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beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
I did not know what to expect from this book. To be honest this is not typically the type of book that is usually at the top of my reading genre list. However I want to expand my reading spectrum. Also, the title of the book is what did have me a little intrigued…Harley Loco: A Memoir of Living, Hair, and Post-Punk from the Middle East to the Lower East Side.
I am the total opposite of Rayya. I never went through a rebellious stage nor have I really been into the punk music. So I guess you could say I wanted to live vicariously through Rayya. Well I can tell you that I not only got to see what Rayya went through but it was like a slap in the face in a good way. It felt like Rayya did not hold anything back in this book. She shared lots of details about her life from the good to the bad. From leaving Syria to moving to Detroit with her family, watching All My Children to learn English, cutting hair, getting into music, and drugs. At the end of the book it states that Rayya has been clean since August 8, 1997. I congratulate her on being clean and her success.
I am the total opposite of Rayya. I never went through a rebellious stage nor have I really been into the punk music. So I guess you could say I wanted to live vicariously through Rayya. Well I can tell you that I not only got to see what Rayya went through but it was like a slap in the face in a good way. It felt like Rayya did not hold anything back in this book. She shared lots of details about her life from the good to the bad. From leaving Syria to moving to Detroit with her family, watching All My Children to learn English, cutting hair, getting into music, and drugs. At the end of the book it states that Rayya has been clean since August 8, 1997. I congratulate her on being clean and her success.
selinayoung's review against another edition
3.0
Wow. I’ve never read anything like this and well it’s so far from my straight edged life. It was interesting and frustrating at times - why couldn’t she just get clean? Shows me I have a lot to learn about addiction.
purghy's review against another edition
5.0
6 stars! No, 6 million stars for such a beautiful, sincere, heartbreaking book. Such an inspiration she was... I wish that this story, her story, will become a movie. And one quote, my favourite one: "Yes, life can sometimes be dull and mundane, but most of the time, it's more interesting and exciting than anything I experienced when I simply plunged into it without thinking."
micht15's review against another edition
3.0
Ahhh, Rayya - so frustrating that she put herself through so much shit. I hope the years after this we’re happy ones. An interesting insight to a messed up time in her life.
loridk's review against another edition
5.0
I first heard about Rayya Elias when my wife mentioned that an old acquaintance, a really cool girl from the Detroit hair scene, had passed away. She told me how cool and talented she was. We read her partner's touching tribute to her and were very moved.
Later, I came across this book. Even had I not had any idea who this woman was, it seemed very interesting. Let me just say: this is one of the best books I've ever read. I have read tons and tons of books and very few have touched me like this one. My only disappointment was that it ended.
I wish I could say I look forward to reading more from Rayya Elias but, sadly, the world is now without this great, honest and talented soul. In January 2018, the world lost a special voice.
Later, I came across this book. Even had I not had any idea who this woman was, it seemed very interesting. Let me just say: this is one of the best books I've ever read. I have read tons and tons of books and very few have touched me like this one. My only disappointment was that it ended.
I wish I could say I look forward to reading more from Rayya Elias but, sadly, the world is now without this great, honest and talented soul. In January 2018, the world lost a special voice.
abiigails's review against another edition
Amazing. I recommend this book, to everyone.
sumayyah_t's review against another edition
4.0
Rayya Elias bares her soul in this tale of immigration, fitting in, drug abuse, and trying to stay alive. Born in Syria, Rayya and her family moved to Michigan when she was a child to escape war. She found a different war, however, in the form of cruel bullying and emerging sexuality. Discovering that she loved women, she hid her true self from her family for years. Thanks to a co-dependent, convoluted relationship with a certain woman, Rayya experimented with drugs, which lead to addiction, homelessness, jail time, and near-death experiences. "Harley Loco" is a journey that will leave you knowing much more than you probably ever wanted to know about addiction and the street-level drug trade. 3.8 stars.
vgillispie's review against another edition
4.0
I love addiction stories and Rayya definitely had one. I liked the tales of New York in the 80s and 90s.
harperlesley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0