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The Meaning of Mariah Carey
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2020)An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams, that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it’s been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or a ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were filtered through someone else’s lens, largely satisfying someone else’s assignment to define me.
This book is composed of my memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival and my songs. Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side.
Writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the resilience of the human spirit.
Love,
Mariah
It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams, that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it’s been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or a ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were filtered through someone else’s lens, largely satisfying someone else’s assignment to define me.
This book is composed of my memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival and my songs. Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side.
Writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the resilience of the human spirit.
Love,
Mariah
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2020
2558 people are currently reading
25571 people want to read
About the author
Mariah Carey
88 books23.5k followersMariah Carey is an American artist of Black and Irish ancestry.
She is an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She has recorded fifteen studio albums and holds numerous industry records, including the most number one singles of any solo artist in history.
She has received many accolades, honors, and distinctions throughout her career, including the Congressional Award for her charitable work with youth through the Fresh Air Fund's Camp Mariah. She is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Carey remains forever thankful and fiercely loyal to her global family of fans.
Ms. Carey is the mother of two children, Moroccan and Monroe.
She is an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She has recorded fifteen studio albums and holds numerous industry records, including the most number one singles of any solo artist in history.
She has received many accolades, honors, and distinctions throughout her career, including the Congressional Award for her charitable work with youth through the Fresh Air Fund's Camp Mariah. She is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Carey remains forever thankful and fiercely loyal to her global family of fans.
Ms. Carey is the mother of two children, Moroccan and Monroe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,015 reviews
September 30, 2020
5 stars. This was even better than I could have imagined, darlin'. Mariah Carey is an icon and one of my favorite artists of all time. I grew up with her music. I remember when I was a child I had both Music Box and Butterfly on cassettes (I'm showing my age, I know) and I wore them out. Literally. The tape had started to unravel on them both, that's how much I played them. I was fascinated with her sound, her voice and everything she did with it. Plus, it was always fun trying to do her whistle tone and failing miserably.
I digress. After reading this, a lot of what you see about her public persona starts to really make a lot more sense. Her childhood really played a huge part in that and it's something that she still struggles with. My heart hurt for her. Her family situation was nightmarish and I applaud her for getting away and making something of her self. She's also very honest about her struggle with her own identity as being bi-racial and I thought that was interesting as well.
We also get a lot of detail into her hellish marriage with Tommy Mottola. I mean, we already know he's trash but damn to read it in her own words of just how bad it was was even worse. If Mariah had actually listened to him she would've never crossed over into Urban and we never would've gotten the legendary Butterfly album and that's just unacceptable. We also get the real tea about that infamous "Mariah Carey mental breakdown" from the Glitter era and I think that had to be one of my favorite parts of the book just because I remember all of that happening so vividly, it was all over the tabloids and in the news at the time you couldn't avoid it. Let's just say everything isn't always what it seems.
Also, yes to her giving some background on two of my favorite songs from her! Crybaby from Rainbow and The Roof from Butterfly. I got all of my life from those little tidbits.
I loved this book. I love that this was therapeutic for her in helping her to finally move on and close the chapter of her life that was her childhood and that awful first marriage. I will say, the petty in me wanted some shade about She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named but I guess Mimi still doesn't know her. Oh, well. *Kanye shrug*
I read this on my kindle and I also listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is absolutely superb. Mariah reads it herself and she sings some songs and I just about died. It's a fabulous experience and I highly recommend going the audiobook route. Overall, a wonderful, raw and entertaining read. We expect nothing less from the Diva honestly.
I digress. After reading this, a lot of what you see about her public persona starts to really make a lot more sense. Her childhood really played a huge part in that and it's something that she still struggles with. My heart hurt for her. Her family situation was nightmarish and I applaud her for getting away and making something of her self. She's also very honest about her struggle with her own identity as being bi-racial and I thought that was interesting as well.
We also get a lot of detail into her hellish marriage with Tommy Mottola. I mean, we already know he's trash but damn to read it in her own words of just how bad it was was even worse. If Mariah had actually listened to him she would've never crossed over into Urban and we never would've gotten the legendary Butterfly album and that's just unacceptable. We also get the real tea about that infamous "Mariah Carey mental breakdown" from the Glitter era and I think that had to be one of my favorite parts of the book just because I remember all of that happening so vividly, it was all over the tabloids and in the news at the time you couldn't avoid it. Let's just say everything isn't always what it seems.
Also, yes to her giving some background on two of my favorite songs from her! Crybaby from Rainbow and The Roof from Butterfly. I got all of my life from those little tidbits.
I loved this book. I love that this was therapeutic for her in helping her to finally move on and close the chapter of her life that was her childhood and that awful first marriage. I will say, the petty in me wanted some shade about She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named but I guess Mimi still doesn't know her. Oh, well. *Kanye shrug*
I read this on my kindle and I also listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is absolutely superb. Mariah reads it herself and she sings some songs and I just about died. It's a fabulous experience and I highly recommend going the audiobook route. Overall, a wonderful, raw and entertaining read. We expect nothing less from the Diva honestly.
October 1, 2020
I am a HUGE Mariah Carey fan. Always have been. Anybody who knows me knows that this was one of my most anticipated reads for the last decade or so. I can definitely say that the juice was worth the squeeze. ☕️ The story of her life, in her own words, is told in four sections:
-WAYWARD CHILD
Mariah has had a difficult life, and it was rough from the very beginning. Being biracial in predominately white neighborhoods, with a Black father and white mother, made her an easy target. This section explores her childhood, growing up with: an angry, emotionally abusive and sometimes violent older brother, a troubled older sister who became pregnant in her teens and turned to prostitution and drugs, a father who loved her, but didn’t understand her dreams of becoming a singer, and a mother who didn’t show her much affection and never stood by her side. She and her family moved thirteen times, and she never really had one place to call home. Through all the rare ups and many downs (one of the lowest was when her sister drugged her with Valium and tried to sell her to her pimp), Mariah stayed 100% focused on the grand prize...getting a record deal and finally having some stability.
-SING SING
When Mariah was a teenager, doing background vocals and demo work, she was finally able to record her OWN demo. In a bit of a Cinderella moment, her demo ended up in the hands of Sony Music President Tommy Mottola, a powerful man more than 20 years older than her. Although she felt some attraction for him initially, she really wanted stability...and thought that he would provide it. Instead, he had the home they built and equally paid for equipped with motion sensor cameras, recording devices, and fully armed security personnel. Tommy didn’t like to have Mariah out of his sight, which is why she nicknamed the beautiful upper NY mansion they lived in Sing Sing (as in the Prison). On top of that, Tommy was very unsupportive of her taking her music in the R&B/Hip-Hop direction (although most of her music had layers of these genres from the start). He didn’t like her discussing the Black part of who she was, didn’t like her Black friends, and made it his mission to control every aspect of her life until she was drowning in despair. He got worse as her success rose.
My two favorite parts of this section:
1. Mariah met Derek Jeter, a baseball player with the NY Yankees, as her marriage was falling apart. They fell in love very quickly, and although she didn’t sleep with him until after she found the courage to leave Tommy for good, Derek is the catalyst who gave her the strength to leave. He made her realize she was allowed happiness in her life. Although their relationship was short-lived, it’s clear she is so thankful for him and looks back on their time together fondly. There is also an ADORABLE picture of them in the book that makes me sad they didn’t make it.
2. Something I learned about only days before reading this is that Mariah secretly wrote, produced, recorded and released a grunge/alternative rock album in 1995. No joke! She recorded it simultaneously with the “Daydream” album as a way to let out angst and have some laughs. The album was released under the artist name, Chick. Mariah blended her vocals with her friend, Clarissa, on lead. You can totally hear her all over the album though. And as a bonus, Mariah recently stated that she is digging through her vault to find the original recordings with just her vocals.
-ALL THAT GLITTERS
After her divorce, and leaving Columbia Records, Mariah signed the biggest record deal ever with Virgin Records, and was finally able to add acting to her repertoire (something Tommy forbade). This section discusses the disappointing process of filming the movie “Glitter”, the sabotaging by her ex-husband (who had record executive spies report back to him about the soundtrack she was recording so he could take the samples she used, give them to one of his “artists”, and get that single released before Mariah’s so she wouldn’t be able to use the sample anymore), and Mariah’s so-called “breakdown.” The breakdown was simply stress, lack of sleep, and pure exhaustion. It’s also quite clear that her family sold her out, didn’t have her best interests at heart, and ultimately only cared about her money...ignoring her mental health. This section is scary and disturbing, and ultimately talks to the strength Mariah found in herself to pick herself up, dust herself off, and move on. What also helped was getting the right circle of support around her. “Not all debacles are created equal, dahhhhling.”
