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It's Not What It Looks Like
Listening Length: 3 hours and 5 minutes
In an audiobook like none you’ve ever heard before, blind YouTube star Molly Burke speaks with authenticity and candor about being a purple-haired, pink-loving fashion and makeup lover in a seeing world.
Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Burke has been legally blind since age five, and became completely sightless as a teenager. Here, she tackles the preconceived notions we have around blindness, her struggles with bullying and anxiety, inclusivity, how she built her successful influencer business (with over 1.8 million followers), and what it’s really like to travel the globe with her service dog, Gallop, now that everyone has an emotional support animal. (Hint: Really hard!)
This is a beautifully voiced, honest, and rousing journey of a young woman who has made it her mission to make us see her and the disability community in a totally new way.
In an audiobook like none you’ve ever heard before, blind YouTube star Molly Burke speaks with authenticity and candor about being a purple-haired, pink-loving fashion and makeup lover in a seeing world.
Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Burke has been legally blind since age five, and became completely sightless as a teenager. Here, she tackles the preconceived notions we have around blindness, her struggles with bullying and anxiety, inclusivity, how she built her successful influencer business (with over 1.8 million followers), and what it’s really like to travel the globe with her service dog, Gallop, now that everyone has an emotional support animal. (Hint: Really hard!)
This is a beautifully voiced, honest, and rousing journey of a young woman who has made it her mission to make us see her and the disability community in a totally new way.
4 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 1, 2019
About the author
Molly Burke
6 books45 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
August 4, 2019
very good audiobook! If you only get one thing out of this book.....remember, there's a difference between service lead dogs, and therapy dogs....and respect the disabled by not petting the lead dog.....you're only hurting the disabled person and making the training of that dog all the harder.
I was very humbled by Molly.....
I was very humbled by Molly.....
August 13, 2019
An Audible original selection for August; Audiobook narrated by the author 3hours 5mins 28sec
Funny, animated and completely honest, YouTuber Molly Burke offers a glance into the ups and downs of life with retinitis pigmentosa, her battle with mental illness, and a very blunt look at what people really need to know about people with disabilities and their service animals (specifically dogs). I certainly enjoyed Molly's bubbly personality.
Goodreads review published 13/08/19
Funny, animated and completely honest, YouTuber Molly Burke offers a glance into the ups and downs of life with retinitis pigmentosa, her battle with mental illness, and a very blunt look at what people really need to know about people with disabilities and their service animals (specifically dogs). I certainly enjoyed Molly's bubbly personality.
Goodreads review published 13/08/19
August 29, 2019
Being neither a millennial nor someone who watches much YouTube, I am the first to concede that I am not Molly Burke's target audience. I read this because I was interested in Molly's experiences with living in today's world while dealing with blindness. Unfortunately, on that subject I found the book to be superficial and lacking. To me, the story felt primarily like any millennial telling the story of how she built her YouTube presence, with little flashes of Molly's personal story of how that was impacted by her blindness. Like many other readers, I would have appreciated more depth/emotion regarding her experiences dealing with bullying. Just repeating that you were bullied, without describing how or how you dealt with it (except for the one incident) doesn't help others understand/appreciate what she went through. The bullying is just the most obvious example b/c she repeated it so often. I felt that she treated her blindness the same way, just scratching the surface.
Since this was produced exclusively for Audible, obviously I listened to the audio book. I usually like it when authors read their own memoirs, but I couldn't get into the rhythm of Molly's presentation. For the most part, it felt very clipped and robotic. The most emotional she got was when she spoke about her dogs, and that was when the narration was at its best.
I believe that Molly has a great story to tell, and that in person/on YouTube she is probably a great motivator. But this snippet of a book fell flat. For whatever reason, whether self-protection or as a means of getting readers to hop over to YouTube for more, this story shared so little real emotion and experience that it just left the reader wanting more.
Since this was produced exclusively for Audible, obviously I listened to the audio book. I usually like it when authors read their own memoirs, but I couldn't get into the rhythm of Molly's presentation. For the most part, it felt very clipped and robotic. The most emotional she got was when she spoke about her dogs, and that was when the narration was at its best.
