Pretty Is What Changes: Impossible Choices, The Breast Cancer Gene, and How I Defied My Destiny Reviews

• Redefining the Pretty Gene

  
  By A7F8DO50DB24Z on 2008-04-01
  Focusing on three generations of women in her family, Jessica Queller lays the groundwork early on, letting us know she comes from a fiercely independent line of women, but one that still defines pretty by traditional means. From her actress-grandmother to her fashion designer-mother, and herself, a television writer (at the time, on the show "Gilmore Girls" and currently on "Gossip Girl), Queller grapples with the difficulties of finding her place in this female dynamic.
  
  When her mother dies from ovarian cancer however, Jessica turns her contemporary eye on taking the BRCA test (the test for the breast cancer gene). After discovering she tests positive for the gene, Queller's inherent and inherited beauty is at risk as she weighs the options on how to proceed and insure her health and longevity for a beautiful life. The reader is taken into her mind as she meets survivors, pre-vivors and others touched by the disease and ultimately, makes a decision to redefine the genes and ideals we inherit.
  
  While this book does tackle deep topics and questions, Queller strikes a balance by setting it against the starry backdrop of the television world and the history of her unique and lovably idiosyncratic family. Readers of any level and gender will appreciate her writing and hopefully, walk away with their own picture of the ever-changing face of beauty.
  
  
  

• Honest, gripping, beautifully told memoir

  
  By AF4ULD5LPRBKT on 2008-04-01
  I loved this book. Jessica Queller is a talented writer with a gripping story, one she tells with honesty and without sentiment. With a fascinating sweep through the author's family history, around the brave new world of DNA fortune-telling, and into her own personal relationships and how they are affected by the explosive power of the BRCA gene, her style is both intimate and intelligent.
  
  This is not a dark and somber story. Queller is able to maintain a sense of humor about herself while getting to the scary nub of it all - the life-and-death decisions, the thorny issues of fate and afterlife - and ends the book on a note of inspired hope. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great read. It is not necessarily, even, a cancer book. It is a book about the triumph of will, passion, and self-determination.
  
  

• What Jessica Queller's "Eye Arranges Is Beautiful"

  
  By A15FZD2JCBB1UO on 2008-04-02
  I was hooked from the epigraph quoting Stephen Sondheim:
  "Pretty isn't beautiful, mother. Pretty is what changes. What the eye arranges is beautiful."
  
  This book, ostensibly about the breast cancer gene, is really, remarkably, about life, liberty in the confounding pursuit of medical truth, cancer, art, creativity, Hollywood, and the most compelling mother/daughter coming of age story I have ever read.
  
  Upon reading "Pretty Is What Changes," I immediately signed up for gene testing, googled the author, bought a ticket for a revival of "Sunday in the Park with George," went to see Seurat at the Modern, and had serious talks and hugs with my daughters about the gene, my own artist mother, their limitless potential for success, and my love for them. Whew!
  
  
  
  

• A MUST READ

  
  By AJGN21NQMT40X on 2008-04-03
  I never write reviews, but with this book I can't resist -- I could not put "Pretty is What Changes" down!
  Queller's heartfelt memoir is at once touching, informative, massively entertaining and witty. An extremely unusual quality for a book that delivers such a powerful and grave message. If cancer has touched any part of your life (via even a friend of a friend) this book is a must read. Live through Jessica's journey, you will be a better person for it.
  
  

• A treat to read - Brava!

  
  By A5P2QUQYL2U51 on 2008-04-04
  I haven't been so moved by - nor laughed so hard because of - a memoir since I read This Boy's Life: A Memoir (by Tobias Wolff - one of my favorite books). The turning of painful life experience into art - of occasionally far-from-pretty material into beautiful prose - makes this book a pleasure. Ms. Queller has intelligently faced the scariest parts of her life, and her account of the difficult choices along her journey not only made me marvel at her toughness while reading the book, but made me strongly urge the women in my family to get BRCA testing. A challenging topic in this rapidly changing world of ours has been handled with something that I feel is becoming harder to find all the time: grace. I recommend this book, and look forward to reading her next one.
  
