Joey Mullaney

3 out of 5 stars. I was initially drawn to Stare at Me because of the cover and title. As someone also born with a genetic muscle disease that affects many aspects of my life, I was intrigued. Reading the synopsis I felt like I’d get along with the author, Joey Mullaney. I finished the book in less than 24 hours and give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars. The book is easy to read and generally relatable even for a non sports-loving girl like me. There were some hilarious stories but I also appreciated his honesty surrounding situations such as the realization that he has FA. I silently cheered as he began to let others into his world of FA instead of constantly trying to hide it. But I’ll be honest and say this is also where it gets a problematic for me. On the one hand I genuinely wanted him to learn to accept and embrace his diagnosis. I think it’s awesome that he has found his his passion and mission in life. But, on the other hand, I feel like this is another example of the standard “my disability can’t stop me / I’m going to fight it” type of messaging. I feel like the final third of the book focused a little too heavily on this theme. There is absolutely a place for this kind of messaging but I wish that it diminished the vulnerability he expressed earlier in the book. Sometimes this forced positivity can be harmful for both people with disabilities and without disabilities. On a technical level, some of the chapters also seemed disorganized or smashed together without clear transitions from one part to the next. All in all, I’m glad for the opportunity to have read Stare At Me. It was a fun filled read with some serious questions tossed in and i look forward to seeing what else Joey does with his life.