I believe that Molly has a great story to tell, and that in person/on YouTube she is probably a great motivator. But this snippet of a book fell flat. For whatever reason, whether self-protection or as a means of getting readers to hop over to YouTube for more, this story shared so little real emotion and experience that it just left the reader wanting more.
February 5, 2020
I recently discovered that this gem is exactly the kind of non-fiction books I really like reading :) an own voices story about someone who either is going through something or went through something in the past and is now sharing their own experience about it… in this case we have Molly, who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa as a kid, among other things, and lost her sight… she shares how her life looked so far and how she found her own voice and calling in life ;) she talks very openly about misconceptions we have about blind people and her own experience with that condition… I highly encourage you to give this book a try, especially in the audiobook version, cause Molly herself narrates it :) I think it’s extremely important to educate ourselves in all sorts of manners and open up our own minds about people different than us… I hope you will reach for this story on your own :) 5 stars read for me :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
September 4, 2019
I seem to be the only person who absolutely HATED this book. This young woman has been through a lot, and I was really hoping for a motivational story about how she made a major difference in the world. Instead, this book showed me she is the stereotype of a vapid, narcissistic millennial. I can't figure out how she is a motivational speaker, seeing as she is so self-centered. She spent half the time lecturing her listeners about what terrible people we are to the disabled and how none of us know how to treat her or her guide dogs. The other half of the time, she was talking about how she doesn't understand why she is single (even though she hates tall guys, guys with body hair, guys with facial hair, guys who are bald, guys with man-buns, etc.) Um....who's left?
I finished this because I was hoping it would finally get better and more inspiring, but instead, the last part of her book was all about how she got more youtube subscribers. The only redeeming factor to this book is that it was so short.
I finished this because I was hoping it would finally get better and more inspiring, but instead, the last part of her book was all about how she got more youtube subscribers. The only redeeming factor to this book is that it was so short.
August 6, 2019
The only reason I gave the book 2 stars instead of one is that Molly did a good job at describing her illness and guide dogs. The first half of the book was good... and then all of a sudden she was yelling at the reader about service dogs. I kept thinking, I’ve always respected the “don’t let them” rule, why is she yelling at me?” From there, it just went downhill. I lost interest once she began talking about her YouTube channel, and the pep speeches she gives to herself every night. She talked about how she prays every day but she doesn’t know who she’s praying too. The whole second half of the book was disjointed and left me disinterested. Sorry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2019
Way to go, Molly! This self-proclaimed girlie-girl who loves fashion and makeup in a world where she has been diagnosed as legally blind is spinning stigma on its head.
Her Audible original covers everything from her battle with mental illness to her love for pink and glitter, from fighting for social awareness for her disability to her high school prom date (her service dog).
Fun little listen, and worthwhile to support an awesome young lady doing so much for her community.
I'd rate this book a PG.
Her Audible original covers everything from her battle with mental illness to her love for pink and glitter, from fighting for social awareness for her disability to her high school prom date (her service dog).
Fun little listen, and worthwhile to support an awesome young lady doing so much for her community.
I'd rate this book a PG.
September 6, 2019
I suppose it says something about this book that I did not finish it, even though it's only 3 hours long.
I'm sure I'm not her target audience exactly, but even so I had some serious issues with the material. She mentions being bullied pretty much constantly all the way through school in Toronto. However, I don't recall a single episode described in any detail to get an idea of what she was going through. All I can recall is that once she found out that someone she thought liked her had been bribed by the teacher to be her classroom friend/helper. She also mentions that she changed schools several times with none of them being a great success. This leads me to wonder whether the problem wasn't with her. I've come away convinced that she's what's known as an "unreliable narrator" (of events).
On a more picky point, and perhaps this is covered later in the book, but she announces that she has made it in Los Angeles due to willpower and perseverance. I wanted to know how she managed her immigration status, and brought her mother along as well?
My hometown is the location for the pioneer guide dog facility Seeing Eye Foundation, so I knew about these dogs from childhood, so don't feel I missed anything about her discussion of that issue.