-EMANCIPATION
This section is about her triumphant return to the top. All of the pain and hurt and mistrust resulted in a phenomenal new decade for Mariah: Back at #1, albums with HUGE sales, record-breaking chart statistics, a hit film that won awards, new relationships, giving birth to twins, and finally feeling content. This amazing story of her life ends in December 2019, when she scores her 19th #1 single.
I tried to make this short and sweet, but that clearly didn’t happen. 🤦♂️ I enjoyed reading this more than I ever thought possible, and really appreciate how open and honest Mariah is about parts of her life she has never discussed before. I have a whole new appreciation for her as a human, an artist, a producer, and successful businesswoman. I also think this explains why she sometimes puts on her “diva” act in public. It all stems from insecurities. Truth is, she loves her fans, loves her children more, and has fought her whole life to get to where she is today. She writes that her family, friends, and lambs 🐑 (Mariah fans) see beyond that, and she is right. Another thing I love is that her song lyrics are sprinkled throughout, most of which are autobiographical and point to specific situations in her life. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the humor. Mariah is FUNNY, and has some awesome, quotable material in here to lighten up a sometimes dark story.
All the stars for Mimi!
-WAYWARD CHILD
Mariah has had a difficult life, and it was rough from the very beginning. Being biracial in predominately white neighborhoods, with a Black father and white mother, made her an easy target. This section explores her childhood, growing up with: an angry, emotionally abusive and sometimes violent older brother, a troubled older sister who became pregnant in her teens and turned to prostitution and drugs, a father who loved her, but didn’t understand her dreams of becoming a singer, and a mother who didn’t show her much affection and never stood by her side. She and her family moved thirteen times, and she never really had one place to call home. Through all the rare ups and many downs (one of the lowest was when her sister drugged her with Valium and tried to sell her to her pimp), Mariah stayed 100% focused on the grand prize...getting a record deal and finally having some stability.
-SING SING
When Mariah was a teenager, doing background vocals and demo work, she was finally able to record her OWN demo. In a bit of a Cinderella moment, her demo ended up in the hands of Sony Music President Tommy Mottola, a powerful man more than 20 years older than her. Although she felt some attraction for him initially, she really wanted stability...and thought that he would provide it. Instead, he had the home they built and equally paid for equipped with motion sensor cameras, recording devices, and fully armed security personnel. Tommy didn’t like to have Mariah out of his sight, which is why she nicknamed the beautiful upper NY mansion they lived in Sing Sing (as in the Prison). On top of that, Tommy was very unsupportive of her taking her music in the R&B/Hip-Hop direction (although most of her music had layers of these genres from the start). He didn’t like her discussing the Black part of who she was, didn’t like her Black friends, and made it his mission to control every aspect of her life until she was drowning in despair. He got worse as her success rose.
My two favorite parts of this section:
1. Mariah met Derek Jeter, a baseball player with the NY Yankees, as her marriage was falling apart. They fell in love very quickly, and although she didn’t sleep with him until after she found the courage to leave Tommy for good, Derek is the catalyst who gave her the strength to leave. He made her realize she was allowed happiness in her life. Although their relationship was short-lived, it’s clear she is so thankful for him and looks back on their time together fondly. There is also an ADORABLE picture of them in the book that makes me sad they didn’t make it.
2. Something I learned about only days before reading this is that Mariah secretly wrote, produced, recorded and released a grunge/alternative rock album in 1995. No joke! She recorded it simultaneously with the “Daydream” album as a way to let out angst and have some laughs. The album was released under the artist name, Chick. Mariah blended her vocals with her friend, Clarissa, on lead. You can totally hear her all over the album though. And as a bonus, Mariah recently stated that she is digging through her vault to find the original recordings with just her vocals.
-ALL THAT GLITTERS
After her divorce, and leaving Columbia Records, Mariah signed the biggest record deal ever with Virgin Records, and was finally able to add acting to her repertoire (something Tommy forbade). This section discusses the disappointing process of filming the movie “Glitter”, the sabotaging by her ex-husband (who had record executive spies report back to him about the soundtrack she was recording so he could take the samples she used, give them to one of his “artists”, and get that single released before Mariah’s so she wouldn’t be able to use the sample anymore), and Mariah’s so-called “breakdown.” The breakdown was simply stress, lack of sleep, and pure exhaustion. It’s also quite clear that her family sold her out, didn’t have her best interests at heart, and ultimately only cared about her money...ignoring her mental health. This section is scary and disturbing, and ultimately talks to the strength Mariah found in herself to pick herself up, dust herself off, and move on. What also helped was getting the right circle of support around her. “Not all debacles are created equal, dahhhhling.”
-EMANCIPATION
This section is about her triumphant return to the top. All of the pain and hurt and mistrust resulted in a phenomenal new decade for Mariah: Back at #1, albums with HUGE sales, record-breaking chart statistics, a hit film that won awards, new relationships, giving birth to twins, and finally feeling content. This amazing story of her life ends in December 2019, when she scores her 19th #1 single.
I tried to make this short and sweet, but that clearly didn’t happen. 🤦♂️ I enjoyed reading this more than I ever thought possible, and really appreciate how open and honest Mariah is about parts of her life she has never discussed before. I have a whole new appreciation for her as a human, an artist, a producer, and successful businesswoman. I also think this explains why she sometimes puts on her “diva” act in public. It all stems from insecurities. Truth is, she loves her fans, loves her children more, and has fought her whole life to get to where she is today. She writes that her family, friends, and lambs 🐑 (Mariah fans) see beyond that, and she is right. Another thing I love is that her song lyrics are sprinkled throughout, most of which are autobiographical and point to specific situations in her life. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the humor. Mariah is FUNNY, and has some awesome, quotable material in here to lighten up a sometimes dark story.
All the stars for Mimi!
October 5, 2020
RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHUT. THE. FRONT. BACK. SIDE. AND GARAGE DOOR.
pre-order PLACED. this tea will FLOOD THE NATION! y'all better have your life jackets R-E-A-D-Y
SHUT. THE. FRONT. BACK. SIDE. AND GARAGE DOOR.
pre-order PLACED. this tea will FLOOD THE NATION! y'all better have your life jackets R-E-A-D-Y
October 6, 2020
Audiobook...read by Mariah Carey
If you’re a die-hard ‘everything’ Mariah Carey
fan.... then this book will probably be a 5 star read.
Me.....( not a die hard fan)....
I like her fine — but not in a ‘fan-ship’ way.
I could only handle listening to this audiobook- a few chapters at a time. One can only hang out with a diva so long, before needing a break. Not pointing a judgement finger at Mariah—- it’s just that when my reality and stylized-living is so different — I simply needed to step off her platform for awhile.
I ‘am’ inspired by Mariah’s voice - ( I loved when she broke out into a song); her talent is exceptional.
Mariah’s sincere appreciation to her fans, and faith in God is moving.....
But....
at times I was bored - I wasn’t very interested in her closet, shoes, clothes, and thoughts on dating: I felt the details were neutral to flat.
It also wasn’t thrilling to digest Mariah’s blame of her white mother and black father either....( for not understanding Mariah’s feelings).
They didn’t live up to her dreams, or expectations. ( even though they both loved her)
Mariah didn’t sound forgiving—or complete, either. Not to me.....
but....
she uses her ‘unhappy experiences’ for her artistic endeavors.
Seems to work for her.
It ‘was’ interesting to learn about how her lyrics came to her ( from personal life experiences).
Stepping inside her creative head were my favorite parts.
The few times she broke out into song - was great.
I was left wanting more singing and less memoir-writing.
I found it deeply heartbreaking that her most prominent relationships in life: mother, father, sister, brother, ex-husband were complex, sad, bleak, frightening, confusing, dreadful, and often unbearable.
Overall:
Fair - good - not incredible. The writing, sharing, and editing was average.
3 stars
If you’re a die-hard ‘everything’ Mariah Carey
fan.... then this book will probably be a 5 star read.
Me.....( not a die hard fan)....
I like her fine — but not in a ‘fan-ship’ way.
I could only handle listening to this audiobook- a few chapters at a time. One can only hang out with a diva so long, before needing a break. Not pointing a judgement finger at Mariah—- it’s just that when my reality and stylized-living is so different — I simply needed to step off her platform for awhile.
I ‘am’ inspired by Mariah’s voice - ( I loved when she broke out into a song); her talent is exceptional.
Mariah’s sincere appreciation to her fans, and faith in God is moving.....
