It's brilliant!! - Rated 
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.
Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".
It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.
It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.
An excellent read - Rated
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).
For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.
In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.
If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.
I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.
Buy It!! - Rated
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.
If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.
If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.
Dr's should be handing this out! - Rated
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.
It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!
I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!
As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!
Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!
ME - A Personal Perspective - Rated
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge. Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E. I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.
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