I'm sure I'm not her target audience exactly, but even so I had some serious issues with the material. She mentions being bullied pretty much constantly all the way through school in Toronto. However, I don't recall a single episode described in any detail to get an idea of what she was going through. All I can recall is that once she found out that someone she thought liked her had been bribed by the teacher to be her classroom friend/helper. She also mentions that she changed schools several times with none of them being a great success. This leads me to wonder whether the problem wasn't with her. I've come away convinced that she's what's known as an "unreliable narrator" (of events).
On a more picky point, and perhaps this is covered later in the book, but she announces that she has made it in Los Angeles due to willpower and perseverance. I wanted to know how she managed her immigration status, and brought her mother along as well?
My hometown is the location for the pioneer guide dog facility Seeing Eye Foundation, so I knew about these dogs from childhood, so don't feel I missed anything about her discussion of that issue.
October 1, 2019
I had high hopes for this book and was very letdown. As someone with RP myself, I was hoping this book would be inspirational and provide me with some guidance as I go through my own journey with this challenging eye condition. Boy was I wrong to assume that!
First off, I found this book to be very surface level. I would have loved for Molly to delve deeper into the emotions she experienced while losing her sight and would have loved more, detailed insight into how she overcame the toughest challenges. Instead every chapter and topic was so quick and short that I literally got nothing out of it. I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know from her YouTube videos. An example of a place where I would have liked more raw honesty was when Molly was telling of how she was depressed and suicidal when she was losing her vision. She then said that she won a shopping spree to Paris and retail therapy cured her. Umm, it’s not that simple and I would have loved to delve deeper into this story.
Molly came off very entitled in this book. She told a long story of how she and her guide dog hide when calling a rideshare while her mom waits for the car so she and her dog can jump right in the car without being told no animals in the car. Wow! I could not believe this story. I cannot believe her mother allows this disrespectful behavior and plays into it. As someone who has a fear of dogs, I can sympathize if I rideshare driver making minimum wage doesn’t want a big guide dog in his/her car for whatever reason. It shouldn’t be forced upon them in such a disrespecting, malicious way.
There was an entire chapter where Molly literally yelled at the reader/listener about how we should never pet a guide dog or interrupt a guide dog when he is working. She did not have to yell about this because most people don’t know this. I didn’t. However, in the next chapter when a famous YouTuber she ran into and she wanted to work with starting petting her guide dog, she just shrugged it off because “he didn’t know”.
There were so many other things that irked me about this book. Molly talked on and on about her YouTube channel and her subscriber count. She sounds like she wants to be rich and famous and live an elaborate LA lifestyle. And did audible pay her for every time she said “audiobook”?
If I sound annoyed, that’s because I am. I never write reviews like this but this book really irked me. I hate when people try to become famous or make millions off their disability or when people think they are entitled because they are disabled. Sadly,that is the impression of Molly I have when watching her YouTube videos and it became more evident in this book.
Don’t get me wrong here. I do think Molly wants to educate people on her disability and I have learned things from watching it. I am just not sure if she does it with the purest of intentions and will she continue to do it if she becomes a famous celeb/talk show host?
First off, I found this book to be very surface level. I would have loved for Molly to delve deeper into the emotions she experienced while losing her sight and would have loved more, detailed insight into how she overcame the toughest challenges. Instead every chapter and topic was so quick and short that I literally got nothing out of it. I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know from her YouTube videos. An example of a place where I would have liked more raw honesty was when Molly was telling of how she was depressed and suicidal when she was losing her vision. She then said that she won a shopping spree to Paris and retail therapy cured her. Umm, it’s not that simple and I would have loved to delve deeper into this story.
Molly came off very entitled in this book. She told a long story of how she and her guide dog hide when calling a rideshare while her mom waits for the car so she and her dog can jump right in the car without being told no animals in the car. Wow! I could not believe this story. I cannot believe her mother allows this disrespectful behavior and plays into it. As someone who has a fear of dogs, I can sympathize if I rideshare driver making minimum wage doesn’t want a big guide dog in his/her car for whatever reason. It shouldn’t be forced upon them in such a disrespecting, malicious way.
There was an entire chapter where Molly literally yelled at the reader/listener about how we should never pet a guide dog or interrupt a guide dog when he is working. She did not have to yell about this because most people don’t know this. I didn’t. However, in the next chapter when a famous YouTuber she ran into and she wanted to work with starting petting her guide dog, she just shrugged it off because “he didn’t know”.
