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Overlay - A Tale of One Girl's Life in 1970s Las Vegas
An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.
What is it that makes one person's life interesting to another? Could it be the reader's perceived shared experiences with the writer? A profound thankfulness for not having shared such experiences? A desire to know about a life not personally lived? A well-crafted, mesmerizing and professionally written read? A story that evokes reader emotion - whether it be relief, anger, fear, sadness or joy? A desire to see a situation through to the end? Our shared universal desire for entropy, balance, peace and happy endings?
Author Marlayna Glynn Brown has crafted an extraordinary tale of survival and resilience in spare and convincing prose. Written from a child's point of view from ages 4 to 17, this tale describes the precarious childhood of Marlayna in 1970s Las Vegas.
The desert perimeter serves as a hot, dry and dangerous barrier that shuts out the rest of the vibrant world and bleaches away any sense of the joy that colors childhoods. Born into an ongoing cycle of alcoholism, addiction and abandonment amidst fallen adults, Marlayna develops a powerful sense of self-preservation in contrast to the people entrusted with her care. Her story explores the personalities of the bizarre characters who populate her life as she moves from home to home, parent to parent, family to family and ultimately to homelessness at the age of fourteen. Out of the resources of her remarkable childhood emerges an inner strength that will charm and captivate readers and remain in their consciousness long after the last page of her story has been turned.
What is it that makes one person's life interesting to another? Could it be the reader's perceived shared experiences with the writer? A profound thankfulness for not having shared such experiences? A desire to know about a life not personally lived? A well-crafted, mesmerizing and professionally written read? A story that evokes reader emotion - whether it be relief, anger, fear, sadness or joy? A desire to see a situation through to the end? Our shared universal desire for entropy, balance, peace and happy endings?
Author Marlayna Glynn Brown has crafted an extraordinary tale of survival and resilience in spare and convincing prose. Written from a child's point of view from ages 4 to 17, this tale describes the precarious childhood of Marlayna in 1970s Las Vegas.
The desert perimeter serves as a hot, dry and dangerous barrier that shuts out the rest of the vibrant world and bleaches away any sense of the joy that colors childhoods. Born into an ongoing cycle of alcoholism, addiction and abandonment amidst fallen adults, Marlayna develops a powerful sense of self-preservation in contrast to the people entrusted with her care. Her story explores the personalities of the bizarre characters who populate her life as she moves from home to home, parent to parent, family to family and ultimately to homelessness at the age of fourteen. Out of the resources of her remarkable childhood emerges an inner strength that will charm and captivate readers and remain in their consciousness long after the last page of her story has been turned.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2012
223 people are currently reading
1983 people want to read
About the author
Marlayna Glynn
30 books111 followersMarlayna Glynn is a memoirist, publisher, and award-winning photographer. Immediately upon publication Marlayna's first memoir, Overlay: One Girl's Life in 1970s Las Vegas, was honored by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards with an Overcoming Adversity award.
Marlayna's published journey includes more than 60 books. In 2017, she founded Birthright Books, LLC, a ghostwriting agency to help others design their memoirs.
Marlayna's articles have been featured on Huffington Post, PBS Next Avenue, Elephant Journal, and The Good Men Project. Her work has been translated into many different languages and is available in audio format.
Marlayna travels extensively, but can sometimes be found in Austin, Texas with her twin flame, Allen, and their Maine Coon, Luchador.
Find Marlayna's short film People That do Something, which is based on a chapter from Overlay, on Marlayna's Youtube channel. To contact Marlayna please visit www.birthrightbooks.pub.
Marlayna's published journey includes more than 60 books. In 2017, she founded Birthright Books, LLC, a ghostwriting agency to help others design their memoirs.
Marlayna's articles have been featured on Huffington Post, PBS Next Avenue, Elephant Journal, and The Good Men Project. Her work has been translated into many different languages and is available in audio format.
Marlayna travels extensively, but can sometimes be found in Austin, Texas with her twin flame, Allen, and their Maine Coon, Luchador.
Find Marlayna's short film People That do Something, which is based on a chapter from Overlay, on Marlayna's Youtube channel. To contact Marlayna please visit www.birthrightbooks.pub.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
June 5, 2013
a*3.5* read this book on my kindle.Marlayna writes about her first 17 years of life in 1970s Las Vegas. do not want to sound mean but this is pretty much another " my crummy childhood" memoirs. there are an awful lot of these kind of books out there to read. I will give Marlayna credit. her writing and memory about her childhood are both good. Her mother and father were both alcoholics. they were married until Marlayna was about six or seven. her father disappeared from her life for a few years{ or she seldom heard from him} her mother worked at a bar in Las Vegas. married many times. one person Marlayna dubbed "mr.Nice" was not nice at all. another step father was just as bad. both men were "losers" Marlayna moved often went to many grammar schools. went hungry a lot. her whole childhood was filled with disappointment, being let down by adults who should have protected and provided for her. this was a decent book. I kept thinking were were protective services when she needed them? this book ends when Marlayna is 17 and goes to Los Angeles to live with her estranged Mother.this book is the first of a trilogy. a decent read. nothing against Marlayna, just that the "lousy childhood topic" book has become a dime a dozen. there are so many of them out there now.
