

I wasn't aware of Katie prior to reading this so had a quick little Google, and her story is impressive - if not always for the good.

In a way, whilst not quite the same, there are some comparisons with my own family cancer story. When my dad was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2017, a nurse told me not to worry, he was young (56), had never drunk or ever smoked. Which seems ironic considering oesophageal cancer is more prevalent in older men who smoke or drink. But cancer doesn't care about that. It doesn't care about your age or fitness level or medical history. And that's what makes it even harder to deal with at times, because you can do all the "right" things, and it'll still come.

As sad as it is, Katie talks about how, whilst doctors want to help you, an increase in patients and a decrease in money means there is a decrease in the time they can spend with you, and quite often serious diagnoses are not given until it is too late. My health condition is not the same as cancer and I am in now way comparing it, however I started to get sick in 2017 and I saw every neurologist, rheumatologist, ophthalmologist, and gastroenterologist I could, but after an initial diagnosis in 2021, it wasn't until 2022 I was finally diagnosed. Initially it was: "could it be stress or anxiety" (always the way), was it about "your weight" (again, every medical problem is down to my weight); "oh yes I get numb legs when I sit on them" (not the same as being temporarily paralysed, but okay), "there's a spot on the cross-section of your spine that looks interesting but we're not going to investigate it further". It's those kind of things, and it makes you feel crazy, like it's all in your head, looking for symptoms that aren't actually there, and so I really felt for Katie.

She has been so open and honest about everything, which can't have been easy to revisit. And no matter how accomplished you are as a writer or wordsmith, it can feel almost impossible to put down your feelings into words. You can describe the symptoms and the diagnosis and the procedures, but to explain the fear and worry and sadness and the whole plethora of other emotions that something like this can cause is almost impossible.

I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. I think on one hand it would really help those living with cancer, to see what can be achieved, but it may also frighten those who are early on in their cancer journey. I would recommend it to loved ones and friends of people with cancer, and definitely those interested in the cancer/medical/caring fields.

You would probably assume it's going to be quite a negative and miserable book given the topic. And yes, it's not always a happy positive read. It is hard and honest and raw and sad. But it also manages to be quite hopeful, amongst all of that, which is a difficult thing to achieve. She's kept all the horrible truthful parts, but shown that it is possible to live well with cancer.

I received a free copy of, Too Young for Cancer, by Katie Coleman, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have known a lot of people younger then Mrs, Coleman, who have been diagnosed with cancer at 29. Cancer does not discriminate, anybody any age can get it, its such a horrible disease, I have lost way to many families members due to cancer. This is an interesting view on on ladies cancer journey.

Katie’s memoir is very powerful, a look into the life a young 29 year old who was diagnosed with a rare stage four kidney cancer. It was interesting learning how she navigated selecting her medical team, and how social media helped her a lot in her journey. I love that she stresses the importance of advocating for yourself and asking all the questions. I’m also glad she spoke about all the times that doctors prior to diagnosis labeled her symptoms as anxiety, ignoring all her other symptoms, as it shows that many times people are looked over and ignored. You and only you can push for more answers, go to other doctors for other opinions. I loved that she acknowledges that most people put things off in life for a time in the future, when we are never guaranteed even a tomorrow. Also, with any life changing diagnosis you will always see the world differently and be thankful to be able to do sometimes even the littlest things. Thank you Katie for sharing your story and prayers for many more years ahead for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this eARC for my honest review. This was a great read and very inspirational.

Thank you to Katie Coleman, Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book peaked my interest when i first saw it after many family members being diagnosed with various cancers (including kidney cancer) in recent years.

From page 1 the author pulls you in to her story. Throughout the book she weaves in the medical journey along with her personal life and the relationships she strengthen and makes along the way. The author's voice through out the book grew with her story and by the end of book her voice grew from one of fear, timidness and people pleasing, to one of strength, courage and being an advocate not only for herself but for others within the cancer community.

The authors knowledge of not only her own incredibly rare cancer but also other subtypes within the cancer community was commendable. She has done her research and that was easily seen within her writing.

Would highly recommend this book to anyone who is on their own cancer journey as well as their friends and family. It highlights the importance of doing your own research and sometimes going against the professionals in order to do whats right in our own fight for your life.

