Laughing at My Nightmare

Laughing at My Nightmare

Review by Jonah A

Laughing at my Nightmare is a memoir written by Shane Burcaw, a man who was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder at the age of nine months. Told in a series of short stories, Shane describes how the disease spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA affects his daily life. Throughout the book Shane shares his experiences as a man with SMA, and how his desire to be seen as “normal” drove him to create his own company Laughing at my Nightmare Inc. Shane also talks a lot about using his own sense of humor to achieve acceptance from others. With a very casual and sarcastic voice, Laughing at my Nightmare is a book I’d recommend to almost anyone.

When I started reading this book I expected a very long and tedious memoir, but I was wrong. The voice Shane uses in this book is unique. Shane helps the reader relate to himself by using lots of slang and a very casual writing style. One of the most memorable parts of this book was the way that Shane seemed to talk to you as you read. Not only did this style keep me interested, but Shane’s constant sense of humor made me laugh the entire time. The only thing I would add to the book is more about Shane’s life today, he talks very little about the present and what him and his company are doing.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast, and fun read. This is not a very difficult read, but it’s still amusing while providing a deeper message as well. Shane’s memoir is something that I believe needs more attention from the world, it’s an amazing book and is getting a lot less credit than it deserves. With sarcastic comments and lots of jokes thrown throughout, Laughing at my Nightmare kept me reading until the very end.