February 20, 2013
Underlay to Overlay...and beyond
Finding an author who can create a memoir from the voice of a child flowing into a young teen and beyond is always refreshing but especially so when the author maintains the sense of educated dignity in the language, allowing the language of a child to remain of the period but informed with an adult's sensitivity of expression. That is precisely what Marlayna Glynn Brown has accomplished in this tough little book about the slings and arrows of growing up in a family with abusive parents, problems of addiction, foster care and eventual homelessness.
On pitfall that Brown avoids is that lugubrious pit of self-pity that taint so many memoirs of similar life conditions. Instead, this talented author, screenwriter, actress, producer, poet, yogi and photographer (yes, she does have the credentials of a Bachelor of Art in Literature and a Master of Science in Human Services) moves through this series of events both real and approaching fiction by keeping that wide-eyed trusting stance that children maintain when facing new ventures.
Our narrator speaks from the personal pronoun `I' in relating all of these experiences and yet she is able to insert healthy deep inhalations of fresh breath that somehow make us know that this resilient youngster is going to make it through - which she indeed does. There are more absurdly grotesque adult caricatures (except they happen to be real) than most anyone could imagine, and it is the manner in which the author wades through this detritus of humanity that gives her bounce and credibility - and the desire to reach out to her and embrace the one who manages to get through it all. This is a very good read!
Grady Harp
Finding an author who can create a memoir from the voice of a child flowing into a young teen and beyond is always refreshing but especially so when the author maintains the sense of educated dignity in the language, allowing the language of a child to remain of the period but informed with an adult's sensitivity of expression. That is precisely what Marlayna Glynn Brown has accomplished in this tough little book about the slings and arrows of growing up in a family with abusive parents, problems of addiction, foster care and eventual homelessness.
On pitfall that Brown avoids is that lugubrious pit of self-pity that taint so many memoirs of similar life conditions. Instead, this talented author, screenwriter, actress, producer, poet, yogi and photographer (yes, she does have the credentials of a Bachelor of Art in Literature and a Master of Science in Human Services) moves through this series of events both real and approaching fiction by keeping that wide-eyed trusting stance that children maintain when facing new ventures.
Our narrator speaks from the personal pronoun `I' in relating all of these experiences and yet she is able to insert healthy deep inhalations of fresh breath that somehow make us know that this resilient youngster is going to make it through - which she indeed does. There are more absurdly grotesque adult caricatures (except they happen to be real) than most anyone could imagine, and it is the manner in which the author wades through this detritus of humanity that gives her bounce and credibility - and the desire to reach out to her and embrace the one who manages to get through it all. This is a very good read!
Grady Harp
December 9, 2013
This woman had a horrendous childhood and adolescence but, strangely for me, it was quite boring to read about it. The cycle of alcoholism, poverty, abuse, and (understandable) self pity kept grinding along from the age of five to sixteen. I can understand her need to write this book but I'm sorry I read it.
September 25, 2017
Young girl travels to Las Vegas with her alcoholic parents. The parents divorce. The young girl author throws up nearly all the time. Let it drop out of my sleepy hands 20% of the way through.
November 4, 2013
This is undeniably the best memoir I have ever read. Marlayna's story reads like a fictional coming of age novel. Starting from the age of 4, the author recounts her shocking home life. Her story makes Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, life look like a Leave it to Beaver episode. By the way, I did love The Glass Castle. Brought into the world by two alcoholic parents, Marlayna struggles to survive; often times just trying to get her basic needs of food and a safe shelter meet. Her only escape from her dismal life is by submerging herself in books and writing stories. Consequently her immersion into books makes her an incredible journalist. She is a consummate storyteller and a masterful writer. This is a story of survival and how one little girl overcomes the odds of not ending up on the streets of Las Vegas, drug addicted or dead. I could not put this book down and I would place a sure bet, that her story will stay with me for a very long time.
May 15, 2013
I have found myself mesmerized by Marlayna Glynn Brown and cannot stop reading her words. Very rarely does a book leave you at a loss for words because of the journey you travel personally while sharing the author's story. Overlay is deeply personal and tragic with not only Marlayna's story but with the reality of just how prevalent some form of abuse touches so many lives and that is just her experience alone. While devouring this book, I found myself in anguish for a little girl that never experienced a childhood and the life long struggle that will leave; in awe of the grit she possessed to talk things out in her own head; and inspired knowing she is the woman she is today. I am so thankful she was a reader and oftentimes found escape through books, I can only say, "I get it." The second book is downloaded and I know it will be another sleepless night following Marlayna's journey.
May 27, 2013
This memoir was written by the child of two alcoholics. It is, very sadly, the portrait of a childhood similar to that of many youngsters living in 1970's Las Vegas, which was then a center of poverty and child neglect in this country. Part of a trilogy, it describes the author's life of neglect and abuse from ages 7-14. Heartbreaking, of course, and very disturbing, it also serves as somewhat of a testament to the human spirit as we see this young girl grasp for and find ways to survive a world filled with ugliness ,emptiness, hopelessness, hunger and fear brought on by drug addicted, hard drinking, totally useless and even predatory adults. Although this volume ends before the author is, herself, an adult, I've read that she wound up with three college degrees, a successful career and a loving family. Remarkable.
February 16, 2014
I almost didn't read this book since I have a natural aversion to memoirs - as a whole, I find them to be rather boring and self-indulgent. But from the very first chapter I was drawn into this life of struggles portrayed through the author's childhood voice. It is written in a way that draws the reader in and you find yourself not wanting to believe that it is true, but if you had a difficult childhood you realize it can be true. I saw a few glimpses of my own dark childhood mirrored in her story and realize what she must have gone through to get this into writing! I also thought it was creative and unique to tie in gambling terms with each chapter.
