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The Sunset Strip Diaries
There comes a time in every girl's life, where she has to choose good or choose bad. Amy Asbury chose bad, hands down. Good meant wallflowers, secretaries and subservient wives. Bad meant power- and a possible escape from a life of secrets.
At twelve years old she was trying to make sense of a drug-addicted father and his disturbing behavior. By fifteen she was dealing with horrendous depression, blackouts and rape. At sixteen she was in a mental institution for suicidal tendencies and violent behavior. She knew she could never be normal. The only place for a girl like her was Hollywood.
This is a true story of the social ascent (and eventual decline) of a girl in the Sunset Strip music scene of the early 1990's. From crazy parties to glittered junkies and man-eating strippers, Amy has chronicled what life was like back in the days of excess and debauchery. It is not just a fascinating look into an amusing time in pop culture, but also details the mindset of a young woman trying to find confidence and self-worth in a life full of pain and chaos.
The party came screeching to a halt when the Grunge movement took over and heroin became more prominent. How far off track can a person go before it's too late?
At twelve years old she was trying to make sense of a drug-addicted father and his disturbing behavior. By fifteen she was dealing with horrendous depression, blackouts and rape. At sixteen she was in a mental institution for suicidal tendencies and violent behavior. She knew she could never be normal. The only place for a girl like her was Hollywood.
This is a true story of the social ascent (and eventual decline) of a girl in the Sunset Strip music scene of the early 1990's. From crazy parties to glittered junkies and man-eating strippers, Amy has chronicled what life was like back in the days of excess and debauchery. It is not just a fascinating look into an amusing time in pop culture, but also details the mindset of a young woman trying to find confidence and self-worth in a life full of pain and chaos.
The party came screeching to a halt when the Grunge movement took over and heroin became more prominent. How far off track can a person go before it's too late?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2010
32 people are currently reading
1610 people want to read
About the author
Amy Asbury
11 books53 followersAmy Asbury is the author of five books: Once Upon The Eighties, The Sunset Strip Diaries, Confetti Covered Quicksand, Valley Girl and Fuzzie Wuzzie. She is influenced by Truman Capote, J.D. Salinger, Mary McCarthy, John Cheever, and Judy Blume. She also draws inspiration from film (Martin Scorsese, Sophia Coppola, and P.T. Anderson are favorites), creative design, interesting photography, and beautiful animation.
Amy is a collector of vintage books, retro toys, and eighties candy packages. She loves bookstores, libraries, old-time ice cream parlors and antique shops, and is most at home in the classic Hollywood restaurants or the beaches of her hometown in Los Angeles. She is married to an awesome New-Yorker and has one bookish son.
Amy is a collector of vintage books, retro toys, and eighties candy packages. She loves bookstores, libraries, old-time ice cream parlors and antique shops, and is most at home in the classic Hollywood restaurants or the beaches of her hometown in Los Angeles. She is married to an awesome New-Yorker and has one bookish son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 1, 2011
Quick and fun read. I wish the author had included some pictures.
September 16, 2011
I thought this book would be interesting because I'm about the same age as the author and I grew up on 80's music.
It starts out promising. I reading about her upbringing and the issues in her family was interesting (and sad). She dealt with sexual abuse, her father's drug addiction and her mother's total lack of support and she was lonely and confused and had no one to turn to.
Once she gets into high school and starts hanging out on the Sunset Strip.. it just gets BORING. There is a lot of detail about all the parties they went to and the ridiculous arguments they had. Being 15, 15, 17 years old this all makes sense, but it makes for a very uninteresting read. I thought there would be more intersting stories but instead there are a lot of excerpts from her journal about teenagers acting like teenagers (snore). I could not connect with any of the characters and therefore, don't care to know what happened to them after the party was over. I thought there would be some stores about the bands that made it big from that time; Guns and Roses etc but they only have a brief mention.
I also find it very fascinating that there are no pictures of the author anywhere; not on this site or her FB page. She spends a lot of time telling the reader that she made it into the exclusive group because of her body and looks and yet.. no pic's now or from those days.
