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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I didn't find it compelling enough to finish -- perhaps because I've met too many Caroline Knapps in Boston to find them at all interesting anymore.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I am an addict. I am mostly addicted to mobile games, social media, and videos. I also have a mild binge-eating disorder.
I loved and hated reading this book. I loved it for Caroline Knapp's writing style. It flowed so well that my eyes just slid across the page. At the same time, I hated reading it because I was angry toward Knapp and myself. Reading her story reminded me of my own failure in "controlling" my behavior. My habit of blaming myself for my addiction and deeming myself a failure showed up through my attitude toward Knapp. For most of the book, I silently yelled at her over and over, "You are a stupid idiot. You deserve all the suffering you have." Such blame made me deeply sad because Knapp is not an idiot. Neither am I. She doesn't deserve any pain. Neither do I.
My self-loathing takes root in my childhood experience of repeatedly being beaten. I was scolded, yelled at, and punished with hands or weapons. Such experience planted the idea that I am eternally inadequate and deserving of punishment.
I am thankful to Knapp for writing this book. I learned a lot about alcoholism. Overall it seems much more painful than screen addiction. Screen addiction messes up your brain, but alcohol messes up your whole body.
Knapp talks about how our society is inundated with alcohol. It could be true, if not more, with screens, too. Everyone carries one or more devices. I use devices for work and personal tasks. I can't imagine living without a device. I wish there were better regulations on addictive content online. I also wish there was better awareness and education on screen addiction.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in February 2025
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
I loved and hated reading this book. I loved it for Caroline Knapp's writing style. It flowed so well that my eyes just slid across the page. At the same time, I hated reading it because I was angry toward Knapp and myself. Reading her story reminded me of my own failure in "controlling" my behavior. My habit of blaming myself for my addiction and deeming myself a failure showed up through my attitude toward Knapp. For most of the book, I silently yelled at her over and over, "You are a stupid idiot. You deserve all the suffering you have." Such blame made me deeply sad because Knapp is not an idiot. Neither am I. She doesn't deserve any pain. Neither do I.
My self-loathing takes root in my childhood experience of repeatedly being beaten. I was scolded, yelled at, and punished with hands or weapons. Such experience planted the idea that I am eternally inadequate and deserving of punishment.
I am thankful to Knapp for writing this book. I learned a lot about alcoholism. Overall it seems much more painful than screen addiction. Screen addiction messes up your brain, but alcohol messes up your whole body.
Knapp talks about how our society is inundated with alcohol. It could be true, if not more, with screens, too. Everyone carries one or more devices. I use devices for work and personal tasks. I can't imagine living without a device. I wish there were better regulations on addictive content online. I also wish there was better awareness and education on screen addiction.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in February 2025
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Vomit, Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence
This was a fantastic memoir. It detailed how someone can move from healthy drinking to alcoholism and how highly functioning alcoholics can hide this from friends and family. It also dove into the underlying emotional issues at the root of substance abuse - anxiety, self worth, inability to deal with emotions.
This is a brave, brave book and very well-written.
This is a brave, brave book and very well-written.
A very sobering look at the nature of addiction and what it takes to recover. Knapp's writing is as raw as it gets. I'm thankful for her honesty and ability to engage her story so well. We are all richer because of it.
I only got to page 56, and that's after quitting twice. It just has such good reviews, I thought. Surely there's something worthwhile?
Then I read the chapter about her half brother, Wicky. Wow, just wow.
If she already sounded like a privledged rich white woman, the way she talks about her disabled sibling may make you wonder if she's got a shred of empathy.
I'm a recovering drunk, been sober for 10 years. Not only does Knapp tell an extremely one-dimensional story of alcoholism, she does it from the most privledged, tone-deaf space imaginable.
Don't waste your time on this one, unless you, too grew up in Harvard's backyard and your dad drank martinis in tennis whites. And, even then, I think you'll get a better life lesson from The Great Gatsby.
Two stars since Knapp has excellent writing skills, as in, she can write a decent sentence. Too bad she wasted this talent on a useless memoir.
Then I read the chapter about her half brother, Wicky. Wow, just wow.
If she already sounded like a privledged rich white woman, the way she talks about her disabled sibling may make you wonder if she's got a shred of empathy.
I'm a recovering drunk, been sober for 10 years. Not only does Knapp tell an extremely one-dimensional story of alcoholism, she does it from the most privledged, tone-deaf space imaginable.
Don't waste your time on this one, unless you, too grew up in Harvard's backyard and your dad drank martinis in tennis whites. And, even then, I think you'll get a better life lesson from The Great Gatsby.
Two stars since Knapp has excellent writing skills, as in, she can write a decent sentence. Too bad she wasted this talent on a useless memoir.
Honest! Love this lady. She could get a lot done even with a bad hangover. Her description of her constant vigilance about the amount of alcohol available in a given social situation, and of figuring out how to drink without others knowing it hit home.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Self harm, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I really appreciated the highs and lows of this story. Caroline was very raw and honest which gives a vivid perspective of alcoholism.