With a little more editing and a better cover design, I think this book has the makings to be showcased in mainstream bookstores!
This is NOT your typical memoir, so don't be afraid to check it out!
With a little more editing and a better cover design, I think this book has the makings to be showcased in mainstream bookstores!
This is NOT your typical memoir, so don't be afraid to check it out!
August 3, 2012
A truly powerful read... one that will transport you to 1970s Las Vegas. More important than "where" the book is set is "who" you will walk alongside as you read it. You will meet, and get to intimately know, a young girl growing up amidst the devastating impact of alcoholism, drug abuse, neglect, parental instability, abuse, and homelessness. You will feel her pain as she navigates her way through her life, and will experience her life 'from the inside out' rather from 'the outside in' thanks to the author's talents and -- perhaps more importantly -- generosity. This is a not a book for the faint of heart... but what value is there in remaining ever 'faint of heart'. When I teach Introduction to Sociology, this will be one of the required novels in my curriculum.
May 30, 2014
Marlayna in 1970s Vegas is often left struggling to find the most basic necessities of life - food and shelter. Neglected by her alcoholic parents with no stability in her life,she develops an amazing resilience and survives the most awful experiences. She tells her story with child-like language and understanding from about age 4. Several reviewers have said that they wanted to hug and cuddle her & heal her little heart, BUT more importantly the book has impacted readers to look at their own parenting and protect other children around them!! Could Marlayna wish for greater impact?? Perhaps less importantly, some have come to appreciate the genre & value of memoirs & autobiography!!
December 13, 2012
I LOVE the style of writing of this book. It makes it easy to read.
However, it's a sad tale. It makes me want to be a better parent to my kids, while also realizing I am a good one. Reading this, you just want to take the little girl into your arms and protect her forever.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
However, it's a sad tale. It makes me want to be a better parent to my kids, while also realizing I am a good one. Reading this, you just want to take the little girl into your arms and protect her forever.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
August 13, 2013
heart breaking memoir of a young child to teen living in Las Vegas in the 70s. once I got the rhythm of her writing I couldn't put it down and immediately upon finishing it bought the second book in her trilogy. I need to know what happens to this young girl.
May 26, 2013
Well written and read within two days.
June 18, 2014
Loved It
Loved It
I couldn't put this book down. Harrowing tale, powerfully recounted. I am going to immediately download the next book in the series.
Loved It
I couldn't put this book down. Harrowing tale, powerfully recounted. I am going to immediately download the next book in the series.
August 14, 2017
Hey moms, if you need to feel better about yourself - read this book!
Think you're a "bad mom" because you forgot about your kid's science project? Feel guilty because you fed your kids non-organic celery? Did your kid dissolve into tears when you refused to [fill in the blank]? This book will bolster your confidence in yourself as a parent!
Marlayna grew up in Las Vegas in the 1970s, as the title indicates, a place that seems to attract the lowest forms of life, from what I can discern. The book covers the first 17 years of her life as she faces unstable, alcoholic parents; divorce; poverty; hunger; neglect; domestic violence; an endless stream of predatory men; depression; anxiety; suicidal thoughts; and much more. It was very interesting (and angering) to read about the challenges she faced pretty much alone, and reminded me of the resilience of us human beings.
It also made me grateful we now have CPS.
I had low expectations going in, but this memoir was hard to put down. There were a some editing errors that should have been caught, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book. Like "The Glass Castle", I promise that if you had a crappy childhood, it will make you feel less alone, and if you had an average to good childhood, it will give you greater compassion for those who were and are less fortunate.
Think you're a "bad mom" because you forgot about your kid's science project? Feel guilty because you fed your kids non-organic celery? Did your kid dissolve into tears when you refused to [fill in the blank]? This book will bolster your confidence in yourself as a parent!
Marlayna grew up in Las Vegas in the 1970s, as the title indicates, a place that seems to attract the lowest forms of life, from what I can discern. The book covers the first 17 years of her life as she faces unstable, alcoholic parents; divorce; poverty; hunger; neglect; domestic violence; an endless stream of predatory men; depression; anxiety; suicidal thoughts; and much more. It was very interesting (and angering) to read about the challenges she faced pretty much alone, and reminded me of the resilience of us human beings.
It also made me grateful we now have CPS.
I had low expectations going in, but this memoir was hard to put down. There were a some editing errors that should have been caught, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book. Like "The Glass Castle", I promise that if you had a crappy childhood, it will make you feel less alone, and if you had an average to good childhood, it will give you greater compassion for those who were and are less fortunate.
Read
January 31, 2023DNF. Will not be picking back up. The content wasn't the issue for me, but the writing style and narrative voice just made me loathe to pick it back up everytime, so I finally gave up after getting over halfway. Something about this one just rubbed me wrong and was an absolute trudge. Could have just been a timing issue with my mindset, but there wasn't enough to make me want to try and finish.
June 21, 2012
By Marlayna Glynn Brown. Grade: B
What is it that makes one’s life interesting to another? Is it the reader’s perceived shared experience with the writer? Thankfulness for not having shared such an experience? A story that evokes emotion – whether it be relief, anger, fear, sadness or joy? Our shared desire for entropy, balance, peace and happy endings?
Author Marlayna Glynn Brown has crafted an extraordinary tale of survival and resilience in spare and convincing prose. Written form a child’s point of view from ages 4 to 17, this tale describes her precarious childhood in 1970s era Las Vegas.