  
• Compelling smart witty life saving!
  By A2MKSEEPHWWIU7 on 2008-04-08
  This book will save lives. It is a perfect mix of wit and knowledge.
  As a person who learned six months ago that I tested positive for the Braca 1 genetic mutation, I was amazed and appalled how little people knew about it. I should not have been because I knew nothing about it either a year ago.
  I hope this book is passed to someone you love.
  
  
• Excellent book
  By A3TYMWC7JY1NJD on 2008-04-16
  I found this book very informative and interesting, which made it a quick read. I have went through many of the things Jessica went through in this book in the past few months. I wish I had read this book when I got the results of my Brac Analysis showing that I was Braca2 positive. I think I would have been better prepared for the results. I would love to read more books written by Jessica Queller, if there were any.
  
  
• Entertaining, Enlightening, and Very Brave
  By A39JA7TMKLVL2W on 2008-04-21
  I throughly enjoyed and learned from this book and think Ms Queller is a gifted writer. The reviewers who criticize her lack of indepth information on BRCA testing and genetic mutations are being unfair. Ms Queller is not a genetics scientist or even a physican. (My stepson is a brilliant genetics biologist and, believe me, the average layman would not understand most of what he says.) Jessica Queller is telling this story as a patient, a patient who bravely poured out her very intensely personal experience to strangers to read. I think she deserves to be admired and even thanked. It is interesting to note how similar the critical reviews sound. Perhaps written by the same person using different names? Or maybe this is such a personal topic it has touched a raw nerve in some readers and upset their peace of mind. I don't know, but I do think the book deserves rave reviews. Many nonfiction books are poorly written and bore me to death. This story never bored me for one minute; I was entertained, enlightened, and impressed. Kudos, Ms Queller. I hope you will continue to write about your ongoing experiences and (best wishes) with your family planning.
  
  
• Inspiring
  By A2JABCXTGQP5E2 on 2008-04-21
  An absolute must-read. The vivid portrayal of loss and hope is so clear-eyed, so honest and so courageous that I was humbled and grateful to have been allowed this glimpse into Jessica's experience. I have already sent this book to more people than I can count.
  
  
• Entertaining, but not too useful
  By A379L42SIBKD15 on 2008-04-18
  Interesting memoir, and should be read/considered as such. Writing was average. Someone looking for information on BRCA gene mutations should look elsewhere.
  
  
• Good, not great
  By A2BLE0CIP3K9PK on 2008-04-13
  There's not enough books or information about the BRCA gene mutations out there, but I do hope that people looking for more information about these mutations will not expect this book to be their main source of information. It's a decent enough memoir with an interesting take on one woman's experience, but the best information about the world of BRCA will come from a qualified genetic counselor, not this book.*
  
  
  * I say this despite the author's experience with a genetic counselor. While it's very disappointing that the genetic counselor treated her so poorly, it truly is an anomaly among BRCA+ "patients."
  
  
• I Couldn't Put it Down
  By A2TP391U8WMF57 on 2008-04-27
  I want to thank Jessica for the refreshing and honest story of her journey. I am dealing with the same issue and her book really talked to me. I would recommend this book to anyone!
  
  
• Excellent book, very informative, highly recommend
  By A2KDF1VMNZ270K on 2008-04-30
  I highly recommend the book. The author is a cousin of mine. I learned a lot about the family and her mother was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life. I have recommended the book to a lot of people that have a history of breast cancer in their family. She will be informing people and can save a lot of lives. I commend her for writing the book. I know it had to be a very difficult task.
  
  
• Great informative memoir.
  By ATO9A2WX56KYQ on 2008-05-14
  I really appreciate Jessica's candid memoir. It is very helpful to women who are in the same situation. Also, for the friends and family, to help them understand the patients point of view. Thank you, Jessica.
  
  
• BRACAnalysis!
  By AS79F9L2N3F35 on 2008-05-17
  After reading this book I realized the medical community has only identified 3% of BRCA mutation carriers!!! We all need to go to www.myriad.com and see if we meet the red flags to be tested so we can educate ourselves to prevent a first or second breast cancer.
  
  

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