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kminahan's review against another edition
2.0
This book had been on my to-read list for quite some time when a friend mentioned that she had just started it and really liked it. I dove in with initial enthusiasm, but by the end I found myself it would just...end. Lauren's story of her time in Brunei is--forgive the terrible metaphor--like a car crash you can't look away from. I found it incredibly irritating that she at once continuously validated the choices that led to this chapter in her life while looking for sympathy from her reader. We all have skeletons in our closets, some more terrible than others, but it is how we deal with these challenges that decides who we become.
minvanwin's review against another edition
2.0
Trashy and compelling. I felt like I was reading a long Glamour article, but the writing and editing in that magazine are much better. She skips around a lot and glosses over some juicy stories, assuming you know all those parts because they were on CNN 15 years ago. Which I guess is my way of saying, this gossipy, trashy book needed more trashy gossip. A fine summer pick.
veryperi22's review against another edition
4.0
I read this with a combination of fascination , respect and disdain . Definitely worth a read (or listen).
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book curious as to why a smart American teenager would sign up to be a stripper, hooker and then a well-paid woman in a harem. Unfortunately, I felt as puzzled after reading the book as I did before. The author of this memoir clearly has issues with feeling abandoned by her birth mother and with self-loathing. While her adopted father didn't seem the best, she seemed to be loved as a child.
It seems as if the author is a better-adjusted adult than she was in her late teens/early twenties, and for that we can all be grateful.
It seems as if the author is a better-adjusted adult than she was in her late teens/early twenties, and for that we can all be grateful.
tenderbrushes's review against another edition
3.0
Moments of goodness sprinkled among many, many pages of Reader's Digest-esque descriptives.
ancequay's review against another edition
Not as interesting or engaging as it should have been given the subject matter. Instead it felt self-indulgent and lacked cohesion. I gave myself permission to abandon with 15% to go when I realized it felt like something on my to-do list rather than entertainment.
calleynye's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great book! Couldn't put it down for 2 days. Beautifully written and just an amazing story! Highly recommended.