But....
at times I was bored - I wasn’t very interested in her closet, shoes, clothes, and thoughts on dating: I felt the details were neutral to flat.
It also wasn’t thrilling to digest Mariah’s blame of her white mother and black father either....( for not understanding Mariah’s feelings).
They didn’t live up to her dreams, or expectations. ( even though they both loved her)
Mariah didn’t sound forgiving—or complete, either. Not to me.....
but....
she uses her ‘unhappy experiences’ for her artistic endeavors.
Seems to work for her.
It ‘was’ interesting to learn about how her lyrics came to her ( from personal life experiences).
Stepping inside her creative head were my favorite parts.
The few times she broke out into song - was great.
I was left wanting more singing and less memoir-writing.
I found it deeply heartbreaking that her most prominent relationships in life: mother, father, sister, brother, ex-husband were complex, sad, bleak, frightening, confusing, dreadful, and often unbearable.
Overall:
Fair - good - not incredible. The writing, sharing, and editing was average.
3 stars
October 16, 2020
"If Mariah wants fries, she's gonna get fucking fries." - Da Brat
December 20, 2020
4 stars
I remember listening to Mariah Carey all the time when I was a kid in the early 90’s. She has such an incredible voice and so many huge hits, but I didn’t know much about her. I was always a casual fan, but I have to be honest and say I didn’t know much about her life story aside from little things here and there that were in the media.
Books like this are the reason I love reading memoirs. You have no idea what people have been through/are going through. I love learning about people’s lives and listening to them tell their own stories. I think audiobooks, when the author narrates their own story, is the best way to read them.
I definitely feel like I have some insight to the life of Mariah and a new respect for her as an artist and a person.
I remember listening to Mariah Carey all the time when I was a kid in the early 90’s. She has such an incredible voice and so many huge hits, but I didn’t know much about her. I was always a casual fan, but I have to be honest and say I didn’t know much about her life story aside from little things here and there that were in the media.
Books like this are the reason I love reading memoirs. You have no idea what people have been through/are going through. I love learning about people’s lives and listening to them tell their own stories. I think audiobooks, when the author narrates their own story, is the best way to read them.
I definitely feel like I have some insight to the life of Mariah and a new respect for her as an artist and a person.
Audio book source: Audible (purchased)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Mariah Carey
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
Length: 11 hours and 17 minutes
October 1, 2020
This book was good. Mariah wasn't as open as I had hoped she would be. I felt like she talked too much about the opulence that comes with being famous. I was less interesting in that. I already knew she lived in glorious homes and wore gorgeous gowns and shoes. I don't care about all of that. I wanted to get a better sense of who she is a person. She came across kind of shallow despite her childhood traumas. I was confused about that. I thought she would come across MORE humble because of the fact she came from such "humble beginnings". She seems very cutoff from reality. She did talk about being cutoff from pop culture, that part I understand. Yet, I don't think most regular people will relate to Mariah at all at this stage in her life (she has been famous and had money for so long...she is very cutoff). It was nice to hear her own voice since I listened to the audiobook.
April 23, 2021
"I gave them so much money, especially my mother, and it still wasn't enough. They tried to destroy me in order to take complete control. The therapist made an obvious suggestion: if the could prove I was unstable, they certainly could have believed they would become the executors of my affairs. He asked me to look at them objectively- how they viewed the world, how they never really had consistent, legitimate work but still felt like the world owed them something. We all had varying degrees of tough shit to go through in our family, but in this way, we fundamentally differed. I didn't think the world owed me anything. I simply believed I would conquer the world I was born into, in my own way." (PAGE 266) Mariah got sued from brother and sister after the making of this book for the "falseness and lies" she portrayed of them.... Ummmm...
I was back and forth with a 4 or 5 stars but decided on the latter. I have been waiting for this book to be available at the library for so long. I finally got my chance to read it and enjoyed it. I grew up with her music but I don't know anything about her (just stuff I assumed) because she really was/is a private person.
The book starts out with her childhood and being the third mixed child of an Irish Catholic mother and a Black serviceman. By the time she was born it seemed that all the problems in the marriage and the older siblings started. Alfred Roy Carey and Patricia finally divorced when Mariah was a tender age of four. Her sister, Ali, got pregnant at 16, had the baby and then turned to drugs and prostitution eventually endangering Mariah's life to her pimp. Mariah and Patricia (eventually letting her violent older brother Morgan live with them) would move place to place all over Long Island sometimes with new boyfriends, into sad shacks and dirty apartments. She never felt safe and being in prominently white neighborhoods got bullied a lot upon learning her father was Black. At one point she was invited to a sleepover and the girls turned on her and started chanting the "N" word. No adult seemed to be around to help her. Another time she was in a Jewish production of "Fiddler on the Roof" where she was Hadel and when her Black father went to give her a bouquet of flowers everyone got quiet and stared at them. She never got invited to go back. She talks about the racism with hurt but not defeat. I think she just accepted it as part of her life and was confused because her parents didn't have the words to talk her through anything. She is definitely a survivor not a victim.
Then she delves into her marriage with Tommy Mattola. He was a father figure of sorts to the much younger woman. Eventually though he became the nightmare father that wouldn't let her go out, that wouldn't allow her to have friends he didn't approve of, have terrible rages that she soon feared. She was trapped but always looked for the light. No one helped her because they were all under Terrible Tommy's payroll. It was a dark time for her.
Not all is so dark and gloomy here. Mariah has stories without naming names (Uh, Hello Jennifer Lopez and 1998s VH1 Diva Live honoring Aretha Franklin where Celine Dion tried to outsing the honoree!) Funny little quips and 90s pop culture.
The reason why I went back and forth from my star rating was her snotty attitude for small houses people lived in. She really thinks super high of her albums and herself. It made me say "Yuck" a bit but this is her being herself and raw. Opening herself up for peace and more therapeutic purposes so I can't really knock her off a star. She likes big expensive things and lady worked hard. She had one goal in mind and she didn't let anyone take it away from her.
She mentions God a lot and talks about Him in such beautiful ways. I think she couldn't have done it without His grace and Love. She includes Scripture in her songs and I love that. It must be hard to be a Christian in any industry where morals have no place such as Hollywood and the music industry.
(A thought that I must keep saying over and over)
I highly recommend this even if you are no Lamb Lover. It is controversial and entertaining.
I was back and forth with a 4 or 5 stars but decided on the latter. I have been waiting for this book to be available at the library for so long. I finally got my chance to read it and enjoyed it. I grew up with her music but I don't know anything about her (just stuff I assumed) because she really was/is a private person.
The book starts out with her childhood and being the third mixed child of an Irish Catholic mother and a Black serviceman. By the time she was born it seemed that all the problems in the marriage and the older siblings started. Alfred Roy Carey and Patricia finally divorced when Mariah was a tender age of four. Her sister, Ali, got pregnant at 16, had the baby and then turned to drugs and prostitution eventually endangering Mariah's life to her pimp. Mariah and Patricia (eventually letting her violent older brother Morgan live with them) would move place to place all over Long Island sometimes with new boyfriends, into sad shacks and dirty apartments. She never felt safe and being in prominently white neighborhoods got bullied a lot upon learning her father was Black. At one point she was invited to a sleepover and the girls turned on her and started chanting the "N" word. No adult seemed to be around to help her. Another time she was in a Jewish production of "Fiddler on the Roof" where she was Hadel and when her Black father went to give her a bouquet of flowers everyone got quiet and stared at them. She never got invited to go back. She talks about the racism with hurt but not defeat. I think she just accepted it as part of her life and was confused because her parents didn't have the words to talk her through anything. She is definitely a survivor not a victim.
Then she delves into her marriage with Tommy Mattola. He was a father figure of sorts to the much younger woman. Eventually though he became the nightmare father that wouldn't let her go out, that wouldn't allow her to have friends he didn't approve of, have terrible rages that she soon feared. She was trapped but always looked for the light. No one helped her because they were all under Terrible Tommy's payroll. It was a dark time for her.
Not all is so dark and gloomy here. Mariah has stories without naming names (Uh, Hello Jennifer Lopez and 1998s VH1 Diva Live honoring Aretha Franklin where Celine Dion tried to outsing the honoree!) Funny little quips and 90s pop culture.
The reason why I went back and forth from my star rating was her snotty attitude for small houses people lived in. She really thinks super high of her albums and herself. It made me say "Yuck" a bit but this is her being herself and raw. Opening herself up for peace and more therapeutic purposes so I can't really knock her off a star. She likes big expensive things and lady worked hard. She had one goal in mind and she didn't let anyone take it away from her.
