Brief synopsis: Sharon's father died when she was young. Growing up, she barely remembered her father, and came to realize her own memories differed from those of others in her family. As an adult, Sharon's search for her father led her to better understand herself.


Memoirs are by far the most challenging genre of books for me to read. Even more difficult than reading memoirs is reviewing them. I would consider a memoir to be a piece of someone's soul that they're revealing to the entire world. It has to be one of the bravest, most difficult things to do. So, for me to say I didn't enjoy a memoir feels like a crappy thing to do, but it doesn't mean the content or quality of the book was bad. I just personally struggled to get through it. I didn't feel connected or immersed in Playing with Dynamite, and because of that, I rated the book two out of five stars.

So, now not only do I feel bad about the fact I did not enjoy reading the book, but I also feel bad because the prompt I satisfied with it was "a book with an ugly cover." First off, POPSUGAR, why would this even be a prompt? I hate it. Secondly, I felt like there was so much more that could've been done to make the cover of this memoir much more visually appealing - maybe an actual photograph of dynamite and Sharon's diamond ring passed down from her father. Or a snow globe, which is constantly used as a metaphor throughout the entire book. I feel there is so much more potential for a prettier cover.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me. I applaud Sharon's bravery in sharing her story and discovering lost memories about not only her father, but her mother and siblings. I just couldn't find a connection with her story, which left me feeling dissatisfied with the book.