Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response
By Jeremy Norton

This is the first time in decades that I have not finished a book.

I tried. I gave it my best shot and managed to finish 63% of the book when I received a ping from my local library iPhone app, Libby, letting me know that a book that I had requested was now available. Faced with continuing to slog through this book or reading a book that I really wanted to read, I gave up on “Trauma Sponges.” Believe it or not, it pained me to do so.

This book could have been something of real interest to a general audience. The author, a firefighter/EMT of many years, witnessed two major events: the death and aftermath of George Floyd situation and having to work though the COVID epidemic. When the author concentrated on those subjects, the book was fascinating.

Unfortunately, the author reiterates repeatedly his view of the culture of firefighters, who were for the most part, white men and how they related to “others”: women and minorities of all kinds. The first few times were interesting, but by the tenth time, I skimmed those passages.

The author obviously has something to say, and I really wanted to read what it is like to be an EMT during those days of unrest at that time. I blame the editor(s) of this book because they let the author down by not insisting the author to present a coherent story and one that people would want to read. I kept thinking that Trauma Sponges came off more as a vanity project rather than a serious discourse on the subjects.

This is the first book that I’ve reviewed for NetGalleys that I cannot recommend to anyone as there is no reason why anyone would subject themselves reading this mess.

1/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]