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Drinking Games
Length: 6 hours and 44 minutes
Part memoir and part social critique, Drinking Games is about how one woman drank and lived— and how, for her, the last drink was just the beginning.
On paper, Sarah Levy’s life was on track. She was 28, living in New York City, working a great job, and socializing every weekend. But Sarah had a secret: her relationship with alcohol was becoming toxic. And only she could save herself.
Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative years, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. It’s an examination of what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how they challenge our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life.
Candid and dynamic, this book speaks to the all-consuming cycle of working hard, playing harder, and trying to look perfect while you’re at it. Sarah takes us by the hand through her personal journey with blackouts, dating, relationships, wellness culture, startups, social media, friendship, and self-discovery.
In this intimate and darkly funny memoir, she stumbles through her twenties, explores the impact alcohol has on relationships and identity, and shows us how life’s messiest moments can end up being the most profound.
Part memoir and part social critique, Drinking Games is about how one woman drank and lived— and how, for her, the last drink was just the beginning.
On paper, Sarah Levy’s life was on track. She was 28, living in New York City, working a great job, and socializing every weekend. But Sarah had a secret: her relationship with alcohol was becoming toxic. And only she could save herself.
Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative years, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. It’s an examination of what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how they challenge our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life.
Candid and dynamic, this book speaks to the all-consuming cycle of working hard, playing harder, and trying to look perfect while you’re at it. Sarah takes us by the hand through her personal journey with blackouts, dating, relationships, wellness culture, startups, social media, friendship, and self-discovery.
In this intimate and darkly funny memoir, she stumbles through her twenties, explores the impact alcohol has on relationships and identity, and shows us how life’s messiest moments can end up being the most profound.
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First published January 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 861 reviews
January 22, 2023
Outlier opinion here. Despite the sea of four and five star reviews, I have to admit I really didn’t like this book. It took me several days to finish because I found the author so annoying. I’m not normally one to criticize an author for their privilege, especially not in a mental health or sobriety memoir—I figure we’re probably all just stumbling along trying to do the best we can in this life—but in this one, it just stuck out like a sore thumb. All the mentions of her Ivy League education, her hip and influential acquaintances, her jaunts to Europe and her six figure income really grated after awhile.
And she just didn’t seem like a person I would enjoy getting to know. She mentions deleting photos of friends who aren’t cool enough from her social media accounts and being surprised when she realized that weddings were about the bride and groom, not her. Pre-sobriety, she describes her life as one non stop party. The thing is, I knew people like that in college, and I found them incredibly boring and shallow. I remember one girl who, like the author, had gotten sober, and who apologized to me for making fun of my geeky self behind my back. But since I barely knew this girl and had no idea what she said—we hung out in completely different circles—her “apology” was just as thoughtless as whatever it was she’d said beforehand.
But a lot of readers have said they found Levy relatable and this book inspiring, so obviously YMMV. If this book sounds interesting, you might just love it.
On a more constructive note, I think it would have worked better for me as a chronological memoir rather than a collection of “hip” essays. The format led to a lot of repetition and a confusing timeline. There was also information that wasn’t mentioned until the second half that should have been brought up earlier. For example, Levy writes about her obsession with being seen as cool and popular and fitting in leading to her creation of her party girl persona. She became the person who was always down for a good time: drinking and partying to the point of blacking out, puking in public, going to the hospital, unintended hookups, etc. It sounded so miserable that I couldn’t understand why she kept doing it. But then she mentioned, over half way through the book, that she never felt like she fit in as a child because of being half-French (neither French enough for France nor American enough for America) and also Jewish. That started to make more sense to me, but it’s mentioned in just one essay.
Honestly, I wish Levy success in her sobriety and I think she’s probably a more thoughtful person than comes across in this book. I would read about her future life journeys, especially if she can work through her need to sound hip all the time. I would have rounded my rating up to three stars if she hadn’t ended her book with an earnest essay about a pricey manifestation workshop.
And she just didn’t seem like a person I would enjoy getting to know. She mentions deleting photos of friends who aren’t cool enough from her social media accounts and being surprised when she realized that weddings were about the bride and groom, not her. Pre-sobriety, she describes her life as one non stop party. The thing is, I knew people like that in college, and I found them incredibly boring and shallow. I remember one girl who, like the author, had gotten sober, and who apologized to me for making fun of my geeky self behind my back. But since I barely knew this girl and had no idea what she said—we hung out in completely different circles—her “apology” was just as thoughtless as whatever it was she’d said beforehand.
But a lot of readers have said they found Levy relatable and this book inspiring, so obviously YMMV. If this book sounds interesting, you might just love it.
On a more constructive note, I think it would have worked better for me as a chronological memoir rather than a collection of “hip” essays. The format led to a lot of repetition and a confusing timeline. There was also information that wasn’t mentioned until the second half that should have been brought up earlier. For example, Levy writes about her obsession with being seen as cool and popular and fitting in leading to her creation of her party girl persona. She became the person who was always down for a good time: drinking and partying to the point of blacking out, puking in public, going to the hospital, unintended hookups, etc. It sounded so miserable that I couldn’t understand why she kept doing it. But then she mentioned, over half way through the book, that she never felt like she fit in as a child because of being half-French (neither French enough for France nor American enough for America) and also Jewish. That started to make more sense to me, but it’s mentioned in just one essay.