She mentions God a lot and talks about Him in such beautiful ways. I think she couldn't have done it without His grace and Love. She includes Scripture in her songs and I love that. It must be hard to be a Christian in any industry where morals have no place such as Hollywood and the music industry.
(A thought that I must keep saying over and over)
I highly recommend this even if you are no Lamb Lover. It is controversial and entertaining.
December 14, 2020
I have enjoyed Mariah Carey’s music over the years, her anthems the type of song that one can sing along to over and over again. I have always been partial to Always Be My Baby for one reason or another. When I found out that she had penned a memoir, I was giddy. I know celebrity memoirs can be hit or miss so the best part for me is that I had zero expectations in terms of the quality of writing. All I desired was to be immersed in Mariah’s dream world for a few hours, where I could bop along to her music and discover the creative mind behind the song lyrics.
Like many celebrities and other famous people throughout history, Mariah Carey did not have an easy upbringing and had to overcome many hardships to make it big. Many people will note that she comes across as whiny on the pages, but, Mariah’s childhood made me want to cry. The product of an interracial parents, Mariah’s world straddled black and white, and she never felt entirely comfortable in either. Alfred Roy and Patricia Carey could not provide a stable upbringing for their children, and Mariah’s older siblings Alison and Morgan succumbed to drugs, teenaged pregnancy, and prostitution (Alison) and more drugs and violent tendencies (Morgan). Mariah’s mother Patricia moved with her youngest daughter to an all white Long Island neighborhood, cutting her off from paternal relations and roll models. Often they lived in a rundown apartment or shack, and Mariah could count the number of outfits she had on one hand. School was not much better because no one knew where to place her- black, white, or other. The one thing Patricia had going for herself, however, was her music. She was trained in classical opera, and, no matter how unstable her life was, she was determined to pass this love of music on to daughter.
Mariah got her first break in the music industry while still a teenager and eventually moved up the ranks from backup singer to top musician, hobnobbing with the who’s who of the industry in the process. She is the only female recording artist to have number one hits in four different decades, but, in the words of Langston Hughes, her life was not always a crystal stair. One of her first contacts in the music industry was producer Tommy Mottola, who could tell that Mariah was destined to be a star. He signed her, and eventually married her, keeping her a virtual prisoner for eight years. Meanwhile, all the songs she produced at that time became hits, and all she desired was to be free from Tommy’s spider web. It is little wonder to me that her symbol is a butterfly that eventually did break free, but the domestic strife she went through was as traumatic as the poverty she and prejudice she dealt with as a child. To this day, Mariah’s inner circle is a small few people, her siblings and mother not included. Either they wanted a piece of her earnings or to be associated with her new found fame, but not a relationship with their immediate family member. As with her divorce from Tommy, Mariah eventually “divorced” herself from her mother and siblings, and then her career took off.
As one who enjoys reading these celebrity memoirs, I enjoyed the pop culture mentions, especially Mariah’s relationships with Derek Jeter and Luis Miguel. I know the outcome, but I would have loved for her relationship with Jeter to have lasted- talk about an A-list celebrity power couple. There are anecdotes about performances and recording with Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, and queen of Motown Aretha Franklin. In each instance, it appears that Mariah has not forgotten her troubled roots and was starstruck at the prospect of appearing on stage with these rock and roll icons. At this juncture of her career, upcoming singers would consider her an icon as well, although Mariah would be the first to tell you that she is no where near Ross or Franklin status. With a new decade to chart her career arc in music and now acting, her career is just reaching a pinnacle. It will be interesting to see just what she will do in her second act.
Now a mother to Monroe- named after Marilyn Monroe who she is obsessed with- and Moroccan- after her love of the culture-, Mariah Carey is balancing her time as a mother and internationally famous platinum artist. She has not forgotten her roots and has paid tribute to both of her parents in her music. She is an example of living out one’s dreams. As a girl, all Mariah wanted was to be one of the bright lights of New York City. Now she is, with a penthouse right in the center of all of the action. It will be intriguing to see how her life progresses after exposing all that she went through early on for all the world to see. Hopefully it means even more material for her music, which is still rocking after more than three decades in the industry.
🎶 3.5 stars 🎼
Like many celebrities and other famous people throughout history, Mariah Carey did not have an easy upbringing and had to overcome many hardships to make it big. Many people will note that she comes across as whiny on the pages, but, Mariah’s childhood made me want to cry. The product of an interracial parents, Mariah’s world straddled black and white, and she never felt entirely comfortable in either. Alfred Roy and Patricia Carey could not provide a stable upbringing for their children, and Mariah’s older siblings Alison and Morgan succumbed to drugs, teenaged pregnancy, and prostitution (Alison) and more drugs and violent tendencies (Morgan). Mariah’s mother Patricia moved with her youngest daughter to an all white Long Island neighborhood, cutting her off from paternal relations and roll models. Often they lived in a rundown apartment or shack, and Mariah could count the number of outfits she had on one hand. School was not much better because no one knew where to place her- black, white, or other. The one thing Patricia had going for herself, however, was her music. She was trained in classical opera, and, no matter how unstable her life was, she was determined to pass this love of music on to daughter.
Mariah got her first break in the music industry while still a teenager and eventually moved up the ranks from backup singer to top musician, hobnobbing with the who’s who of the industry in the process. She is the only female recording artist to have number one hits in four different decades, but, in the words of Langston Hughes, her life was not always a crystal stair. One of her first contacts in the music industry was producer Tommy Mottola, who could tell that Mariah was destined to be a star. He signed her, and eventually married her, keeping her a virtual prisoner for eight years. Meanwhile, all the songs she produced at that time became hits, and all she desired was to be free from Tommy’s spider web. It is little wonder to me that her symbol is a butterfly that eventually did break free, but the domestic strife she went through was as traumatic as the poverty she and prejudice she dealt with as a child. To this day, Mariah’s inner circle is a small few people, her siblings and mother not included. Either they wanted a piece of her earnings or to be associated with her new found fame, but not a relationship with their immediate family member. As with her divorce from Tommy, Mariah eventually “divorced” herself from her mother and siblings, and then her career took off.
As one who enjoys reading these celebrity memoirs, I enjoyed the pop culture mentions, especially Mariah’s relationships with Derek Jeter and Luis Miguel. I know the outcome, but I would have loved for her relationship with Jeter to have lasted- talk about an A-list celebrity power couple. There are anecdotes about performances and recording with Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, and queen of Motown Aretha Franklin. In each instance, it appears that Mariah has not forgotten her troubled roots and was starstruck at the prospect of appearing on stage with these rock and roll icons. At this juncture of her career, upcoming singers would consider her an icon as well, although Mariah would be the first to tell you that she is no where near Ross or Franklin status. With a new decade to chart her career arc in music and now acting, her career is just reaching a pinnacle. It will be interesting to see just what she will do in her second act.
Now a mother to Monroe- named after Marilyn Monroe who she is obsessed with- and Moroccan- after her love of the culture-, Mariah Carey is balancing her time as a mother and internationally famous platinum artist. She has not forgotten her roots and has paid tribute to both of her parents in her music. She is an example of living out one’s dreams. As a girl, all Mariah wanted was to be one of the bright lights of New York City. Now she is, with a penthouse right in the center of all of the action. It will be intriguing to see how her life progresses after exposing all that she went through early on for all the world to see. Hopefully it means even more material for her music, which is still rocking after more than three decades in the industry.
🎶 3.5 stars 🎼
December 31, 2020
Food For Thought: Why didn't she name the memoir as Memoir Of An Imperfect Angel?
Updated Review as of 31/12/2020 (before we enter the new year, hmmm..)
I've finished reading this memoir some time ago but was too busy and lazy to write an in-depth review. And I still am but I took some time off to write this one.
Now, let me summarize my thoughts:
WHAT I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH:
Look, I'm a huge Mariah fan, listened to the entire debut and E=MC2 albums. But as she had boldly claimed that it's a very revealing memoir. Maybe my expectations were as just as high as the bar she had set for future female vocalists to follow.
* Eminem wasn't featured in this 'tell-all' book. Maybe trivial, but we would like whether did they have a short-lived fling with each other. This, in my book, is just a minor complaint.
* What irks me is nothing about her Idol moments was covered, especially her feud with Nicki Minaj. Since this book is supposed to reveal Mimi's vulnerable side, it struck me as disappointing since we definitely knew(unless you are a deluded stan) that Mimi was the one who had ignited the feud since she didn't like it that she wasn't the only the female judge on the panel. Also, I highly doubt Minaj was jealous of Mimi's success since they definitely have different styles of music and are incomparable to each other's.
