Reviews: Scorpions (10)

Middleton isn’t wrong, everyone does have their own quirks, but in her lyrical and unflinching memoir, the actor now turned memoirist invites us into her self-appreciable world, introducing us to the scorpions that are her obsessions and compulsions. OCD is different for different people, and the routines and actions for one individual living with OCD will be different from another’s. What doesn’t change are how OCD can affect a person’s life, and Middleton is brutally honest about how her OCD manifests in her day to day, her personal life, her work life. High schooler, undergrad, acting professional: in a spare 45,000 words, Middleton opens up her routines, her thought cycles, her challenges and her victories, over, despite, in concert with her scorpions.

Even so, with all of these things going on, Middleton comes across as a committed and passionate human being, warm and friendly and non-judgemental, perhaps modelling the behaviour she wants to see from those she encounters. I felt the humour that must live in this forthright actor in the inclusion of guided OCD rituals and a choose your own OCD adventure, scientific quotes on scorpions, poetry: a metatextual salad that only adds to the thoroughness of Middleton’s recounting of her own particular obsessions and compulsions.

And the scorpions: the scorpions have personality, like massed ranks within Middleton to help categorise the world into good and bad, fearful and comforting. I’ll never look at a scorpion in the same way.

Four and a half stars.

When I say no book has ever spoken to me like this one, I really do mean it. So many of my own experiences (and not just directly with OCD) aren't only similar to the authors, they are identical; I found myself nodding vigorously, unable to put the book down at bedtime and frequently pointing frantically at the pages whilst explaining parts to my ever so patient partner. Every aspect of Tuppence's story is told with a gentle vulnerability, it's beautifully written, intelligent yet unpretentious, thoroughly researched, incredibly personal and genuinely had me cackling out loud - often. Scorpions has instantly become that one book I want everybody to read and upon finishing the ebook, I immediately purchased the audible version.



Content warning - this book describes details of the author's own OCD rituals and mentions vomiting throughout.

This was such an eye opening book to read and at times quite difficult.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy. While I can's ay I 'enjoyed' this book, I did find it enlightening. I also found it both sad and heart warming in equal measure. As a mom of a child who has been diagnosed with OCD, this was a particularly appealing read for me, so that I could understand the condition more, and not just from a research point of view.

I really enjoyed how nothing was shied away from, especially the steps needed to calm the scorpions, but I would have loved to have a known a little more on how her partner assisted her, the brief peaks we see into the relationship were so lovely to read as well a deeper delve into the practises that helped, or hindered her. Maybe there will be a follow up book...

If you are in any way interested in the condition I think this is a great book to read. I would love to know if others who have the same condition, have read the book and if they have found it helpful in anyway.

Unique and honest, this personal depiction of the authors experience of living with ocd is written with such clarity and courage. She cleverly deals with some difficult topics whilst also managing to weave humour and hope into the pages too. There was plenty in this book that I could relate to but I think it also has the ability to encourage a better understanding of ocd to those who haven’t at first hand experienced scorpions of this nature before themselves. Both a thought-provoking memoir and a potential lifeline to those dealing with ocd, I highly recommend this book :)

Such a beautifully told and inventive insight into what life with OCD can be like. Although it's clearly impossible to know what it's really like to live with such a challenging, often debilitating, health issue, reading this really felt as close as you can get to walking in someone else's shoes, albeit just for a moment. I found the the use of the scorpions co-existing in her brain a clever yet relatable metaphor, the simple image of these scuttering chatty creatures that have such a strong influence on how life must be lived shining a light on what must often feel like an impossible experience to share. But this is no depressing woe-is-me memoir. Despite the difficult subject, I found this book enjoyable, humorous (albeit darkly), optimistic and compassionate, and I hope, a useful empathetic bridge into the world of those who experience OCD, either themselves or in someone they love.
With thanks to the publisher for the chance to read an early copy.

Scorpions by Tuppence Middleton is a deeply personal and evocative exploration of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), rendered in a format that is as visually striking as it is emotionally resonant. Best known for her acting roles in Downton Abbey and Sense8, Middleton brings the same depth and nuance to her writing, offering a raw and insightful look at living with OCD.

The book’s excellent artwork adds another layer to the storytelling, visually capturing the distress and compulsions that come with the condition. One of the most compelling aspects is how the formatting shifts throughout the book, with altered text placement, repetition, and structure that mirror the intrusive thought patterns of OCD. This clever design choice immerses the reader in the experience, making it more than just a memoir—it’s a window into the mind of someone living with OCD.