Honestly, I wish Levy success in her sobriety and I think she’s probably a more thoughtful person than comes across in this book. I would read about her future life journeys, especially if she can work through her need to sound hip all the time. I would have rounded my rating up to three stars if she hadn’t ended her book with an earnest essay about a pricey manifestation workshop.
March 14, 2023
I'm so happy that the author found happiness and peace when she decided to live a sober life. Truly, it seems like it was a needed and healthy change for her. That being said, this book was an exercise in self-absorption.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive.
February 20, 2023
Drinking Games by Sarah Levy is an honest deep-dive into the life of a problem-drinker-turned-sober Millennial. In it, she describes not only her drinking war stories and her subsequent sobriety but also address the issues that often accompany a diagnosis of substance abuse disorder. These issues include a fundamental lack of self-worth, obsession with body image, people pleasing, the loss of self-identity and of course, the social media comparison trap. While definitely targeted toward the female Millennial audience, this book is full of great writing and hard-earned insights that anyone can relate to. The reader gets to accompany Levy on her seemingly endless raucous nights in New York City where she encounters numerous close calls and plenty of cringeworthy situations as a result of her heavy drinking. As a reader who is almost four years sober, I felt for her every single time. But we also get a front row seat into her recovery journey as she unwraps the awe of experiencing life "in technicolor" for the first time. We get to see her story unfold as she realizes her lack of identity as a drinker and begins to find her authentic sober self.
In recovery, we see her peel back the layers and examine her other destructive tendencies, namely her disordered eating, obsession with being thin and constructing the perfect social media presence. Her recovery journey shows her that, while she remained hyper-focused on the external, when it was the internal that needed to be healed in order to find peace.
As someone who is well-read in the "quit lit" genre, I felt that Levy did do a disservice to the recovery community when she condemned another sober writer for her condemnation of AA (can you condemn condemnation??). Levy said that this kind of judgement on AA undoubtedly keeps many people sick. I feel that if you are looking for an excuse not to recover--and don't we all as part of the journey--you may use the stigma as a reason not to try it, but the way she advocated for 12-step programs made it seem like the only way to achieve sobriety. There are many different paths that make up a successful sober journey, and there is room for them all. Still, I appreciated reading how Levy navigated these always-choppy waters.
The only other thing that detracted from the piece as a whole is the structure of the book. It is called a memoir but it read like a series of essays on different themes with repetitive context that is not necessary in a cohesive story. The ping-ponging back and forth between drunk and sober was a bit disorienting and I found myself trying to keep track of what point in her life she was writing about. Calling and marketing this book as a collection of personal essays would have put to rest my desire for a cohesive, chronological story.
I'm still giving this read a four-star review because Levy is a talented writer with an important message to impart. I think that everyone--drinkers, non-drinkers and the recovery community--will find a bit of themselves in Levy and benefit from her authentic insights.
I listened to the audio version published by Macmillan Audio narrated by the author and thought that this added to the experience. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for a fair review.
Drinking Games hits the shelves January 3, 2023.
In recovery, we see her peel back the layers and examine her other destructive tendencies, namely her disordered eating, obsession with being thin and constructing the perfect social media presence. Her recovery journey shows her that, while she remained hyper-focused on the external, when it was the internal that needed to be healed in order to find peace.
As someone who is well-read in the "quit lit" genre, I felt that Levy did do a disservice to the recovery community when she condemned another sober writer for her condemnation of AA (can you condemn condemnation??). Levy said that this kind of judgement on AA undoubtedly keeps many people sick. I feel that if you are looking for an excuse not to recover--and don't we all as part of the journey--you may use the stigma as a reason not to try it, but the way she advocated for 12-step programs made it seem like the only way to achieve sobriety. There are many different paths that make up a successful sober journey, and there is room for them all. Still, I appreciated reading how Levy navigated these always-choppy waters.
The only other thing that detracted from the piece as a whole is the structure of the book. It is called a memoir but it read like a series of essays on different themes with repetitive context that is not necessary in a cohesive story. The ping-ponging back and forth between drunk and sober was a bit disorienting and I found myself trying to keep track of what point in her life she was writing about. Calling and marketing this book as a collection of personal essays would have put to rest my desire for a cohesive, chronological story.
I'm still giving this read a four-star review because Levy is a talented writer with an important message to impart. I think that everyone--drinkers, non-drinkers and the recovery community--will find a bit of themselves in Levy and benefit from her authentic insights.
I listened to the audio version published by Macmillan Audio narrated by the author and thought that this added to the experience. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for a fair review.
Drinking Games hits the shelves January 3, 2023.
August 17, 2022
(free review copy) I’m always up for a sobriety memoir and this one is very compelling. It feels like it’s more connected essays than a linear memoir and there is a bit of repetition, but I truly hope it will find the right readers because Sarah’s tale of her alcohol issues will resonate with so many young women. As will her overall anxiety and body image issues. This isn’t a “how to quit drinking” guide but it is one story of a woman on the verge who found sobriety and is in a light years different / better place because of it. I commend the author for her bravery in writing her story.