* Just when you thought she would have given it a rest, nope you are wrong! If I were given a choice to read which account, I would have preferred Idol to the Divas' 1998 performance. Here, she had mentioned that Celine was trying to 'show-off' her vocals by trying to outsing Aretha that night. However, if you had watched the whole footage of the performance, one would easily know that they(Aretha and Celine) were having the time of their life and it, by no means, was a competition of who was the better singer. As for Mariah, her voice was shot (Butterfly era especially in 1998 wasn't her best vocal era. Sure, there were some good performances like the Patti Labelle's tribute, but most of the time she struggled with upper belts). Also, people were speculating that maybe Mariah wasn't comfortable since apparently Sony had pumped in more money for Celine than Mariah (eherm, Tomato Mozarella again at work)., however, I leave this to your judgement.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* This memoir doesn't reveal just the things that almost all of us fans knew. Instead, readers will be shocked to find out her mother isn't a saint as we all had perceived her to be. I mean , her mom has only appeared publicly in Oprah's show and Mimi's O' Come All Ye Faithful song, so less is known about her. And to be honest, I thought her dad was vile and her mom a saint. How wrong was I until I read this book.
* The lyrics to her songs were mostly related to her real-life experiences. Okay, that we all know, but in what way? Well, readers are treated to snippets of some of her songs and their history. And you will be spoilt with her soothing breathy vocals if you listen to her audiobook. Heck, I listened to Alone In Love and that song immediately grew on me! Also, who would have known the song, Close My Eyes' concept was already conceived way before the Butterfly era?!
* I'm not Christian, but it amazes me how she thanks God for every achievement she has under her belt. It shows she's still very much down-to-earth, albeit the heavily publicised Diva moments in her career.
* Mariah was a prisoner in her early career, but when did it start? Why did she marry Mozarella in the first place? What were the behind-the-scene moments of the making of the Rainbow album? (3 months is especially very fast for any album to be completely produced).
Updated Review as of 31/12/2020 (before we enter the new year, hmmm..)
I've finished reading this memoir some time ago but was too busy and lazy to write an in-depth review. And I still am but I took some time off to write this one.
Now, let me summarize my thoughts:
WHAT I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH:
Look, I'm a huge Mariah fan, listened to the entire debut and E=MC2 albums. But as she had boldly claimed that it's a very revealing memoir. Maybe my expectations were as just as high as the bar she had set for future female vocalists to follow.
* Eminem wasn't featured in this 'tell-all' book. Maybe trivial, but we would like whether did they have a short-lived fling with each other. This, in my book, is just a minor complaint.
* What irks me is nothing about her Idol moments was covered, especially her feud with Nicki Minaj. Since this book is supposed to reveal Mimi's vulnerable side, it struck me as disappointing since we definitely knew(unless you are a deluded stan) that Mimi was the one who had ignited the feud since she didn't like it that she wasn't the only the female judge on the panel. Also, I highly doubt Minaj was jealous of Mimi's success since they definitely have different styles of music and are incomparable to each other's.
* Just when you thought she would have given it a rest, nope you are wrong! If I were given a choice to read which account, I would have preferred Idol to the Divas' 1998 performance. Here, she had mentioned that Celine was trying to 'show-off' her vocals by trying to outsing Aretha that night. However, if you had watched the whole footage of the performance, one would easily know that they(Aretha and Celine) were having the time of their life and it, by no means, was a competition of who was the better singer. As for Mariah, her voice was shot (Butterfly era especially in 1998 wasn't her best vocal era. Sure, there were some good performances like the Patti Labelle's tribute, but most of the time she struggled with upper belts). Also, people were speculating that maybe Mariah wasn't comfortable since apparently Sony had pumped in more money for Celine than Mariah (eherm, Tomato Mozarella again at work)., however, I leave this to your judgement.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* This memoir doesn't reveal just the things that almost all of us fans knew. Instead, readers will be shocked to find out her mother isn't a saint as we all had perceived her to be. I mean , her mom has only appeared publicly in Oprah's show and Mimi's O' Come All Ye Faithful song, so less is known about her. And to be honest, I thought her dad was vile and her mom a saint. How wrong was I until I read this book.
* The lyrics to her songs were mostly related to her real-life experiences. Okay, that we all know, but in what way? Well, readers are treated to snippets of some of her songs and their history. And you will be spoilt with her soothing breathy vocals if you listen to her audiobook. Heck, I listened to Alone In Love and that song immediately grew on me! Also, who would have known the song, Close My Eyes' concept was already conceived way before the Butterfly era?!
* I'm not Christian, but it amazes me how she thanks God for every achievement she has under her belt. It shows she's still very much down-to-earth, albeit the heavily publicised Diva moments in her career.
* Mariah was a prisoner in her early career, but when did it start? Why did she marry Mozarella in the first place? What were the behind-the-scene moments of the making of the Rainbow album? (3 months is especially very fast for any album to be completely produced).
October 4, 2020
Heartbreaking, inspiring, moving, funny, revealing. Not a typical celebrity memoir. An incredible story about a person's resilience, ambition and will power to overcome their struggles all the way to superstardom. This book will make you cry, laugh, reflect on family relationships and give you a whole new appreciation and understanding of the real person that is "Mariah Carey".
July 4, 2022
I want to make something very clear before I even start this review....Glitter both the movie and the soundtrack are ICONIC and won't accept any slander towards them.
Now on to the review!
Well not yet...First I give you my Top Ten Mariah Carey Songs
1. Always Be My Baby
2. Baby doll
3. The Roof
4. If It's Over
5. Fantasy (The ODB Remix)
6. My All
7. The One
8. Breakdown
9. Touch My Body
10. All I Want For Christmas Is You
Honorable Mentions
1. Honey
2. Anytime You Need A Friend
3. Forever
4. We Belong Together
5. H.A.T.E.U.
6. Dreamweaver
7. Heartbreakers
8. One Sweet Day
9. I Stay In Love
10. Crybaby
If couldn't tell I'm a huge Mariah fan. Other than Beyonce, Mariah is my favorite artist. I don't remember I time when Mariah's music wasn't being played in my house. My mom and older sister loved her from day one. I can't explain to someone who isn't a fan why we love her so much. Mariah has just always felt like she was writing songs just for us her fans. If other people enjoy them I'm sure she's happy but those of us who will buy any album she releases are her true audience.
From listening to her music I knew that she hadn't had a happy childhood and that her first marriage was not great but reading this book was harrowing. Mariah is tough as nails and I truly don't think I could have survived the things she dealt with. I'm going to listen to all of her songs with a new perspective...especially her Butterfly album. That's my favorite of her albums and now that I know the sexiest songs on that album are about Derek Jeter....Chile!! Oh Baby!!!
I think it's obvious that I loved this book. I put off reading for so long because I was afraid that I wouldn't like her after reading her book but instead I love her even more.
All the Recommendations!
All the Stars!
I Love Mimi!
Now I just need Beyonce to write her book and than I can die happy.
Now on to the review!
Well not yet...First I give you my Top Ten Mariah Carey Songs
1. Always Be My Baby
2. Baby doll
3. The Roof
4. If It's Over
5. Fantasy (The ODB Remix)
6. My All
7. The One
8. Breakdown
9. Touch My Body
10. All I Want For Christmas Is You
Honorable Mentions
1. Honey
2. Anytime You Need A Friend
3. Forever
4. We Belong Together
5. H.A.T.E.U.
6. Dreamweaver
7. Heartbreakers
8. One Sweet Day
9. I Stay In Love
10. Crybaby
If couldn't tell I'm a huge Mariah fan. Other than Beyonce, Mariah is my favorite artist. I don't remember I time when Mariah's music wasn't being played in my house. My mom and older sister loved her from day one. I can't explain to someone who isn't a fan why we love her so much. Mariah has just always felt like she was writing songs just for us her fans. If other people enjoy them I'm sure she's happy but those of us who will buy any album she releases are her true audience.
From listening to her music I knew that she hadn't had a happy childhood and that her first marriage was not great but reading this book was harrowing. Mariah is tough as nails and I truly don't think I could have survived the things she dealt with. I'm going to listen to all of her songs with a new perspective...especially her Butterfly album. That's my favorite of her albums and now that I know the sexiest songs on that album are about Derek Jeter....Chile!! Oh Baby!!!
I think it's obvious that I loved this book. I put off reading for so long because I was afraid that I wouldn't like her after reading her book but instead I love her even more.
All the Recommendations!
All the Stars!
I Love Mimi!
Now I just need Beyonce to write her book and than I can die happy.
January 12, 2023
I had a blast reading this book. Loved learning more about MC. She’s one of the greatest for sure. I had some issues with structure and the way she chose to deal with accountability, but overall had a great time. Highly suggest the audio.
