Title: Starfish Sky
Author: Timothy A. Slykhuis
Publisher: Baico Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 9781927481554
Pages: 333
Genre: Memoir, Mental Health
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Hollywood Book Reviews
Starfish Sky is a pragmatic perspective of one man’s struggle to beat the odds, one step at a time after a devastating brain injury following a tragic bicycle accident. Once he wakes up from a coma, Timothy realizes even everyday tasks that seemed so easy to do before were now insurmountable. The text follows his excruciating but beautiful journey to recovery as he chooses to embrace life fully. The author pulls back the curtain on living life after a traumatic brain injury and how to find joy and enthusiasm even in the little things life offers like traveling. He goes ahead to offer helpful ways to improve overall brain function.
Starfish Sky is powerful in delineating the struggles, setbacks, and frustrations that come with a devastating brain injury. Luckily, the author does not dwell on this but instead offers an encouraging and purpose driven read that focuses on how he and many others learnt to overcome their limitations and learned how to take care of themselves.
In an affable, expressive prose, he shares with readers personal health journeys of others close to him as well, including those he met in his road to recovery that are helpful and encouraging to readers as well. Slykhuis asserts that medication may be appropriate to become chemically balanced. Each individual person may need different approaches to fulfil their biochemical needs so that, that person can achieve their full potential. However, he believes proper nutrition plays a big role too in proper brain function.
The author drew me in deeper and deeper into his imperative memoir through his intricate words. This is an informative book that affirms the true resilience of the human spirit. Its later chapters continually encapsulate ways in which, exercises and healthy diets can improve the overall brain functionality. The writing is clear and succinct and Slykhuis’s research shows in his skillfully written compendium.
Starfish Sky by Timothy A. Slykhuis is certainly an eye-opener and aims at reminding brain injury patients and caregivers that they are not alone.