I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac by Tracy H. Tucker

Title: I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac
 
Author: Tracy H. Tucker

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published Date: July 16, 2012 

Buy on Amazon: Paperback / Kindle 

Synopsis:

Christine Bacon has a fatal attraction. To all things fatal. A veteran hypochondriac, her near-death experiences are exacerbated when her husband proposes they have a threesome with Eleanor, his busty British massage therapist, to "shake things up." Christine reluctantly agrees (although she is more wholesome than threesome), never expecting just how much she'd be rattled. As her marriage to Richard, a/k/a "Dick," falls apart, so, too, does Christine, whose fear of her own demise causes her to research every freckle, blemish, cough, bump, lump, tingle and hiccup. She isn't a doctor, but she plays one on the internet. There is solace for Christine: in raising daughters Lily and Carli, leaning on her friends, and wearing out the shower massager. In order to heal, she struggles to become her own person and to view her symptoms (and ex-husband) as less malignant, while searching for that special someone who will love her- despite her grave condition.

My Thoughts:

 
Tracy H. Tucker's I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac had me in stitches (pun intended) from the beginning until the end.  Christine is a forty-something year old high school English teacher with what seems to be a great life.  She believes she is happily married, has two great daughters, close friends, and lives in a nice home.  Chris has always been a tad quirky, believing the worst of her slightest aliment, however as her stress level is down so is her belief that she is dying. 

Chris' life is turned upside down and inside out when her husband pressures her into a threesome with his young, blonde, and foreign massage therapist.  Believing that he is going through a mid-life crisis and this is a one time thing, she finally agrees to give it a try.  However, once the designated day arrives Chris realizes that there is no way she can go through with it.  As a result, her husband bluntly tells her that he no longer wants to be with her.  Chris finds herself in a life that she never pictured, raising her two girls alone and being pestered by her mother to no end.  As Chris tries to stay somewhat sane and rebuild her life, her hypochondria rears it's ugly head.     

I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac is a hilarious read that also pulls at your heart strings.  I'm not for sure if I should admit this, but I really found myself relating to the character of Chris.  I myself am somewhat of a hypochondriac.  To me, Google is both the devil and yet addicting like the worst kind of drug.  When sickness hits, I know I shouldn't type my symptoms in, but there is such a draw to the computer that I find myself researching every illness.  I've always laughed it off, but after reading Tucker's book it opened my eyes to just what I am doing.  I would laugh at Chris thinking she has Parkinson's because of a new shake in her arm, and then instantly get embarrassed because I had looked up the disease on Mayo Clinic when I was in my twenties due to muscle twitches.  

Chris' hypochondria is like a full time job.  Every little thing is blown into a huge issue.  It wasn't until Chris started dating Gavin that she began to look into why she thought she was always going to get sick and how to stop thinking that way.  At one point Gavin said, " 'When you hear the sound of hooves in the distance, assume it's a herd of horses.'  Every time you get some symptoms, you always think in terms of an exotic cause, like it's a herd of zebras.  It's not likely that it's zebra's, Chris." (Tucker, pg 238)  This is SO true and really is a great way to explain Chris' way of thinking.    

I really enjoyed reading about Chris' relationship with her daughters, Carli and Lily.  Tucker did a good job of showing how the children were affected by their parents divorce.  The girls are angry at their father for leaving and at their mother for letting him and then feeling sorry for herself.  As Chris worked to discover just who she was as a woman her relationship with her daughters improved.  I also loved Chris' best friend, Hank, who just happened to be a Doctor.  He had a great way of calming Chris down and giving her advice about life.  

Tracy H. Tucker's I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac is a witty novel I definitely recommend.  It deals with many issues such as cheating, the affects of divorce on everyone involved, reentering the dating scene, and finding your true happiness.  Give it a try, you may find yourself addicted!  

Tracy H. Tucker

Tracy H. Tucker has provided me with a complimentary copy of her book, I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac, for the purpose of review.