March 1, 2023
TW: Alcoholism, cancer, eating disorder, peer pressure, dementia, language, classification
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative adult lives, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. Sarah explores what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how it challenges our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life. While many millennial women will see themselves in Sarah's words and story, Drinking Games is dedicated to anyone who feels like their private struggles are terminally unique. Whether it’s alcohol, food, exercise, or work, so many of us are grasping for control and struggling to keep our heads above water.Candid, dynamic, Drinking Games speaks to the millennial experience of working hard, playing harder, and wanting everything to look perfect on social media. Dedicated to those who might be questioning their relationship with alcohol but scared that quitting drinking is an ending, Drinking Games illustrates how, for one woman, sobriety was just the beginning of the story. Sarah's words strike the perfect chord of relatability and biting honesty. Instead of claiming to have the answers, she takes readers by the hand throughout her journey, and shows us that life's messiest moments are the ones that can end up being the most profound.
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Author seemed like she put a lot of energy into this book
What I Didn't Like:
1. Author comes off full of herself
2. Moments contradicted itself
3. 1000000 people asking her why she isn't drinking
Overall Thoughts:
Honestly I was confused how she didn't have money when her parents were paying all her rent and bills while she lived in NY. She mentions many times in this book about how she didn't know how people could pay their bills and buy purses. She spends all her money on drinking and buying things online. She even went to Rome after graduation. She went to France every summer growing up.
I'm so confused why everyone is making such a huge deal about her not drinking. I get why her friends are as they are used to her getting wasted but I don't get why strangers are giving her shit. I don't drink but I have never been harassed as much as she has for why I don't. Most people just ask my why I don't but that's the end of it.
This woman was more problems than just a drinking problem. She has an addiction problem to everything Hut that's a sign of addiction. You force your addiction to other things.
Reading this book she gave off "I'm not like other girls" vibes. Even saying she never thought of plans of her wedding.
Title of this book should have been called "I can't drink on my wedding day".
She just made it seem like it was so easy to quit drinking. She just manafested it and boom she's sober and has a handsome husband.
I wish I could have loved this story of her struggle with drinking but it almost feels as though she misses it and making a joke of it. She comes off so entailed it's hard to feel for her struggles beyond what she says. I never felt as though she dived very deep into her experiences other than mentioning vaguely going home with some good looking strangers. She could have taken the time to let others know how this behavior was dangerous but instead she gives us some Disney version of her alcoholism.
She wraps the book up with that marriage didn't save her but it almost feels like that is what she is saying. I love how she mentions that they were building their own home too.
Final Thoughts:
I can't even imagine who this book would help. I was going to send this book to my fiancé's niece who likes drinking a lot but I don't think she would get anything of value from it. She might go out drinking after being reminded for 30th time how poor she is.
Recommend For:
• Rich people
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative adult lives, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. Sarah explores what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how it challenges our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life. While many millennial women will see themselves in Sarah's words and story, Drinking Games is dedicated to anyone who feels like their private struggles are terminally unique. Whether it’s alcohol, food, exercise, or work, so many of us are grasping for control and struggling to keep our heads above water.Candid, dynamic, Drinking Games speaks to the millennial experience of working hard, playing harder, and wanting everything to look perfect on social media. Dedicated to those who might be questioning their relationship with alcohol but scared that quitting drinking is an ending, Drinking Games illustrates how, for one woman, sobriety was just the beginning of the story. Sarah's words strike the perfect chord of relatability and biting honesty. Instead of claiming to have the answers, she takes readers by the hand throughout her journey, and shows us that life's messiest moments are the ones that can end up being the most profound.
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Author seemed like she put a lot of energy into this book
What I Didn't Like:
1. Author comes off full of herself
2. Moments contradicted itself
3. 1000000 people asking her why she isn't drinking
Overall Thoughts:
Honestly I was confused how she didn't have money when her parents were paying all her rent and bills while she lived in NY. She mentions many times in this book about how she didn't know how people could pay their bills and buy purses. She spends all her money on drinking and buying things online. She even went to Rome after graduation. She went to France every summer growing up.
I'm so confused why everyone is making such a huge deal about her not drinking. I get why her friends are as they are used to her getting wasted but I don't get why strangers are giving her shit. I don't drink but I have never been harassed as much as she has for why I don't. Most people just ask my why I don't but that's the end of it.
This woman was more problems than just a drinking problem. She has an addiction problem to everything Hut that's a sign of addiction. You force your addiction to other things.
Reading this book she gave off "I'm not like other girls" vibes. Even saying she never thought of plans of her wedding.
Title of this book should have been called "I can't drink on my wedding day".
She just made it seem like it was so easy to quit drinking. She just manafested it and boom she's sober and has a handsome husband.
I wish I could have loved this story of her struggle with drinking but it almost feels as though she misses it and making a joke of it. She comes off so entailed it's hard to feel for her struggles beyond what she says. I never felt as though she dived very deep into her experiences other than mentioning vaguely going home with some good looking strangers. She could have taken the time to let others know how this behavior was dangerous but instead she gives us some Disney version of her alcoholism.
She wraps the book up with that marriage didn't save her but it almost feels like that is what she is saying. I love how she mentions that they were building their own home too.
Final Thoughts:
I can't even imagine who this book would help. I was going to send this book to my fiancé's niece who likes drinking a lot but I don't think she would get anything of value from it. She might go out drinking after being reminded for 30th time how poor she is.
Recommend For:
• Rich people
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 9, 2023
This book makes me realize I really don’t like memoirs by entitled well to do white people. While I believe this writer had a true issue in her drinking the complaints she has in her day to day are sooo minor compared to some of the other stories I read it just sounds so ridiculous. She beats herself up for not doing her dishes or having a pile of unread books. Oh boy.