There were so many other things that irked me about this book. Molly talked on and on about her YouTube channel and her subscriber count. She sounds like she wants to be rich and famous and live an elaborate LA lifestyle. And did audible pay her for every time she said “audiobook”?
If I sound annoyed, that’s because I am. I never write reviews like this but this book really irked me. I hate when people try to become famous or make millions off their disability or when people think they are entitled because they are disabled. Sadly,that is the impression of Molly I have when watching her YouTube videos and it became more evident in this book.
Don’t get me wrong here. I do think Molly wants to educate people on her disability and I have learned things from watching it. I am just not sure if she does it with the purest of intentions and will she continue to do it if she becomes a famous celeb/talk show host?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2022
This Audible Original, narrated by the author, is a brief look into the life of Molly Burke, a young Canadian blind woman who's casual, perky vibe has made her a popular YouTuber to her almost 2 million subscribers. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at a young age, she lost her sight in her early teens and in this book she shares her experiences with her vision loss, her mental health and living independently as a one-woman perky powerhouse from her beginnings in Toronto to her work as a motivational speaker/model in Los Angeles.
This memoir has a light feel and I enjoyed learning about her early life in Toronto, her work experiences and how she educates her listeners on misconceptions about blind people. But this audiobook had a scattered feel with Burke jumping from topic to topic without going into enough detail or emotion - particularly when she lost her sight and her struggle with mental health. It felt like a missed opportunity to share that part of herself with her listeners. A can-do attitude (and a quick shopping trip to Paris) doesn't always resolve mental heath struggles.
This is a cute but brief glimpse into the life of this YouTuber who has made a name for herself as a petit and plucky force. I appreciate Molly's positive attitude and her work in disability advocacy, but this book was a bit too perky/self-help for my tastes and I wasn't a fan of her scattered writing style or how she narrated her book (which felt like she was talking on her YouTube channel). I'm not the target audience so take my harumph of a review with a grain of salt.
Final Thoughts: Motivational, perky and positive without enough substance.
August 23, 2019
I had to read this for book club. I didn’t know anything about Molly Burke before & wouldn’t have picked this up on my own.
I got it for free on Audible so I can’t complain too much, but there really wasn’t much to it...no meat, no depth. It was extremely short & seemed like it was written just to make a few bucks.
She would start talking about something & then it would be over without going into any detail whatsoever. Like, “one time I felt so bad I wanted to kill myself but then I went to therapy & changed my mind.”
I also found her irritating. Her voice was hard to listen to & I didn’t feel any connection with her. I think it’s awesome that she’s achieved so much in her life & not let anything hold her back, but a lot of the book just felt like bragging & name dropping. It annoyed me.
She goes on and on about how people shouldn’t touch a guide dog, but then some famous guy pets hers...& then that’s ok...because he’s famous. Seriously?
It wasn’t inspiring except maybe on a very basic level. I think it might be best for kids in their pre-teens/early teens & that’s about it.
It did have a good message & I do think she wants to help people, so I’ll give her that.
I got it for free on Audible so I can’t complain too much, but there really wasn’t much to it...no meat, no depth. It was extremely short & seemed like it was written just to make a few bucks.
She would start talking about something & then it would be over without going into any detail whatsoever. Like, “one time I felt so bad I wanted to kill myself but then I went to therapy & changed my mind.”
I also found her irritating. Her voice was hard to listen to & I didn’t feel any connection with her. I think it’s awesome that she’s achieved so much in her life & not let anything hold her back, but a lot of the book just felt like bragging & name dropping. It annoyed me.
She goes on and on about how people shouldn’t touch a guide dog, but then some famous guy pets hers...& then that’s ok...because he’s famous. Seriously?
It wasn’t inspiring except maybe on a very basic level. I think it might be best for kids in their pre-teens/early teens & that’s about it.
It did have a good message & I do think she wants to help people, so I’ll give her that.
