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lbd89's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 to 4. Listened to this book. She had a very tough upbringing.
bonnybonnybooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a difficult book to read because of Minka's brutal honesty about the abuse and neglect she endured as a child and young adult. This is not a book about celebrity gossip - it takes about 2/3 of the book before Minka even gets to her Hollywood break and it only briefly touches on her life as an actress. This is really about Minka's relationship with her vivacious but mercurial mother who loved Minka but often chose addiction and abusive boyfriends over her daughter. She is thoughtful in how her upbringing shaped her view of the world and how her coping mechanisms are maladaptive in healthy relationships. For instance, she learned to never complain and never show pain - so when she was on-again-off-again with her co-star Taylor Kitsch on Friday Night Lights, she did not have any support from castmates for her broken heart because she pretended she was fine, while Kitsch would be comforted because he was open with his feelings.
There are three factors I use for rating a celebrity memoirs:
(1) Did I find the celebrity more interesting than when I started the book? Yes - Minka was not only eloquent about the events in her life but also has worked hard to break the cycle of abuse.
(2) Was there tea spilled? Not really.
(3) Was it entertaining? I wouldn't say entertaining because this is a pretty heavy book. But it was definitely worth the read.
There are three factors I use for rating a celebrity memoirs:
(1) Did I find the celebrity more interesting than when I started the book? Yes - Minka was not only eloquent about the events in her life but also has worked hard to break the cycle of abuse.
(2) Was there tea spilled? Not really.
(3) Was it entertaining? I wouldn't say entertaining because this is a pretty heavy book. But it was definitely worth the read.
thesandymorello's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to an episode of Armchair Expert where they interviewed Kelly. She seemed so shy and timid. To go through what she did is absolutely mind boggling!
I knew nothing about her life before reading this. I recalled her from some TV shows, but never considered myself a fan. But I am now!
She was raised by a single mother who worked as a stripper and struggled with addiction. And her father is actually Aerosmith’s Rick Dufay! She truly poured her soul into these pages. Her story is a love letter to herself and those who cared for her along the way. She represents adversity, resilience, and forgiveness. I just want to hugged the little girl in her story and tell her everything is going to be okay ❤️
And yes, I read this in less than 24 hours!
I knew nothing about her life before reading this. I recalled her from some TV shows, but never considered myself a fan. But I am now!
She was raised by a single mother who worked as a stripper and struggled with addiction. And her father is actually Aerosmith’s Rick Dufay! She truly poured her soul into these pages. Her story is a love letter to herself and those who cared for her along the way. She represents adversity, resilience, and forgiveness. I just want to hugged the little girl in her story and tell her everything is going to be okay ❤️
And yes, I read this in less than 24 hours!
dog_eared_bookworm's review against another edition
Narrated by Minka herself, this was a deep and raw memoir, full of heartbreak and trauma.
It was very well written, and the insight and compassion in these pages was great. You can tell Minka has worked hard to make peace with her past - I appreciated this read very much, and recommend it
⭐️Memoir - no rating
sarah_olivo's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely heartfelt. Teared up multiple times especially at the end, this woman has led many lives and Friday Night Lights is better because of Minka. What a story and worth the ride to know more. Though why her editor didn’t tell her to cut some of the ‘till this very day,’ I don’t know… she wrote that probably 12 times. Sort of strange but overall, I give it a 3.75 and happy for her that she found her way.
ldcain's review against another edition
4.0
I did not know much about Minka Kelly, but I saw this book was good and decided to listen to the audio book read by Minka. I couldn’t have guessed what it was going to be about but I am so glad I picked it up. This book is so good!