Just Don't Fall - Josh Sundquist

Just Don't Fall

Josh Sundquist

2010

I'm going to start this off by saying that I don't usually read biographies*, but I heard about this one from youtube. I don't remember how I got to his channel, but I started watching these videos last year and decided that I really wanted to read the book.

I couldn't put it down. Fun Story: I was at the campus bar type place that night being the friend who is there in case the meeting-the-boy thing-doesn't-go-as-planned (my friend had been set up with a boy) but I was incredibly bored. All of my other friends had left, so it was just me and this girl and this boy. So what did I do? I pulled out the book and started reading. I should maybe mention that there are lots of tables and stuff there. I wasn't just standing there reading it.

But the book was amazing. Parts were incredibly sad, some parts were really funny, but overall the book was fantastic. Just Don't Fall is the story of Josh Sundquist and his battle with childhood cancer, amputation, romantic yearning and olympic greatness. That's taken from the cover. But it's true. I don't want to say anything else because I don't want to ruin the ending because it is a biography, it takes place over several years. One of my favourite parts about this is that he writes how the different ages would talk. When he is talking about being nine, he writes as though he is nine. Simple sentences, simple language. As he grows older in the voice grows older as well. 

I also just really liked reading his story. I had watched the youtube video linked above which has short, hand drawn sections of his book, and they are narrated by him. There is also a 'second season' which is animated, but still narrated by him.

The book was well written, and you are naturally drawn in. You want to keep reading; you want to find out what happens next. There was one part where I almost missed dinner because I had to get to the end of the chapter.

Josh Sundquist is also a motivational speaker and active youtuber. This means that once you're finished the book, you can just go watch his youtube channel for more updates, facts and fun stories about his life and family.

This book is available for purchase from Amazon here: Just Don't Fall

Overall, I give this book 4.2 stars out of 5. 

It may have made me cry. It made me laugh for sure. It was inspiring and enthralling.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Have you ever watched Josh Sundquist on youtube? 

* By 'don't usually read' I mean that I have severel and have read them, and they're all of people I know from stuff, but I don't just go into the store or library and pick up a biography and start to read it. So the biography is generally somebody I have heard of/watched on tv/read about and thought was cool.