It starts out promising. I reading about her upbringing and the issues in her family was interesting (and sad). She dealt with sexual abuse, her father's drug addiction and her mother's total lack of support and she was lonely and confused and had no one to turn to.
Once she gets into high school and starts hanging out on the Sunset Strip.. it just gets BORING. There is a lot of detail about all the parties they went to and the ridiculous arguments they had. Being 15, 15, 17 years old this all makes sense, but it makes for a very uninteresting read. I thought there would be more intersting stories but instead there are a lot of excerpts from her journal about teenagers acting like teenagers (snore). I could not connect with any of the characters and therefore, don't care to know what happened to them after the party was over. I thought there would be some stores about the bands that made it big from that time; Guns and Roses etc but they only have a brief mention.
I also find it very fascinating that there are no pictures of the author anywhere; not on this site or her FB page. She spends a lot of time telling the reader that she made it into the exclusive group because of her body and looks and yet.. no pic's now or from those days.
January 6, 2011
Wow. True story that actually felt like I was in high school again, reading somebody's diary. To the point that I was cringing in some parts. Have you ever had one of those friends that you wish you could have jumped in and saved from their circumstances, but you were helpless? Gut wrenching to see what too many children have gone through at the hands of adults, and then put themselves through as a result of this pain. Plus there's all of the Hollywood nightclub scene thats just JUICY!
I should disclose that this author is a friend of mine and her story is a triumph to her strenghth! Brava!
I should disclose that this author is a friend of mine and her story is a triumph to her strenghth! Brava!
May 17, 2011
Wow. I couldn't put this book down. Even if you aren't interested in the hair band scene of the early 90's, this is a really entertaining book. Cat fights, wild parties, blackmail, booze and drugs and lots of 80's celebs in the background.
The first half is about a shy, Los Angeles private school girl and how she studied how to be a "babe": by watching tons of MTV videos and lots of Dynasty- it was very funny and cringe-worthy- she was very honest. After successfully transforming herself into a hot chick, she got into lots of trouble- it was more than she could handle. It was actually painful for me to read at that point- I felt so bad for her- very descriptive and terrible things happened to her. She went spiraling down a pretty horrible rabbit hole- this portion of the book reminded me of that movie "Thirteen" or the book "Go Ask Alice." Lots of violence, alcoholism, eating disorders- and trying to make sense of sexual abuse. It was written in a way that made me feel like I was there.
The middle of the book details her stay in mental institutions and her struggles with mental illness and self-worth, all the while wishing she could go somewhere where she would fit in: The Sunset Strip in Hollywood. She decided she wanted to be there, but did lots of research before getting there. She studied the clothes, the in-crowd, and the places to be and then set out to get there. She tells the steps that broke her into the impossible to penetrate cool crowd (not what you would think- she didn't appear to have slept her way there.)
After breaking in, she went about trying to stand out- that is when she studied the personalities and looks of the Hollywood strippers and re-vamped herself. She climbed to the top and was the new it-girl in Hollywood. She also detailed the lives of several of the people she met while there-many of who were drug addicts. Most interesting was a call girl named Willa- wow- the life some of these people led!
The books talks in detail about several unsigned "hair" bands and details the nights of their crazy partying in Hollywood. I had never heard of these bands (Alleycat Scratch, Big Bang Babies, Swingin' Thing, Glamour Punks) but I googled them and many have CDs out now and have their performances on YouTube- I was curious about them after reading this and wonder if there will be a resurgence of their popularity.
The third part of this book details her social downfall. It was fun to read even though I was cringing and embarrassed for her in several situations. All and all a great book. I love these sorts of books and I hadn't read one on this particular scene (early 1990's) so I am glad someone put this book out.