October 9, 2020
I rarely get angry at a book, but I’m there. I picked up Mariah Carey’s autobiography as a casual fan. I know some songs, heard some high notes, and that’s about it. Not many preconceptions.
But something is wrong. The first chunk of the audio book, voiced by Carey, is crazy. I’m not sure whether it’s an autobiography, revisionist history, a dream sequence, notes from a therapy session, a public relations relevancy exercise, or a manifesto.
Then the real narrative begins, and follows Carey’s journey to stardom. And it’s so completely different from the opening salvo, a completely different voice. The start is mired in rabid description. The remaining pages are unfocused, totally scattered. There is a common thread - nearly everyone mentioned in this book gets thrown under the bus, viciously. The book then loses most of its steam and just falls away.
This book is not fun. Carey’s memories are miserable. Her conclusions are not healthy. The book takes on current racial theming, but comes perilously close to exploitation. Carey is obviously not in a good place. But then again, maybe it’s all intentional, a vengeful and victimized diva persona.
Whatever, I’ve spent way too much brain power on this exercise, I need to learn to accept DNF leanings and I don’t. That’s my takeaway.
But something is wrong. The first chunk of the audio book, voiced by Carey, is crazy. I’m not sure whether it’s an autobiography, revisionist history, a dream sequence, notes from a therapy session, a public relations relevancy exercise, or a manifesto.
Then the real narrative begins, and follows Carey’s journey to stardom. And it’s so completely different from the opening salvo, a completely different voice. The start is mired in rabid description. The remaining pages are unfocused, totally scattered. There is a common thread - nearly everyone mentioned in this book gets thrown under the bus, viciously. The book then loses most of its steam and just falls away.
This book is not fun. Carey’s memories are miserable. Her conclusions are not healthy. The book takes on current racial theming, but comes perilously close to exploitation. Carey is obviously not in a good place. But then again, maybe it’s all intentional, a vengeful and victimized diva persona.
Whatever, I’ve spent way too much brain power on this exercise, I need to learn to accept DNF leanings and I don’t. That’s my takeaway.
October 1, 2020
This was an 11 hrs and 17 minutes wild ride. I now walk away with an even better understanding of Mariah and all she's achieved and somehow my love as a fan has grown even more for her.
Hearing her narrate the audiobook herself really made this one rise above. She doesn't do bleak narrations. Instead she talks to you as if you're a friend she's telling stories to. Anyone who is a fan is familiar with her mannerisms that are ever present here. Even if you are the biggest stan and thought you knew Mariah well this was full of information you've never heard. This was a book for the lambily definitely and chock full of quotable moments even during the more sad and difficult times. However even someone who isn't the biggest fan could listen to the animated audiobook and enjoy.
This isn't a book that's going to address all the tabloid fodder. This is Mimi at her most open and raw recalling the events that shaped her to be the person she is today. All the highs and lows, people she's lost and gained, and how she's persevered.
Full in depth interview on my blog
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Hearing her narrate the audiobook herself really made this one rise above. She doesn't do bleak narrations. Instead she talks to you as if you're a friend she's telling stories to. Anyone who is a fan is familiar with her mannerisms that are ever present here. Even if you are the biggest stan and thought you knew Mariah well this was full of information you've never heard. This was a book for the lambily definitely and chock full of quotable moments even during the more sad and difficult times. However even someone who isn't the biggest fan could listen to the animated audiobook and enjoy.
This isn't a book that's going to address all the tabloid fodder. This is Mimi at her most open and raw recalling the events that shaped her to be the person she is today. All the highs and lows, people she's lost and gained, and how she's persevered.
Full in depth interview on my blog
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
October 14, 2020
I read the book and it’s not that good. I have loved Mariah since the first time I heard the song “Someday”. Her music is the soundtrack to my childhood. This book though....It’s not a true memoir. I don’t even know where to start with this review but here I go......to start, she blames everyone else for her problems and for everything bad that happened to her and everything that goes wrong in her life. She is a perpetual victim. And she blames Tommy Mattola for her failures and spends much of the book talking about her hatred of him. Even though she was signed to a new label and divorced from him when she made the Glitter movie, she blames him for its failure. Then in another breath she blames its failure on the time of year it was released. And her failed MTV TRL stunt? She blames Carson Daily for that. The book totally plays in to the current narrative in this country. Mariah clearly hates cops and white people. She even manages to slip in the black lives matter hashtag. The book starts out at the beginning of her childhood & she tells us about her dysfunctional family. She tells of an incident that happened when she was 4 years old, when her parents are still together. Her brother and father get in to a very bad physical fight, so bad that the neighbors call the cops. And we are supposed to believe that when that happened at age 4, Mariah realized that the cops could kill her family. She doesn’t realize that her brother and father could have killed each other or worse, her and her mother if the cops hadn’t come. No, she realized the cops could have killed them all just because they were black. Yeah sure. She doesn’t say the cops did anything specific either, they didn’t brutalize anyone, they didn’t treat the Carey’s badly. Anyway.A few pages later she contradicts herself and says she has no memories of when her parents were still together. Then her celebrity privilege comes out when she talks about a Thanksgiving special she taped in the early 90s. She’s a huge star by then but is somehow totally shocked that thousands showed up for her concert. She sees the police and doesn’t understand why they are there when she has her own private security. Guess in all her privilege she forgot that the rest of us peasants don’t have private security to protect us. Finally she realized they were there to control the massive crowd. Fuck you Mariah. You want to abolish the police because you are a privileged wealthy celebrity who has private security. Moving on...
She does talk about her mental breakdown only she doesn’t admit that she had a breakdown. She clearly had a bipolar episode but passed it off as needing sleep and blames it all on her label. She wanted a day off to sleep and it’s everyone else’s fault that she didn’t get the day off. She literally blames it on the people who work for her. She didn’t take the day off and it is her employees fault. So yeah during her breakdown she checks in to a hotel and somehow the label contacts her estranged mother and brother to look for her and they show up at her hotel and convince her to go to her mother’s house where she tries to sleep. And then her mother calls the cops on her and again, playing to the current narrative Mariah says how horrible it was that the cops were called on a black person (the backup singer allegedly with her, but her mother called the cops on Mariah and the backup singer wasn’t even mentioned in the story until that point). She says the cops showed up quickly because that’s what happens in wealthy white neighborhoods. It’s actually what happens in low crime neighborhoods but I digress. From there she goes to rehab and detox and for some reason goes with her estranged ex brother to LA. This after she spends much of the book talking about how awful he is. It’s clear at this point in the book that she lost her damn mind but she doesn’t admit it. Anyway from there she talks a little about the charm bracelet album and the mini album. She tells all story about riding around NYC in a fancy sports car with Cam’ron who drives dangerously and recklessly and could have killed them both but what does she say about it? She says that it was dangerous for him to be a black man driving a sports car. Because you know she is sheep who can’t be bothered to look up the statistics. She thinks the cops are literally hunting down black people. To her driving 120MPH down the expressway wasn’t dangerous. Again I digress. She hates cops. I get it.
And then she tells us how she met Nick Cannon. She dedicated maybe 2 pages to her & nick and the twins and then it ends. The final chapter is about a few artists she met. Overall the book sucks and it’s what you would expect from a spoiled diva that is difficult to work with. It’s not well written at all.
She does talk about her mental breakdown only she doesn’t admit that she had a breakdown. She clearly had a bipolar episode but passed it off as needing sleep and blames it all on her label. She wanted a day off to sleep and it’s everyone else’s fault that she didn’t get the day off. She literally blames it on the people who work for her. She didn’t take the day off and it is her employees fault. So yeah during her breakdown she checks in to a hotel and somehow the label contacts her estranged mother and brother to look for her and they show up at her hotel and convince her to go to her mother’s house where she tries to sleep. And then her mother calls the cops on her and again, playing to the current narrative Mariah says how horrible it was that the cops were called on a black person (the backup singer allegedly with her, but her mother called the cops on Mariah and the backup singer wasn’t even mentioned in the story until that point). She says the cops showed up quickly because that’s what happens in wealthy white neighborhoods. It’s actually what happens in low crime neighborhoods but I digress. From there she goes to rehab and detox and for some reason goes with her estranged ex brother to LA. This after she spends much of the book talking about how awful he is. It’s clear at this point in the book that she lost her damn mind but she doesn’t admit it. Anyway from there she talks a little about the charm bracelet album and the mini album. She tells all story about riding around NYC in a fancy sports car with Cam’ron who drives dangerously and recklessly and could have killed them both but what does she say about it? She says that it was dangerous for him to be a black man driving a sports car. Because you know she is sheep who can’t be bothered to look up the statistics. She thinks the cops are literally hunting down black people. To her driving 120MPH down the expressway wasn’t dangerous. Again I digress. She hates cops. I get it.
