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Pretty is What Changes: Tough Choices, the Breast Cancer Gene, and Learning How to Live in the DNA Age
A timely, affecting memoir from the front lines of medical science: When genetics can predict how we may die, how then do we decide how to live?
Eleven months after her mother succumbs to cancer, Jessica Queller has herself tested for the BRCA “breast cancer” gene mutation. The results come back positive, putting her at a terrifyingly elevated risk of developing breast canc
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 1st 2008
by Spiegel & Grau
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Jessica Queller has composed an extremely well written book. It is filled with educational facts and inspiring personal accounts regarding a very serious issue - breast cancer. The book was not as emotional as I expected it to be which, to me, illustrated that she is such a strong woman that it carried over into her writing. This is a great book club read as it brings up many questions that will stimulate discussion. This book has opened a whole new literary world for Jessica Queller, that goes...more
I loved this book. I loved her style of writing, its kind of a no-nonsense approach. It was obvious that she lived a very privileged life and I thought she did a good job of incorporating it, but not flaunting it. As a mother and someone who saw her sister battle cancer, I know exactly what my decision would be if I tested positive for the BRCA mutation. However, I can empathize with her situation as a single woman with no children. I commend her for taking her destiny into her own hands.
I think I was expecting too much from this book. I'm fascinated by the idea that someone would chop off their boobs to prevent cancer, but this book falls a little short of those expectations - which is sad because she did write for the Gilmore Girls, which was a well-written show....
The beginning chronicles her mother's fight against cancer, to set up the tension when she learns of her BRCA1 mutation. But it never gives the caliber of the information that I want.... but then again it's a fuzzy...more
The beginning chronicles her mother's fight against cancer, to set up the tension when she learns of her BRCA1 mutation. But it never gives the caliber of the information that I want.... but then again it's a fuzzy...more
In this memoir, the author tells of her mother's painful death from cancer and her own discovery that she carries the BRCA1 mutation, or the "breast cancer gene," making it highly likely that she will develop breast cancer at a young age and ovarian cancer at some point in her life. Jessica is 34, single, and hoping to marry and have children, and she struggles with the options available to her: frequent screenings, with the hope of catching the disease as early as possible and treating it, or m...more
Couldn't put the book down. Well-written and quickly paced.
It captures the uncertainty of dealing with breast cancer risk, BRCA testing, and the process of making decisions after a positive test in an honest way. The author didn't flinch from telling a three-dimensional story: the testing affected her romantic relationships, familial relationships and friendships. I appreciated how many different breast cancer and ovarian cancer stories are woven in (from women Jessica knows or meets during her...more
It captures the uncertainty of dealing with breast cancer risk, BRCA testing, and the process of making decisions after a positive test in an honest way. The author didn't flinch from telling a three-dimensional story: the testing affected her romantic relationships, familial relationships and friendships. I appreciated how many different breast cancer and ovarian cancer stories are woven in (from women Jessica knows or meets during her...more
Jun 05, 2008
Lauren
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who can related to an experience with breast cancer
Although the somewhat simplistic writing style left something to be desired from the critic in me, this autobiographical book about Jessica Queller's struggle with learning she has the "breast cancer gene" and deciding how to proceed is as riveting as if you were reading a novel about your own girlfriend. I especially enjoyed her dating stories, and the intensity brought from the fact that she was single, in her 30s, and wanting to have a family.
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PRETTY IS WHAT CHANGES by Jessica Queller chronicles the intertwining journey of Jessica's mother's death from complications of ovarian cancer, as the result of her first bout of breast cancer, and Jessica's discovery of inheriting the breast cancer gene and the difficult decisions she must face as the result of her knowledge.
When Jessica learns about the genetic test for the breast cancer gene, she decides to get tested to put her mind at ease. But she tests positive for BRCA-1 and her life spi...more
When Jessica learns about the genetic test for the breast cancer gene, she decides to get tested to put her mind at ease. But she tests positive for BRCA-1 and her life spi...more
I think this memoir is better served for people for people who haven't had the option to forego cancer or fight like hell if it does come along. I was diagnosed at 26 and didn't have the $30,000 it would take to harvest and freeze my eggs in case I later wanted a surrogate mom for the lil munchkins. Which I didn't think I would want to do anyways. She had the option of having children and then removing her ovaries. Her breasts had to go. For me, since I had been through chemo and watched countle...more
I just happened to pick this up at the library, without having ever heard of it, and I was extremely pleased. I was thrilled to find out in the very beginning that the author was one of the writers for Gilmore Girls, probably my favorite TV show ever. So she can obviously write well and has a sense of humor. Which she definitely needs to deal with what goes on in this true story about her life. She deals bluntly and openly with her decision about whether or not to "cut off her boobs" as a preven...more
Jessica Queller's story is compelling, and her choice to be tested for the BRCA "breast cancer gene,” as well as her painful and controversial decision have a double mastectomy to prevent the breast cancer that would likely kill her, is courageous and thought-provoking. My two critiques of the memoir have to do with her underdeveloped writing (which relies entirely on an “and then” chronological approach to narrative) and her incessant need to drop the names of famous friends (Calista Flockhart...more
Really great idea for a book, but I wish I could rewrite whole chapters for the author and ship them back to her in a box marked, "JUST A SUGGESTION."
