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emilyb99's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
2.5
In regards to 2000’s pop culture: 4/5
The writing: 2/5
I started reading with a sour taste in my mouth for Nancy Jo (cause of her behaviour I saw on Pretty Wild) she’s misogynistic and puts teenagers down at times for no reason. Her logic is weird - “in the 60s Aretha Franklin sang about respect and now Katie Perry is singing about getting drunk, this is why all teenage girls aspire to be sex objects now!!” her writing resembles an essay I would’ve got a C- on in 8th grade. It’s like she had to hit a word count and kept rambling. The only points I enjoyed to read her ramble about were; the pop cultural shift in the late 2000s, fame, reality tv, our changing relationships with celebrities due to social media and how the 1% compares to upper middle class in LA.
The rants about; porn, plastic surgery, teenagers dressing slutty, different shows on mtv, nepotism children, what female singers got arrested for so unnecessary to the story it was painful. At one point I wondered if she was writing this book because she was interested in the bling ring or if she just wanted to shit on teenagers. She really despises teenage girls.
I did somewhat enjoy it though, I learned stuff about the case even I didn’t know which I thought was very interesting.
She literally went on for irrelevant rants about different subjects sometimes, at one point comparing Nick and Rachel to Bonnie & Clyde, then continuing to explain and compare Bonnie & Clyde for 5 freaking pages….
Lastly, the amount of misprints and typos drove me up the wall. I don’t think she bothered to re-read what she wrote.
sarahpugs's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️3⭐️ Very thorough & seemingly well-researched account of the “Bling Ring” teenaged burglary crew of the late 2000s. I appreciated the author’s deep-dive into the culture of the time- the obsession with fame & celebrity, the rise of Playboy & Girls Gone Wild, & the idea of “being famous for being famous”. I did not appreciate the narrator’s sarcastic tone throughout, as though the events were so ridiculous & dumb. Some aspects were definitely ridiculous & dumb, though it felt like the narrator couldn’t wait to be done talking about these kids. Also, waaaaayyyy too many long winded direct quotes from involved parties that became very repetitive & seemed to only be a way to add length to the book.
rachel_a_'s review against another edition
3.0
This jumps back and forth & I'm not entirety convinced it needs to be so disorganised. It goes off on tangents but sometimes those are interesting to think about why the kids did what they did ("allegedly"), but the tangents can make you lose your place in the case as well.
Quotes and points are repeated throughout and its annoying to read a chunk of text only to find a same point. I have a 2013 paperback version with typos in it- not enough to be distracting but enough to be noticeable which makes me think it was rushed.
Not as fun as I assumed it would be and certainly not the pace I was expecting.
Quotes and points are repeated throughout and its annoying to read a chunk of text only to find a same point. I have a 2013 paperback version with typos in it- not enough to be distracting but enough to be noticeable which makes me think it was rushed.
Not as fun as I assumed it would be and certainly not the pace I was expecting.
jessethereader's review against another edition
3.0
While I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book. I think that it mostly had to do with me being obsessed with this story. The one thing that bugged me was that I felt she gave too much detail on things that didn't really matter. I do understand that she was trying to get us into the minds of these teenagers and to help the reader fully understand why they did what they did. It just seemed a bit much. I did really enjoy this book though. If you're interested in The Bling Ring story and want to know everything that happens before you see the film, read this book. I've watched the trailer to the film a ridiculous amount of times and you can tell by watching the trailer how much real dialogue was used from the interviews.
sparrowlight's review
3.0
Though the story itself was very compelling, the pop psychology and strained conclusions about America's youth seemed to exist only to pad the narrative. I'm sure this was stronger as a long Vanity Fair piece instead of an inflated account of the crimes and consequences.
bibliolucinda's review against another edition
3.0
I will die on the hill of defending this movie, it's my toxic trait
gleefulreader's review against another edition
1.0
Finally finished this. I had read the Vanity Fair article sometime ago when it first came out and sadly, Mary Jo Sales should have left this story there rather than try to churn this out in anticipation of the Sofia Coppola film. This was such a fractured, incoherent mess of facts, allegations, interviews wrapped in feeble attempts at pop psychology to "explain" the actions of this group of teens. Read the article, perhaps watch the movie but give this book a pass.
christajls's review against another edition
The story of The Bling Ring is a fascinating one. What these kids did and how easy it was for them to do it kind of blows my mind.
But honestly I think you're better off just Googling the story. Nancy Jo Sales originally wrote this story as a magazine article and then turned into a book to coincide with the release of the film (I presume). As a result this makes the whole thing feel stretched, over long and she ends up extrapolating on some of her points and pulling things together with some VERY lose threads.
Some problems I had with this book:
- trying to draw direct parallels between The Bling Ring and the Columbine shootings
- Stating that their are "no shortage" of positive female role models for teenage girls and having one of the examples be Oprah. First of all their is an incredible lack of visible positive female role models and second of all what teenage girl looks up to Oprah?
- Blaming the media and social media and teenagers for everything that's wrong with society but giving absolutely no mention about how The Bling Ring kids all seemed to be children of absentee parents.
- Stating that in her day "people were famous for actually doing something" ignoring the fact that socialites have been "famous" for decades. Prime example - Jackie O.
- And perhaps my favourite was when she said young people today feel "entitled" when they entered the work force. Never mind that they probably learned this attitude from the Baby Boomer generation.
All in all I just couldn't keep listening to this audiobook no matter how interesting the subject matter itself was.
But honestly I think you're better off just Googling the story. Nancy Jo Sales originally wrote this story as a magazine article and then turned into a book to coincide with the release of the film (I presume). As a result this makes the whole thing feel stretched, over long and she ends up extrapolating on some of her points and pulling things together with some VERY lose threads.
Some problems I had with this book:
- trying to draw direct parallels between The Bling Ring and the Columbine shootings
- Stating that their are "no shortage" of positive female role models for teenage girls and having one of the examples be Oprah. First of all their is an incredible lack of visible positive female role models and second of all what teenage girl looks up to Oprah?
- Blaming the media and social media and teenagers for everything that's wrong with society but giving absolutely no mention about how The Bling Ring kids all seemed to be children of absentee parents.
- Stating that in her day "people were famous for actually doing something" ignoring the fact that socialites have been "famous" for decades. Prime example - Jackie O.
- And perhaps my favourite was when she said young people today feel "entitled" when they entered the work force. Never mind that they probably learned this attitude from the Baby Boomer generation.
All in all I just couldn't keep listening to this audiobook no matter how interesting the subject matter itself was.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
On the one hand, the extended digressions on, like, The Nature of the American Teenager made it very clear this was an article padded out to book length. On the other hand, I read it obsessively like a really good trashy novel. So for actual quality, three stars, but if I’m being honest about my enjoyment of it, four.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
I broke a New Years Resolution to read Nancy Jo Sale's The Bling Ring. My resolution was to hold off on buying new books, with the exception being ebooks for my Kindle strictly for vacations. My UK trip is still a few weeks away and last week I decided to take a look at the British Airways inflight entertainment schedule.
Naturally, Sophia Coppola's The Bling Ring, inspired by Sale's book, is one of the options. I'm a huge fan of Coppola, yet missed the movie when it was in theaters. I had been planning to read the book while on vacation and rent the movie upon returning, but noticing it on BA's schedule, made me impulse buy the book and devour it within two days.
I'm so glad that I broke my resolution, because Sale's investigation of the aptly named Bling Ring was fascinating. The Bling Ring was the name given to a group of Southern California teenagers who in 2008 and 2009 committed a string of robberies targeting celebrities. The kids were so enamored with the celebrities that they felt by stealing their clothes, jewelry and sometimes even underwear that they could somehow become celebrities themselves.
These kids were brazen. They targeted celebrities that they felt had superior fashion sense, such as Rachel Bilson or Miranda Kerr. In some cases, they would find a particular article of clothing that celeb had been photographed wearing and go after that specific piece. The teens would wear the stolen clothing out, often to the same clubs that the celebrities frequented. They flaunted their crimes.
Sales makes a compelling argument that technology not only allowed for the ease in which these crimes were committed, but it has also changed the way in which we view celebrities. With the popularity of social media sites, celebrities are accessible in ways that they never have been in the past.
