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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Fall to Pieces by Mary Forsberg Weiland, a Kindle book I began reading on August 27th. Another autobio I picked out of pure curiosity - oddly enough, Mary chose to go to same exact modeling school (Barbizon in San Diego) as an earlier autobio author I had read, Tera Patrick. Well, la-de-friggin'-dah.
What first began as a selfish, pity-party, all-about-me-and-my-issues book turned into a bumper-car, harsh truth, sky highs and bitter lows confession about addiction and rehabilitation. Mary and Scott Weiland apparently shared the same exact kind of bipolar disorder and reliance on prescription and illegal street drugs, escaping and crashing hard to earth alternately over the course of the late 90s and early 00s.
What first began as a selfish, pity-party, all-about-me-and-my-issues book turned into a bumper-car, harsh truth, sky highs and bitter lows confession about addiction and rehabilitation. Mary and Scott Weiland apparently shared the same exact kind of bipolar disorder and reliance on prescription and illegal street drugs, escaping and crashing hard to earth alternately over the course of the late 90s and early 00s.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
“I hope, as does almost anyone who writes a memoir detailing her struggles, that a reader may see him- or herself in these pages, and not feel as isolated or lost as I did for so long.”
This was the best book I have ever read on metal illness, love and drugs. I related to this book so much. Honestly, it’s probably one of the best books I ever read in general. I wish I would have read it sooner. Mary’s life mirrors so much of my own. I highlighted most of the book because a lot of it resembled my own life. I’m not a model and I didn’t marry a rockstar. The struggles of mental health, her relationship, and addiction was so familiar to me. Many of the things she said was exactly what I felt or went through. This is an accurate depiction of those struggles. Mary writes her memoir in such a way that it’s non judgmental, it’s not boastful, and she doesn’t want you feeling sorry for her. It was open, real, and raw.
This was the best book I have ever read on metal illness, love and drugs. I related to this book so much. Honestly, it’s probably one of the best books I ever read in general. I wish I would have read it sooner. Mary’s life mirrors so much of my own. I highlighted most of the book because a lot of it resembled my own life. I’m not a model and I didn’t marry a rockstar. The struggles of mental health, her relationship, and addiction was so familiar to me. Many of the things she said was exactly what I felt or went through. This is an accurate depiction of those struggles. Mary writes her memoir in such a way that it’s non judgmental, it’s not boastful, and she doesn’t want you feeling sorry for her. It was open, real, and raw.
This book was very well-written, very intelligent. It was a little distanced from the actual addiction, which is what I had been expecting going into it. Instead, Weiland uses her knowledge of addictions and rehab to put an optimistic spin on her story. She never once bashed her ex-husband, Scott Weiland, which was refreshing since many books by ex-wives are negative. While it wasn't the rock bio I was expecting, it was a very smart and interesting book.
Eh. It was interesting for a while and then it just felt like name dropping and complaining. I dunno.
I read this book in less than a week. This is the type of autobiography I like---the nitty gritty. I felt she left no stone unturned; despite how painful, intense, and sad some of it was.
This is Scott Weiland, lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots, second ex-wife and mother of his two children. She was a model at 16 and was good friends with Charlize Theron (whom she mentions surprisingly quite often throughout the book),and also Anthony Kiedis (lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Her childhood was pretty crazy especially the part where she spends a brief day or so in juvvie thanks to her mother's boyfriend. It certainly set her up for what was to come.
She initially meets Scott at 16 when he is 23, but they don't do anything romantically speaking until she is 17 when they reconnect and he is then 24. She was emancipated from her parents and working as a model at 16, so I give pass on the age difference there. She had a full-time job for goodness sake! This was reminiscent of Prince who got with his first wife when she was only 19.
Overall, the feeling she had for Scott was overwhelming, a feeling I myself have only had once in my life from what she described. However, as their relationship progresses, they seemed to be absolutely TERRIBLE for one another. I don't want to give anything away, but if you are highly judgmental against people who are addicts or someone with mental illnesses, this is not the book for you.