The desert perimeter serves as a hot dry barrier that shuts out the rest of the vibrant world and bleaches away any sense of the joy that often colours childhoods. Born into an ongoing cycle of alcoholism, addiction and abandonment amidst fallen adults, Marlayna develops a powerful sense of her care. Her story explores the personalities of the bizarre characters who populate her life as she moves from home to home, parent to parent, family to family and ultimately to homelessness at the age of fourteen. Out of the resources of her remarkable childhood emerges an inner strength that will charm and captivate readers and remain in their consciousness long after the last page of her story has been turned.
There is one thing I should clarify. This is an autobiography of sorts; so for all intents and purposes, it shall be treated as one. Everything’s real – there is no plot, no imaginary characters and most importantly, no lofty ambitions. The novel, from the very onset, keeps everything so real that the strands of reality are almost palpable.
There are two things of importance in the cover page – first, the subtitle “A tale of one girl’s life in 1970s Las Vegas” and second, the title “Overlay”. As far as the subtitle is concerned, there is only one term which almost screams of its presence – Las Vegas, the glittery town which never sleeps. Anything associated with Las Vegas generates the perception of a shining world of glitz and glamour, but the key thing that passes unnoticed is 1970s, an era when Las Vegas was reeling under the clutches of Mafiosos and ganglords. So, just like 1970s Las Vegas, the story is of a girl who is trapped in the clutches of her own destiny’s demonic attritions.
Coming to the title, Overlay is a good bet where the bettor has a distinctive edge over the casino. There is a reason why this title is probably the best title there could have been for this novel. Whenever any bettor comes to a casino to gamble, no matter what the game is, it is always the dealer who has an upper hand. But in case of an overlay, it is the bettor who gains an upper hand – be it due to a long winning streak or a short burst of good fortune or simply the nature of the game he is playing. In case of Marlayna Glynn Brown, Overlay implies that she, the bettor in this casino which is the world, has a distinctive edge over the dealer, life. This edge may very well be coming from her never-say-die attitude, her perseverance, her early-in-life experiences or something else which words can’t describe.
There are a few human feelings that have been touched upon exceptionally well in a few instances.
1. JOY – “…“So this is what it’s like to be normal!” I say aloud to myself continually as I run around laughing with normal girls from all over Nevada and California…”
2. HOPE – “… Is there really a chance I could live in the paradise that is my aunt and uncle’s world? My head reels and I…”
3. PERSEVERANCE – “…Just know that I am still in the pot…”
It is these small instances that prevent the story from becoming morose and another sob saga.
At the beginning of every chapter, there is a gambling term which is defined and at the end, it is used to summarise the whole chapter succinctly. This, as it turns out, is the USP of the novel. This is the one thing that has been used to perfection and lends an extra dimension to the writing. The same goes with the parallels drawn between various facets of the author’s life and that of the process of gambling.
If you are looking for a typical cheer-you-up novel, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a self-help case study, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a motivational book, it will kind of motivate you in its own way. This is not a feel good book; it will definitely not show you the brighter side of life. But, if you are looking for a gutsy tale of facing all the odds and overpowering them, you have the right book in your hand. Marlayna Glynn Brown has given us a good take on life through gambling, to which, in the words of Nick Dandalos, we can only say –
“”The house doesn't beat the player. It just gives him the opportunity to beat himself.”
Kudos to the author, and kudos to the gamble we all know as life.
Originally reviewed at : www.the-vault.co.cc
What is it that makes one’s life interesting to another? Is it the reader’s perceived shared experience with the writer? Thankfulness for not having shared such an experience? A story that evokes emotion – whether it be relief, anger, fear, sadness or joy? Our shared desire for entropy, balance, peace and happy endings?
Author Marlayna Glynn Brown has crafted an extraordinary tale of survival and resilience in spare and convincing prose. Written form a child’s point of view from ages 4 to 17, this tale describes her precarious childhood in 1970s era Las Vegas.
The desert perimeter serves as a hot dry barrier that shuts out the rest of the vibrant world and bleaches away any sense of the joy that often colours childhoods. Born into an ongoing cycle of alcoholism, addiction and abandonment amidst fallen adults, Marlayna develops a powerful sense of her care. Her story explores the personalities of the bizarre characters who populate her life as she moves from home to home, parent to parent, family to family and ultimately to homelessness at the age of fourteen. Out of the resources of her remarkable childhood emerges an inner strength that will charm and captivate readers and remain in their consciousness long after the last page of her story has been turned.
There is one thing I should clarify. This is an autobiography of sorts; so for all intents and purposes, it shall be treated as one. Everything’s real – there is no plot, no imaginary characters and most importantly, no lofty ambitions. The novel, from the very onset, keeps everything so real that the strands of reality are almost palpable.
There are two things of importance in the cover page – first, the subtitle “A tale of one girl’s life in 1970s Las Vegas” and second, the title “Overlay”. As far as the subtitle is concerned, there is only one term which almost screams of its presence – Las Vegas, the glittery town which never sleeps. Anything associated with Las Vegas generates the perception of a shining world of glitz and glamour, but the key thing that passes unnoticed is 1970s, an era when Las Vegas was reeling under the clutches of Mafiosos and ganglords. So, just like 1970s Las Vegas, the story is of a girl who is trapped in the clutches of her own destiny’s demonic attritions.
