Overview: In December 2011, Lauren (“LoLo”) Scruggs, a 23-year-old fashion journalist, suffered a sudden injury that made headlines around the world. She had been on a short flight to look at Christmas lights and, upon exiting the small plane, was hit by the still-moving propeller blade. A frantic 911 call, several major surgeries, and thousands of prayers later: Lauren lived. But she lost her left hand and left eye. And she had to face some incredibly difficult questions: “What kind of future will I have? Where is God in all this pain? Will anyone ever be able to love me now?” In “Still LoLo,” Lauren speaks out for the first time since her accident. She and her family reveal what really happened that night, what Lauren’s life is like today, what got them through their journey toward healing, and how they conquered all odds to persevere as a family. It’s a compelling and fiercely beautiful story of faith, determination, and staying true to who you are–no matter what.
What I Thought: This proves to be a tough review for me. Still LoLo is a well written book, by all the members of the family. I really enjoyed reading about Lauren’s life in New York, how her Faith in God played a huge roll in her life, how he protected her and drove her life forward. This was so inspiring to me. I was so drawn in to her story and I felt myself being lifted up. The word cheesy comes to mind right about now. It truly does sound cheesy to say that but its true. However, something about how the book was set up was just off. It started with the accident, then went through each member of the family, and their perspective. After which, Lauren picked up with the story of her life, with her sister’s perspective as well. The next several chapters were back and forth between her life in New York and her early college age years. It picked up later with her recovery and the perspectives from her and each of her family members.
The story of Lauren is truly amazing and inspiring. Her faith and her family powered her through some of the darkest times in her life. However, the set up of the book was all wrong and I had a difficult time reading through it. It just wasn’t fluid and forced you to keep track of too many things, switch writing styles and ways of communicating. That is really the only downside to this book. I’m not exactly sure what I would have wanted done instead, because it was a family who experienced it and it was written as a family experience, so I understand the reason why it was done.
Read for Yourself: Check out the first chapter here!
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars