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talkbookswithnat's review
4.0
I thought this book was going to be more running related but it was more about her life and her bipolar diagnosis. She continues to push the limits and take on extremes. There was just as much sex talk as running.
I did enjoy it and there was an opportunity to learn more about bipolar disorder.
I did enjoy it and there was an opportunity to learn more about bipolar disorder.
sonia_reppe's review
5.0
She's so pretty. In the 90's I admired Suzy Hamilton. I was running on my high school cross-country team and I used to cut out pictures of her from Runner's World, hang them in my room or paste them to my journal. (I still have that old journal and there she is on the cover, wearing a Reebok shirt and beaming into the camera). She stood out. Apparently, in December of 2012 news broke that she was leading a secret life as an expensive call girl but I only just found out earlier this year when I heard that her memoir was coming out.
I'm glad I watched the 20/20 episode of Suzy and her husband before I read this, because then I could picture him. I wish this memoir had pictures. No pictures?! Dey Street/William Morrow publisher usually has great pictures in their celebrity memoirs. Come on, why no pictures? I know that people can google for pictures but a celebrity memoir really should have a spread of pics. Still, that doesn't bring down the rating for me.
Her husband Mark is in this a lot. He loves her so much that he has stayed with her. (Yay, cheers for Suzy!). I loved all the parts of this memoir, the competitive runnning, the modeling (she could've been a professional model but she wanted to win so much that she chose running), the good times of her marriage, her depression and then mania when she became a call girl. She blames Zoloft for taking her mania to super high levels. Really, she didn't seem in her right mind. She would have so much fun with a client, that she would gush to her husband about it, even though he hated hearing about it. You'd think that after a fun "appointment" the high would fade and she'd have low self-esteem, but no, she just wanted more, more, more. She wanted to be the best, just like when she was a professional runner. It's interesting.
Suzy's brother had committed suicide, so I think her husband was justifying her behavior with thoughts like at least this is keeping her from being suicidal. Strange behavior though, for a married woman of 20 years who also had a daughter at home. Strange also that after her first Olympics, she had a breast reduction to look more like a runner! She was showing crazy even back then.
I'm glad I watched the 20/20 episode of Suzy and her husband before I read this, because then I could picture him. I wish this memoir had pictures. No pictures?! Dey Street/William Morrow publisher usually has great pictures in their celebrity memoirs. Come on, why no pictures? I know that people can google for pictures but a celebrity memoir really should have a spread of pics. Still, that doesn't bring down the rating for me.
Her husband Mark is in this a lot. He loves her so much that he has stayed with her. (Yay, cheers for Suzy!). I loved all the parts of this memoir, the competitive runnning, the modeling (she could've been a professional model but she wanted to win so much that she chose running), the good times of her marriage, her depression and then mania when she became a call girl. She blames Zoloft for taking her mania to super high levels. Really, she didn't seem in her right mind. She would have so much fun with a client, that she would gush to her husband about it, even though he hated hearing about it. You'd think that after a fun "appointment" the high would fade and she'd have low self-esteem, but no, she just wanted more, more, more. She wanted to be the best, just like when she was a professional runner. It's interesting.
Suzy's brother had committed suicide, so I think her husband was justifying her behavior with thoughts like at least this is keeping her from being suicidal. Strange behavior though, for a married woman of 20 years who also had a daughter at home. Strange also that after her first Olympics, she had a breast reduction to look more like a runner! She was showing crazy even back then.
emilyrosebooks's review
2.0
I thought I was going to feel more sympathetic towards Suzy, but I really didn't. The story was interesting, and definitely an adventure, but it seemed disingenuous.
thatpatti's review
3.0
Torn between a 2 and a 3 on this. It ended up feeling like a glamorization of her mania and was a much more tedious and detailed account of her time as an escort than I wanted. Less reflection and more description. It was disturbing at times, hearing what she was doing and knowing what she was doing to her husband. At the same time, it was a good description of how mania just totally disrupts all normal decision-making processes. I dunno, I just found it a difficult listen (audiobook).
alexblackreads's review
4.0
I found this book really enlightening. No, it's not something you want to read for amazing writing, but the subject matter and the way she spoke about it really touched me. She speaks so frankly of all her flaws and mistakes, and I'm sure she received lots of hate for this book. It was a really brave thing to do. She doesn't try to pretend she was better than she was, and owns up to everything she did. No, she's not likable for most of this. She was struggling with mental illness that changed who she was. The fact that she was so straight forward about everything and really explained what she went through and what she was thinking made this book for me. I really enjoyed it and hope she's doing better now.
Also, this is minor thing, but I do like that she made a point to be supportive of sex workers. It's honestly such a rare thing and I was so appreciative of it.
Also, this is minor thing, but I do like that she made a point to be supportive of sex workers. It's honestly such a rare thing and I was so appreciative of it.
nancidrum's review
1.0
I read this book as part of a challenge. I'm not sure how I came to select it, as I didn't recall Suzy Favor Hamilton as being an Olympian runner. The premise to me seemed interesting. A former Olympian who suffers from bi-polar disease.
There were too many problems with this memoir to list all, but here are the ones that were most troublesome. First off, the book is poorly written. Even with a ghost writer doing the writing. Secondly, and this is the main problem to me, she names and involves her innocent young daughter in the telling of this very racy memoir. No child should ever be subjected to read about the intimate details their mother experienced as an escort (prostitute).
Hamilton admits she feels no shame about her past life. This statement coupled with her bragging about being the second best escort in the country and putting her needs above those of her innocent daughter, makes me think she also suffers from narcissism. Narcissistic people are often compulsive liars and I would guess there are more than a few untruths in this account. Sadly, it seems like this book was written to give her the fix she needs for her narcissism, by drawing more attention to herself.
There were too many problems with this memoir to list all, but here are the ones that were most troublesome. First off, the book is poorly written. Even with a ghost writer doing the writing. Secondly, and this is the main problem to me, she names and involves her innocent young daughter in the telling of this very racy memoir. No child should ever be subjected to read about the intimate details their mother experienced as an escort (prostitute).
Hamilton admits she feels no shame about her past life. This statement coupled with her bragging about being the second best escort in the country and putting her needs above those of her innocent daughter, makes me think she also suffers from narcissism. Narcissistic people are often compulsive liars and I would guess there are more than a few untruths in this account. Sadly, it seems like this book was written to give her the fix she needs for her narcissism, by drawing more attention to herself.
rainbows's review
2.0
This book is an easy way to kill a few hours. The narrative has many gaps, and clearly jumps around. It isn't in depth about any aspects of Suzy's life, and instead is very superficial. While its suggestive, it is not graphic. I would've preferred to have more meat on the bones of this narrative, not necessarily her time escorting, but rather more of her thoughts and feelings than a superficial sparse timeline.
thuglibrarian's review
3.0
Read this in one sitting, not that it was so riveting but more that it's an easy read. Suzy Favor Hamilton recounts her life struggling to be, and appear perfect, in order to please her parents (not that they required this)and the world in which they lived. Suzy grew up with a brother who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder causing much heartache and chaos in the family. In order to maintain control, Suzy threw herself into running and she was a natural runner. Turns out that running gave her a *high* that looking back she can recognize as signs of bipolar disorder. Her details of the life that she led as a call girl in Vegas was very in-depth and some details are better left unsaid.