This collection of essays makes her comes across as the most unassured young woman who ping pongs from trend to person looking for validation and some kind of direction. Her background of blackouts and ending up hospitalized or in unwanted sexual situations is definitely terrible don’t get me wrong but the surrounding people and perceptions were so cringey. At one point she tells us abt a socialite friend who watches her get so drunk she ends up hospitalized. Instead of helping her, the friend decides to break off their friendship. These people are awful. I’ve had friends with drinking issues and I never would have abandoned them like that. And her boyfriend who told her she’s fat?! Oof. She can really pick ‘em.
If you liked Alyssa Shelasky’s memoir:essays this might strike your fancy. Similarly this writer is very honest and I applaud that aspect. The vulnerability she shows is fantastic. I just maybe didn’t need a chapter on archiving instagram posts. Oh millennials. Sigh.
This collection of essays makes her comes across as the most unassured young woman who ping pongs from trend to person looking for validation and some kind of direction. Her background of blackouts and ending up hospitalized or in unwanted sexual situations is definitely terrible don’t get me wrong but the surrounding people and perceptions were so cringey. At one point she tells us abt a socialite friend who watches her get so drunk she ends up hospitalized. Instead of helping her, the friend decides to break off their friendship. These people are awful. I’ve had friends with drinking issues and I never would have abandoned them like that. And her boyfriend who told her she’s fat?! Oof. She can really pick ‘em.
If you liked Alyssa Shelasky’s memoir:essays this might strike your fancy. Similarly this writer is very honest and I applaud that aspect. The vulnerability she shows is fantastic. I just maybe didn’t need a chapter on archiving instagram posts. Oh millennials. Sigh.
October 24, 2022
Sarah Levy has bared her very soul in writing this book about her addiction to alcohol. In the US, alcohol is available at every turn, at every moment, and we are home to millions of alcoholics. My father was one of them. He never beat the beast we call alcohol and I was a personal spectator to what it does to the human body and brain, and how those who become addicted can become totally different people.
We sometimes forget alcohol is basically a legal addictive drug. In very small quantities, little harm is done, but when a person simply cannot live without it and depends on "just one more" to get through life, it takes over the lives of not only the addict, but his/her family, loved ones, and friends.
I congratulate Sarah on achieving sobriety and for having the courage to tell her story.
We sometimes forget alcohol is basically a legal addictive drug. In very small quantities, little harm is done, but when a person simply cannot live without it and depends on "just one more" to get through life, it takes over the lives of not only the addict, but his/her family, loved ones, and friends.
I congratulate Sarah on achieving sobriety and for having the courage to tell her story.
January 12, 2025
Feels like you're holding a Solo cup at a frat mixer, until the moderation chapter, that kept me at the party, but then I wanted to leave again.
January 27, 2023
Did not finish. I’m glad that Sarah got sober and seems to be in a better place but her inherent privilege is never addressed. It seems like her struggles are run of the mill. She has rich friends who cart her off to exotic places, an Ivy League education, tons of friends, a steady home and job. Like, a dude called you fat once so you became an alcoholic? It’s hard being a woman and dealing with the pressures placed on us to be thin, ever-youthful, and perfect at all times - I completely resonate with that but I’m a 28 year-old millennial who struggles with substance abuse issues and this just really did nothing for me.
January 17, 2023
This was a well written memoir that will hook you from the first page. Levy was so honest in sharing her life. I found a lot of this to be relatable and could understand the decisions she made. She is such a strong person and sharing her story in the way she did takes a lot of courage. This is definitely a memoir you won’t want to miss.
Thank you so much for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you so much for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 14, 2023
I found the author unaware of her massive privilege and not terribly likable, drunk or sober.
January 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for accepting my request to read and review Drinking Games.
Author: Sarah Levy
Published: 01/03/23
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)
Memoir displayed across the front cover and I missed it. I honestly was expecting a mystery. I Googled Sarah Levy when I saw memoir. She is a Canadian actress and part of a successful television show that I did not watch.
The title, Drinking Games, I found to be a perfect fit. She played games and recognized her problem with alcohol through embarrassment and games she made up. She does take responsibility for herself, and I didn't feel like she whined or made excuses. She wanted a balance.
If you are needing encouragement, maybe you will relate to the author.
Author: Sarah Levy
Published: 01/03/23
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)
Memoir displayed across the front cover and I missed it. I honestly was expecting a mystery. I Googled Sarah Levy when I saw memoir. She is a Canadian actress and part of a successful television show that I did not watch.
The title, Drinking Games, I found to be a perfect fit. She played games and recognized her problem with alcohol through embarrassment and games she made up. She does take responsibility for herself, and I didn't feel like she whined or made excuses. She wanted a balance.
If you are needing encouragement, maybe you will relate to the author.
January 27, 2023
Sarah Levy self-identified as a girl "down for anything" in her twenties. At the time, she saw this as a state of being effortlessly cool and as someone who could get along with everyone and have fun doing anything. But now that she's sober, Sarah sees that being "down for anything" really just made her boring and passionless.
Sarah's memoir is really a collection of essays on how drinking alcohol shaped her life and her road to recovery. In some ways, Sarah's addiction and the ramifications felt slightly glossed over. There were certainly references to lost friends, her repeated blackouts, endless shots, vomit, and ending nights in the hospital. But, as Sarah said herself in the beginning, many of these stories are no longer part of her memories because of her blackouts and I could feel that in the writing.