You can tell this is a first time writer, I would have preferred a bit more detail on the last third of the book, but the first two thirds were very detailed and emotional. My dad was just diagnosed with cancer as I was reading this book so I was definitely reading it in a different light than I was at the beginning. I originally picked this book because someone I went to college with was diagnosed with colon cancer at 30 and had to advocate for tests and treatment. His story and Katie's were very similar unfortunately.

This book hit home for me. While I don’t have cancer, I have chronic illnesses that have had me battling the medical industry since I was a teenager. When I was diagnosed with my diseases at 15 and 17 years old, it was abnormal for someone my age to have it and the chances of my long term survival were slim. I admire Katie sharing her experience and raw thoughts of what she went through. Even though at times, her ruminating thoughts grated on my nerves and I had to take a break from reading.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I know the heavy burden medical workers bear daily and know they don’t always give their patients their best. We must recognize they are human as we. But I also know the other side of that experience and how frustrating and frightening it can be when you feel unheard and judged.

One of the most important takeaways from this book is that you must advocate for yourself! Also, you know your body best! Lastly, tomorrow is not promised! Take care of yourself, make sure the people around you know how you feel about them and live life to the fullest!

One thing I think could have been an additional support for Katie and her family would have been a therapist that specializes in treatment for patients with cancer. It’s a niche speciality and not always found in a lot of programs but can be beneficial and something I think should be advocated for.

Overall, a good read with important information about rare kidney cancers. This book helps bring awareness about treatment of women by the medical industry. Also highlights the importance of self advocacy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
This was a heartbreaking and inspirational story of a young woman’s diagnosis of a rare stage 4 kidney cancer. The main take away for me was that it is so important to be your own advocate in health care.

Katie lived my worst nightmare… if you’re a woman and you’ve been to a doctor, you have probably been told “it’s anxiety” when bringing up a concern about your physical health.

When she started to notice disturbing symptoms, her providers wrote her off, saying “it’s all in your head” and “don’t believe Google, you don’t have cancer.” Unfortunately, she did. An extremely rare kidney cancer, in fact. This story details her journey to diagnosis and beyond, sharing her experiences (good and bad) with navigating the US healthcare system.

The book is raw, emotional, and immersive. She is a new author, so the prose is a bit clumsy, with some typos and a lot of cliches. But this inexpert writing style also makes it very accessible and easy to read.

Coleman's harrowing account from symptoms, to stage four cancer diagnosis, to cure is an incredible tale of fortitude, strength, and endurance despite few hopes and many obstacles. I saw myself in the author's struggles to have medical professionals take her symptoms seriously. I rallied with her to implore the doctors for more testing. She shared her heart and her story so articulately that I was in each moment with her--from diagnosis to cure. Having endured breast cancer this year, I found it comforting to experience the full range of emotions that occurred through Coleman's chronological account of being diagnosed with rare kidney cancer. In my opinion, she was heroic throughout her narrative in the ways that she championed her care and kindled close friendships with other survivors, patients, and medical professionals. This is one of the best cancer memoirs I've read. Thanks for your bravery!

Thank you NetGalley, being able to read Katie Coleman’s Too Young for Cancer really was amazing, as amazing as books about cancer can get. Readers follow Katie’s cancer journey, from first diagnosis, through treatment and multiple surgeries.
Katie is a complete stranger, I’ve never met or heard about her or her story and yet somehow her story touched me so deeply. The highs and the lows, the joy, the sadness; it brought me to tears I can honestly say.
Stranger or not, we’ve all experienced similar stories, we’ve watched those we’ve loved go through serious medical trauma, so you can relate to her story.
Do yourself a favour and grab this book.

I work with cancer patients, so this hit close to me. the only words I could describe this book as are heartbreaking, yet inspiring. Will be recommending this for patients to read!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Katie talks about her cancer journey. From the diagnosis to the treatment and everything in between. An emotional read.

This book is a devastating account of illness and made me think again of Suleika Jouad's BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. I was impressed by the unflinching honesty and courage Coleman showed in telling her story and sharing it with the world.

This book was raw and honest. It’s a good read for anyone but especially those fighting cancer. Katie explained how she had to be her own advocate in the healthcare system and the results of that.

Katie’s story was so incredibly inspiring! I cannot imagine gaining such life altering news, facing bleak odds, and still finding the will to fight and appreciate life. She could’ve given up- but she chose to fight for herself and to fight for others too. This is absolutely worth a read!