At the same token, if you yourself have ever dealt with a mental illness or someone close to you has or you have ever been with anyone who is an addict, this definitely may be the book for you to identify patterns, habits, etc. I identified with her need to sleep as a teenager. I was chronically depressed as a teen and commiserated with her want of sleep---I slept 10-12 hours on weekends. I also was anorexic at the time and given she seemed obsessed with her weight as well, I wondered if she was also anorexic.
I also liked how she delved into how bad their addictions got. Yes, it was shocking and somewhat horrifying, but I am glad she was honest. Her explanations of thought processes or lackthereof were very helpful. Bottom line: her and Scott had mental illnesses that they masked with alcohol and drug use, which is very common among people in our society today. We really need to do more to raise awareness for mental health and create safe places for people to seek mental health. Our entire society I believe would be better for it.
Overall, exactly the autobiography I look for. A highly recommended read.
This is Scott Weiland, lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots, second ex-wife and mother of his two children. She was a model at 16 and was good friends with Charlize Theron (whom she mentions surprisingly quite often throughout the book),and also Anthony Kiedis (lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Her childhood was pretty crazy especially the part where she spends a brief day or so in juvvie thanks to her mother's boyfriend. It certainly set her up for what was to come.
She initially meets Scott at 16 when he is 23, but they don't do anything romantically speaking until she is 17 when they reconnect and he is then 24. She was emancipated from her parents and working as a model at 16, so I give pass on the age difference there. She had a full-time job for goodness sake! This was reminiscent of Prince who got with his first wife when she was only 19.
Overall, the feeling she had for Scott was overwhelming, a feeling I myself have only had once in my life from what she described. However, as their relationship progresses, they seemed to be absolutely TERRIBLE for one another. I don't want to give anything away, but if you are highly judgmental against people who are addicts or someone with mental illnesses, this is not the book for you.
At the same token, if you yourself have ever dealt with a mental illness or someone close to you has or you have ever been with anyone who is an addict, this definitely may be the book for you to identify patterns, habits, etc. I identified with her need to sleep as a teenager. I was chronically depressed as a teen and commiserated with her want of sleep---I slept 10-12 hours on weekends. I also was anorexic at the time and given she seemed obsessed with her weight as well, I wondered if she was also anorexic.
I also liked how she delved into how bad their addictions got. Yes, it was shocking and somewhat horrifying, but I am glad she was honest. Her explanations of thought processes or lackthereof were very helpful. Bottom line: her and Scott had mental illnesses that they masked with alcohol and drug use, which is very common among people in our society today. We really need to do more to raise awareness for mental health and create safe places for people to seek mental health. Our entire society I believe would be better for it.
Overall, exactly the autobiography I look for. A highly recommended read.
This was a quick read because these types of books are all the same. You can just quickly blah blah blah your way through them. I used to really enjoy these rock and roll tell all/biographies but I grow weary. I guess I'm getting too old now for these kinds of shenanigans, my drug and alcohol days long in the past. I was merely a recreational user, though I practiced diligently for a few years. Thankfully I don't seem to have inherited the addiction gene.
I never needed rehab, nor have I ever attended a 12 step meeting or white knuckled it to stop using. I simply grew bored with the same old shit and was ready to move on with new life chapters. Frankly some of these addicts from these kinds of stories seem very childish and self centered. And, uh, stupid. So many WTF moments up in here.
The main one being-
If you are in recovery and consider yourself "sober" you do not still drink alcohol (or smoke weed). You just do not. You have to give it ALL up. You have to because you are an addict. There are no half measures as far as your sobriety commitment goes. So why, pray tell, was this woman still drinking? Oh, it was your birthday party? Oh one must get drunk at one's party? What the hell? Scott Weiland's brother dies so you go to the store and buy cases and cases of wine because nothing helps one mourn like a bottle or two of wine? Big WTFs here. Like I said Stupid is as Stupid does. You don't play games with sobriety like, "I was addicted to coke and heroin but I can still drink." Or "I went to the dentist so now I HAVE to take this Vicodin." "It's my 30th birthday so I can get drunk". Yes, of course... If you're not an ADDICT!!! It's all just excuses to use substances, period. Scott Weiland and Mary Forsberg were too much alike, too broken, immature and out of control to be good for each other. Some people just should not be together it is a recipe for disaster. It was like two children playing house.