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The subject matter of this book made for a difficult read, but I was really curious about the author's journey. After watching her mother die of cancer, the author took a test to find out that she was positive for a mutated gene that caused an increase in her chance of getting breast cancer. She had to make a difficult decision as to have preventative surgery to lower her risk. It was definitely one of those books where I wanted to cry at certain points, just to let off some of the pressure--I c...more
I am a 32 year old and a 1 year Breast Cancer Survivor so this book hit close to home for me. I had to take this book chapter by chapter and in stages to read. It took me awhile to read all of this because it was very emotional for me. My Mom passed away from Ovarian Cancer , at the age of 54, just like the author's mother did & I could relate with the stories she shared about her mother. It was pretty eerie reading through the book and remembering my mother going through the same stages as...more
This book made me cry, I'll admit it. The author's mother struggles with breast cancer and then, years later, is diagnosed with aggressive ovarian cancer which ultimately kills her. Almost on a whim Jessica decides to get tested for the so-called "breast cancer gene" and finds out she carries it, which gives her a shockingly high chance of getting breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer. In her early thirties, uninvolved, but really wanting to get married and have children, Jessica struggles with he...more
I thought I would like this book better. It was written by a woman in her mid 30s, who discovered that she had the breast cancer gene. The book chronicles her life as she learns to accept the diagnosis and what it means, and through her decision to have prophylactic mastecomy and reconstruction. Because of my personal connection to the topic, I thought I would be really moved by the book (I heard about it on NPR a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to read it). But the author really bothered me. I...more
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Sep 29, 2008
amber
marked it as to-read
a memoir of a woman who tested postive for the gene which can cause breast and ovarian cancer. her mother died of ovarian cancer just the year before she learned this news. it sounds like this existential reflection on science, knowing perhaps "too much" about yourself, and what it means to be pretty in a society wrapped up in bra sizes. in the end she gets a double mastectomy and decides to have a child on her own (she is 38 and will get her ovaries removed when she is 40). i'm intruiged by thi...more
This book addresses some of the difficult decisions that many including myself will have to go through. Whether or not to be tested for the breast cancer gene, and what to do once the results are received. The test is a life-changing event for the author as well as many of her friends. Is it better to know if you have the gene, or live without the weight of the knowledge you have an 87 % chance of getting breast cancer in your lifetime?
This is a well written moving memoir of a woman's choice to have a double mastectomy to avoid nearly imminent breast cancer. Very informative and very interesting for women to read. She does not shy away from sharing everything she went through...all the emotional ups and downs that came along the way of her journey to finally choose to have preemptive surgery. Highly recommend it!
This was a good book, but it freaked me out about cancer. It made me feel like we're all ticking cancer bombs...it's just a matter of when it's going to strike. Aside from my cancer paranoia, it was very informational in an engaging way that was not boring at all. You really got a feeling of what it was like to go through this process and meet others fighting the good fight along the way. Overall, I'd recommend it--just try not to freak out and think you have cancer after reading it.
This book stayed with me for months after I read it. It's one of those books that makes you think about your choices as a woman. My mom and grandma are both breast cancer survivors so my chances (genetically) are high. I got an ultrasound at 29 yrs. old and everything is healthy. I think right now I will just continue to live my life healthy and happy...:) No surgeries for me!
Qweller discovered that she had an 85% chance of getting breast cancer and so at 36 she had a double mastectomy. The book is about how she came to that decision, taking into account the fact that she was still unmarried and childless. Breast cancer is something that every woman fears and I think this book is a good one for everyone to read.
May 14, 2009
Rhlibrary
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
marie-s-picks,
great-for-book-groups
A sure pick for women’s groups, this book is also for anyone who has thought about the effects genetic developments and genetic testing have on our lives. Author Jessica Queller’s decision to be tested for the BRCA (breast cancer) gene and the decisions she made thereafter are explored in this engrossing and thought-provoking memoir.
5 stars! the fact that this is written by one of the writers from the Gilmore Girls is what first grabbed my attention... i can not put into words the awesomeness of this book. i gleaned so much from it. i think i will have to reflect more and hopefully come up with a more articulant review! for now i say, READ IT!
First I have to say that I recommend this to anyone thinking of having the testing for the BRCA gene. Second the account of her mom's illness was very moving and very real. Paints a very candid picture of what cancer does to a human being- even with treatment. I felt like she brushed over the actual mastectomy part as well as the recovery. I related to the dilemma of what to do with a positive test and maybe she had a more positive experience than most but it seemed like once she made the decisi...more
OK my buds this is a must read, even though I gave it few stars. It is like breast cancer meets sex and the city. You get some good info and it's a quality struggle, but she is such a priveledged person that her life makes the terrible situation somehow easier to read about.
A beautifully candid report of living with the knowledge of iminent suffering and courageous actions. I highly recommend this book to those with strong opiniong of what they would do or what should do. She expertly researches and writes about both sides of the story. If you like Jodi Picoult you will love this true story and difficult choice.
This is an autobiographical story of a young screenwriter who finds out she has a BRCA (breast cancer) gene mutation which predisposes her to a high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. I read it because of my own personal adventures with this, but I didn't really enjoy it much. She spent way too much time retelling her history with her mother who had breast cancer and ultimately died of ovarian cancer. This consumes at least half the book. I expected a screenwriter to leave out a lot of the "flu...more
As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, there were parts of this book that were really difficult to read - but it gave me lots to think about and consider as I get older. The ending wasn't as good as the beginning, but, all in all, it was a good book.
Sep 22, 2010
Lisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with a family member who has/had breast and/or ovarian cancer.
Recommended to Lisa by:
Sue and Steph
If you have ever read,"The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy", you will get the drift of the style of this book. The subject matter is however not a happy one - like being pregnant - so the light and "real girl" style at times may feel a bit shallow. But I can't imagine being able to read a "really real" account of this story. It would be too tough.
Rarely, a book mirrors your own life so closely that it shakes you to the core. For me, this is the book.
Jessica Queller took me on a journey through he...more
Rarely, a book mirrors your own life so closely that it shakes you to the core. For me, this is the book.
Jessica Queller took me on a journey through he...more
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