March 11, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. I totally respect the author and the moral of her story. The struggles are real and she has a lot of strength and sass to be the person she wants to be. But I also think there’s a difference between self confident and being a little obnoxious. I didn’t connect with her as a person and the sass got a little old after a while. I’m not someone who pats myself on the back, and I wasn’t thrilled listening to someone go on and on about their accomplishments for three hours.
August 18, 2019
I really enjoyed Molly Burke’s frank and sometimes funny memoir. She tells about becoming blind and the challenges she faced growing up and continues to encounter in her life as a professional.
March 5, 2022
After reading this book I’m so glad that I got to it as soon as I did. I knew I was going to enjoy it, because I am already a fan of the author, but I didn’t realize I would relate so much to a lot of topics that were discussed in this novel. I won’t go into them now, because I think that it is better if you go into this book not knowing a lot about the author. I will say though that I really appreciated how informational and helpful this book can be to people who want to learn more about the visually impaired, or just disabled people in general. The authors personal journey, and life story are also just very inspiring. The only reason I didn’t end up giving this five stars was because I already knew a lot about her, because I’ve been following her for a few years now. This wasn’t the books fault though, and I think that everything she talked about was necessary, and added a lot to the story. I think that anyone could enjoy this novel, and I hope that if you decide to pick it up you learn some thing you didn’t know before.
August 16, 2019
First and foremost, it feels weird to leave a rating and put a number on someone's life story, especially when it is someone I watch on YouTube. This was a good book, but because of the reasons below I felt it was more average rather than excellent.
Molly's story was informative to learn about. I found it interesting to learn how she went blind, how she adopted her service dogs, and why she is in the career she is in. However, I found myself drifting and becoming disinterested half way through the book.
**spoiler alert**
I wasn't very interested in how she grew her YouTube channel, because most YouTubers don't collab with Casey Neistat. While I find it cool that she got that opportunity, her growth on YouTube didn't feel like it had much to do with her story of blindness.
Also, the intermission "What I Wish Everyone Knew About Service Dogs" was a little off putting to me. It felt like she was yelling at and chastising the audience. I completely understand and sympathize with what Molly is saying. It's not cool to distract a service dog and even worse to have a fake service dog. However, her delivery felt scolding rather than educating.
Finally, this felt like I was listening to a podcast or watching a YouTube video rather than listening to an audio book. There was a little too much quirkiness for my tastes, and it didn't really remind me of the Molly I watch on YouTube. I can't put my finger on it, but there was a disconnect.
TLDR: This a good book, and worth listening to if only to learn about Molly and her story. However, the delivery could have been better and some parts felt unnecessary.
Molly's story was informative to learn about. I found it interesting to learn how she went blind, how she adopted her service dogs, and why she is in the career she is in. However, I found myself drifting and becoming disinterested half way through the book.
**spoiler alert**
I wasn't very interested in how she grew her YouTube channel, because most YouTubers don't collab with Casey Neistat. While I find it cool that she got that opportunity, her growth on YouTube didn't feel like it had much to do with her story of blindness.
Also, the intermission "What I Wish Everyone Knew About Service Dogs" was a little off putting to me. It felt like she was yelling at and chastising the audience. I completely understand and sympathize with what Molly is saying. It's not cool to distract a service dog and even worse to have a fake service dog. However, her delivery felt scolding rather than educating.
Finally, this felt like I was listening to a podcast or watching a YouTube video rather than listening to an audio book. There was a little too much quirkiness for my tastes, and it didn't really remind me of the Molly I watch on YouTube. I can't put my finger on it, but there was a disconnect.
TLDR: This a good book, and worth listening to if only to learn about Molly and her story. However, the delivery could have been better and some parts felt unnecessary.
August 3, 2019
A tad clichéd but typical of the millennial mindset. I sum up the stereotype of Millennials and Generation Zs under the name Gen Me's. And this audiobook is a typical example of Me-Myself-&-I. There's no exploration of connectivity and empathy.
For a person whose vocation is motivational speaking, I do not find this production by Molly Burke particularly motivational.
I enjoyed the bits about the dogs best.
For a person whose vocation is motivational speaking, I do not find this production by Molly Burke particularly motivational.
I enjoyed the bits about the dogs best.