Coming to the title, Overlay is a good bet where the bettor has a distinctive edge over the casino. There is a reason why this title is probably the best title there could have been for this novel. Whenever any bettor comes to a casino to gamble, no matter what the game is, it is always the dealer who has an upper hand. But in case of an overlay, it is the bettor who gains an upper hand – be it due to a long winning streak or a short burst of good fortune or simply the nature of the game he is playing. In case of Marlayna Glynn Brown, Overlay implies that she, the bettor in this casino which is the world, has a distinctive edge over the dealer, life. This edge may very well be coming from her never-say-die attitude, her perseverance, her early-in-life experiences or something else which words can’t describe.
There are a few human feelings that have been touched upon exceptionally well in a few instances.
1. JOY – “…“So this is what it’s like to be normal!” I say aloud to myself continually as I run around laughing with normal girls from all over Nevada and California…”
2. HOPE – “… Is there really a chance I could live in the paradise that is my aunt and uncle’s world? My head reels and I…”
3. PERSEVERANCE – “…Just know that I am still in the pot…”
It is these small instances that prevent the story from becoming morose and another sob saga.
At the beginning of every chapter, there is a gambling term which is defined and at the end, it is used to summarise the whole chapter succinctly. This, as it turns out, is the USP of the novel. This is the one thing that has been used to perfection and lends an extra dimension to the writing. The same goes with the parallels drawn between various facets of the author’s life and that of the process of gambling.
If you are looking for a typical cheer-you-up novel, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a self-help case study, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a motivational book, it will kind of motivate you in its own way. This is not a feel good book; it will definitely not show you the brighter side of life. But, if you are looking for a gutsy tale of facing all the odds and overpowering them, you have the right book in your hand. Marlayna Glynn Brown has given us a good take on life through gambling, to which, in the words of Nick Dandalos, we can only say –
“”The house doesn't beat the player. It just gives him the opportunity to beat himself.”
Kudos to the author, and kudos to the gamble we all know as life.
Originally reviewed at : www.the-vault.co.cc
August 7, 2017
Heartbreaking
No child should to endure Ms. Glynn's suffering. This book enraged me, made me cry and left me astonished at her resilience. It is well written, but there are some gaps in time that I think she should have filled.
Nevertheless, I am eager to read he next book in her series.
No child should to endure Ms. Glynn's suffering. This book enraged me, made me cry and left me astonished at her resilience. It is well written, but there are some gaps in time that I think she should have filled.
Nevertheless, I am eager to read he next book in her series.
July 14, 2014
Probably 3.5 stars.
I checked this book out through my Amazon Prime membership. I never quite know which books to pick as my monthly free read, but I like memoirs, so that's usually where I start. I picked this one because I've always wondered what living in Las Vegas is really like. I've been three times, once as a child, once right out of college and once in my early 30's. I'm not much of a gambler (I've never spent more than $20 gambling), so I people watch. One thing I noticed is that once you look beyond the surface, Vegas is really a sad sort of town.
Brown's book confirmed this.
Since Brown is only about a decade older than me, I thought it would be interesting to read a memoir of someone who might have some shared childhood experiences with me. Thankfully, aside from the fact that both of us had Barbies, Lightbrights and lived in apartments, our childhoods were nothing alike. Well, not nothing alike. I did know something of the poverty Brown spoke of, but my childhood was more like the days with her mom in the first apartment, when her mom was working. Poor, but never on the lowest rung of the ladder. We may have lived in some slightly questionable neighborhoods, but I was never afraid and I had a stay at home mom, so I always had a place to run to.
This memoir is not for the faint of heart. Not so much because the violence depicted is so graphic, although the pictures she paints with her words are vivid and disturbing, but rather because so much hurt and cruelty was perpetrated on innocent children. Not just Brown herself, but a great many of the children in her neighborhoods who shared her life on the lower rungs.
This book reminds readers that poverty is real and that it is not merely "lazy wellfare cheats" who suffer (I don't buy into that stereotype at all, but a great portion of this country does). There are millions of victims no one thinks about: children. The increased levels of abuse (physical, psychological and sexual) among those in poverty is appalling. So is the lack of access to health care and proper education. Children, like Brown, who live on the fringes are so often swallowed up and devoured by predatory adults.
As a mother, this was a very hard book to read simply because I cannot fathom any parent not loving their child. There is nothing I would not give up for my children's well-being and to read about the neglect, negligence and downright horrific treatment she endured at the hands of those who were supposed to love, shelter and teach her, well, it was hard.
Brown does her best not to paint her parents as monsters who destroyed her. By the end of the book, she takes responsibility (although too much in my opinion), for destructive decisions she made. She shows how alcohol and addiction slowly rot people from inside. She shows how what can appear to be contentment, can just be a method to cope with a deep depression.
What amazes me in this book is how many adults simply get away with hurting children. I don't know if it was just the time period or the fact that Brown and her peers were poor, but the thought of that much child abuse and rape going unreported...well, it sickens me.
This book is an interesting read. The reason I hold out from giving this book 4 stars is that Brown tries too hard with the gambling connections. Each chapter starts with a gambling term and definition. Each chapter is loosely tied to that term (sometimes so loosely I missed the connection). I get why she did it. The book is about growing up in Las Vegas, the gambling capitol of the US. A good portion of her life seemed to hang in the balance and be left up to chance. But still, it is really overdone and seems forced at times.