And then she tells us how she met Nick Cannon. She dedicated maybe 2 pages to her & nick and the twins and then it ends. The final chapter is about a few artists she met. Overall the book sucks and it’s what you would expect from a spoiled diva that is difficult to work with. It’s not well written at all.
November 4, 2020
so insightful and a wonderful read!
September 30, 2020
“I saw how my voice could make other people feel something good inside, something magical and transformative. That meant not only was I not unworthy, valid as a person, but I was valuable. Here was something of value that I could bring to others—the feeling. It was the feeling I would pursue for a lifetime. It gave me a reason to exist.”
This is a deeply moving and profoundly intimate account of Mariah Carey’s hardships, trials and tribulations, and her inevitable meteoric rise—in her own words.
True fans (also known affectionately as the lambs) have always taken note of the deep complexities present in her songwriting, and the few stories she’s shared of her traumatic upbringing. This book, however, lays it all bare—she openly shares each devastation, each dire moment that almost hindered her from achieving her goals.
The one thing that always remained steadfast for Mariah was her belief in herself. She knew what was possible, so she worked hard consistently. Then, she never stopped—even when she’d reached, what could be perceived by most, as “the top.”
This is a testament both to the power of believing in oneself, and of taking care of yourself.
Mariah’s experiences show that you must always be your own advocate.
Artfully sprinkled with her lyrics, The Meaning of Mariah Carey gives us a chance to know Mimi like we never have before. She is an icon, an artist, one of the greatest talents of all time. And now, having released the heavy burdens she’s carried all these years, she is—in her own words—freer.
This is a deeply moving and profoundly intimate account of Mariah Carey’s hardships, trials and tribulations, and her inevitable meteoric rise—in her own words.
True fans (also known affectionately as the lambs) have always taken note of the deep complexities present in her songwriting, and the few stories she’s shared of her traumatic upbringing. This book, however, lays it all bare—she openly shares each devastation, each dire moment that almost hindered her from achieving her goals.
The one thing that always remained steadfast for Mariah was her belief in herself. She knew what was possible, so she worked hard consistently. Then, she never stopped—even when she’d reached, what could be perceived by most, as “the top.”
This is a testament both to the power of believing in oneself, and of taking care of yourself.
Mariah’s experiences show that you must always be your own advocate.
Artfully sprinkled with her lyrics, The Meaning of Mariah Carey gives us a chance to know Mimi like we never have before. She is an icon, an artist, one of the greatest talents of all time. And now, having released the heavy burdens she’s carried all these years, she is—in her own words—freer.
February 2, 2025
I love Mariah Carey. I couldn’t love this book.
The structure jumped all over the place chronologically and left holes in Mariah’s story sometimes filled in later chapters, though many times not at all. Reading this felt like attempting to put together a jigsaw puzzle with a bunch of pieces missing.
While the book spends plenty of time expressing Mariah’s hate towards her mom, there’s almost no time spent on the other side of their dynamic. Some level of love surely exists to have compelled Mariah to reward her mother with a home and with a high-profile duet during Mariah’s pregnancy that had Mariah gleeful over three generations of Careys on stage together. Am I supposed to think Mariah just made those gestures out of a sense of maternal obligation? Or was there more to their relationship than animosity and for whatever reason this book preferred to only present the Mommy Dearest angle instead of allowing more complexity?
Mariah reveres her father throughout the book, even when her underage brother and her father get into a physical altercation, Mariah seemingly only blames her brother for it. When she’s living in a shack, when she complains about her raggedy wardrobe, when she struggles with her hair texture, she only blames her mother, never her father, even though he is seemingly more absent than present in her life. She visits him as a kid and later as he’s dying, but where was he all that time in between? Why does she not resent him the way she resents the rest of her family? If he actually was there in the time between, why isn’t it mentioned? Again, there seems to be more to the relationship than the book delves into.
The chapters regarding ex-husband Tommy Mottola mostly recount how she felt like a prisoner in her own home and she didn’t feel like she had autonomy over her career. I don’t doubt she felt that way, what I’m left to wonder though is why she married him, why she even dated him? With Mariah’s talent she didn’t need to marry for money or power, yet the book does painfully little to prove that she married for any other reason. If the protection she married him for had nothing to do with money then talk about that, talk about how he made her feel at the start of their relationship, what he meant to her, not just what he bought for her. Was she attracted to him even a little? The book doesn’t say. Did she love him at any point? The book doesn’t mention it. This book didn’t address any of that and it’s to Mariah’s detriment, the way their marriage is depicted here leaves just as unflattering an impression of Mariah as it does Tommy. Again, there’s likely a more complicated story that the book failed to explore.
Unfortunately throughout this book materialism often overshadowed moments that could have been emotional or poignant or just plain human. I know its on brand for Mariah to appear all about the glamour, fans have fun with that aspect of her and she seems to use it as sort of a shield in interviews to shift the focus to surface stuff so she won’t be put on the spot about something deeper. The thing is, in a memoir, I’m here for the deeper stuff. But the deeper stuff in this book is consistently undercut by the superficial. There always seemed to be less emphasis on how her romantic partners made her feel than on what they bought for her or the fabulous places they visited, her relationships no matter how lengthy came off as frivolous and unimportant to her and surely that wasn’t actually the case. Then there were the recollections of her financial woes, like for instance when she’s too destitute to buy shoes, you’d think she’d be relieved to have something protecting her feet, but no, a moment that might have shown her as humble and aware of how difficult it is to survive with little money is immediately undermined when she complains that the shoes given to her for free weren’t the color she wanted. It’s impossible to believe that anyone is as shallow as Mariah is portrayed in this book.
The breakdown in the Glitter era is certainly the most affecting portion of the book, mostly because after you’ve read about her being disoriented as well as delusional, you then discover that Mariah believes it was, at most, a diva fit. There’s no mention of the bipolar diagnosis she announced a couple years ago. Does she no longer believe that diagnosis to be true?
If the intention of this book was to reinforce the tabloid image of who Mariah is, well, I guess mission accomplished. But as for showing us who Mariah truly is, her heart and her depth, this squandered the opportunity to tell a powerful and emotionally compelling story of racial identity, mental health, and musical genius.
The structure jumped all over the place chronologically and left holes in Mariah’s story sometimes filled in later chapters, though many times not at all. Reading this felt like attempting to put together a jigsaw puzzle with a bunch of pieces missing.
While the book spends plenty of time expressing Mariah’s hate towards her mom, there’s almost no time spent on the other side of their dynamic. Some level of love surely exists to have compelled Mariah to reward her mother with a home and with a high-profile duet during Mariah’s pregnancy that had Mariah gleeful over three generations of Careys on stage together. Am I supposed to think Mariah just made those gestures out of a sense of maternal obligation? Or was there more to their relationship than animosity and for whatever reason this book preferred to only present the Mommy Dearest angle instead of allowing more complexity?
Mariah reveres her father throughout the book, even when her underage brother and her father get into a physical altercation, Mariah seemingly only blames her brother for it. When she’s living in a shack, when she complains about her raggedy wardrobe, when she struggles with her hair texture, she only blames her mother, never her father, even though he is seemingly more absent than present in her life. She visits him as a kid and later as he’s dying, but where was he all that time in between? Why does she not resent him the way she resents the rest of her family? If he actually was there in the time between, why isn’t it mentioned? Again, there seems to be more to the relationship than the book delves into.
The chapters regarding ex-husband Tommy Mottola mostly recount how she felt like a prisoner in her own home and she didn’t feel like she had autonomy over her career. I don’t doubt she felt that way, what I’m left to wonder though is why she married him, why she even dated him? With Mariah’s talent she didn’t need to marry for money or power, yet the book does painfully little to prove that she married for any other reason. If the protection she married him for had nothing to do with money then talk about that, talk about how he made her feel at the start of their relationship, what he meant to her, not just what he bought for her. Was she attracted to him even a little? The book doesn’t say. Did she love him at any point? The book doesn’t mention it. This book didn’t address any of that and it’s to Mariah’s detriment, the way their marriage is depicted here leaves just as unflattering an impression of Mariah as it does Tommy. Again, there’s likely a more complicated story that the book failed to explore.