The minute a celebrity leaves their house or travels out of town, a paparazzi or even just a fan, snaps a photograph and puts it on the internet. The kids used this to their advantage, as they knew when a celebrity was on a flight out of town and gone from their homes. They used Google Maps to find out information regarding their victims property, including the best entrances to the homes.
We live in a society in which we demand that celebrities trade in their privacy to gain fame. There are no barriers and the kids took this a step further, by actually breaking into the one area that should still be off limits. The common response from all of the celebrities targeted was one of a loss of security, not so much for the property, but because their one safe haven was violated.
On a personal note regarding the topic of celebrity privacy, yesterday, I was at a children's play area in Burbank with my friend and her daughter. Her daughter started playing with a little girl and they really hit it off. It turns out that the kid was the child of a celebrity and is rather well-known herself. There was a lot of protection surrounding this little girl, including having her use an alias. She seemed very sheltered and a bit sad.
I was thinking about it a lot last night, especially with regard to the privacy issues raised in this book and then this morning, one of the first stories that I saw on the E! website app was an article on Suri Cruise. These children are famous by association, yet their lives are on constant display. Public demand + ease of technology + very little legal protection = a big problem. I hope that some of the recent anti-paparazzi legislation passes.
The most striking element amongst the teens involved was their overwhelming sense of entitlement. This entitlement even seemed common among their parents, who were quick to defend the teens. All of the defendants escaped without a very harsh punishment and I got the feeling that the only one it really affected was Nick Prugo. Prugo showed a real sense of remorse when caught and made efforts to come clean with police, so much so, that he was accused of ratting out the other teens.
Most of the kids involved were from a privileged background, yet they felt entitled to be on the fast track towards the type of fame that comes with being a socialite and reality TV Star. Someone like Paris Hilton, who was one of the victims, was a celebrity that the kids hugely admired. Some of the girls involved were even filming their own reality show for E! Television, when they were arrested. They arrest and trial were worked into the production only increasing their exposure and fame.
The amazing thing was along with this sense of entitlement, it was as if they really didn't think that they were doing anything wrong or that it was possible that they would get caught. Most striking was Sales' interviews with one of the defendants, Alexis Neiers. Neiers babbles on and on about how she was wrongly accused and that the truth will come out. She is incoherent and it is as if she thinks if she tells her lies enough that they will become the truth. Or maybe she even believes her own lies. She sounds like a scared little kid.
Sadly, to some degree, the Bling Ring kids remind me of many kids that I know in my own life. It's an unfortunate trend in our society to want more than we need and to never feel anything is enough. I don't know anyone who would push as far as the Bling Ring kids, but I do see a smaller scale of parents spoiling their children rotten and the kids becoming entitled and complacent. This, coupled with the fascination towards fame and getting rich quick, leads some kids to devalue school or to create unhealthy goals.
Our society has forgotten how to press pause on immediate gratification and this is a big problem. The Bling Ring kids are an extreme version of the problems that plague many people in society. We should take Sales' examination of their case as a teachable moment and take a critical look at our own lives.
One last take-away from the book... don't leave a key under the doormat! Paris Hilton's house was robbed several times and each time, the kids just opened the door with a key found under the mat. Lindsay Lohan and Rachel Bilson both had alarm systems that they didn't use. I know that we all want to trust and feel as though we live in a place that is secure, but that's not reality. I have several friends who live in great neighborhoods and have been victims of home robberies in the last year. The best defense is to be proactive with security. You never know who is lurking around your neighborhood.
Please visit my blog for more reviews and thoughts.
Naturally, Sophia Coppola's The Bling Ring, inspired by Sale's book, is one of the options. I'm a huge fan of Coppola, yet missed the movie when it was in theaters. I had been planning to read the book while on vacation and rent the movie upon returning, but noticing it on BA's schedule, made me impulse buy the book and devour it within two days.
I'm so glad that I broke my resolution, because Sale's investigation of the aptly named Bling Ring was fascinating. The Bling Ring was the name given to a group of Southern California teenagers who in 2008 and 2009 committed a string of robberies targeting celebrities. The kids were so enamored with the celebrities that they felt by stealing their clothes, jewelry and sometimes even underwear that they could somehow become celebrities themselves.