I checked this book out through my Amazon Prime membership. I never quite know which books to pick as my monthly free read, but I like memoirs, so that's usually where I start. I picked this one because I've always wondered what living in Las Vegas is really like. I've been three times, once as a child, once right out of college and once in my early 30's. I'm not much of a gambler (I've never spent more than $20 gambling), so I people watch. One thing I noticed is that once you look beyond the surface, Vegas is really a sad sort of town.
Brown's book confirmed this.
Since Brown is only about a decade older than me, I thought it would be interesting to read a memoir of someone who might have some shared childhood experiences with me. Thankfully, aside from the fact that both of us had Barbies, Lightbrights and lived in apartments, our childhoods were nothing alike. Well, not nothing alike. I did know something of the poverty Brown spoke of, but my childhood was more like the days with her mom in the first apartment, when her mom was working. Poor, but never on the lowest rung of the ladder. We may have lived in some slightly questionable neighborhoods, but I was never afraid and I had a stay at home mom, so I always had a place to run to.
This memoir is not for the faint of heart. Not so much because the violence depicted is so graphic, although the pictures she paints with her words are vivid and disturbing, but rather because so much hurt and cruelty was perpetrated on innocent children. Not just Brown herself, but a great many of the children in her neighborhoods who shared her life on the lower rungs.
This book reminds readers that poverty is real and that it is not merely "lazy wellfare cheats" who suffer (I don't buy into that stereotype at all, but a great portion of this country does). There are millions of victims no one thinks about: children. The increased levels of abuse (physical, psychological and sexual) among those in poverty is appalling. So is the lack of access to health care and proper education. Children, like Brown, who live on the fringes are so often swallowed up and devoured by predatory adults.
As a mother, this was a very hard book to read simply because I cannot fathom any parent not loving their child. There is nothing I would not give up for my children's well-being and to read about the neglect, negligence and downright horrific treatment she endured at the hands of those who were supposed to love, shelter and teach her, well, it was hard.
Brown does her best not to paint her parents as monsters who destroyed her. By the end of the book, she takes responsibility (although too much in my opinion), for destructive decisions she made. She shows how alcohol and addiction slowly rot people from inside. She shows how what can appear to be contentment, can just be a method to cope with a deep depression.
What amazes me in this book is how many adults simply get away with hurting children. I don't know if it was just the time period or the fact that Brown and her peers were poor, but the thought of that much child abuse and rape going unreported...well, it sickens me.
This book is an interesting read. The reason I hold out from giving this book 4 stars is that Brown tries too hard with the gambling connections. Each chapter starts with a gambling term and definition. Each chapter is loosely tied to that term (sometimes so loosely I missed the connection). I get why she did it. The book is about growing up in Las Vegas, the gambling capitol of the US. A good portion of her life seemed to hang in the balance and be left up to chance. But still, it is really overdone and seems forced at times.
April 24, 2015
Unforgettable
"Overlay" was an incredibly moving memoir about Marlayna, a young girl growing up on the seedy side of Las Vegas in the 1970's. It begins when she's old enough to remember things at the age of four. Her parents are careless alcoholics and put themselves before their child. She has a lot of questions and doesn't know what things mean when she's young. She was born with a strong will to survive and this is her story.
At first, they live in a somewhat ordinary situation but it soon becomes apparent that her life isn't anywhere near normal. Her parents are often dumping her off with anyone willing to take her. Her parents separate and she and her mom move to a shady apartment building shadowed by casinos. Her mom goes to work and has to leave her alone sometimes but then she begins to bring different men home. She becomes a latch-key child. Her mom even takes her to the bar at night. Marlayna develops a nervous stomach and is frequently sick.
This is a must read in my opinion. It's about growing up and overcoming obstacles even as a kid. Having to adapt to situations that are beyond her control. Depending on your age, there are many things in this book you will remember that were popular during the 70's. I found myself recalling a few such as the Sizzler restaurant and some television programs.
This is book one in a trilogy and it ends with her calling her mother who has moved to Los Angeles and asking if she could come and live with her for a while. She's now a teenager and has experienced many things that most people haven't at her age. She withdraws herself from school and boards a bus and ends her journal....for now.
Abby Elvidge does a terrific job narrating this book. She's a natural. She has a pleasant voice and it almost feels as if Marlayna is telling her own story. She has a perfect cadence which makes this a great listen. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.
Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.
"Overlay" was an incredibly moving memoir about Marlayna, a young girl growing up on the seedy side of Las Vegas in the 1970's. It begins when she's old enough to remember things at the age of four. Her parents are careless alcoholics and put themselves before their child. She has a lot of questions and doesn't know what things mean when she's young. She was born with a strong will to survive and this is her story.
At first, they live in a somewhat ordinary situation but it soon becomes apparent that her life isn't anywhere near normal. Her parents are often dumping her off with anyone willing to take her. Her parents separate and she and her mom move to a shady apartment building shadowed by casinos. Her mom goes to work and has to leave her alone sometimes but then she begins to bring different men home. She becomes a latch-key child. Her mom even takes her to the bar at night. Marlayna develops a nervous stomach and is frequently sick.
This is a must read in my opinion. It's about growing up and overcoming obstacles even as a kid. Having to adapt to situations that are beyond her control. Depending on your age, there are many things in this book you will remember that were popular during the 70's. I found myself recalling a few such as the Sizzler restaurant and some television programs.
This is book one in a trilogy and it ends with her calling her mother who has moved to Los Angeles and asking if she could come and live with her for a while. She's now a teenager and has experienced many things that most people haven't at her age. She withdraws herself from school and boards a bus and ends her journal....for now.
