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anjasshelf's review against another edition
Graphic: Medical trauma, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Rape, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
cinderrunner's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Self harm, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
kelly_e's review against another edition
3.5
Author: Selma Blair
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 17, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Vulnerable • Straightforward • Fitful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. With her mouth pulled in a perpetual snarl and a head so furry it had to be rubbed to make way for her forehead, Selma spent years living up to her terrible reputation: biting her sisters, lying spontaneously, getting drunk from Passover wine at the age of seven, and behaving dramatically so that she would be the center of attention.
Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. She often felt like her arms might be on fire, a sensation not unlike electric shocks, and she secretly drank to escape.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I've been on a celebrity memoir kick lately, and Selma Blair's was up next on the docket. Going in, I knew very little about the author aside from having seen her in a few movies (most notably Legally Blond - a favourite of mine). And I must say Mean Baby didn't wow me like some celebrity memoirs have.
Selma narrates her story in a non-linear manner, touching on her childhood - particularly her strained relationship with her parents, - her alcoholism and depression, her MS diagnosis, and life with her son. The first half has a fair amount of name dropping and superficial meandering, when in fact there could have been a lot more reflection and emotion. The strength of this memoir lies in her opening up about her MS diagnosis and living with a chronic illness. Yet even here there could have been a lot more depth.
I can't pinpoint exactly what this memoir was missing, but I know it was lacking something. It didn't pack the emotional punch I'd been anticipating, despite some extremely difficult and heartbreaking circumstances. It's Selma's right to remain very surface level in telling her story - but as a reader I wanted so much more depth.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• celebrity memoir fanatics
• readers wishing to learn a bit about MS
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Someone once told me that grief is love you can no longer express."
"I learned how it feels when someone else’s thoughts touch a part of you that you haven’t felt before."
"Books also taught me how to notice things, how a moment can be a whole story."
Graphic: Mental illness, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Eating disorder, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Rape, and Body shaming
Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Cancer, Animal death, Medical content, and Vomit
graff_fuller's review against another edition
4.5
This is the case with this book. Honestly, I have seen her in some movies, but not enough to say..."hey, that's Selma Blair." I also had heard of her MS flair up and her recovery, but it was always peripheral to whatever was happening at the time.
So, when I picked up this book...I was geniunely interested in her life...knowing near to nothing about her.
Wow, what a brutally honest book. She didn't hold back about her mistakes, her childhood, her alcoholism, her drunken periods, and many other things...you just have to read about. A callous could say that she put herself in "those" positions, so it was her fault, but honestly...I felt empathy.
My wife and I have raised three children. Two of the are daughters. We've had talks with them about the "real world", but we also told them that we will be there for them no matter what. They could count on us to support them. Thank goodness nothing as horrible has happened to them, but they've suffered trauma from the way boys/men have taken advantage of the them. As a parent, you never want anything to happen to your children, but IF something does happen, you want them to ALWAYS come to you. Thank goodness they have.
In this book, poor Selma really didn't have this basic support system. She was actually alone. AND, it hurts my heart that she's suffered so many times...when most could've been avoided. Ugh.
She became a star in Hollywood, being a "mean girl" type figure. She's very dramatic, but there is STILL a person under that façade, that needs love.
In her book she talks about different stars that she's come in contact with. One that seems SO odd, but also SO perfect...was Carrie Fisher. That they had a friendship...makes my heart swell. I love Carrie Fisher (with her ups and downs). She was unapologetically honest about her struggles...which in a lot of ways...paved the way for this current book by Selma Blair.
If only we could've had Carrie Fisher see Selma Blair through her MS. What an advocate she would've had...though, through this whole ordeal, she's had many people championing her and her stuggles, and most of them women.
Her reliance on mediums and the like...isn't our cup of tea, but her desire for help...what truly understood. She was/is looking for answers in her life. She is Jewish, but basically a non-practicing Jew.
There is something about her...the pulls you in. She reminds me of the Classic movie stars of a bye gone age...but she's stuck in our times, instead. She really is a drama queen, but there's something endearing about her...even with/without the antics that have grown up around her (some real and some fake).
Her MS diagnosis...and the questions of why it took THIS long for her to be diagnosed with this disease?
The idea of talking to a dead parent resonates. Not that I've experienced it with my parents, but with my grandpas and grandpas. I was really clost to them...so I often think of them...and speak to them...as if they are present. My way to not forget them. Selma's version is good, too.
Also, Selma's love of her son is unbounded. Hearing stories about their releationship is sweet. There really is a bond between Ma's and sons.
AND, her acknowledgements are beautiful to read. She really is loved...and I'm happy to have read this book.
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Rape, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Miscarriage
dooleynoted's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder
thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
We all like to think that stardom and celebrity is easy, beautiful, graceful, healthy. This proves that you never know what people have gone through in their lives.
From the first drink at age 3, to daily drinking to numb the pain from unbeknownst MS, Selma Blair tells a frank & honest recollection of her memories.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Addiction
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Rape
Minor: Dementia, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
caseythereader's review against another edition
4.25
- This book is a hard read. Blair has been through a lot in her life. I also read the audiobook, read by Blair herself, and she breaks into tears at many points in the story.
- However, MEAN BABY also delivers on the celebrity front. Blair name drops with abandon, and takes us with her to fancy award show parties, photo shoots, and to hang out with the likes of Carrie Fisher and Karl Lagerfeld.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
abbysbookadventure's review against another edition
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Eating disorder and Toxic relationship
megang519's review
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Sexual violence, Drug use, Self harm, Body shaming, Rape, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent