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vanessa_issa's review
2.0
This book portrays the reality of sex, drugs and rock and roll in the life of a bulimic girl. I would recommend it for teens, cause they probably can relate to her insecurities and doubts. To me, it felt a little bit too long and I got really annoyed in some parts. I wanted to see her solving her problems sooner to get to the fun part. To my surprise, there wasn't exactly any "fun" part. It was all complicated until the end. I was ready to say that I hated the book, but the ending totally stole my heart. It's very sweet. Nice read.
booksuperpower's review
5.0
Leaving the Beach: A Novel of Obsession and Music by Mary Rowen is a 2014 Bookthrope publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"She lives her life through the songs she hears on the rock and roll radio, and when a young girl doesn't have many friends that's a really nice place to go."
Angie Baby by Helen Reddy
Erin Reardon has had an unconventional childhood to say the least. Her parents marriage was a sham and then her father dies in an accident when Erin was still pretty young. Over time Erin develops Bulemia and her life becomes centered around pop culture and music. With the 1980's drawing to a close, the grunge movement began picking up steam and Erin takes a liking to Lenny Weir, the member of a popular grunge band that the reader will feel a Kurt Cobain comparison to. But, when Lenny dies in a bizarre fashion the rumors of his demise hark back to the old Jim Morrison comparisons. Did he fake his own death?
Erin is absolutely knocked off her axis when she learns of Lenny's death. She goes through a series of of musical idols from the aforementioned Jim Morrison and the Doors to David Bowie to a brief flirtation with Bruce Springsteen. She binge drinks, binges and purges, deals with her mother's new boyfriend, a dead end job with a touchy feely boss, and then fate intervenes and on a dark stormy night Erin accepts a ride after her car breaks down and her life changes in ways she could never have imagined.
The title of the book gives us a little insight into what to expect but doesn't even scratch the surface. While I have never had an eating disorder, I could relate to Erin in many ways. Having no close ties with anyone she lives in a fantasy world where rock stars are her boyfriends. She's not popular and she has dental issues and acne brought on by her eating disorder, she is lonely and alone except for a very few friends she has met at work. When she meets Luke and the two begin an uneasy relationship, Erin is unstable enough to just dive into things without thinking things through. She is obsessed with the notion that Luke is actually Lenny and she is supposed to save him from his drug addiction. Things of course get out of hand and ironically, it's this adventure that sets Erin on a path to get herself healthy.
As an only child that lost a parent at a pivotal age, and being a bit of an oddball myself, I also loved losing myself in music and liked to imagine being a famous singer and hanging out with famous rock stars. For me , this was only a teenage thing and it did not follow me into adulthood like it did with Erin. But, I could understand the bond she felt for the singers and the music and of course I knew all the things she referred to because of the time frame involved. Morrison, Queen, Bowie and The Boss are like old friends. Also, the shock of losing a talented artist to drugs or an accident was something many of this time period could relate to. It was really like you lost a member of your own family. The irony of how things turn out will left me wondering if I should laugh or cry. Poor Erin had deluded herself for so long when the truth hits her it's such a shock she has a hard time coping. Despite all this Erin is able to at least overcome her disorder and she is given an incredible gift and she finally realizes that out of everything in her life this gift was the best thing that ever happened to her. Erin hopefully will be able to finally mature on an emotional level which is harder for some people to pull off. She was a bit sheltered and isolated because she spent a lot of time alone or with only a very few close friends. So, as they say, better late than never.
Bulimia is a very serious disorder and requires the care of a doctor and thearpy to overcome. Erin's struggle lasted for years. It was painful to watch her go through the torment she put herself through. Drug addiction and binge drinking were also topics that were addressed. Luke has a drug problem and keeps talking himself out of rehab. For a while Erin drank very heavily but that was a brief phase, however, it was a also a symptom of a bigger issue. Erin's self esteem was also at the heart of the story . Her confidence and self image were very low which made her vulnerable to certain people who prey on young girls just like Erin. But, it seems Erin has more of an impact on people than she would have believed and there were those that cared about her and never forgot her.
I thought this book was awesome. Pop culture mixed in with some very heavy issues wouldn't seem like a winning combination, but it was perfect. There really was a time when people looked for deeper meanings in music and it touched lives in a profound way. I knew people that could talk for hours about an album or a singer or guitarist or lyrics. So, Erin's obsessions may seem over the top for some today, but back then it wasn't all that crazy. Yes, Erin was over the top and certainly showed signs of mental instability. However, the book touched on a time when there were a lot of Erin's out there and not just those that became obsessed with rock stars but it was also a time when eating disorders were being addressed in the media for the first time and a lot misfit girls like Erin derived a feeling of control and even comfort from food. We are certainly not the same people today. Album oriented FM radio, transistor radios, albums and even CD's are a thing of the past. So, are profound musical lyrics and soul searing guitarist and lost is the great harmonious groups that could actually carry a tune and play an intrument. So, this story is one of nostalgia, of music, of obsession and self delusion, but also of an awakening and finding what really matters most in life. This is where the author leaves us , on a high note which made everything we endured on our trip with Erin worth it. This one gets 5 stars
"She lives her life through the songs she hears on the rock and roll radio, and when a young girl doesn't have many friends that's a really nice place to go."
