I think like 4.25 stars. This was very good. Definitely has a very targeted audience that will appreciate it the most (those with chronic illnesses, autoimmune disorders, women going through perimenopause/menopause). The author is bold and sharp and not afraid to say what she wants. I loved it, and could definitely relate to SO many things that were said here, as I belong to the presumed target audience I mentioned above.

This is a work of Autofiction, and from the start it's abrupt. Right out of the gate in the first few pages she's going for it. It's almost a bit like the beginning starts in the middle of an existing book. The author names the main character after herself (leading one to wonder how much of the story is fiction, and how much is the truth?) - and on a flight home, she is suddenly made aware of a very specific pain that is on her clavicle. She calls it, disgustingly, her "tick". I find the name of it dreadful, as I despise ticks, but perhaps that's the point. This undiagnosable pain is the theme that runs throughout the book.

The author traverses many landscapes - traveling for her writing career, her relationships with her husband, parents and close friends. She muses on physical and psychological ailments - and always, always there is the tick. She undergoes tests and tests, overthinks everything, wonders if it's menopause. And yet she can't find relief, a diagnosis or a resolve to her tick problem.

The author is extraordinary in her writing skills. She includes poetry and essay type passages throughout. All of it is done with a brazenness and fearless daring that I can't help but respect. When we cease to be what is expected of us, and have nothing to lose, is that not when we can become free to be ourselves?

Highly Recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This story is about a woman who starts experiencing pain and goes about looking for answers.

I did like the prose and “slice of life” scope.

And as a woman with an invisible illness I really wanted to relate to the author/character and find a sense of solace and experience community.

Instead, this book was heavily focused on medical anxiety and spiraling in a way that I found very unhelpful. I believe the author’s intention was to “toe the line” and make people uncomfortable, but I personally did not appreciate the “are they or aren’t they disabled” rhetoric the story pushed.

I love autofiction and the blurred lines that come along with it. It feels like the author is letting me into their world but because the genre allows for exaggeration and embellishments to the truth there is room for more poesy in the writing style. Sanz's writing style is comparable to that of writers such as Rachel Cusk, Rebecca Solnitz and Joan Didion.

Sanz explores many anxieties in My Clavicle that I recognise and empathise with; anxieties about health, money, relationships and death. Her struggle to be believed by professionals within the public health systems is undoubtedly one that many female readers especially, myself included, have experienced. The short vignettes and slightly longer reflections are well balanced and I felt Sanz was allowing me into her inner world without putting up too many barriers. though with a work of autofiction it is of course always impossible to know whether the barriers have always been there and the connection between writer and reader is entirely built on the fictitious elements. What I found most engaging was that Sanz has a self-deprecating humour that ensured that despite some of the heavy anxieties discussed in the book it never got too bleak or gloomy.

“My Clavicle and Other Massive Misalignments” - Marta Sanz (translated from Spanish by Katie King)
“My pain leaves me feeling horribly guilty. My pain is a failure, one that I mustn’t allow. Irrefutable proof of my weak intelligence.”
My thanks to @netgalley and @unnamedpress for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. “My Clavicle” is published on 29th July.
On an international flight to a writer’s conference, Marta Sanz notices a small lump, a “tick”, near her clavicle. This is accompanied by a pain that deeply troubles her, and only adds to her growing sense of hypochondria and anxiety, one that has caused her stress in her recent past.
It’s not like she has a stressfree life: the pressures of being a successful novelist are building, and her husband has found himself out of work and desperate to help his wife, even if his efforts appear clumsy at best. Sanz turns this inwards, creating a work of autofiction focusing on pain and its many aspects: the psychological effects, how it affects those around us, the feminist aspect, its depiction in literature. A lot is covered in quite a short book, in short and poetic vignettes.
To me, as someone who doesn’t have a chronic illness, there were a lot of insights and observations that I really appreciated, but there is a level of self-loathing here that could put people off, and I’ve seen reviews from people with similar conditions who say that the author presents certain aspects as facts when this is not the case. I’m not the person who can judge that, unfortunately, but I enjoyed the poetry of her writing and the fact that she did not shy away from her condition at all. This book is as raw as the author’s pain, so go into this with eyes open and I think there is a lot to gain from this book.

As someone that once suffered from health anxiety, this book was both validating and difficult to read. I remember so vividly the similar panic that the author experiences. This is also my first time reading a book in the genre of autofiction. I am truly not sure what parts are true and which are fictional. The author’s voice is distinct and clear. This was a refreshing read and fascinating to delve so deeply into the author’s inner world.

I really tried to enjoy this book but it just wasn’t for me. I sadly had to stop reading the book. I just think that the writing style is not what I typically look for in a book.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

i'm not sure how entirely to feel about this one- while there were a few insightful moments and observations I appreciated and identified with, especially regarding navigating a career alongside chronic illness and the fear of being unable to work or keep up with the world around you, the author seemed to also subscribe to quite a few outdated and harmful beliefs regarding chronic and invisible illness (which were stated quite plainly as fact), specifically in regards to going through the experience as a woman. there were quite a few lines that felt very invalidating of the author's own experience, and in turn everyone else's. of course everyone's experience with illness is different and I appreciate how raw the author was willing to get, but much of this book seemed very dismissive and self-loathing in a way that, while accurate to the experience of many woman in a similar position, I worry is less relatable and more harmful.

this book is well written, and I admire the translation and the overall format was very interesting and meaningful- it wasn't for me, but it might be for someone else.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

Immediately arresting, 'My Clavicle and Other Massive Misalignments' follows Marta Sanz, as she discovers a small lump on her chest. This recurs throughout the novel: at times, it's a lump, a small piece of skin; at others, it's a tick, a finch. Yet consistent in 'My Clavicle', is the beauty of Sanz' writing --- there's an addictive quality to it, plunging us into depictions of menopause, ageing bodies, and disease. Here, everything is guided by pain — even the writing process itself. ‘My Clavicle and Other Massive Misalignments’ is perfect for fans of Annie Ernaux, or Melissa Febos — but really, it’s for anyone who enjoys excellent prose.

although at times I expected something different, I admired how Sanz explores pain, hypochondria, the pervasive myth of the woman who exaggerates her symptoms, who complains for no reason. It's not a welcoming place to live, but Marta reclaims it with skill and courage.

