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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
I love the Runaways and I loved the movie so I had to read Cherie Currie's autobiography. Her story proves that fame does not necessarily lead to a life of happiness and riches - I couldn't believe how cruelly the band members were treated, exploited and scammed by the adult figures in their lives. Also, Joan Jett wrote the foreword, which is pretty cool! Recommended for anyone who enjoys "behind the music" type exposes about the dark side of celebrity life.
This book isn't perfect. There are some awkward sentences and phrasing that I found put me off for a moment, though it wasn't so bad as to detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I've also heard that some of what is recollected here is not entirely true, or is not being remembered correctly.
On the other hand, I really found the way the book progressed in a story-like fashion, almost like it were a work of fiction, to be a very good format, and found this to be a very quick and enjoyable read that I will certainly look through again.
On the other hand, I really found the way the book progressed in a story-like fashion, almost like it were a work of fiction, to be a very good format, and found this to be a very quick and enjoyable read that I will certainly look through again.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
It's safe to say that this book isn't a piece of literary genius, but it is a fascinating and heartbreaking read. Like other people have said, it is one sided and poorly written, but that doesn't make Cherie's story any less devastating and page-turning to read.
A really, harrowing account of Cherie Currie's life, from her mid-teens, through her time with the Runaways, up to her mid-20s. Some very difficult stuff to read - both rapes, particularly the second one, Kim Fowley's behaviour towards the band, her own struggles with addiction. Currie doesn't sugarcoat what she went through, and writes it in a matter-of-fact- way - doesn't blame anyone for what happened or how things happened, just recounts it as it did happen.
Early on, I could relate to some of the emotions that she went through - the feeling of being in a arena watching your favourite rock stars perform, the desire to adopt a uniform to insulate yourself from your high school peers -in her case, emulating David Bowie, in mine, adopting heavy metal gear - metal shirts and jeans. But then her life began to take crazy twists that were far beyond my experience - besides the obvious - her joining an incredibly successful band, there were drunks, exploitative adults, a lack of parental supervision, a dysfunctional family life - and I could only sit in horror and watch as events unfolded.
I found it hard to read about the two rapes, particularly the second one, which read like a horror movie. I had to keep reminding myself that she obviously made it out to write this book, because otherwise it seemed like she would not survive. The event, and its aftermath, were shocking.
I don't usually have a lot of patience reading about a rock star's drug addiction - I'm always getting frustrated that they just don't stop. But Currie takes you inside her mind when she's in the throes of her addiction and doesn't sugarcoat it. She was addicted because that's all there was in her life - she couldn't see a way out because she didn't want to. She couldn't even imagine another life. It kept me fascinated with a sick feeling of dread.
I never knew the Runaways - they were before my time, and I mostly became aware of them through various references and the fact that both Joan Jett and Lita Ford came out of the band. To get this look at them was illuminating. A lot of people dismiss the band as just a creation of Kim Fowley, but to read this book, you realize that despite the truth of that, the talent of the band, their songwriting and their ability to perform made it just as much their success as his. It's also shocking that a bunch of teenage girls can be treated and exploited in this way, and nobody - parent, authorities, record company - would step in and make sure that they were being protected. Just awful.
Early on, I could relate to some of the emotions that she went through - the feeling of being in a arena watching your favourite rock stars perform, the desire to adopt a uniform to insulate yourself from your high school peers -in her case, emulating David Bowie, in mine, adopting heavy metal gear - metal shirts and jeans. But then her life began to take crazy twists that were far beyond my experience - besides the obvious - her joining an incredibly successful band, there were drunks, exploitative adults, a lack of parental supervision, a dysfunctional family life - and I could only sit in horror and watch as events unfolded.
I found it hard to read about the two rapes, particularly the second one, which read like a horror movie. I had to keep reminding myself that she obviously made it out to write this book, because otherwise it seemed like she would not survive. The event, and its aftermath, were shocking.
I don't usually have a lot of patience reading about a rock star's drug addiction - I'm always getting frustrated that they just don't stop. But Currie takes you inside her mind when she's in the throes of her addiction and doesn't sugarcoat it. She was addicted because that's all there was in her life - she couldn't see a way out because she didn't want to. She couldn't even imagine another life. It kept me fascinated with a sick feeling of dread.
I never knew the Runaways - they were before my time, and I mostly became aware of them through various references and the fact that both Joan Jett and Lita Ford came out of the band. To get this look at them was illuminating. A lot of people dismiss the band as just a creation of Kim Fowley, but to read this book, you realize that despite the truth of that, the talent of the band, their songwriting and their ability to perform made it just as much their success as his. It's also shocking that a bunch of teenage girls can be treated and exploited in this way, and nobody - parent, authorities, record company - would step in and make sure that they were being protected. Just awful.
What a depressing read! I had to force myself to finish - something I have NEVER said before in regards to a rock memoir. Usually a rock memoir is the equivalent of eating a candy bar - short and sweet and makes you slightly ill afterwards because you knew it wasn't good for you.
I read Joan Jett's memoir a while ago and wanted to compare and contrast her book with Cherie's. Oh Cherie. Poor Cherie. Maybe it's because I have a 16 yr old daughter and the bulk of this book takes places during Cherie's years of 15-18 but all of Cherie's story made me SO SAD. ALL THE SADS! Her neglectful mother, her alcoholic father, the bullies at school, getting ripped off by the record company & Kim Fowley and ALL THE RAPES.....yikes. It was hard to finish because I kept dreading what would come next. Not the feeling you want to have when reading a supposedly fun book.
I was glad to read in her epilogue that she seems ok now but jeez, that was a rough road to get there.
I read Joan Jett's memoir a while ago and wanted to compare and contrast her book with Cherie's. Oh Cherie. Poor Cherie. Maybe it's because I have a 16 yr old daughter and the bulk of this book takes places during Cherie's years of 15-18 but all of Cherie's story made me SO SAD. ALL THE SADS! Her neglectful mother, her alcoholic father, the bullies at school, getting ripped off by the record company & Kim Fowley and ALL THE RAPES.....yikes. It was hard to finish because I kept dreading what would come next. Not the feeling you want to have when reading a supposedly fun book.
I was glad to read in her epilogue that she seems ok now but jeez, that was a rough road to get there.
Cherie's raw and brutally honest memoir is both a tragic and inspiring tale of her hard life. Filled with tales of drugs, sex and rock 'n roll it not only tells the story of the epic band 'The Runaways' but goes further and describes Cherie's tragic battles with drugs as she spirals quickly down hill. The book also allows us insight into the crystal clear moment of clarity and light when Cherie finally quit and began her life afresh. This book is full of hard lessons that we all need to learn at some point and teaches us to move on and no matter how bad you think life is you are the only one with the power to turn your life around. A must read for everyone, thought beware it does have explicit detail of some of the tragic scenes of her life involving rape and hard core drug usage. This book is amazing and life changing on so many levels. Cherie you truly are and inspirational woman <3