Compared to many memoirs about addiction, this one felt a little tame. Sarah didn't have a child she was neglecting, her work didn't seem to suffer from her addiction, and besides a couple injuries and hospital visits, she didn't seem to suffer any major consequences from her drinking or experience a true "rock bottom." However, her drinking felt more relatable. Many people can relate to overindulgence for holidays and sporting events, experiencing a change of personality after a drink or two, or never being able to enjoy a specific alcohol again because of bad experience.
I liked that we learned of Sarah's recovery but it wasn't preachy nor was it religious or spiritual at all. However, even her recovery seemed a little glossed over. I imagine it was incredibly difficult and it sort of felt like she hit it out of the park. I could see this being a pain point for others in similar situations and wished Sarah had been a little more open about her difficulties on her road to recovery.
I appreciated that Sarah recognized her privilege. She has a great support system, obviously had financial stability, and access to influential people and she openly admitted to all of it. Again, this might be a pain point for others who do not have such a privileged background, but we can't help where we come from and I don't think that Sarah needs to apologize for that.
Sarah included a lot of information about her other addictions - social media, food and body image, clothing, etc. Some of it I could've done without, but I think it did show that she has an addictive personality and helped build her image as more than just an alcoholic.
Because this was more a collection of essays, the timeline was totally nonlinear. I could've used more reminders about when things took place but all in all, it did work.
I listened to this memoir on audio and Sarah is an exceptional narrator. She has a great voice and I liked hearing her story directly from her.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Sarah's memoir is really a collection of essays on how drinking alcohol shaped her life and her road to recovery. In some ways, Sarah's addiction and the ramifications felt slightly glossed over. There were certainly references to lost friends, her repeated blackouts, endless shots, vomit, and ending nights in the hospital. But, as Sarah said herself in the beginning, many of these stories are no longer part of her memories because of her blackouts and I could feel that in the writing.
Compared to many memoirs about addiction, this one felt a little tame. Sarah didn't have a child she was neglecting, her work didn't seem to suffer from her addiction, and besides a couple injuries and hospital visits, she didn't seem to suffer any major consequences from her drinking or experience a true "rock bottom." However, her drinking felt more relatable. Many people can relate to overindulgence for holidays and sporting events, experiencing a change of personality after a drink or two, or never being able to enjoy a specific alcohol again because of bad experience.
I liked that we learned of Sarah's recovery but it wasn't preachy nor was it religious or spiritual at all. However, even her recovery seemed a little glossed over. I imagine it was incredibly difficult and it sort of felt like she hit it out of the park. I could see this being a pain point for others in similar situations and wished Sarah had been a little more open about her difficulties on her road to recovery.
I appreciated that Sarah recognized her privilege. She has a great support system, obviously had financial stability, and access to influential people and she openly admitted to all of it. Again, this might be a pain point for others who do not have such a privileged background, but we can't help where we come from and I don't think that Sarah needs to apologize for that.
Sarah included a lot of information about her other addictions - social media, food and body image, clothing, etc. Some of it I could've done without, but I think it did show that she has an addictive personality and helped build her image as more than just an alcoholic.
Because this was more a collection of essays, the timeline was totally nonlinear. I could've used more reminders about when things took place but all in all, it did work.
I listened to this memoir on audio and Sarah is an exceptional narrator. She has a great voice and I liked hearing her story directly from her.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
February 10, 2023
Completely unrelatable. I hate everything about this girl. Imagine if a Salinger character existed in 2022--that's her.
January 15, 2023
I decided to read my copy of DRINKING GAMES over the long holiday break, and I enjoyed it so much! Part memoir/part essay, author Sarah Levy is completely transparent, sharing her honest struggles with alcohol in her 20's and 30's, which led to her sobriety.
In a time where most of us are still figuring out who we are, and trying to navigate life as a young adult, I loved the honest approach that Sarah gave us readers. I found myself nodding along, remembering plenty of times that I used the crutch of alcohol, whether it be for social occasions, or to add confidence.
I read both the physical and audiobook copies, and really enjoyed that the novel was read by the author.
*many thanks to St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review
In a time where most of us are still figuring out who we are, and trying to navigate life as a young adult, I loved the honest approach that Sarah gave us readers. I found myself nodding along, remembering plenty of times that I used the crutch of alcohol, whether it be for social occasions, or to add confidence.
I read both the physical and audiobook copies, and really enjoyed that the novel was read by the author.
*many thanks to St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review
December 7, 2022
Addiction memoir is always a difficult genre for me, not because I don’t respect the experiences and struggles of the author, but because I don’t connect with them for various reasons. That was true to some extent with Drinking Games, but I did find it a more pleasant read than I have other books of this type. Sarah Levy is honest about her struggles with alcohol and other issues of lacking self-worth, but I appreciate that she writes of these experiences in a way that feels optimistic. The essayistic style of this memoir lets you know that she’s sober and happy now, so reading through her darker periods doesn’t feel so heavy.
That being said, there were some (smallish) issues I had with this book, too. Levy clearly comes from a place of privilege in life, which isn’t a problem, but I think could be acknowledged more in her story. She attends an Ivy League school and attends parties with posh people in a way that feels very distant from my life. Those are her experiences, which is totally fine, but as a person who’s life is very distant from that, it’s hard to (or even want to) relate. There was a specific moment when she writes about the day after the 2016 election and says she sees other women crying in the streets, wondering “how a man with such disrespect for women’s bodies” could have been elected. My immediate reaction to that was thinking how many other minoritized groups have also been disrespected by Trump and how simple it could’ve been to revise this sentence to acknowledge more than just her own experience. I don’t doubt that she feels this way or understands this problems, but this is why I say privilege could be more acknowledged.
