“Far too little fiction reflects the experiences and realities of those with disabilities, and when it does, it often reads as an exercise in tokenism. In So Lucky, a disconcerting but very necessary book, Griffith presents a protagonist with substance, complexity, and purpose. Mara is so much more than her diagnosis and limitations, but her story underlines the insidiousness of ableism and the lamentable mistreatment and neglect of the chronically ill and disabled among us” (Hansen). by Jillian Jope

25do_horo — 2025-03-07 14:49:51 UTC

I agree with the critical review when they mention the "underlines of insideousness of ableism" because I think the book does a really great job of demonstrating how pyschologically damaging a diagnosis like MS might be for a person. It describes how Mara felt at a loss of what to do with her life, and was mad at the world for making her face this when her one purpose is to adventure, and now she can't do that. Imagine how maddening it would be to need help for everything all of a sudden, and all your old routines simply crumbled to the ground. I also agree with the author when it mentions the "neglect of the chronically ill," because throughout several parts of the book, it demonstrates how Mara's opinions or ideas were not taken seriously just because she had a disability. The FBI only called her in when they were sure of an evidence line traced between all of them, but they waved her off acting like she was a crazy person. I think Mara's character dealing with other issues such as substance issues really makes her more of a real person, and allows the reader to affiliate their own life with her own better. It allows the reader to try and put themselves in her shoes, therefore trying to justify her own decisions and what not.

25mkelleher — 2025-03-07 14:52:03 UTC

I would agree that far too little fiction reflects the true experiences and realities of those with disabilities. As someone said in the SLD, often disabilities portrayed in movies and shows offer an inaccurate representation of daily life with a disability, often depicting a "come back" or false portrayal of the limitations and diagnoses. I think that Mara's struggles and anger towards ableist attitudes in the book speaks to me as much more authentic than other fictions. It rawly represents how her disability consumes her mental and physical capacities and completely changed her lifestyle. Additionally, I think through Mara's tweets we look past her disability and see simply a woman struggling to navigate through social media. I think this helps to humanize her more despite her MS, which to me helps to de stigmatize/alienate a person with a disability.

2025-03-07 14:52:35 UTC

I agree with quote. The review accurately points out the scarcity of realistic portrayals of disability in fiction and commends So Lucky for its approach. the authors focus on the characters complexity beyond their disability is a significant strength. the mention of ableism and neglect is also an observation, reflecting a crucial social issue. the author interacts with realism in a productive way. by creating a character whose disability doesn't define who they are and how she works through it. also, promotes a more accurate represantion of disabled people for the abled people to see the challenges some go through.

25edeady — 2025-03-07 14:52:44 UTC

I agree with this critical review of So Lucky because the author uses Mara to represent the mistreatment of the chronically ill. This is displayed through Maras mistreatment at work and the lack of care for her. The author uses Mara to represent how people often neglect the chronically ill, by reading Maras story, we get to see how she is so much more than her disability. We also are able to see how she does not only struggle physically, but she also struggles mentally. Many people go from living completely normal lives to suffering from a disability quickly. This quick change can also allow their mental health to digress, which is not often talked about when people discuss disabilities. We also see how the people in Maras life don't always respect her, and they look down on her because of her disability.

25dthayer — 2025-03-07 14:52:48 UTC

I agree with this critical review, because when faced with her fear, the "it" which is a ghost of herself telling her she will not fight MS and she will let it kill her, Mara says, "Ill fight it; I'll teach others to fight it" (178). which is very important to the story because as the story progresses the audience sees Mara being constantly ignored by much of society, commonly feeling as though she is invisible. also, the literature the first doctor gave her about MS was not written by people with MS or people who have experience with the condition. when she looked up literature on her own, she ran into the same difficulty. she could not find a community to help her through this and by the end of the book she just wants to talk to the old lady from the support group and learn different ways to deal with MS, but she cannot find the women's contact information and has no way of reaching out to her. Mara's experience with this was anything but easy and simple, she lost her job because of it, lost many relationships, and lost the ability to engage in activities she used to love. but in the face of all of these challenges she found ways to fill the holes these losses left in her life. she began the CAT nonprofit to act as a source of income or a way to form community, she strengthened her new friendship with Rose and began a friendship with her neighbor Josh, and she still attempted to go Kayaking and she attended a yoga class for people with MS

25aroberts1 — 2025-03-07 14:53:03 UTC

I largely agree with this review of So Lucky. In many "necessary" ways, Mara as a character presents so much complexity surrounding ableism. The word that highlights this best in the review would be "insidiousness". This reminds me of the little (or not so little) things that happen to Mara in her life that affect her that other people may not think of. Others living without disability likely have never had to worry about a public space including infrastructure that accommodates them. When the review refers to tokenism, I think of how many forms of fiction include people living with disability, except without any sort of insight into how their lifestyle or ways of interacting with society may be different. Griffith interacts with realism in the sense that she describes many conveniences and activities that Mara once enjoyed in her life but has since lost access to. These insights into Mara's life provide a unique perspective on ableism in society that many may not be aware of.