The first half is about a shy, Los Angeles private school girl and how she studied how to be a "babe": by watching tons of MTV videos and lots of Dynasty- it was very funny and cringe-worthy- she was very honest. After successfully transforming herself into a hot chick, she got into lots of trouble- it was more than she could handle. It was actually painful for me to read at that point- I felt so bad for her- very descriptive and terrible things happened to her. She went spiraling down a pretty horrible rabbit hole- this portion of the book reminded me of that movie "Thirteen" or the book "Go Ask Alice." Lots of violence, alcoholism, eating disorders- and trying to make sense of sexual abuse. It was written in a way that made me feel like I was there.
The middle of the book details her stay in mental institutions and her struggles with mental illness and self-worth, all the while wishing she could go somewhere where she would fit in: The Sunset Strip in Hollywood. She decided she wanted to be there, but did lots of research before getting there. She studied the clothes, the in-crowd, and the places to be and then set out to get there. She tells the steps that broke her into the impossible to penetrate cool crowd (not what you would think- she didn't appear to have slept her way there.)
After breaking in, she went about trying to stand out- that is when she studied the personalities and looks of the Hollywood strippers and re-vamped herself. She climbed to the top and was the new it-girl in Hollywood. She also detailed the lives of several of the people she met while there-many of who were drug addicts. Most interesting was a call girl named Willa- wow- the life some of these people led!
The books talks in detail about several unsigned "hair" bands and details the nights of their crazy partying in Hollywood. I had never heard of these bands (Alleycat Scratch, Big Bang Babies, Swingin' Thing, Glamour Punks) but I googled them and many have CDs out now and have their performances on YouTube- I was curious about them after reading this and wonder if there will be a resurgence of their popularity.
The third part of this book details her social downfall. It was fun to read even though I was cringing and embarrassed for her in several situations. All and all a great book. I love these sorts of books and I hadn't read one on this particular scene (early 1990's) so I am glad someone put this book out.
February 13, 2015
This book chronicles the life of a confused teenage girl trying to find her way in life, and desperately wanting to become a part of the party scene on the Sunset Strip. She succeeds, and the stories of her three wild years being a popular staple on the Strip are shocking, somewhat depressing, and at some points even a little bit horrifying.
Amy’s childhood was anything but normal; her mother has completely turned her back on her and acts like she doesn’t exist and she is coping with the realization that her father may have sexually molested her when she was just twelve-years-old. She does however show off her humor to lighten up the book in some situations, whether it’s from her dousing herself in knockoff perfume (where she says “I’m sure I smelled like an old lady’s crotch), to trying to teach herself about sex by listening to the Beastie Boys album, Licensed to Ill, to finally describing herself as “a giant heaving bowl of crazy with sprinkles on top.” Even through the humor, it was easy to see this was a troubled girl. By the age of fifteen, she had been date raped, videotaped, blackmailed, contracted VD, was bulimic, suicidal and failing school. By the age of sixteen, she had been put in a psych ward twice. That just sounds like the definition of path of destruction.
Her stories while on the Sunset Strip are just outrageous…that’s really the only way I can describe it. She tells of her relationships with glam rockers from various bands like Swingin’ Things, Alleycat Scratch, Glamour Punks, and Big Bang Babies, befriending various strippers (and as she finds out, one hooker), and details partying and frequently blacking out at hot spots on the Strip; The Rainbow, The Roxy, Whisky, El Compadre, and Gazzarri’s were a few of her most frequent hangouts. She rarely worked, never had any money, and relied solely on her looks and mooching off of her friends to support her Hollywood lifestyle. She’s determined to make it to the top no matter what the consequences. She eventually does become a hot commodity on the Sunset Strip, and then the Grunge movement takes over and she soon realizes the whole scene that has been her life for the past three years is in serious decline, if not already dead.
I won’t lie; some parts of this memoir are actually rather disturbing. The number of times she gets raped is shocking, and her complete disregard for everyone is just sad. Overall, it was an easy read, and her writing style coupled with frequent diary excerpts makes you feel like you are right there partying on the Sunset Strip with her. You get an inside view of the crazy, glitter-covered Sunset Strip in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and I can’t wait to read the sequel to see just what became of Amy after the death of glam rock.