On a writing level, I was also irked a bit by the way each chapter feels so neatly wrapped up. As you reach the last few sentences, everything starts to signal, “hey, here comes the lesson of this chapter!” in a way that feels hokey. I imagine Levy could grow out of this more as she continues writing.
3.5 ⭐️
That being said, there were some (smallish) issues I had with this book, too. Levy clearly comes from a place of privilege in life, which isn’t a problem, but I think could be acknowledged more in her story. She attends an Ivy League school and attends parties with posh people in a way that feels very distant from my life. Those are her experiences, which is totally fine, but as a person who’s life is very distant from that, it’s hard to (or even want to) relate. There was a specific moment when she writes about the day after the 2016 election and says she sees other women crying in the streets, wondering “how a man with such disrespect for women’s bodies” could have been elected. My immediate reaction to that was thinking how many other minoritized groups have also been disrespected by Trump and how simple it could’ve been to revise this sentence to acknowledge more than just her own experience. I don’t doubt that she feels this way or understands this problems, but this is why I say privilege could be more acknowledged.
On a writing level, I was also irked a bit by the way each chapter feels so neatly wrapped up. As you reach the last few sentences, everything starts to signal, “hey, here comes the lesson of this chapter!” in a way that feels hokey. I imagine Levy could grow out of this more as she continues writing.
3.5 ⭐️
January 27, 2023
I wanted to love this book because i truly root for all the sober sisters out there but in the end, this felt unorganized and challenging to understand her timeline of booze related lessons, sobriety, and meeting her husband. I recognize its a book of essays but still feel like I don’t understand her story because it’s disjointed.
The second piece of feedback is that while the author tells us about feeling shame and describes various black out events, she doesn’t show it in a way that creates vulnerability. Its that old English class mantra that is missing: Show vs Tell. Maybe my bar is too high after falling in love with Laura McKowen’s storytelling style or maybe she is just young and not there yet?
In terms of who might enjoy this book, there is a specific audience who may love it. However If i had a friend struggling with sobriety, I would recommend other titles that are more relatable, contain more data about the harms of alcohol, and are easier to follow, with strong moments of vulnerability like We Are The Luckiest.
I suppose if I knew a middle class white girl who was past the hump of giving up alcohol but wanted reassurance that you can still be hip/chic as a sober 20 something, this would be useful.
The second piece of feedback is that while the author tells us about feeling shame and describes various black out events, she doesn’t show it in a way that creates vulnerability. Its that old English class mantra that is missing: Show vs Tell. Maybe my bar is too high after falling in love with Laura McKowen’s storytelling style or maybe she is just young and not there yet?
In terms of who might enjoy this book, there is a specific audience who may love it. However If i had a friend struggling with sobriety, I would recommend other titles that are more relatable, contain more data about the harms of alcohol, and are easier to follow, with strong moments of vulnerability like We Are The Luckiest.
I suppose if I knew a middle class white girl who was past the hump of giving up alcohol but wanted reassurance that you can still be hip/chic as a sober 20 something, this would be useful.
January 8, 2023
Sarah Levy is a twenty-something resident of New York City, trying to be effortlessly cool, popular, the epitome of wellness and/or successful in the business world. However, she seems to be unable to stop drinking to excess, often blacking out before the night is through. This really throws a wrench in potential partnerships, her friendships, work-life, and her journey to self-love and acceptance. I mean, you can't really be well when you're an alcoholic, even if the next morning you try to make up for it by taking an excess amount of vitamins and doing strenuous exercise until you start seeing stars.
This was so great and refreshing to read. This is my first addiction memoir/"social critique" novel, and is definitely something I will have to look further into. I'm no stranger to addiction, but the novels I tend to read first are my AA-written ones. However, women's & young women's stories chronicling their journey through addiction and sobriety is something that is so near and dear to my heart, and this did not disappoint.
I also love that Levy does not "preach" a certain sobriety program or lifestyle, instead just focusing on her story of addiction and subsequent recovery - thus making the writing accessible to all who are interested in reading. This isn't just a book for someone who's concerned about their drinking, or is living a sober lifestyle themselves. This is a book that analyzes the effects that alcohol has on American culture, particularly for young, professional women.
Levy also touches upon subjects like the addiction to "wellness" many young women have, constantly seeking out the next best thing to "fix" them. Additionally, things like disordered eating, self-image & self-love, social media, and workaholism are mentioned and chronicled as they relate to Levy's life. Her drinking escapades aren't the focus of the novel, and they shouldn't be - it simply gives us a point in which to spring off from and understand how many things young women can be addicted to, whether we as a society identifies it as such or not.
Lastly, as I said, young women's stories of addiction, sobriety, and recovery is so near and dear to my heart because 1. I'm one of them, and 2. they're not as well-known. Many 12-step programs were designed ~100 years ago by white men, and its literature and stepwork they prescribe can absolutely reflect that. Thankfully, in 2023 we have many young women at the forefront of these programs that have recovered from addiction, but they have not been yet digested by society. The more women that speak about their addiction/recovery such as Levy has, the more others can feel validated in their struggles and feel ready to recover themselves. Otherwise, we will continue to have a society that believes the only people "worthy" of sobriety are those fall-down drunks who have lost their family, homes, jobs, and have ruined their lives - the very stigma that keeps people away from sobriety.
