My So-Called Normal Life

"I guess I'm the only one who wasn't totally insired by her story. I did not follow her stories in Glamour, but I am a young woman who was diagnosed with cancer in her 20s. I was expected to find a lot of situations I could relate to. There were a few, but I kind of lost interest when I felt she kept going on and on about everything she did for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Compared to the cancer survivors I know in real life, she just seemed unreal. But then again, all the cancer survivors I know have been through chemo and/or radiation. "
~ Written on 2006-07-04

"A memoir about a 23 year old girl who finds out she has cancer while she works at glamour magazine. She learns to soak in life, to love those around her, and distill the important things in life from the vain and insignificant...although she still cares about her weight! She turns her tragedy into good work and action by starting to fund raise for the cancer society and with the help of glamour magazine raises 25,000+ dollars. There is another twist in the story. Completely unrelated her sister gets cancer as well, Hodgkin's lymphoma. Unlike leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma is curable. Leukemia is not...Erin will either need a bone marrow transplant or take this new medication for the rest of her life. They struggle with issues of mortality, fertility, and love - issues that many of us are not forced to deal with until much later. Interesting, quick read. "
~ Written on 2006-03-22

"I read all of Erin Zammett's columns in Glamour magazine, so when I came across this book I hesitated to read it - I didn't want to re-read everything that was in the columns. Plus, I thought, how interesting could reading about someone's cancer treatments be? Turns out, very interesting.

That's because this book is about much more than just Erin's cancer treatments. It's about her life as a whole, while going through some unusual and hard cirumstances. Ms. Zammett has a great writing style and manages to keep things interesting and fast-moving while instilling humor into the book and telling it like it is. It's obvious that she's very honest and makes no attempt to stay "PC." (She openly states that she lost weight while undergoing treatment, and still loves how she looks in pictures from that time period.)

This book is an easy, interesting read, and after finishing it you can't help but admire Erin and her family for what they've been through and feel a little bit grateful for your life as it is."
~ Written on 2006-01-16

"I am only halfway through this book, but I am already so impressed and cannot say enough good things about it! Erin Zammett is one of the most honest, witty writers I have seen, and her spunky attitude showcases itself all throughout the book! She is an amazing young woman with a zest for life that cannot be wiped out, not even by cancer. I strongly recommend reading this book, and I hope to see a lot more books from this talented young author!"
~ Written on 2006-01-04

"It was written with warmth and honesty...

I would highly recommend it for people who were diagnosed with leukemia or for the ones who weren't but still don't know how precious their lives are...

After I read this book, I really decided to make some severe changes in my life, and I started with being so grateful for every good things I have.

It should be handed out to the patients at every psycologists' offices to make the depressed ones feel better."
~ Written on 2005-12-24