Amy’s childhood was anything but normal; her mother has completely turned her back on her and acts like she doesn’t exist and she is coping with the realization that her father may have sexually molested her when she was just twelve-years-old. She does however show off her humor to lighten up the book in some situations, whether it’s from her dousing herself in knockoff perfume (where she says “I’m sure I smelled like an old lady’s crotch), to trying to teach herself about sex by listening to the Beastie Boys album, Licensed to Ill, to finally describing herself as “a giant heaving bowl of crazy with sprinkles on top.” Even through the humor, it was easy to see this was a troubled girl. By the age of fifteen, she had been date raped, videotaped, blackmailed, contracted VD, was bulimic, suicidal and failing school. By the age of sixteen, she had been put in a psych ward twice. That just sounds like the definition of path of destruction.
Her stories while on the Sunset Strip are just outrageous…that’s really the only way I can describe it. She tells of her relationships with glam rockers from various bands like Swingin’ Things, Alleycat Scratch, Glamour Punks, and Big Bang Babies, befriending various strippers (and as she finds out, one hooker), and details partying and frequently blacking out at hot spots on the Strip; The Rainbow, The Roxy, Whisky, El Compadre, and Gazzarri’s were a few of her most frequent hangouts. She rarely worked, never had any money, and relied solely on her looks and mooching off of her friends to support her Hollywood lifestyle. She’s determined to make it to the top no matter what the consequences. She eventually does become a hot commodity on the Sunset Strip, and then the Grunge movement takes over and she soon realizes the whole scene that has been her life for the past three years is in serious decline, if not already dead.
I won’t lie; some parts of this memoir are actually rather disturbing. The number of times she gets raped is shocking, and her complete disregard for everyone is just sad. Overall, it was an easy read, and her writing style coupled with frequent diary excerpts makes you feel like you are right there partying on the Sunset Strip with her. You get an inside view of the crazy, glitter-covered Sunset Strip in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and I can’t wait to read the sequel to see just what became of Amy after the death of glam rock.
January 6, 2011
Awesome memoir! I don't usually read the biographies... but I got TOTALLY sucked in to this one. The author is clever and witty. It's about this girl growing up in the san fernando valley and then finding her way to the crazy sunset strip scene in the glam rock days. She saw some crazy things with the famous rockers she was hanging out with. I actually powered through this book in one day - couldn't put it down, and even flaked on dinner plans so i could keep reading. :P
June 1, 2011
I thought this book was amazing! Even if hair bands aren't your thing, this book is wildly entertaining! At times hilarious, heart-wrenching, and poignant. I devoured it in 2 days and then immediately bought the sequel!
March 6, 2024
Wow. It now has opened my eyes to what some teenage girls go through. Written by a teenager but explained perfectly. It makes you really dislike the men in this book, but also shows you that parents need to be there for the kid. I’m glad the author came out of this ok, although I know a lot of her friends didn’t. It’s a story about a party girl in Hollywood during the late days of the sunset strip, yet so much more. Very enjoyable read.
May 17, 2011
Wow. I couldn't put this book down. Even if you aren't interested in the hair band scene of the early 90's, this is a really entertaining book. Cat fights, wild parties, blackmail, booze and drugs and lots of 80's celebs in the background.
The first half is about a shy, Los Angeles private school girl and how she studied how to be a "babe": by watching tons of MTV videos and lots of Dynasty- it was very funny and cringe-worthy- she was very honest. After successfully transforming herself into a hot chick, she got into lots of trouble- it was more than she could handle. It was actually painful for me to read at that point- I felt so bad for her- very descriptive and terrible things happened to her. She went spiraling down a pretty horrible rabbit hole- this portion of the book reminded me of that movie "Thirteen" or the book "Go Ask Alice." Lots of violence, alcoholism, eating disorders- and trying to make sense of sexual abuse. It was written in a way that made me feel like I was there.