I think I'm just super into this book as well because her story is so much like my own <3 but that's okay!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy to review!
This was so great and refreshing to read. This is my first addiction memoir/"social critique" novel, and is definitely something I will have to look further into. I'm no stranger to addiction, but the novels I tend to read first are my AA-written ones. However, women's & young women's stories chronicling their journey through addiction and sobriety is something that is so near and dear to my heart, and this did not disappoint.
I also love that Levy does not "preach" a certain sobriety program or lifestyle, instead just focusing on her story of addiction and subsequent recovery - thus making the writing accessible to all who are interested in reading. This isn't just a book for someone who's concerned about their drinking, or is living a sober lifestyle themselves. This is a book that analyzes the effects that alcohol has on American culture, particularly for young, professional women.
Levy also touches upon subjects like the addiction to "wellness" many young women have, constantly seeking out the next best thing to "fix" them. Additionally, things like disordered eating, self-image & self-love, social media, and workaholism are mentioned and chronicled as they relate to Levy's life. Her drinking escapades aren't the focus of the novel, and they shouldn't be - it simply gives us a point in which to spring off from and understand how many things young women can be addicted to, whether we as a society identifies it as such or not.
Lastly, as I said, young women's stories of addiction, sobriety, and recovery is so near and dear to my heart because 1. I'm one of them, and 2. they're not as well-known. Many 12-step programs were designed ~100 years ago by white men, and its literature and stepwork they prescribe can absolutely reflect that. Thankfully, in 2023 we have many young women at the forefront of these programs that have recovered from addiction, but they have not been yet digested by society. The more women that speak about their addiction/recovery such as Levy has, the more others can feel validated in their struggles and feel ready to recover themselves. Otherwise, we will continue to have a society that believes the only people "worthy" of sobriety are those fall-down drunks who have lost their family, homes, jobs, and have ruined their lives - the very stigma that keeps people away from sobriety.
I think I'm just super into this book as well because her story is so much like my own <3 but that's okay!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy to review!
January 13, 2023
Drinking Games is a memoir told in different essays about the author's experiences living in New York City after college and growing up in a "work hard, play hard" culture. Even though she was having many blackouts while drinking, it wasn't until the last blackout when she woke up next to her boss's best friend and didn't remember anything from the night before or how she got there. This event helped her get sober at the age of 28.
The author wrote about how on the outside, nobody would ever really know she was an alcoholic because she was so high-functioning. After frequent blackouts, she started to feel like her brain was no longer forming short-term memories and or longer logging the interactions that she was having in real-time. The author bravely goes into depth about her blackouts, her alcoholism, and how her life really started after she stopped drinking.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
The author wrote about how on the outside, nobody would ever really know she was an alcoholic because she was so high-functioning. After frequent blackouts, she started to feel like her brain was no longer forming short-term memories and or longer logging the interactions that she was having in real-time. The author bravely goes into depth about her blackouts, her alcoholism, and how her life really started after she stopped drinking.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
March 26, 2023
dnf - 7%
Rough and unrefined style, which is bad, but could be passable if the book is compelling enough. Well, this one isn't. I couldn't feel emphaty for the writer, and I had no interests in reading about her explaining over and over what a blackout due to drinking is. We got it.
It could have been a blog article, it would have fitted better - woman denies she has a problem, until she sleeps with her boss' friend. Okay, even a tiny headline would do.
Snarky comments aside - I commend her for the intention of the book. She was unsure and scared of quitting, because she thought her life would have been boring and loveless without alcohol. Apparently it's a common worry for heavy drinkers, hence this memoir to prove otherwise. So it's ironic, how boring this book really is.
Rough and unrefined style, which is bad, but could be passable if the book is compelling enough. Well, this one isn't. I couldn't feel emphaty for the writer, and I had no interests in reading about her explaining over and over what a blackout due to drinking is. We got it.
It could have been a blog article, it would have fitted better - woman denies she has a problem, until she sleeps with her boss' friend. Okay, even a tiny headline would do.
Snarky comments aside - I commend her for the intention of the book. She was unsure and scared of quitting, because she thought her life would have been boring and loveless without alcohol. Apparently it's a common worry for heavy drinkers, hence this memoir to prove otherwise. So it's ironic, how boring this book really is.
January 22, 2025
3.5/5! Easy read, slight “meeting that could have been an email” vibes but I still found it compelling and insightful. Not everything she talked about was relatable but enough of it was to make me think about my relationship with drinking.
February 23, 2023
this was too relatable
January 7, 2023
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved how Sarah Levy narrates her own book! It’s so wonderful to hear her read the story, which is only hers to tell. I haven’t read a memoir in quite sometime but really enjoyed this one! I come from a family of alcoholics so I always knew I was prone to drinking and made the decision in my early 20’s that I wasn’t a fan so I can see where the author is coming from. It’s so easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole and spend your life clawing your way out. I really appreciated her realness and how self aware she now is about her addiction and hope others will read this book and see that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel, if only you manifest it!