These kids were brazen. They targeted celebrities that they felt had superior fashion sense, such as Rachel Bilson or Miranda Kerr. In some cases, they would find a particular article of clothing that celeb had been photographed wearing and go after that specific piece. The teens would wear the stolen clothing out, often to the same clubs that the celebrities frequented. They flaunted their crimes.
Sales makes a compelling argument that technology not only allowed for the ease in which these crimes were committed, but it has also changed the way in which we view celebrities. With the popularity of social media sites, celebrities are accessible in ways that they never have been in the past.
The minute a celebrity leaves their house or travels out of town, a paparazzi or even just a fan, snaps a photograph and puts it on the internet. The kids used this to their advantage, as they knew when a celebrity was on a flight out of town and gone from their homes. They used Google Maps to find out information regarding their victims property, including the best entrances to the homes.
We live in a society in which we demand that celebrities trade in their privacy to gain fame. There are no barriers and the kids took this a step further, by actually breaking into the one area that should still be off limits. The common response from all of the celebrities targeted was one of a loss of security, not so much for the property, but because their one safe haven was violated.
On a personal note regarding the topic of celebrity privacy, yesterday, I was at a children's play area in Burbank with my friend and her daughter. Her daughter started playing with a little girl and they really hit it off. It turns out that the kid was the child of a celebrity and is rather well-known herself. There was a lot of protection surrounding this little girl, including having her use an alias. She seemed very sheltered and a bit sad.
I was thinking about it a lot last night, especially with regard to the privacy issues raised in this book and then this morning, one of the first stories that I saw on the E! website app was an article on Suri Cruise. These children are famous by association, yet their lives are on constant display. Public demand + ease of technology + very little legal protection = a big problem. I hope that some of the recent anti-paparazzi legislation passes.
The most striking element amongst the teens involved was their overwhelming sense of entitlement. This entitlement even seemed common among their parents, who were quick to defend the teens. All of the defendants escaped without a very harsh punishment and I got the feeling that the only one it really affected was Nick Prugo. Prugo showed a real sense of remorse when caught and made efforts to come clean with police, so much so, that he was accused of ratting out the other teens.
Most of the kids involved were from a privileged background, yet they felt entitled to be on the fast track towards the type of fame that comes with being a socialite and reality TV Star. Someone like Paris Hilton, who was one of the victims, was a celebrity that the kids hugely admired. Some of the girls involved were even filming their own reality show for E! Television, when they were arrested. They arrest and trial were worked into the production only increasing their exposure and fame.
The amazing thing was along with this sense of entitlement, it was as if they really didn't think that they were doing anything wrong or that it was possible that they would get caught. Most striking was Sales' interviews with one of the defendants, Alexis Neiers. Neiers babbles on and on about how she was wrongly accused and that the truth will come out. She is incoherent and it is as if she thinks if she tells her lies enough that they will become the truth. Or maybe she even believes her own lies. She sounds like a scared little kid.
Sadly, to some degree, the Bling Ring kids remind me of many kids that I know in my own life. It's an unfortunate trend in our society to want more than we need and to never feel anything is enough. I don't know anyone who would push as far as the Bling Ring kids, but I do see a smaller scale of parents spoiling their children rotten and the kids becoming entitled and complacent. This, coupled with the fascination towards fame and getting rich quick, leads some kids to devalue school or to create unhealthy goals.
Our society has forgotten how to press pause on immediate gratification and this is a big problem. The Bling Ring kids are an extreme version of the problems that plague many people in society. We should take Sales' examination of their case as a teachable moment and take a critical look at our own lives.
One last take-away from the book... don't leave a key under the doormat! Paris Hilton's house was robbed several times and each time, the kids just opened the door with a key found under the mat. Lindsay Lohan and Rachel Bilson both had alarm systems that they didn't use. I know that we all want to trust and feel as though we live in a place that is secure, but that's not reality. I have several friends who live in great neighborhoods and have been victims of home robberies in the last year. The best defense is to be proactive with security. You never know who is lurking around your neighborhood.
Please visit my blog for more reviews and thoughts.