August 7, 2019
Nice little book filled with a lot of standard issue good advice, just not particularly engaging. Although I like Molly Burke as a person (as much as you can like someone you don't even know), I found it very easy to be distracted while listening to the sound of her voice. The modulation was a little off - like she was reading and not talking, which I know sounds ridiculous.
It's definitely worth a listen, just not in my top ten must read list.
It's definitely worth a listen, just not in my top ten must read list.
February 8, 2021
3.5 🌟 I feel like maybe this was just meant for a different audience than me? It was a lot lighter than I expected and seemed aimed at teens which is fine, just not what I expected. Her story definitely is compelling though - I just wanted more I guess.
August 24, 2019
I loved this. I think everyone should listen to this so they have that extra knowledge about someone’s life that is much more different then their own.
It was just amazing.
It was just amazing.
October 30, 2019
A good message, but I think it would have been better if it was longer and she went more into the things that she went through. It was an overview, and she didn't get too deep.
January 22, 2021
This book is about Molly Burke, A girly girl, makeup and fashion lover and her journey through going blind at the age of 14! She is now 25 and a influencer and has over 2 million subscribers on YouTube. Her Mission is to educate people about blindness and disability. Molly explains guide dogs, blind girl moments, and explains how “becoming blind did not change who she was but only changed how she did things”. Molly did not only give tips for parents of blind or disabled children but also educate non-disabled readers about disability. Molly shared personal stories and experiences that touched my heart in so many different ways. I recommend this book to everyone! It’s Not What It Looks Like, gave me a step in to someone else’s life and gave me a different perspective to view things. This is 100% a five star book and one of my favorites! Yes I would definitely read it over and over again!
August 15, 2019
This was a quick audio book, but I appreciated Molly's candor in describing her experiences as a young woman who just happens to also be blind. She was encouraging and provided additional thoughts for the sighted who may have questions, but no clear way or place to ask them. I was particularly thankful for the information about Guide dogs and hope that everyone gives it a listen. It's so incredibly important to understand the rights and functions of Guide dogs, other support animals, and what the law guarantees for them and most importantly their owners.
January 17, 2020
Although I liked what she had to say, she was a bit too arrogant for my taste and spent too much time telling me what not to do with service dogs than what she experienced herself. She just didn't come across humble to me at all. But everyone presents themselves differently I guess.
September 23, 2020
The is the Audible recording. Apparently the author is an “influencer” on YouTube. I got about one third of the way through listening and decided to stop when I noticed that my primary reactions was rolling my eyes and gritting my teeth. I have better things to do than listen to me me me.
September 1, 2022
Molly is an amazing YouTuber and motivational speaker but unfortunately that did not translate into being a good author.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 24, 2023DNF at 31%
The tone was a little too cringey for me and I felt like Molly's story was trying desperately but falling just short of reaching me.
The tone was a little too cringey for me and I felt like Molly's story was trying desperately but falling just short of reaching me.
August 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this overall and could relate to a lot of it. I just wish it had been a little longer. There is so much I still want to know, and I found some of the chapters a little rushed.
June 2, 2020
My dad has RP, and had a very challenging life, including being orphaned as a baby and being adopted by people who did not believe the extent of his blindness. I was interested in hearing a millennial with RP’s experience (because I’m a millennial). I found the content to be mostly vapid and self-congratulatory. No doubt Burke has surmounted significant obstacles and been a great advocate for the disabled, but I didn’t find her inspirational.
I also found it intriguing that she argues “disabled people are not your inspiration”, and yet has a career as a motivational speaker. Of course, these can co-exist, but it is something worth being addressed.
I think if I were in a bad spot in my life, I would have rather felt overwhelmed by her stories of success; I would’ve felt that I didn’t have the bubbly, strong personality to achieve all that.
There is nothing wrong with sharing one’s successes, but there is a way of doing it, part of which involves delving deeper than surface level into emotional experiences.
Also, Burke talks about recovering from mental illness as though it is enough to just “make up your mind” to get better, and maybe take meds if things get very bad. Either this was her experience, or she’s again not sharing deeply enough. And if one is going to essentially write a memoir, you have to be willing to delve deep.