In one part of the book she goes on and on about how addicts are sick, they have a Disease. You can't get mad at the addict for a relapse because that would be like getting mad at someone because they were ill, say, with cancer. But when Scott Weiland finally succumbed to the inevitable and OD'ed and died just within the past year or so, Mary Forsberg wrote a somewhat cold, and I felt, grossly inappropriate letter to the public about not mourning Weiland's death because he had been as good as dead for years because of his addictions and was a crappy father etc... What about not being mad at someone for being sick? What about addiction is a disease? Oh, was that only if YOU had a relapse? I understand you are angry because of your kids, but WTF?
Whatever. Her story. God bless her; she has travelled a rocky road and is sure to have some potholes and detours and whatnot to dodge in the future. Keep it simple, Mary.
But the book isn't really all that good. It's kind of annoying truthfully (as you can tell from my review). Read someone else's story. Here is a worthy one [b:It's So Easy: And Other Lies|11156963|It's So Easy And Other Lies|Duff McKagan|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1306787060s/11156963.jpg|16080834].
I never needed rehab, nor have I ever attended a 12 step meeting or white knuckled it to stop using. I simply grew bored with the same old shit and was ready to move on with new life chapters. Frankly some of these addicts from these kinds of stories seem very childish and self centered. And, uh, stupid. So many WTF moments up in here.
The main one being-
If you are in recovery and consider yourself "sober" you do not still drink alcohol (or smoke weed). You just do not. You have to give it ALL up. You have to because you are an addict. There are no half measures as far as your sobriety commitment goes. So why, pray tell, was this woman still drinking? Oh, it was your birthday party? Oh one must get drunk at one's party? What the hell? Scott Weiland's brother dies so you go to the store and buy cases and cases of wine because nothing helps one mourn like a bottle or two of wine? Big WTFs here. Like I said Stupid is as Stupid does. You don't play games with sobriety like, "I was addicted to coke and heroin but I can still drink." Or "I went to the dentist so now I HAVE to take this Vicodin." "It's my 30th birthday so I can get drunk". Yes, of course... If you're not an ADDICT!!! It's all just excuses to use substances, period. Scott Weiland and Mary Forsberg were too much alike, too broken, immature and out of control to be good for each other. Some people just should not be together it is a recipe for disaster. It was like two children playing house.
In one part of the book she goes on and on about how addicts are sick, they have a Disease. You can't get mad at the addict for a relapse because that would be like getting mad at someone because they were ill, say, with cancer. But when Scott Weiland finally succumbed to the inevitable and OD'ed and died just within the past year or so, Mary Forsberg wrote a somewhat cold, and I felt, grossly inappropriate letter to the public about not mourning Weiland's death because he had been as good as dead for years because of his addictions and was a crappy father etc... What about not being mad at someone for being sick? What about addiction is a disease? Oh, was that only if YOU had a relapse? I understand you are angry because of your kids, but WTF?
Whatever. Her story. God bless her; she has travelled a rocky road and is sure to have some potholes and detours and whatnot to dodge in the future. Keep it simple, Mary.
But the book isn't really all that good. It's kind of annoying truthfully (as you can tell from my review). Read someone else's story. Here is a worthy one [b:It's So Easy: And Other Lies|11156963|It's So Easy And Other Lies|Duff McKagan|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1306787060s/11156963.jpg|16080834].
I have no idea why I bothered to keep reading this.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Mary is a captivating writer, but I still can't get over the fact that Scott hooked up with her when she was still underage.