Exposed

EXPOSED by Helen Leung
Category: Non-Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 1/1/03
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Reviewed by: Marta Morrison
Rating: 4 Stars

I was very excited to read this book. This memoir is about a young girl who grows up with dermatomyositis
(dur-muh-to-mi-uh-SI-tis), which is an uncommon disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash. It is a
very quick read at only 142 pages, but is very fascinating.

Helen is diagnosed with the disease when she is very young. She describes how she functions with not being able to walk
and at times not even being able to hold up her head. She describes the feelings of her family and her frustration at not being
able-bodied. At times it is very intense and you can feel the anger and the rage that Helen has for the world and why she
questions God about why she got this disfiguring condition.

I found that a lot of the things that Helen railed against were some of the same things that I was unhappy about when I was
younger. One of the things I could identify with was not having a date for the prom. A lot of teens don't go to their senior
prom. I think, as does Helen, that we as a society have put too much pressure on going to it. She remarks that she felt
alone many times in her life even when she was with many people. I have felt that way also.

Pick up this book so that when you meet someone in a wheelchair or who is "different" than you, you can put yourself in their
place and make their life a little bit easier for them. EXPOSED is a good, quick read that will give you empathy for others.