All that said, I think this might be a good book for high schoolers, or advanced primary school listeners. Her story might appeal to them more. Oh, and parents of kids with challenges like disabilities or being bullied.
As for me, I found the presentation a little TOO much - kind of like a toastmasters reading, or a YouTube video. Audiobooks are NOT simply YouTube without the visuals. Unfortunately, it did not work for me.
I also found it intriguing that she argues “disabled people are not your inspiration”, and yet has a career as a motivational speaker. Of course, these can co-exist, but it is something worth being addressed.
I think if I were in a bad spot in my life, I would have rather felt overwhelmed by her stories of success; I would’ve felt that I didn’t have the bubbly, strong personality to achieve all that.
There is nothing wrong with sharing one’s successes, but there is a way of doing it, part of which involves delving deeper than surface level into emotional experiences.
Also, Burke talks about recovering from mental illness as though it is enough to just “make up your mind” to get better, and maybe take meds if things get very bad. Either this was her experience, or she’s again not sharing deeply enough. And if one is going to essentially write a memoir, you have to be willing to delve deep.
All that said, I think this might be a good book for high schoolers, or advanced primary school listeners. Her story might appeal to them more. Oh, and parents of kids with challenges like disabilities or being bullied.
As for me, I found the presentation a little TOO much - kind of like a toastmasters reading, or a YouTube video. Audiobooks are NOT simply YouTube without the visuals. Unfortunately, it did not work for me.
August 15, 2019
Audiobook Review.
This is not a book I would have chosen had it not been offered as one of the free Audible Originals for this month. I had never heard of Molly Burke. I'm glad I had the opportunity to choose it and listen. I ended up liking it and I even got a little emotional at some of the parts discussing her early years. Then I got really emotional when she talked about Gypsy passing away.
It's Not What it Looks Like is a quick listen, only 3 hours and 5 minutes, and is narrated by Molly herself. She sounded as though she was reading it but that didn't bother me at all. She isn't a seasoned audiobook narrator so I got what I expected and honestly, I prefer to hear it in her own voice rather than have a typical narrator.
I really liked the little intermission where she discussed Guide Dogs vs Service Dogs vs Emotional Support Animals and fake service animals. I think this is an important issue that needs to be discussed more frequently and should honestly be screamed from rooftops until people get it through their heads that they are creating a disservice to many by lying about their dogs to just bring them along. Don't even get me started or I'll have to get out my soapbox.
Now that I have listened to this audiobook, I'm curious to know more about Molly Burke and will be heading over to YouTube to peruse her channel a bit.
This is not a book I would have chosen had it not been offered as one of the free Audible Originals for this month. I had never heard of Molly Burke. I'm glad I had the opportunity to choose it and listen. I ended up liking it and I even got a little emotional at some of the parts discussing her early years. Then I got really emotional when she talked about Gypsy passing away.
It's Not What it Looks Like is a quick listen, only 3 hours and 5 minutes, and is narrated by Molly herself. She sounded as though she was reading it but that didn't bother me at all. She isn't a seasoned audiobook narrator so I got what I expected and honestly, I prefer to hear it in her own voice rather than have a typical narrator.
I really liked the little intermission where she discussed Guide Dogs vs Service Dogs vs Emotional Support Animals and fake service animals. I think this is an important issue that needs to be discussed more frequently and should honestly be screamed from rooftops until people get it through their heads that they are creating a disservice to many by lying about their dogs to just bring them along. Don't even get me started or I'll have to get out my soapbox.
Now that I have listened to this audiobook, I'm curious to know more about Molly Burke and will be heading over to YouTube to peruse her channel a bit.
September 28, 2019
August Audible Original Selection about a young woman with blindness. It is more geared for teens, young adults and early 20-30s. I do think it is important for young folks to read this given the theme as it is very important in our social medial realm. I also think that anyone dealing with any sort of longterm medical issue (not to take away from the blindness or what she has gone through) can learn from the author’s experiences. She also has advice on how to live life the best way she has so far with book options that may help reader further their success. Overall, it was a quick read. Honestly, there was not much meat. But there were bits of good intention here and there. 3/5 P.S. I know NEVER to touch service dogs when they are working!
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