Review: Atrophy - Shilo Niziloek

Review: Atrophy - Shilo Niziolek - September 2023

I don't normally get emotional in books, it has to be a very powerful book to bring me near to tears. Atrophy, I had no idea what I was in for as I opened the cover. The book was written in verse format which reminded me of Ellen Hopkins's writings. The author also touched on an edgy topic. In Atrophy, we meet our main female character who is 31 and suffering from cervical cancer and has lived with this chronic illness for a while now. The book also talks about Covid times with the vaccinations, the mask-wearing, and then the repercussions of the vaccination with the main character getting a blood clot in her leg. The book was written beautifully and in parts was very metaphorical with the imagery and language of what the main character was experiencing and going through. I felt this book hit the spot with me on an emotional level as currently my sister who is 15 months younger than me is going through Cancer at the moment and so this book hit a bit harder than it might have had at a different time in my life. I also loved this cover and have a cover crush. To conclude the definition of Atrophy is to waste away or to progressively decline. If you are a crier in books, then I would recommend that you have a box of tissues handy while you read and turn the pages of Atrophy.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/451XZI7