Abby Elvidge does a terrific job narrating this book. She's a natural. She has a pleasant voice and it almost feels as if Marlayna is telling her own story. She has a perfect cadence which makes this a great listen. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.
Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.
April 20, 2015
Best Memoir Ever!
I read / listened to this book in audio format via audible.com. I always choose audio books over any other type of book as the narrators tend to breathe life into the books and because the audios allow me to still get things done and still read my books at the same time! Audio books also make a great companion on the long road trips!
I really liked this book. Overlay is the 1st book of a series of 3. It is a memoir about the authors life. While I find most memoirs dull, this memoir is written more like a novel. Not a dull moment in it!
Overlay... A book about this authors life and how she survived growing up in Las Vegas in the 70s and 80s. Being 50+ myself, I can relate to a lot of what the author says in her details and I was in Las Vegas once and a cab driver told me most of the people that lived there was because they were too broke after casino and couldn't get back home. The details are spot on! This book made me want to give the little girl Marlayna a big hug and a place to stay!
The author, Marlayna Glynn Brown did a really great job on this book. She wrote it in such a way to keep our interest. The narrator, Abby Elvidge did a great job delivering this book to us too with all her voices and spoke very clearly so i didn't have to wonder what she said. Good job ladies! Now off to book 2 City of Angeles!
I read / listened to this book in audio format via audible.com. I always choose audio books over any other type of book as the narrators tend to breathe life into the books and because the audios allow me to still get things done and still read my books at the same time! Audio books also make a great companion on the long road trips!
I really liked this book. Overlay is the 1st book of a series of 3. It is a memoir about the authors life. While I find most memoirs dull, this memoir is written more like a novel. Not a dull moment in it!
Overlay... A book about this authors life and how she survived growing up in Las Vegas in the 70s and 80s. Being 50+ myself, I can relate to a lot of what the author says in her details and I was in Las Vegas once and a cab driver told me most of the people that lived there was because they were too broke after casino and couldn't get back home. The details are spot on! This book made me want to give the little girl Marlayna a big hug and a place to stay!
The author, Marlayna Glynn Brown did a really great job on this book. She wrote it in such a way to keep our interest. The narrator, Abby Elvidge did a great job delivering this book to us too with all her voices and spoke very clearly so i didn't have to wonder what she said. Good job ladies! Now off to book 2 City of Angeles!
January 25, 2016
Ughh... my heart broke for young Marlayna... especially all the adults that could have stepped in and helped (older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles). I'm really glad Marlayna was one of the rare cases of people who survive this childhood. I agree with the other reviewers- if you like books like The Glass Castle, you'll probably like this one as well.
I have two gripes with this book. First, I felt like the individual stories didn't tie together very well, especially at the beginning of the story. For example, there is a story about her older sister that comes to visit, but then that story ends and we don't hear anything else about her until the end of the book. Also, I feel like we never really get a good sense of why the parents are the way they are.
My second gripe is one I usually have with memoirs--- the author says things like (paraphrased) "when I was four, I wondered why my parents didn't love me". I just feel like children don't have a capacity to be so introspective. I think it would be better if the stories were told more like "looking back to when I was four, I wonder now why my parents didn't love me".
But overall, this book was very captivating and I was very curious to see how Marlayna's life would play out.
I have two gripes with this book. First, I felt like the individual stories didn't tie together very well, especially at the beginning of the story. For example, there is a story about her older sister that comes to visit, but then that story ends and we don't hear anything else about her until the end of the book. Also, I feel like we never really get a good sense of why the parents are the way they are.
My second gripe is one I usually have with memoirs--- the author says things like (paraphrased) "when I was four, I wondered why my parents didn't love me". I just feel like children don't have a capacity to be so introspective. I think it would be better if the stories were told more like "looking back to when I was four, I wonder now why my parents didn't love me".
But overall, this book was very captivating and I was very curious to see how Marlayna's life would play out.
April 18, 2015
I really liked this memoir. It is in my top three favorites. Marlayna writes about her parents, herself and the horrible people she had to deal with along the way with brutal honesty. It wasn't a pretty life. She writes about the things she didn't have, like bare necessities, love, safety, protection and the humiliation of it all without coming off as feeling sorry for herself or bitterness. It's just the way things were for her. It was what it was. She had some much to overcome and life dealt her a raw deal. There is a line in the book where she writes,"I went to sleep with the realization that not only do people hate drunks, but the children of drunks as well." As a child of drunks, I can tell you that is absolutely the truth! Not only was she consistently let down by the adults in her life, but ridiculously some of her friends parents were mean to her for no good reason. It was a good read and I like how she wrapped up the end with paragraphs of what happened to some of the people she wrote about.
I could totally relate to the author and if you like memoirs about children who survive the screwed up adults around them, then this is a must read.
September 12, 2012
I read a lot of biographies and memoirs. This book although written more from her childhood point of view rather than a retrospective was hauntingly brillant. I found myself very much caught up in what was happening and felt angry/sad/happy all the emotions during the events. I really felt like I was cheering her on at some point just so someone was fighting for her besides herself. Much like other biographies I've read where the subject has gone through terrible hardship as a child it's nice to see that she isn't blaming anyone or trying to use her childhood as an excuse or reason to behave badly as an adult. I just picked up the second book of hers and will be reading it soon. Like others have said it was hard to put down and I found myself just trying to read a little bit more before going to sleep. Very well written and like I said even though its more from a childs point of view, I was glad it wasn't written in child-like language, which can sometimes be a distraction from the story being told.