The middle of the book details her stay in mental institutions and her struggles with mental illness and self-worth, all the while wishing she could go somewhere where she would fit in: The Sunset Strip in Hollywood. She decided she wanted to be there, but did lots of research before getting there. She studied the clothes, the in-crowd, and the places to be and then set out to get there. She tells the steps that broke her into the impossible to penetrate cool crowd (not what you would think- she didn't appear to have slept her way there.)
After breaking in, she went about trying to stand out- that is when she studied the personalities and looks of the Hollywood strippers and re-vamped herself. She climbed to the top and was the new it-girl in Hollywood. She also detailed the lives of several of the people she met while there-many of who were drug addicts. Most interesting was a call girl named Willa- wow- the life some of these people led!
The books talks in detail about several unsigned "hair" bands and details the nights of their crazy partying in Hollywood. I had never heard of these bands (Alleycat Scratch, Big Bang Babies, Swingin' Thing, Glamour Punks) but I googled them and many have CDs out now and have their performances on YouTube- I was curious about them after reading this and wonder if there will be a resurgence of their popularity.
The third part of this book details her social downfall. It was fun to read even though I was cringing and embarrassed for her in several situations. All and all a great book. I love these sorts of books and I hadn't read one on this particular scene (early 1990's) so I am glad someone put this book out.
The first half is about a shy, Los Angeles private school girl and how she studied how to be a "babe": by watching tons of MTV videos and lots of Dynasty- it was very funny and cringe-worthy- she was very honest. After successfully transforming herself into a hot chick, she got into lots of trouble- it was more than she could handle. It was actually painful for me to read at that point- I felt so bad for her- very descriptive and terrible things happened to her. She went spiraling down a pretty horrible rabbit hole- this portion of the book reminded me of that movie "Thirteen" or the book "Go Ask Alice." Lots of violence, alcoholism, eating disorders- and trying to make sense of sexual abuse. It was written in a way that made me feel like I was there.
The middle of the book details her stay in mental institutions and her struggles with mental illness and self-worth, all the while wishing she could go somewhere where she would fit in: The Sunset Strip in Hollywood. She decided she wanted to be there, but did lots of research before getting there. She studied the clothes, the in-crowd, and the places to be and then set out to get there. She tells the steps that broke her into the impossible to penetrate cool crowd (not what you would think- she didn't appear to have slept her way there.)
After breaking in, she went about trying to stand out- that is when she studied the personalities and looks of the Hollywood strippers and re-vamped herself. She climbed to the top and was the new it-girl in Hollywood. She also detailed the lives of several of the people she met while there-many of who were drug addicts. Most interesting was a call girl named Willa- wow- the life some of these people led!
The books talks in detail about several unsigned "hair" bands and details the nights of their crazy partying in Hollywood. I had never heard of these bands (Alleycat Scratch, Big Bang Babies, Swingin' Thing, Glamour Punks) but I googled them and many have CDs out now and have their performances on YouTube- I was curious about them after reading this and wonder if there will be a resurgence of their popularity.
The third part of this book details her social downfall. It was fun to read even though I was cringing and embarrassed for her in several situations. All and all a great book. I love these sorts of books and I hadn't read one on this particular scene (early 1990's) so I am glad someone put this book out.
September 21, 2012
Pictures would have earned her another star I thought maybe this book was going to be a bit controversial because I couldn't find it in any library. It started out ok. Makes you want to keep reading. Had me laughing when she mentioned her perfume smelling like an old ladies crotch because i have made that reference before. AsI got toward the end i found myself scanning instead of reading. She went out and partied an then she went out and partied. She mentioned some major league rockstars she came across. But apparently didnt interact with or failed to mention if she did. It would have made it more interesting. Everything started to go bad too fast all at once. Small details were left out as in she was rushing the story along. I Guess it wasn't raw enough for me but for some it may be jaw dropping.
May 31, 2016
The first part of this book wasn't too bad, detailing the authors childhood and subsequent abuse and family break down.
