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High on arrival
304 pages
A brutally honest, harrowing descent into Hollywood's darkest corners and a desperate, ultimately triumphant claw back to the light.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like sitting across from a survivor who has finally decided to drop all pretenses and tell you the absolute, unvarnished truth. The pace is propulsive, driven by a chaotic, almost unbelievable sequence of traumas and betrayals that plunge the reader into a deeply claustrophobic and harrowing atmosphere. It is not an easy read; the tone is unflinchingly raw, stripping away the glamour of 1970s rock-and-roll royalty to expose the devastating reality of generational trauma and severe addiction. Yet, beneath the shock value lies a profound vulnerability. The prose is conversational and stark, refusing to sensationalize the pain. It will grip readers who appreciate brutally honest accounts of surviving the darkest depths of family dysfunction and finding a fragile, hard-won redemption.
- Mood
- chaotic
- claustrophobic
- harrowing
- dark
- Tone
- raw
- confessional
- unflinching
- candid
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- generational trauma · the dark side of fame · addiction and recovery · family betrayal · survival
- The writing
- Direct, conversational, and starkly unadorned, letting the shocking weight of the events speak for themselves.
- The arc
- Plunges into the chaotic depths of severe trauma and addiction before slowly clawing its way toward a fragile, hard-won peace.
- Who it's for
- Readers drawn to brutally honest celebrity memoirs and stories of surviving extreme family dysfunction and addiction.
Content notes
- incest
- sexual abuse
- severe drug addiction
- overdose
- emotional abuse
About the book
The actor-musician-mother shares her lifelong battle with personal demons, incest, and near-fatal addictions in this astounding, outrageous, and often tender life story.
Description from Open Library.
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