I couldn’t tell what the blog was about at first…was there some meaning I was missing in the title? Is it due to the author’s plan to be a Medical Examiner? I think so. This is Hilary’s personal blog, with a rather different and more negative take on life than I’ve run into in the blogosphere. Not that most blogs are all sweetness and light, but this blogger revels in her negativity. If I could piece the “storyline” together a bit more easily, I would find it a lot more interesting.
The writing style is thick and breathless–the author never pauses. It’s hard to like her, but I don’t think she cares. Ironically, that makes her more likeable. I’m not sure what her purpose is in writing–venting? Polishing her writing skills? Therapeutic value? This puts the reader at a bit of a disadvantage–it’s hard to position yourself. Hilary expresses herself with humor and a lot of anger. She is brutally honest about motherhood. It is refreshing. Some of the posts are a bit overlong and unfocused and could use more editing, but the content is almost always excellent.
I couldn’t find it at first, but there is list of archives hiding on right sidebar. Each post is tagged, but I couldn’t find a list of topics, but maybe this is coming. Some of the sidebar headings are confusing, but amusing, such as using “Deceased” to head the list of most recent posts.
As I delved more into the blog, I found it to be rather poignant. The author is a “suicide survivor,” which means that people in her family committed suicide. In this case, it was the author’s younger brother in 2000 and her father earlier this year. I find this–heartbreaking. Yet, Hilary is a survivor. She is tough, knows what she wants and is not afraid to speak her mind. After reading just a handful of posts, I overcame my initial doubts and started to really like this blog.
Despite some navigation issues, the blog is worth your time. It is well designed with a spare aesthetic. The content is primary on this blog. Hilary is a unique character. Take some time and get to know her. She’ll surprise you. I give it a 4.5.Mortality Inc