2025-03-07 14:53:14 UTC

I agree with this critical review of So Lucky to a significant extent because I believe that Mara advocates for the disabled population who feels that they are treated as unequal and do not receive the proper support and respect they deserve. She offers her true voice to ableist attitudes of disability, and she helps shift the readers perspective to better understanding the importance of stepping out of the stereotypical view associated with how people with disabilities want to be treated by others. Mara provides her raw experiences, both positive and negative through being diagnosed with MS and the trials that brings into her life. However, she wants readers to understand how taxing a disease such as MS can be on an indiviudal, and how that randomly changes everything someone once was able to do in their life. People could look at her personality through her narrative and view her as simply unhappy, but for a woman to be angry at her situation is realistic and normal. She does everything in her power to take action, even while having MS, to demonstrate that an illness does not have to hold one back from anything they desire to act on. Instead of reading a novel about disabilities, Mara creates a personal connection for the reader and helps change the perspective many people have associated with living with a chronic illness or how they are treated by others when they are disabled.

25atheophilos — 2025-03-07 14:53:19 UTC

I agree with this criticism because I think it explains how the author was able to develop the character, Mara, by using a first person narrative throughout the story. Even though it was fiction, the novel reflects a real story of the obstacles people with disabilities face daily, whether it is physical or mental. As readers, we are able to see Mara's mental decline after she got diagnosed with MS. Although she tried to stay independent and strong, she ultimately needed the help of her friends to get through some of her challenging times. Furthermore, I agree with the critic and how he says that "Mara is so much more than her diagnosis and limitations," as we see this throughout the novel. She is able to start a non-profit organization and learn to live with MS on her own even when many doubted her. Being able to learn about the struggles Mara went through helps to make the novel more personal and overall connect with the readers.

2025-03-07 14:54:04 UTC

I agree with the critical review of So Lucky in the sense that Mara is so much more than her disability. Despite the physical limitations caused by MS, Mara refuses to let the disease define her. She involves herself in activism to fight ableist stereotypes and a society that treats her as a second-class citizen. Griffith interacts with realism in So Lucky by depicting the world how it really is, not idealizing it. She reveals the negative wellness culture towards people with disabilities and how society often struggles to accommodate people with chronic illnesses, either through healthcare systems or social support. This book is a fight for recognition.

2025-03-07 14:55:01 UTC

I agree with the critical review in the sense that Mara is presented as a complex character in the way that she goes about her life and still advocates for the disabled community through her CAT organization and she tries to move about her life without allowing her diagnosis to inhibit her too much. But, the author also does a good job at expressing the real and raw feelings of Mara and not sugarcoating the experience of someone with a chronic illness or disability. The texts, emails, and tweets that show up as text features in the novel serve as a way for the reader to understand how Mara is really feeling. There is obvious anger and fear after she receives her diagnosis and I think that reflects the experiences of many other people with disabilities. Media usually portrays disabled people as happy all the time and doesn't necessarily touch on the complexities of their lives that they must think about everyday and how they may be alienated or ostracized from their community. Mara continues to speak up for people with disabilities, evident in her discussion with her boss when managing the budget around creating more accessible entryways to the build in order to accommodate all different mobility types. The author interacts with realism in productive ways as she brings up the idea that Mara isn't necessarily comfortable with presenting herself as someone with MS and she feels like it should not be a part of her identity. I feel like many people with disabilities don't want to be defined by their chronic illness and this idea is well reflected in the book by Mara's inner thoughts and her reluctance directly after her diagnosis to tell anyone about it, even Aiyana and Rose.

2025-03-07 14:55:03 UTC

I think that Mara is a very complex character with moments that I liked and some moments where I didn't like her character. It shows that depth we all have as real people and that her disease does not define her. This critical review of the book understands that people disabilities and chronic illnesses are often overlooked in media and society, but having a main character showcase that they are not just a stereotype or something to be pitied. The author interacts with realism in more of a productive way, Mara creates a non-profit organization soon after she is diagnosed with MS, she joins online chat groups, and group therapy sessions to help her find support from others with similar stories. Mara is challenged everyday as things become more of a struggle but she continues to push forward and not let her disorder stop her from doing the things she wants to do.

2025-03-07 14:56:58 UTC

I agree with this review; I think that throughout "So Lucky," Griffith empowers the character of Mara and shows her that she is more than her disability. I think the novel examines the mental toll it also takes on her and highlights the idea that you truly can not speak on most experiences unless you have lived through them. Many influencers and mainstream health sources blame disabled people for their disabilities, saying they should have eaten better or done something better. This is unfair as many of the influencers speaking on this have not lived through the struggles of MS and other chronicle conditions. I like how in the novel Mara is seen a resilent and able to over come her toughest battles. It also includes the battles Mara faces through text messages, different tones and conversations, and relationsips she has. Examining her resilence but not leaving out the struggles she has faced. Meanwhile, in most novels, anyone with a disability is often marginalized and treated as a token, as well as other groups due to skin color and different beliefs.