I really loved how Sarah Levy narrates her own book! It’s so wonderful to hear her read the story, which is only hers to tell. I haven’t read a memoir in quite sometime but really enjoyed this one! I come from a family of alcoholics so I always knew I was prone to drinking and made the decision in my early 20’s that I wasn’t a fan so I can see where the author is coming from. It’s so easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole and spend your life clawing your way out. I really appreciated her realness and how self aware she now is about her addiction and hope others will read this book and see that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel, if only you manifest it!
March 4, 2024
This was a really easy read and a memoir by a former party girl. She talked a lot about her shame around drinking and her decision to become sober. I felt like it had some relevance to my own life and I could relate to a lot of the things she went through. This was really nice refresher and motivation to make better decisions around drinking!
October 18, 2024
It's always difficult to review memoirs for me, as the author's experiences are valid, whether I like the book or not. Even if a memoir is not relatable to me at all, it doesn't mean it's bad per se. I've read some sobriety memoirs, most way more intense than this one. This story didn't resonate with me, even though I dealed with some similar struggles. I think it is in part because the author is quite privileged, has a supportive family, never *really* hit rock bottom. Which is ofcourse good, the author overcame many difficulties, very commendable, but it makes the story less interesting from a storytelling perspective. So I found myself bored, leaving the book be for a few weeks before I finished it. It will definitely not leave any impression on me in any way.
January 10, 2023
Hi Goodreads Admin! I read the "audio" version, but can't find that option for choosing a reading edition for this review. I chose instead "hardback", but will change it to audiobook if you add it. Thanks! Here's my review:
I listened to this book on audio which was written and narrated by Sarah Levy. This memoir is of her life as young woman, including her feelings and beliefs of the state of social drinking. It begins with Sarah in NYC at age 28. We were all 28! She is fortunate to have a terrific job and is the proverbial party-girl. Sarah doesn't stop at 2 or 3 or 4 drinks, she frequently mixes alcohol, and often has blackouts with no memory. Sarah is often the first to arrive and last to leave a party or gathering.
Sarah Levy is brutally honest about her life and her mistakes involving or because of alcohol. I found her style of writing, by way of this audiobook, to be very compelling and it was easy to stay involved in her situations. As Sarah begins to make changes in her life, we learn about her thoughts on drinking and how people, especially the recently employed (?), are culturally led to habitual drinking. While some friends hike, discuss books, meet at a dog park, meet for coffee, many instead meet for drinks as a regular, devoted, habitual, habit-forming, gathering. Sarah's book is an ode to the 2000's, but could easily be happening in 1970, 1980, 1990, etc., with the exception of social media.
It got a bit dark at times for me, because of her detail, honesty and poignancy, as if I were falling down Alice's rabbit hole right alongside of Ms. Levy. I was happy to find that this novel hadn't gone to the preachy or condemning. It was refreshing.
Thanks to Macmillan, NetGalley, and Sarah Levy for this ARC.
I listened to this book on audio which was written and narrated by Sarah Levy. This memoir is of her life as young woman, including her feelings and beliefs of the state of social drinking. It begins with Sarah in NYC at age 28. We were all 28! She is fortunate to have a terrific job and is the proverbial party-girl. Sarah doesn't stop at 2 or 3 or 4 drinks, she frequently mixes alcohol, and often has blackouts with no memory. Sarah is often the first to arrive and last to leave a party or gathering.
Sarah Levy is brutally honest about her life and her mistakes involving or because of alcohol. I found her style of writing, by way of this audiobook, to be very compelling and it was easy to stay involved in her situations. As Sarah begins to make changes in her life, we learn about her thoughts on drinking and how people, especially the recently employed (?), are culturally led to habitual drinking. While some friends hike, discuss books, meet at a dog park, meet for coffee, many instead meet for drinks as a regular, devoted, habitual, habit-forming, gathering. Sarah's book is an ode to the 2000's, but could easily be happening in 1970, 1980, 1990, etc., with the exception of social media.
It got a bit dark at times for me, because of her detail, honesty and poignancy, as if I were falling down Alice's rabbit hole right alongside of Ms. Levy. I was happy to find that this novel hadn't gone to the preachy or condemning. It was refreshing.
Thanks to Macmillan, NetGalley, and Sarah Levy for this ARC.
December 31, 2022
First, Levy is so incredibly brave and vulnerable sharing her story. Because drinking is such an accepted, celebrated, even - aspect of our society, I believe many can sweep its potential severity under the rug quite easily. But the fact of the matter is that alcoholism is one of the most problematic issues of our culture. I, for one, applaud those who speak candidly about their experiences with alcohol and their choice to live an alcohol-free lifestyle. For whatever reason, there's almost a stigma that you can't have a fun and fulfilling life without alcohol, but as Levy writes, it's absolutely possible, and maybe even desirable. I do not have an issue with alcohol - I can take it or leave it - but I know that's not the case for a lot of people. Levy struggled hard and made so many questionable decisions while under the influence. Her essays (I wouldn't classify this as a memoir as much as I would an essay collection) are raw, honest, and introspective. Not only does she examine the culture around alcohol and recovery, she also tackles other issues like anxiety, body image, and life beyond drinking.
February 12, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I don't think the author has enough lived experience and sense of perspective to justify writing a memoir at this stage of her life (early 30s). The angle she used to sell her memoir (becoming recently sober) also isn't particularly unique.
August 23, 2022
I couldn’t put levy’s book down. Fun, authentic, and so relatable. A must read!
November 17, 2022
A self-indulgence & self-deprecating " oh ~ poor me " book.
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