My Body is Distant is a brave and beautiful memoir, a journey to find one's true self while simultaneously trying to love one’s self.

Brave, bold, and beautiful, Paige takes us through time in a non-linear style from childhood to adulthood and through her online and offline lives which are tied together but battle to be separate.

Paige is a beautiful writer, the descriptions of online worlds, her feelings, and her passion for life are on every single page of this book. She’s open and vulnerable, raw and real. At some points, I had to remind myself that this was a memoir about her life, the writing almost reads like fiction.

Be sure to check the content warning, there are some heavy topics in this memoir but it was an enjoyable read even with the heavy content. It was a memoir destined to be written.

I can’t wait to see what Paige does next!

I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank NetGalley, ECW Press, and Paige Maylott for the e-arc. Full disclosure, I also purchased a copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

memoirs are one of my favorite forms of non-fiction to read and this book was no exception I love hearing about someone else's life

This was probably the rawest and most honest memoir I have read. Transitioning would be difficult under the best of circumstances, but Paige had the added burden of colorectal cancer and a permanent colostomy. One of the best aspects of this memoir is that most if not all readers will find things in Paige's life and experiences they can relate to, as well as things that will be totally unfamiliar.

⚠️Tw: cancer, homophobia, transphobia ⚠️

The descriptions are absolutely insane in this book, and I feel like I'm there, sitting right next to Paul. This book begins and ends with Zork - a game that takes both Paul and Paige to world of fantasy, only for Paige to realize that she's now living her fantasy as it's become real life, and being her most true self.

Honestly, going into this book, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, only because of the fantasy world/aspect. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. And as someone who occasionally plays video games, as well as D&D, I understood some of the terms and jokes.

There is quite a bit of jumping around, timeline wise, but I found it incredibly easy to follow along.

I definitely cried multiple times throughout this book. Paige getting closure was one of the best, most rewarding parts of the book, in my opinion.

I will highly recommend this to all of the queer and straight people I know.

Reading Paige's story really gives insight on trans issues, passing, and surgery. It's not something that everyone goes through, and not something that people are educated on. As a person with trans friends and family, I definitely feel like I can be a better person and ally for them.

Paige's memoir is a captivating read from start to finish, thanks to her unique blend of humour and vulnerability. It's highly likely that it will become a go-to book for the queer community.r community.r community.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Paige Maylott, and the publisher ECW for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful and engrossing memoir.

The story is very raw and vulnerable, navigating self-discovery and exploration through an online world and all of it's possibilities.

As a rule, I usually give all memoirs five star ratings, and this one deserves them. The writing is both descriptive, reflective, and thought-provoking.

I found the story to be interesting. I think Paige's honest look at her life and how she views herself can resonate with a lot of people. I always appreciate authors that are honest and show all aspects of the story that is reflective of their life.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Woah, this book was difficult to remember it was a memoir! It feels less like a reflective piece, but truly places you in the moment of time with a great use of description. The blurring of Paige’s virtual and IRL was fascinating. At the beginning I struggled with the timeline jumps and would find myself having to go back to remember where in time we were. But I liked the style of the narrative and this made the writing unique.

As someone who has a LOT of internet friends that are the most important people in my life even though we have yet to meet IRL, this book spoke to me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Paige Maylott, and the publisher ECW for providing me with a free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Body Is Distant is the story of Paige, and her journey through online worlds of self discovery. The chapters hop, skip and jump forwards and backwards through time, and detail Paige's online struggles to develop meaningful connections, and her IRL struggles of dealing with cancer, and coming to terms with her identity as a trans woman. Paige is plagued by dysphoria and transphobia, and has, at times, only a tenuous support system. At times fun, and a little light hearted, at times deeply sad, this memoir felt honest, brutally so.

A great read, especially during Pride Month. I am very grateful to have at least partly shared in the authors authentic experiences by reading.

My Body is Distant is a memoir about many things - medical crises, transition, a love letter to fantasy and imagination, the blurry but significant lines between our online selves and our real lives, and the author's journey to live fully not just online, but in her own skin, too. Maylott's writing is approachable, descriptive, and had me hooked; I finished the memoir in two sittings.

The author does a fantastic job of building up the tension (and, at times, even dread) as we progress through her memoir. By weaving back and forth throughout the years, she sets us up to wait for the other shoe to drop. We know she won't keep this job or this relationship, we're aware that these doctors will let her down - but when? And how?

Similarly, I felt a genuine sense of catharsis as I finished the memoir. Without giving away the finale, it neatly calls back to the beginning, while showing how much has changed for Maylott.

As a side note, I hope the author goes on to write a fantasy novel someday, honestly, because her description of the various virtual worlds (and one memorable scene with the opening of a D&D campaign) speaks to her ability to write the fantastical as well as the everyday.

Overall, I would give this memoir 4/5 stars. To those who enjoy memoirs, I'd say give this one a go. Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the chance to read this book; all opinions in this review are my own.