Angie Baby by Helen Reddy
Erin Reardon has had an unconventional childhood to say the least. Her parents marriage was a sham and then her father dies in an accident when Erin was still pretty young. Over time Erin develops Bulemia and her life becomes centered around pop culture and music. With the 1980's drawing to a close, the grunge movement began picking up steam and Erin takes a liking to Lenny Weir, the member of a popular grunge band that the reader will feel a Kurt Cobain comparison to. But, when Lenny dies in a bizarre fashion the rumors of his demise hark back to the old Jim Morrison comparisons. Did he fake his own death?
Erin is absolutely knocked off her axis when she learns of Lenny's death. She goes through a series of of musical idols from the aforementioned Jim Morrison and the Doors to David Bowie to a brief flirtation with Bruce Springsteen. She binge drinks, binges and purges, deals with her mother's new boyfriend, a dead end job with a touchy feely boss, and then fate intervenes and on a dark stormy night Erin accepts a ride after her car breaks down and her life changes in ways she could never have imagined.
The title of the book gives us a little insight into what to expect but doesn't even scratch the surface. While I have never had an eating disorder, I could relate to Erin in many ways. Having no close ties with anyone she lives in a fantasy world where rock stars are her boyfriends. She's not popular and she has dental issues and acne brought on by her eating disorder, she is lonely and alone except for a very few friends she has met at work. When she meets Luke and the two begin an uneasy relationship, Erin is unstable enough to just dive into things without thinking things through. She is obsessed with the notion that Luke is actually Lenny and she is supposed to save him from his drug addiction. Things of course get out of hand and ironically, it's this adventure that sets Erin on a path to get herself healthy.
As an only child that lost a parent at a pivotal age, and being a bit of an oddball myself, I also loved losing myself in music and liked to imagine being a famous singer and hanging out with famous rock stars. For me , this was only a teenage thing and it did not follow me into adulthood like it did with Erin. But, I could understand the bond she felt for the singers and the music and of course I knew all the things she referred to because of the time frame involved. Morrison, Queen, Bowie and The Boss are like old friends. Also, the shock of losing a talented artist to drugs or an accident was something many of this time period could relate to. It was really like you lost a member of your own family. The irony of how things turn out will left me wondering if I should laugh or cry. Poor Erin had deluded herself for so long when the truth hits her it's such a shock she has a hard time coping. Despite all this Erin is able to at least overcome her disorder and she is given an incredible gift and she finally realizes that out of everything in her life this gift was the best thing that ever happened to her. Erin hopefully will be able to finally mature on an emotional level which is harder for some people to pull off. She was a bit sheltered and isolated because she spent a lot of time alone or with only a very few close friends. So, as they say, better late than never.
Bulimia is a very serious disorder and requires the care of a doctor and thearpy to overcome. Erin's struggle lasted for years. It was painful to watch her go through the torment she put herself through. Drug addiction and binge drinking were also topics that were addressed. Luke has a drug problem and keeps talking himself out of rehab. For a while Erin drank very heavily but that was a brief phase, however, it was a also a symptom of a bigger issue. Erin's self esteem was also at the heart of the story . Her confidence and self image were very low which made her vulnerable to certain people who prey on young girls just like Erin. But, it seems Erin has more of an impact on people than she would have believed and there were those that cared about her and never forgot her.
I thought this book was awesome. Pop culture mixed in with some very heavy issues wouldn't seem like a winning combination, but it was perfect. There really was a time when people looked for deeper meanings in music and it touched lives in a profound way. I knew people that could talk for hours about an album or a singer or guitarist or lyrics. So, Erin's obsessions may seem over the top for some today, but back then it wasn't all that crazy. Yes, Erin was over the top and certainly showed signs of mental instability. However, the book touched on a time when there were a lot of Erin's out there and not just those that became obsessed with rock stars but it was also a time when eating disorders were being addressed in the media for the first time and a lot misfit girls like Erin derived a feeling of control and even comfort from food. We are certainly not the same people today. Album oriented FM radio, transistor radios, albums and even CD's are a thing of the past. So, are profound musical lyrics and soul searing guitarist and lost is the great harmonious groups that could actually carry a tune and play an intrument. So, this story is one of nostalgia, of music, of obsession and self delusion, but also of an awakening and finding what really matters most in life. This is where the author leaves us , on a high note which made everything we endured on our trip with Erin worth it. This one gets 5 stars
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