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merfdiff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
trruuuudeee's review against another edition
5.0
really thankful one of my book clubs chose this book. i felt so seen and it really helped me work through some outstanding fear over my past. one of my fave quit lits if you’re sober curious or working on your relationship with alcohol
bettybead's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
bridgetwf's review against another edition
5.0
I've been on a little memoir kick this month. This is a great, fast read. It's obviously about her battle with alcohol and her recovery story, but also about growing up and being a professional woman. Also about living in NYC, which I always enjoy. This book was great because although it felt like a memoir in many ways, it read like a novel. While she obviously feels strongly about her recovery, I never felt like she was standing on a pulpit (some memoirs can get pretty preachy one way or another, or like the subject is really right in all situations).
sarieinsea's review against another edition
4.0
I have been wanting to read this ever since it came out, having heard several interviews with Sarah Hepola on various podcasts. Her book is just as honest, funny, and gut-wrenching as I expected. Hepola has a great voice, and a way of describing her experiences that makes you care about her without pitying her. She doesn't shy away from the ugliness of her alcoholism, or wallow in or make excuses for it. I found her frankness refreshing and inspiring, and because of all these things, I basically didn't put the book down once I started it.
I have experienced blackouts, and they are scary, embarrassing, confusing and frustrating. It's terrifying to wake up and not know how you got where you are, or what happened last night. Hepola makes it clear that blacking out is something no one wants to experience, and yet, surprisingly, I didn't find myself wondering "why don't you just quit drinking already?!" That's because even as she takes you through her own history with alcohol, which started when she was just a kid and continued until she finally quit drinking in her mid-thirties, she's pretty up-front about all the reasons we like drinking.
The first half of the book details her experiences with alcohol, blackouts, weight gain, and damaged relationships. The second half addresses her life post-alcohol, what it was like to quit and learn how to engage with other people without the crutch of drinking.
I highly, highly recommend this book, even if you've never had a drinking problem, because we all know someone who has, and we all have addictions of our own. And because it'll make you think a little bit about how and why we use alcohol and other vices both to celebrate and have fun with our loved ones, and to bury our pain and secrets.
I have experienced blackouts, and they are scary, embarrassing, confusing and frustrating. It's terrifying to wake up and not know how you got where you are, or what happened last night. Hepola makes it clear that blacking out is something no one wants to experience, and yet, surprisingly, I didn't find myself wondering "why don't you just quit drinking already?!" That's because even as she takes you through her own history with alcohol, which started when she was just a kid and continued until she finally quit drinking in her mid-thirties, she's pretty up-front about all the reasons we like drinking.
The first half of the book details her experiences with alcohol, blackouts, weight gain, and damaged relationships. The second half addresses her life post-alcohol, what it was like to quit and learn how to engage with other people without the crutch of drinking.
I highly, highly recommend this book, even if you've never had a drinking problem, because we all know someone who has, and we all have addictions of our own. And because it'll make you think a little bit about how and why we use alcohol and other vices both to celebrate and have fun with our loved ones, and to bury our pain and secrets.
lacyk_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully and elegantly written and spoken. Sarah's writing is humble and funny but also compelling and easy to relate to.
tucc_turtle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0