But I quickly lost interest and found myself just skimming through the second half. It just wasn't that interesting, just name dropping and a few inane drunken incidents.
Didn't do much for me at all.
But I quickly lost interest and found myself just skimming through the second half. It just wasn't that interesting, just name dropping and a few inane drunken incidents.
Didn't do much for me at all.
July 7, 2022
A true survivor story
I have been down a rabbit hole of groupie books for some reason and thought that this was just another lurid but interesting tale. This author is anything but a groupie, she is a true survivor of every type of abuse at the hands of the two people on earth you're supposed to be able to trust. A fascinating and very well written book, obviously this woman has triumphed and I cannot wait to read the rest of her story. She is so very real and relatable. You'll be pulling for her all the way. Amy, if you read this, please know that your incredible strength is an inspiration. I wish I had read this as a teenager and realized I was not the only person confused and uninformed about my sexuality and horrible relationship with my mother.
I have been down a rabbit hole of groupie books for some reason and thought that this was just another lurid but interesting tale. This author is anything but a groupie, she is a true survivor of every type of abuse at the hands of the two people on earth you're supposed to be able to trust. A fascinating and very well written book, obviously this woman has triumphed and I cannot wait to read the rest of her story. She is so very real and relatable. You'll be pulling for her all the way. Amy, if you read this, please know that your incredible strength is an inspiration. I wish I had read this as a teenager and realized I was not the only person confused and uninformed about my sexuality and horrible relationship with my mother.
June 20, 2021
Honestly, I couldn't put this book down, all the stories in this novel are miscellaneous but focus in the same road of decaying fates, I don't know why this hasn't become into a tv series yet, netflix makes a lot of shit these days, and then you have Amy Asbury giving you her memories, which are raw, entertaining and full of nostalgia ( because I couldn't be there to live the 80s, I wasn't born yet), but we all love the 80s, don't we?
I don't give it five stars because I would have loved to see photographs of all of it.
For those who like to read rockstars bios book, don't waste your time and pick this book instead.
I don't give it five stars because I would have loved to see photographs of all of it.
For those who like to read rockstars bios book, don't waste your time and pick this book instead.
October 17, 2018
The author and I are the same age. It is a high probability if I was living anywhere near the vicinity of The Sunset Strip at the same time as Amy Asbury, she and I would’ve been partners in crime...or competitors for attention...or both.
Some of her stories seem to ramble, repeat themselves, and the abundance of characters were tough to keep straight. But, I think that’s the point. That was her life. The nights, parties, debauchery began rolling into a repetitive event.
3.5/5
Some of her stories seem to ramble, repeat themselves, and the abundance of characters were tough to keep straight. But, I think that’s the point. That was her life. The nights, parties, debauchery began rolling into a repetitive event.
3.5/5
June 6, 2024
oh my god this book. i read it in ONE DAY. i thought this book was just excellent. it sucked me right in and i couldnt put it down. i just kept picking it up for one more chapter. following amy's life throughout the tumultous sunset strip scene was wild. i couldnt believe this was all true and it was !!! i mean. wow. excellent book. easy to read and understand and kept me hooked. intense in topics but a good read.
March 1, 2018
Loved this book...it's heartbreaking, it's funny...I love her writing in general but this particular book is a great peek in the window of that time. It's also a must-read for parents who want to see into the mind of a teenager whose family blew apart, and how she desperately tries to find safety and love....
August 8, 2017
Decent summer quick read
This book started off great but then really slowed down. I ended up skimming the last 60 pages or so.
This book started off great but then really slowed down. I ended up skimming the last 60 pages or so.
May 18, 2018
Raw, honest. No holds barred. I couldn't put it down.
May 27, 2018
Couldn't put it down
What a wild ride, and unexpected look into what it was like to be a teen in the early 90s.
What a wild ride, and unexpected look into what it was like to be a teen in the early 90s.