July 24, 2012
This is a good book. I'm considering buying the next one, even though I don't really like memoirs. I find the narrator untrustworthy in all memoirs, probably because I find my own memories untrustworthy. Also, this story is one of those that makes me uncomfortable because of the level of neglect described.
One thing that really stood out as I thought about this story is that the author gained a firm belief in herself through all of the horrors and discomfort she endured. She came through it knowing that she survived as a result of being smart, strong, and resourceful, and not because anyone helped her.
While this is another great example of independently published work, there are some typos. Generally, when engrossed in a story I don't notice typos, so if there are enough to catch my attention, there are quite a few. The fact that they exist, though, does not make it less worthy of reading.
One thing that really stood out as I thought about this story is that the author gained a firm belief in herself through all of the horrors and discomfort she endured. She came through it knowing that she survived as a result of being smart, strong, and resourceful, and not because anyone helped her.
While this is another great example of independently published work, there are some typos. Generally, when engrossed in a story I don't notice typos, so if there are enough to catch my attention, there are quite a few. The fact that they exist, though, does not make it less worthy of reading.
June 9, 2014
I heard about this book on Amazon for it's acclaimed ratings and awards and although I don't typically like memoirs or biographies it sounded appealing. This story was hard to put down and was so well written I would have thought I was reading a novel. From very early in her childhood Marlayna is raised under horrible circumstances that no child should have to bear. Alcoholic parents, step-parents, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment. Written in first person about how she perceives and deals with these circumstances it is heart-wrenching, yet in some ways struck home with me on many levels; just how much damage and pain parents who are troubled inflict on their children and their well-being for a life time. I think I would like to read the two sequels to this because it sounds like she turned out to be a productive and healthy adult despite her upbringing.
March 27, 2012
I couldn't put the book down; I kept turning the pages, reading well into the night.
A story of survival even in the most terrible of circumstances. A child who lost her innocence early on due to her mother's neglect and her father's alcoholism, but who ended up rising above it, guided by her own morality and sense of right/wrong, despite never being taught. It came from somewhere; within.
This book is about the author's childhood but I think there should be a sequel: I want to know how she managed to navigate this world as an adult when she essentially had to learn it all on her own. How did those childhood experiences shape her as she entered her 20s, 30s...? I guess that is a testament to the author: That I was left with wanting more, and was sad when the story ended.
A story of survival even in the most terrible of circumstances. A child who lost her innocence early on due to her mother's neglect and her father's alcoholism, but who ended up rising above it, guided by her own morality and sense of right/wrong, despite never being taught. It came from somewhere; within.
This book is about the author's childhood but I think there should be a sequel: I want to know how she managed to navigate this world as an adult when she essentially had to learn it all on her own. How did those childhood experiences shape her as she entered her 20s, 30s...? I guess that is a testament to the author: That I was left with wanting more, and was sad when the story ended.
July 23, 2012
This book captured my whole heart and soul. I could not put it down. I fell in love with little Marlayna and just wanted to hug her and love her and help heal her little heart. My gosh, what she went through, no child should have to go through. But she did, and so very many like her. This story made me realize how much I need to pay attention to the children around me and what impact I can have on their little lives.
I can't wait to hear more of her story.
After so much pain, I hope there has been much love and happiness.
Thank you Marlayna Glynn Brown for telling your story. As sad and difficult as it was to read, I am so glad I did....your story will stay with me for a very long time. I hope to read more of your books..you have a beautiful gift.
I can't wait to hear more of her story.
After so much pain, I hope there has been much love and happiness.
Thank you Marlayna Glynn Brown for telling your story. As sad and difficult as it was to read, I am so glad I did....your story will stay with me for a very long time. I hope to read more of your books..you have a beautiful gift.
November 24, 2015
If you loved the Glass Castle, Alice Had a Palace, or Angela's Ashes, you will love this book. A page turner, I couldn't put it down. A sad existence in a terrible dysfunctional life of a child. An only girl child, dragged through the mud by her alcoholic mother, and the many men she brought into her life. A child should never worry where there next meal is coming from. I hated this mother that treated the child like she was baggage she wished she would have dropped off somewhere. Choosing the sick men over her daughter, dragging her through her own life of no hope. Children that survive this kind of life, become like seasoned fighters, always watching for when the next punch is coming. A great read. Highly recommended.
February 22, 2016
Enthralling but traumatic read
Yes, this is an interesting, almost enthralling story, but the details are painful to bare and difficult to read. The writing is superb and captivating as this young girl rises up through a broken family that is disjointed and neglectful. The abuse is shameful. The remarkable aspect: she made it through that minefield with apparently little trauma and rose to write this memoir and other offerings. The author has made several contributions to troubled youth and successfully raised her own family. I sometimes wonder, some blessed people are born to be successful and well developed regardless of their environment - a testament to the strength of human character!
Yes, this is an interesting, almost enthralling story, but the details are painful to bare and difficult to read. The writing is superb and captivating as this young girl rises up through a broken family that is disjointed and neglectful. The abuse is shameful. The remarkable aspect: she made it through that minefield with apparently little trauma and rose to write this memoir and other offerings. The author has made several contributions to troubled youth and successfully raised her own family. I sometimes wonder, some blessed people are born to be successful and well developed regardless of their environment - a testament to the strength of human character!
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