(Review) A List Of Things That Didn't Kill Me by Jason Schmidt

Title: A List Of Things That Didn't Kill Me Author: Jason Schmidt Pages: 432 Published: January 6, 2015 Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux Review Copy: Yes Why did I want this book? The topic got me interested.

Synopsis:
Jason Schmidt wasn't surprised when he came home one day during his junior year of high school and found his father, Mark, crawling around in a giant pool of blood. Things like that had been happening a lot since Mark had been diagnosed with HIV, three years earlier.
Jason’s life with Mark was full of secrets—about drugs, crime, and sex. If the straights—people with normal lives—ever found out any of those secrets, the police would come. Jason’s home would be torn apart. So the rule, since Jason had been in preschool, was never to tell the straights anything.
A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me is a funny, disturbing memoir full of brutal insights and unexpected wit that explores the question: How do you find your moral center in a world that doesn't seem to have one?

Cover:
I really love that cover, there is a lot of sarcasm in it!

Title:
I don't think it is possible to find a better title. It is just perfect.

Writing style:
The book is written in first perspective and from Jasons point of view. It contains his memories. While reading them, it feels like experiencing a lot of short stories. It won't tell you his whole childhood, just bits and pieces which can be funny, shocking even even confusing. It is written with a lot of humor, but it is clear, that somebody should have done something to get that kid out of his situation. Most of the time I wasn't sure if I should laugh or write a letter of complaint to child protection service.

Characters:
Of course, Jason is our main character. He grows up with is drug addictive dad. He also knows, that his lifestyle is different compared to the neighborhood kids. The character development (If you can call it that, since it is a memoir) of his dad is awesome. One moment, he is attentive, in the next one abusive. A couple of days later he will allow Jason a pet, as long as he doesn't have to take care of it.
Every so often you will ask yourself, how Jason survived this mess and how he were able save his humor, because the book is very funny a lot of times.

Noteworthy:
Sometimes you will forget, that this isn't fiction.

Stuck in my Head:

“When I was sixteen years old I came home from school one day and found my dad crawling around on the kitchen floor in a big pool of blood.” (p. 3)

What I didn't like:
Nothing to complain!

Quick and dirty:
Usually I don't like biographies, but this one knew how to captivate me! So, stop doing whatever you are doing right now and read this book!

Thank you to ... 
... Macmillan US, who gave me this review copy in exchange of a honest review!