February 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Amy grew up in my era and I recognised some of the bands and the places (I'm from the UK but have been to Hollywood a few times). I found it interesting how Amy reinvented herself and used her nights out as a way to escape all of the awful things that happened to her during her childhood. The new revised Kindle edition comes with pictures, ticket stubs, flyers and posters and that really adds to the book. Amy is also active on social media where you can see several pictures of her. Maybe there aren't many photos of her out there - it's not like iphones were around in those days, or like she was ever coherent enough to take photos and get them printed! Not surprised there aren't many photos!
I enjoyed all of this book, the first half, the second half. Amy is honest, open and tells it like it is. She admits when she was horrible to her friends, boyfriend etc. I found the relationship with her parents to be so sad - the people who were supposed to love, nuture and protect her pretty much failed completely and set her on this path of self destruction and feeling worthless.
I'm now reading the second book.....I think things are going to get worse for Amy before they get better but honestly - read this for what it is and you will enjoy the book.
I enjoyed all of this book, the first half, the second half. Amy is honest, open and tells it like it is. She admits when she was horrible to her friends, boyfriend etc. I found the relationship with her parents to be so sad - the people who were supposed to love, nuture and protect her pretty much failed completely and set her on this path of self destruction and feeling worthless.
I'm now reading the second book.....I think things are going to get worse for Amy before they get better but honestly - read this for what it is and you will enjoy the book.
November 23, 2011
Not for the easily offended. If you are a mom who has just read Eat Pray Love or The Help, this might be a little much for you unless you are completely non-judgmental and, well, brave. This is a true story of a girl who had a painful life and went in search of a crowd who would accept her: The Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California. As the other reviewers have said on the Nook version, there are a lot of funny pop culture references and lots of self-deprecating humor amongst some pretty vividly violent and terrible situations (sexual assaults, abuse situations.) A lot of time, I was yelling at the girl in this book- I did not like her. But I was happy to read such a truthful book about someone's life- it was very interesting, different, and fascinating at times. Aside from all of that, there are tons of very colorful characters- Glam rockers, strippers and druggies (I googled a bunch of the band guys to see their pictures). Liked it a lot- and there is a great sequel too (Confetti Covered Quicksand)
January 18, 2015
Really loved this book. This is a true story of Amy's younger years on the Hollywood scene during the early '90's. It is a hard read at times as it deals with rape,abuse and attempted suicide. I would recommend this book to everyone. I cannot wait to see what happens to Amy during her next book,Conetti Covered Quicksand. Amy is a really strong person,and i would not have been able to cope with what she went through during her early years.
March 31, 2013
I read this book in about 2 days. Couldn't put it down. It's amazing how the truth is so much more interesting than fiction. You simply couldn't make this stuff up. I also read the next one, "Confetti Covered Quicksand" immediately after. Amy is a gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more of her works in the coming future. Highly recommended!
June 2, 2014
Why no pics of people like Birdie or Missy at least? I would've given this less stars but I read the sequel and gave that only 2. Without any pictures at all it just seems like a lot of this could've easily been made up. How do we know some of these characters in the book even existed? It's all a bit too mysterious.....MORE PICS!!!!!
July 31, 2016
Very so-so. Thought it would be more about bigger bands than it was. Quick, easy read.
Pretty mediocre and depressing. But that is her story. Debating on ready her next book. Hope its not more of the same.
Pretty mediocre and depressing. But that is her story. Debating on ready her next book. Hope its not more of the same.
January 24, 2022
I enjoyed this book immensely. I grew up during the same period. I loved glam rock! I found myself relating to her in so many ways. Although I didn't experience near the neglect or abuse that she endured. There were some truly cringe worthy parts for sure!
September 5, 2016
I read this book as part of research I'm doing about the 80's/90's Sunset Strip hair metal scene. There's some good background here that I think will be helpful to me, but this book is not particularly well written or compelling.
June 28, 2011
Sad story of a girl with no parental compass in here life. Written in a very amateur manner, lots of gratuitous cursing, but understanding her background, that makes sense.
Read
December 2, 2012loved it
April 23, 2013
Rating withheld pending book club discussion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews