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itsgnat's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual violence
cinderrunner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
A beautiful and insightful read. I wouldn't consider myself a Selma Blair fan and have always been indifferent to her as a performer. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys powerfully human memoirs. It completely stands on its own merits regardless of Blair's stardom. This book was so painful yet beautiful. There is a rather lyrical quality to Blair's writing that I adore. I loved her honesty, self reflection, and openness with the intense hurt of her life. This is very much a book about the struggles of addiction, illness (both phsyical and mental), and finding a sense of belonging/home in a world that can be really painful. Please do check trigger warnings for this one cause the author has been through some rough stuff.
Content Warnings
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
siobhanward's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I'll admit I don't know a lot about Selma Blair other than she's become an advocate for those with MS and that she played Vivian in Legally Blonde. That said, not knowing a ton about her didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I'm glad she admitted to being kind of a jerk at times - I know we all go through those phases but I feel like Blair was especially out of touch? What kind of adult literally needs to be bitten back in order to learn that biting people isn't funny?? I think most people figure that one out as toddlers.
I loved how open and honest Blair was about a lot of topics, but she did skirt around how much money she grew up with. I don't know anyone who could afford private school growing up, much less being kicked out of private school and finding a way to re-enter. I would have loved a bit more insight into how Blair felt that having that kind of upbringing impacted her as an adult, and her career.
I learned a lot about Selma Blair throughout this book and loved how she wrote it. I feel like it jumped around a bit and sometimes it was hard to figure out what was happening when, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment too much. It's a fun and interesting read, whether or not you know Blair's work well.
I loved how open and honest Blair was about a lot of topics, but she did skirt around how much money she grew up with. I don't know anyone who could afford private school growing up, much less being kicked out of private school and finding a way to re-enter. I would have loved a bit more insight into how Blair felt that having that kind of upbringing impacted her as an adult, and her career.
I learned a lot about Selma Blair throughout this book and loved how she wrote it. I feel like it jumped around a bit and sometimes it was hard to figure out what was happening when, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment too much. It's a fun and interesting read, whether or not you know Blair's work well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
emilycm's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
oh, wow. this memoir is deeply riddled with authenticity in selma's experience, and it gets you hooked if you let it. i knew very little about her outside of her acting, but she certainly has a grip on the writing. i read a lot of reviews saying that "the tissue of this isn't connected," and that parts jump to other parts, which whole heartedly i did not find issue with. i think since there is a lot of trauma explicated within, it feels as if pieces are jagged and don't fit, but selma's beauty as a writer is that she can thread all these lessons and moments of her life together to create a really solid memoir. this is especially gripping, i think, not because of the trauma that some might find excessive or hard to hear about as selma presents it, but the way in which she reflects on it all. the way you can feel her presence in the moment right now, still thinking through things as she puts them down on the page, and that feels to me, entirely human and what i gravitate towards reading and connect with.
this is one of the few, but best, celebrity memoirs i've read. and in reading it, i know it's going to stick with me. it's someone else's life story, just as every memoir may be, but there was something so innate in this one that i can't help but feel the heaviness and realness of the words as the book now sits on a shelf across from me. i think i'll be recommending this to lots of people in the years to come, and referring to some particular sections at points in my life i do not yet know how they will come.
selma's continuous, authentic threading of her experience with MS was also a very integral, moving part of this memoir. i felt moved by her voice in every sentence and moment of the journey, how she talked about her body, it was a very vivid and powerful account.
this is one of the few, but best, celebrity memoirs i've read. and in reading it, i know it's going to stick with me. it's someone else's life story, just as every memoir may be, but there was something so innate in this one that i can't help but feel the heaviness and realness of the words as the book now sits on a shelf across from me. i think i'll be recommending this to lots of people in the years to come, and referring to some particular sections at points in my life i do not yet know how they will come.
selma's continuous, authentic threading of her experience with MS was also a very integral, moving part of this memoir. i felt moved by her voice in every sentence and moment of the journey, how she talked about her body, it was a very vivid and powerful account.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Rape, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
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