Sharp and funny, beautifully translated by Katie King. I enjoyed discovering Marta Sanz and look forward to picking up her other works! Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc.

With My Clavicle and Other Massive Misalignments, the English reading world is introduced to the clearly incredibly intelligent Marta Sanz. The short auto-fictional book explores pain in relation to the female body, feminism, literature, politics, and many more challenging, yet interesting topics.

Sanz’s writing feels like an ongoing thought process of someone who is stuck in the phase of feeling and knowing that you’re sick but not yet having the medical seal of approval through a diagnosis. Every wandering thought feels representative of this phase.

Although intellectually stimulating, I’m not entirely sure if the book will stick with me for long. But I know that a reread will uncover new things every time.

Blending autofiction, dark comedy, and corporeal philosophy, this book dissects the absurdities of aging, illness, and gendered bodily betrayal with unflinching precision.

Concept & Structure:
A Skeleton’s Memoir: Framed as a darkly comic "dialogue" between the narrator and her rebellious clavicle (which fractures after a mundane accident), the book spirals into a visceral exploration of how women’s bodies—especially middle-aged ones—become battlegrounds for societal expectations, medical gaslighting, and personal reckoning.

Fragmented Anatomy: Each chapter orbits a different body part (e.g., "My Uterus: A Tenant with Squatter’s Rights," "My Knees: Betrayed by Gravity"), weaving together medical anecdotes, mythological allusions, and searing cultural critique.

Key Themes:
The Female Body as Political Text: Sanz exposes how medicine, pornography, and even fashion reduce women’s bodies to malfunctioning objects or consumable myths.

Chronic Pain as Metaphor: The clavicle’s "misalignment" mirrors larger societal fractures—gender inequality, late-stage capitalism’s erosion of care, and the dissonance between self-perception and external judgment.

Autofictional Rawness: Sanz draws from her own experiences with illness and aging, but filters them through grotesque humor and surreal imagery (e.g., imagining her bones as "relics in a future feminist museum").

My Clavicle is an ambitious and cerebral work of autofiction that blurs the line between physical illness and emotional introspection. Marta Sanz’s prose is often arresting, filled with sharp observations and intellectual rigor, and the novel explores themes rarely treated with such raw honesty—chronic pain, aging, the female body, and the maddening in-betweenness of undiagnosed suffering.

Presented in fractured vignettes, the narrative mirrors the protagonist’s physical and psychological unraveling, which can be both compelling and alienating. There’s an intentional disjointedness to the structure that reflects the instability of Marta’s condition and the broader societal discomfort with invisible illness. This fragmented style sometimes works well, drawing the reader into her spiraling reflections, but it can also make the book feel repetitive or emotionally distant. The tension between the abstract and the personal is central to the novel’s voice—but not every reader will find that tension satisfying.

Sanz brings wit and insight to the text, particularly in her observations on the female experience in a medical system that often fails to listen. Her reflections on language, pain, and meaning are intellectually rich, though some readers may find them more stimulating than emotionally engaging.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Marta Sanz's 'My Clavicle' offers a compelling narrative about life and pain. The storytelling is rich, drawing readers into a world woven with depth and nuance. While I appreciated the book's content and narrative style, I found myself somewhat distanced, possibly due to being younger than the intended audience. Nevertheless, Sanz's exploration of themes remains thought-provoking and meticulously crafted.

4/5 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Unnamed Press for the ARC!

4.5/

I was so intrigued by the title of this book that I decided to request it despite normally loathing auto-fiction. I'm glad I did.

Very slim, very powerful. Sometimes funny. As a person who spent years with undiagnosed pain, I deeply appreciate what Marta Sanz has written here. A mysterious pain that appears on a plane ride starts an exploration of identifying and narrating that pain, menopause, anxiety, relationships, poverty. I wish I had taken notes while reading but I read this book while walking; I will definitely come back to it.

-0.5 because the author's descriptions of other ethnicities and bodies made me cringe.

Anyone seeking plot: this is not for you.

This is the first book by Sanz translated into English. I will be keen to explore any other work of hers once translated.

Thank you to Unnamed Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one. I always struggle to rate and review memoirs or personal stories and this fall into that category. I found the writing enjoyable but a little stiffling at times, and the plot or direction of the story to be confusing. I’m still not really sure what exactly happened after finishing this book nor the direction it went in.

Marta Sanz can write with pain, in pain, on pain and by pain and combine all of these with joy and all other emotions that make us human,
She chronicles her experience as well as her mother’s, without going clinical about them but rather with the careful deliberation and passion of a choreographer crafting a dance performance.
Which all sums up life. For that is what life is.

This felt like a refreshing read, even though I've been reading about illness a lot lately, this felt different mix The honesty and perspective was interesting, thoughtful and made me consider things I hadn't before. It was also easy to read due to the layout and short pages.

My Clavicle by Marta Sanz is a beautifully written book for anyone interested in a writer's life and the human experience that we all have of living inside a body and how mysterious that can be.

A dizzying, thought-provoking, and surprisingly funny account of physical and psychological pain as they intersect with aging, gender, economic precarity, and the writing life. I was unfamiliar with Sanz before this but would be eager to read any more of her work that is translated into English! Absolutely recommend