2025-03-07 14:57:03 UTC

I think the author interacted in a very productive way. I do think however that it would quite easy to do this as I think that bringing any level of awareness to this topic is beneficial. As far as my thoughts on the review, I agree in the sense that it brings up these very complex but necessary topics such as substance, complexity, and the fact that the protagonist Mara is so much more than what her diagnosis portrays her as. I think the book effectively portrays MS and how it affects people so drastically. When reading, we could see how it affected her and how she was able to cope and navigate through it. This book also connects to wellness culture and the author is able to expose the negative effects it has on people with disabilities. As far as realism, the author does a good job in the sense that we are aware Mara struggles with the diagnosis and that she doesn't want it to be part of who she is. She finds her self hiding it and I think the author does a good job of making it seem realistic and impactful for the reader.

2025-03-07 14:57:23 UTC

I agree with the critical review statement because I beleive that the book did a good job with demonstrating Maras real life experiences with MS. As i stated in the SLD, movies, Tv, shows, and even books tend to focus on always trying to find a cure for their disability. In the book Mara states multiple times how she is sick and tired of trying to change herself and wants to start living her life. Far too little fiction is accurately presented because I beleive Maras anger toward those abelist accuratelt present how people with disabilities feel. This book deeply dives into Maras struggles mentally but also physically. Mara is a young woman just like the rest of us, who is trying to navigate life.

2025-03-07 14:57:42 UTC

I agree with this review and think that the author was productive on shining a light on how a disability such as MS can affect someone such as mara on a physical and emotional level. Mara is definitely limited to what she can and can't do due to her disability so doing more than what MS limits her to do is very challenging. This review recognizes that people with disabilities in society are often overlooked.

2025-03-07 14:58:09 UTC

I agree with this reviewer's statement about So Lucky being a necessary story "underlining the insidiousness of ableism". I believe that Mara was a complex character who underwent a great change that perfectly reflected the change most disabled people can relate to. I completely agree that the book is "necessary" and stories like So Lucky that represent an inside take on someone with a disability are needed for a greater representation in literature. I think the author handled the realism element of the text greatly and understood how the key points on how the disabled are mistreated and often neglected are important. Overall Mara's story speaks for millions and is another step towards more inclusivity in literature.

2025-03-07 14:58:21 UTC

I agree with this critical review that So Lucky portrays a complex representation of disability. I thought that the author's inclusion of Mara's unfiltered thoughts was critical to portray disability realistically. Through tweets and emailing, readers had access to all of Mara's thoughts and got a glimpse of how it can feel to have a disability in a society that most times lacks accommodations for people with disabilities. So Lucky depicted the emotions, the receiving of negative perceptions, and barriers associated with disability. Additionally, I thought that the author's integration of antirealism with the monster/personification of "it" was a creative and effective way to convey the book's message. "It" personified all of the negative perceptions towards disabilities. By having that force haunt Mara and causing her to be consumed by paranoia, the author showed how severe caricatures and harmful beliefs of disability can affect disabled people's perceptions of themselves.

2025-03-07 14:58:43 UTC

I agree with this view of So Lucky, Mara allows readers to have an outside perspective of having a disability and how she now views herself as an individual with MS. The author makes it very useful stating Mara's physical and mental and even her financial struggles once she found out about her MS, and due to this the readers are able to see Mara's vulnerable side dealing with her disability because she often is seen as someone who isn't afraid of anything. I agree when the author states "Neglect of the chronically ill" because throughout the book readers see how clear it is that Mara isn't taken serious because she has a disability or people should feel bad for her having a disability. Griffith reveals the negative wellness culture towards people with disabilities and how society tends to view individuals that have disability's. Mara repeats many times throughout the story that she feels as if she is seen as the "them" and how that view as being the "them" impacts her daily life. While reading the novel, Mara is able to create a personal connection with the readers and showing a different perspective on having a chronic illness .

2025-03-07 15:01:19 UTC

I agree with this critical review. I believe that not only in this text, but in others that bring in characters with disabilities it's often portrayed that the disability is who they are. It dehumanizes them in a sense and in Mara's situation we kind of see that Mara knows what is going to happen and how she will be viewed once people begin to find out she has been diagnosed with MS. She constantly thinks about being considered a "victim" or "sufferer". I think Griffith does a good job of depicting what this life looks like as well being that we see Mara start off being employed, having a higher role within her job. Having a very close friend, Aiyana. To seeing Mara lose her job, lose all source of income, become more and more drained through her disability, being isolated. I like that Griffith shows the reality of life with a disability although it isn't right, it introduces the world to the realities that aren't often showed.

2025-03-07 16:11:29 UTC

I agree with this critical review of So Lucky. I think that Nicola Griffith focused too much on the challenges Mara faced. Griffith made the focus of the novel to be centered around Mara's disabilities holding her back, when I think she could have uplifted Mara towards the end of the book. The novel's focus, I think the premise could have been switched to Mara not letting MS define her life rather than letting MS take complete focus.

I think that the author interacts with realism in a few productive ways. First, the imagery used to show Mara's emotions of dealing with MS and how she was very overwhelmed and in denial. These are very realistic stages that people diagnosed with disabilities go through. Next, the author makes it a point that Mara is trying to escape and find herself outside of MS. I think it is realistic for her to find an outlet, which was a productive way of interacting with realism by Griffith.