It's Tuesday, which means new books are hitting the shelves, including the latest from She Writes Press: Cancer Moon: How I Survived the Best Years of My Life by Jenna Tico.
When I got an email asking if I'd like to receive an ARC to review, I was sitting beneath a Cancer Sun, and it just felt...aligned. So of course I jumped at the opportunity!
RATING: 3/5 Stars
For fans of You'll Grow Out of It, this comedic patchwork of flash-prose, essay, and poetry––all grouped following the cycles of the moon––snapshots a millenial performance artist's journey from late bloomer to adult, inviting twenty-something women to embrace their self-worth, sexuality, and own-your-weird mentality.
Jenna Tico's self-worth wanes to invisibility when her identity becomes enmeshed with validation from celebrities and spiritual F-boys...until she claws her way back to empowerment. Observing the world of twenty-something relationships from perspectives as diverse as a bachelorette houseboat, a music festival afterparty, and the airplane ride to a deathbed, she validates the experiences of women who feel abandoned by the generation that came before them. Her self-reflective stories encourage healthy life choices for young women without telling them where, what, or how to live their lives––and always with a healthy dash of humor on the side.
"It's okay to feel like the one who was wronged. And it's okay to find a way to feel good again."
My Thoughts
Cancer Moon is part memoir, part notes to self, part poetry, and part hilarity. I particularly loved the footnotes; they added a ton of personality to Tico’s recollections with splashes of self-deprivation, sarcasm, and witty retorts. In fact, some of the comments reminded me of Jordan, my blog partner who also has a Cancer Moon!
Tico paints solid pictures that virtually every woman of our generation will relate to on a visceral level. She discusses toxic relationships, perfectionism, unrealistic beauty standards—the whole shebang. She even put words to things I've felt but didn't know how to describe, and left nuggets of wisdom throughout her narrative.
"It's hard to eat things thick with flavor when, deep down, you know your soul is being eaten by someone who doesn't even want it."
"I thought this made me flexible when, actually, it cost me my spine. I wasn't flexible. I was a carcass."
That said, this book feels very West Coast Millennial Girly, and that niche group will find the experiences shared here particularly potent.
Some of her stories felt like watching a guilty-pleasure drama or one huge train-wreck you can’t look away from. Her narration is entertaining and gave the book a rom-com / romantic drama vibe.
BUT...
It felt more like a memoir than anything; part of me kept waiting for the "how" aspect, or for words of encouragement and empowerment to the reader. As someone who is nearing the end of these "best years," I hoped for a little more guidance or more cohesive journey.
At times, the “deeper stuff” got lost amid the sarcastic commentary of memories, and I didn't grasp what was being communicated in a messier section. These parts were harder to get through, but they weren't so common as to make me dislike the book. At the end of the day, I did find resonant lines, laugh, and feel a level of validation.
TL;DR
We’ve all heard that your twenties are the best years of your life…which can be discouraging when you're staring at thirty and the world feels like an out-of-control dumpster fire. But there’s hope; if there’s one thing you can take away from Jenna Tico’s Cancer Moon, it’s that your “best years” have no certain time frame, and it's okay to be a late bloomer, to take your time learning how to feel your best.
In a world that can feel so anti-fem, this book screams across the void to readers, “You are not alone! We all screw up and sabotage ourselves to fill the gap and avoid aching loneliness. We all exhaust ourselves trying to keep up with societal standards. But we all come back to ourselves in time.”
If you're in need of a little reassurance delivered with a heaping helping of humor, Cancer Moon is the book for you. If you're interested, you can order Cancer Moon here! For more from Tico, you can follow her on Instagram.
Comments