Importantly, Scorpions dispels the common misconception that OCD is just about tidying up or being overly organized. Middleton highlights the darker, more intrusive aspects of the disorder—thought spirals, compulsions, and the exhausting need for control—making this an essential read for those looking to better understand the reality of OCD.

I also found the portion of the book regarding COVID fascinating. Middleton captures how the pandemic affected her OCD symptoms, particularly for those struggling with contamination fears and uncertainty. Her reflections on this time feel especially relevant, offering a poignant look at how global events can change their personal battles.

Her honesty and vulnerability make Scorpions a compelling, eye-opening book that will linger long after you’ve finished it.

This memoir felt like such an important read from the very first page. I can see so many people suffering from OCD finding relief and comfort in between these pages.

Tuppence Middleton does a fantastic job of placing the reader directly in her mind, so they can experience what it is like to live amongst the scorpions.

The OCD choose your own adventure chapter was a particular highlight, I thought it was a really powerful and poignant way of showing the reader (especially those who do not suffer from obsessive behaviour) how her mind works at different crossroads and decisions throughout the day.

The whole book was so honest, whilst I thoroughly enjoyed it, I will warn readers to read with caution, I think topics of vomit, health and infection could cause discomfort.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to read and review, all thoughts are my own.

Scorpions is an incredibly insightful and beautifully written account of the author's experience living with OCD - a disorder that is so frequently misunderstood and trivialised.

I do not suffer from OCD, but I am familiar with anxiety-driven spirals of thoughts. Middleton writes so candidly about her struggles that I found certain passages difficult to read. The author provides a warning at the beginning of the book to warn of descriptions of compulsive behaviour, but I would also like to make it known that the topic of vomiting is discussed frequently and in detail throughout the book - so if that's something you would find distressing to read then I would urge you to stay away.

At just 208 pages, this book is incredibly readable and informative. I would highly recommend Scorpions to anyone interested in a first-hand account of living with OCD.

A wonderfully insightful memoir, I found Tuppence’s analogy of her OCD with Scorpions invading her mind throughout the book very illustrative of how it must feel to live with OCD. Her thoughts and fears are invasive and all consuming so it’s little wonder that she gives them a life form of their own.

Though I don’t live with OCD myself I could completely identify with the vomiting fear and the extreme lengths she would go to avoid the risk of anything causing her to vomit, be it catching a viral infection from someone else to food poisoning. Avoid at all costs is my motto too.

Anyone who lives with OCD perhaps wouldn’t learn anything new from this book as they will be acutely aware of its effects on everyday life, but may perhaps find it a source of comfort to know they’re not alone. But it is a helpful and informative account of OCD for anyone who wants to understand the condition fully. Being a relatively short book, it’s easy to read and has been written with a real lightness of touch so that it keeps you compelled to read more, it never drags you down with complicated jargon, and evokes in the reader a real sense of empathy for those who live with the condition.

An interesting book which I enjoyed reading.

Tuppence Middleton delivers an absorbing and surprising exploration into the thorny stinger-filled life of living with her "scorpions" (and the OCD they represent). Based on this ingenious extended metaphor, the book is an unflinching deep dive into the many various facets of living with, coping with and thriving with OCD. Middleton does not shy away from the complexities of the disorder nor from how exhausting living life with compulsions and obsessions can be. However, she never ebbs into self pity, rather her goal remains focussed on sharing her experiences in a visceral and creative fashion. While sharing her own personal experiences through anecdotes from throughout her life, she also wraps the reader up in her compulsions and in her thought patterns through some truly creative chapters including one written as a choose your own adventure and another in which you witness the manipulative nature of her scorpions in a chapter written entirely as stream of consciousness.

Throughout the novel, Middleton highlights both the lack of understanding around the disorder and the lack of research, both in terms of understanding why it happens and how to treat it. She is open about both the therapies and drugs that have worked for her and those which have not, while often ending with the frustrated note of "we do not yet know why...'. I found the chapters set during COVID and the early months of her motherhood particularly interesting and they both demonstrated Middleton's willingness to explore the many facets of her disorder and the way it has shaped her and her behaviour. She is unafraid to show herself at her most societally "unacceptable" and I cannot help but feel this is essential and valuable representation. With that said, there are some necessary trigger warnings at the front of the book and, based on what she shares about picking up compulsions and patterns from others, I could see why you may wish to bypass this book.

This is a witty, wise and tenacious book delivered with care and thought and I feel a better person for having read it.