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40x40

Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated How to Murder Your Life in Books

Mar 2, 2018  
How to Murder Your Life
How to Murder Your Life
Cat Marnell | 2017 | Biography
2
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Trivialises addiction, rather cringeworthy
It has been said that people who begin abusing drugs and alcohol at an early age, tend to stay stuck in that mindset - so it's hardly surprising that the shallow Cat Marnell writes like a teenager.

Marnell describes one ridiculous drug-fuelled event after another, and even talks about the $28,000 rehab facility her father pays for. She adds how she squandered one opportunity after another due to being completely unable to stay clean. And while you should feel sympathy for her, it's quite hard to do so.

So I can say without a doubt that I found this book rather irritating and narcisstic. After all, if Marnell wasn't a privileged white woman, she would have been in prison about 15 years ago. Her trivializing of her own addiction and frankly, bragging about her encounters, just represents how little understanding she has for the majority of other users. And though she does mention her privilege at times, it's almost an afterthought. The fact that the media have glorified her behaviour is equally despicable.

As someone who is aware of addiction, and knows those on the streets - about 90% of this book is cringeworthy. The last part is on her self realisation and it's the only honest part of the book and should have been placed as the prologue.
  
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ClareR (5726 KP) rated There There in Books

Mar 2, 2019  
There There
There There
Tommy Orange | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A fascinating insight
This novel is written to show us the reader that Native Americans don't all follow the stereotype that we have grown up with. Certainly, there are Native Americans on reservations, but they also live in cities and have lives that are more familiar to non-Native Americans.
This book is set in Oakland in the lead up to a pow wow. It's told from multiple points of view, tells of different lives, and the modern struggles of Indians living in cities (poverty, drug and alcohol addiction and finding their identity).
This book was so well written - it was very in depth, but was easy to read, meaning that I read it far too quickly. I really enjoyed the windows in to these peoples lives. The dramatic finale of the book had my heart in my mouth throughout.
Well worthy of all the praise it's had, in my opinion.