Valerie D'Orazio

When I first read Valerie's "Good-bye to Comics" on her exceptional blog (http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com) it hit me to the core and made me re-think a lot about my own comic reading habits. Not only that, but it also made me question some of my own Indie plans that were explored in the late 1990's.

When the ebook was finally released, I kept hoping for a print version in order to pick it up. When Valerie made it available on Scribd a few months back I downloaded a copy but it wasn't until I finally printed it out that I read it. I guess I'm still really not cut out for the Digital Reading World.

In regards to the actual book/ biography, I was still taken aback by all that she went through in her life. From the mental and physical abuse as a child through the exhausting mental abuse as an adult, it's simply a testament to her amazing strength and fortitude to not only still be alive today, but continue to work on carving out a name for herself.

As a comic fan, the only thing I found missing was the actual players involved in her saga. Perhaps it makes no difference to "sully" the names of anyone involved, but I found the made up names distracting.

Outside of that, this no-holds-barred book will definitely affect you with the simple tale of horrible events that should never have been. It's a painful book to read but I applaud Valerie for having the courage to share it with the world. If her story can help even one person stand up for themselves, then maybe one day we can look forward to a future without such pain being inflicted on others.

Valerie's writing grabs you by the throat and pulls you right in. Don't panic if you find yourself feeling like you can't breathe...… (mehr)