Unfortunately throughout this book materialism often overshadowed moments that could have been emotional or poignant or just plain human. I know its on brand for Mariah to appear all about the glamour, fans have fun with that aspect of her and she seems to use it as sort of a shield in interviews to shift the focus to surface stuff so she won’t be put on the spot about something deeper. The thing is, in a memoir, I’m here for the deeper stuff. But the deeper stuff in this book is consistently undercut by the superficial. There always seemed to be less emphasis on how her romantic partners made her feel than on what they bought for her or the fabulous places they visited, her relationships no matter how lengthy came off as frivolous and unimportant to her and surely that wasn’t actually the case. Then there were the recollections of her financial woes, like for instance when she’s too destitute to buy shoes, you’d think she’d be relieved to have something protecting her feet, but no, a moment that might have shown her as humble and aware of how difficult it is to survive with little money is immediately undermined when she complains that the shoes given to her for free weren’t the color she wanted. It’s impossible to believe that anyone is as shallow as Mariah is portrayed in this book.
The breakdown in the Glitter era is certainly the most affecting portion of the book, mostly because after you’ve read about her being disoriented as well as delusional, you then discover that Mariah believes it was, at most, a diva fit. There’s no mention of the bipolar diagnosis she announced a couple years ago. Does she no longer believe that diagnosis to be true?
If the intention of this book was to reinforce the tabloid image of who Mariah is, well, I guess mission accomplished. But as for showing us who Mariah truly is, her heart and her depth, this squandered the opportunity to tell a powerful and emotionally compelling story of racial identity, mental health, and musical genius.
October 9, 2020
Tā kā visus 15 albumus vairāk vai mazāk zinu no galvas, neko vairāk un neko mazāk negaidīju.
Is good.
Very good.
Diez vai izplūst garās runās ir jēga, kam neinteresē, tam arī neinteresēs.
Is good.
Very good.
Diez vai izplūst garās runās ir jēga, kam neinteresē, tam arī neinteresēs.
October 20, 2020
This is a Master Class in how not only celebrities should live but all of us. Give folks enough along the way so they think they “know” you, let folks speculate/gossip, and when you are ready then you own the narrative to tell your story. Mariah did not hold back in the sharing of her story and now we have much greater context and understanding to her song lyrics in which she mainly writes herself. This is one memoir I truly enjoyed!
February 23, 2021
Amazing. Review to come!
[Update: Feb 23, 2021]
Mariah Carey has lived a LIFE, honey. She has really gone through the most and she could be bitter and mean, but she is just so gracious. Shady, but gracious.
She believed in herself and never gave up on herself no matter how much abuse and personal trauma she sustained. I think that’s the real story of it all. No one, no matter how hard they try, they can’t take how hard she has worked away from her. They can’t take that away from her. Honestly, I used to think of Ms. Carey as a mystical elusive character, I couldn’t see the machine around her but she stayed working and has worked so hard for every single thing she’s earned and used her talent — pure talent — to get her through.
I listened to this book on audiobook and read along with it so I wouldn’t miss a single word and it was such a marvellous experience because she sings acapella in the audiobook and it’s **Mariah freaking Carey** so the vocals were on point.
When she sang Sunflowers for her dad, she made me cry. She was incredibly thoughtful, insightful and forthcoming with her experience growing up Biracial and the sort of discord that can come with an identity that can sometimes put you at odds with various members of your extended family and with your neighbours, etc.
She talks about how she clung to her roots, and battled her way through various family members, friends and husbands (yes, husbands) trying to exploit her — though she is incredibly nice to Nick Canon in these pages, father of her children that he is. She talks about the complexities of mixed hair a lot. I love that she goes down that road. Such an important aspect of representation for those whom it reaches.
I read this book at the same time as a few of my coworkers and we were able to book club it a bit and reflect on our takeaways of a 90s and current icon that shaped our listening habits and was a constant on our radios. Reading about the making of the songs and music videos I frequently found myself pausing and tumbling down the YouTube vortex of her catalog. I mean, Mariah Carey was everywhere in the 90s. You couldn’t escape her and you didn’t want to. The squares rocked with Mariah, the nerds, the jocks, the Gs, everyone. *sings** Doooo do do dah! Doo do doot do dah!
Mariah Carey is a LEGEND and reading this I can’t wait till some more of my faves put out their stories, in their own words! This was definitely one of my Top 10 2020 reads.
[Update: Feb 23, 2021]
Mariah Carey has lived a LIFE, honey. She has really gone through the most and she could be bitter and mean, but she is just so gracious. Shady, but gracious.
She believed in herself and never gave up on herself no matter how much abuse and personal trauma she sustained. I think that’s the real story of it all. No one, no matter how hard they try, they can’t take how hard she has worked away from her. They can’t take that away from her. Honestly, I used to think of Ms. Carey as a mystical elusive character, I couldn’t see the machine around her but she stayed working and has worked so hard for every single thing she’s earned and used her talent — pure talent — to get her through.
I listened to this book on audiobook and read along with it so I wouldn’t miss a single word and it was such a marvellous experience because she sings acapella in the audiobook and it’s **Mariah freaking Carey** so the vocals were on point.
When she sang Sunflowers for her dad, she made me cry. She was incredibly thoughtful, insightful and forthcoming with her experience growing up Biracial and the sort of discord that can come with an identity that can sometimes put you at odds with various members of your extended family and with your neighbours, etc.
She talks about how she clung to her roots, and battled her way through various family members, friends and husbands (yes, husbands) trying to exploit her — though she is incredibly nice to Nick Canon in these pages, father of her children that he is. She talks about the complexities of mixed hair a lot. I love that she goes down that road. Such an important aspect of representation for those whom it reaches.
I read this book at the same time as a few of my coworkers and we were able to book club it a bit and reflect on our takeaways of a 90s and current icon that shaped our listening habits and was a constant on our radios. Reading about the making of the songs and music videos I frequently found myself pausing and tumbling down the YouTube vortex of her catalog. I mean, Mariah Carey was everywhere in the 90s. You couldn’t escape her and you didn’t want to. The squares rocked with Mariah, the nerds, the jocks, the Gs, everyone. *sings** Doooo do do dah! Doo do doot do dah!
Mariah Carey is a LEGEND and reading this I can’t wait till some more of my faves put out their stories, in their own words! This was definitely one of my Top 10 2020 reads.
October 14, 2020
My mom (who read the book at the same time as me) summed it up best “fluff piece of a book.”
Grew up on Mariah Carey. I remember my mom purchased her debut album when I was in first grade and it played constantly in the car, in the house, etc. I still know every song on that album by heart. I have enjoyed many Mariah songs and albums since, and respect her talent and voice.
But this book, as a memoir, was not the best. She has famously said “if it is important, it’s in the book.” Which is funny shade but honestly allows her to cherry pick what’s in and what’s left out of the book, painting an incomplete portait. She was married to Nick Cannon for 6 years and that is discussed in a little less than one chapter? But we read about high school bullies and racists for chapters and chapters? I don’t deny Mariah had a hard life in which her biracial heritage gave her identity issues and also the addition of a dysfunctional family made her childhood turbulent, but I felt too much of the memoir focused on her childhood and not her triumphs of adulthood or her creative process or her charities and the great songs she has wrote. Also, though it’s her memoir, there is no self awareness. According to the book, she is perfect without fault and it’s only the people around her who did wrong. None of us like admitting our faults, but we know none of us are perfect. As a comparison, Jessica Simpson’s memoir told the good, the bad, and the ugly, at times putting her in an unflattering light. I enjoyed her book so much more because she seemed like a regular flawed person who happened to be famous. I will always enjoy Mariah’s vast catalog of songs but this book just felt like a very long PR fluff piece.
Grew up on Mariah Carey. I remember my mom purchased her debut album when I was in first grade and it played constantly in the car, in the house, etc. I still know every song on that album by heart. I have enjoyed many Mariah songs and albums since, and respect her talent and voice.
But this book, as a memoir, was not the best. She has famously said “if it is important, it’s in the book.” Which is funny shade but honestly allows her to cherry pick what’s in and what’s left out of the book, painting an incomplete portait. She was married to Nick Cannon for 6 years and that is discussed in a little less than one chapter? But we read about high school bullies and racists for chapters and chapters? I don’t deny Mariah had a hard life in which her biracial heritage gave her identity issues and also the addition of a dysfunctional family made her childhood turbulent, but I felt too much of the memoir focused on her childhood and not her triumphs of adulthood or her creative process or her charities and the great songs she has wrote. Also, though it’s her memoir, there is no self awareness. According to the book, she is perfect without fault and it’s only the people around her who did wrong. None of us like admitting our faults, but we know none of us are perfect. As a comparison, Jessica Simpson’s memoir told the good, the bad, and the ugly, at times putting her in an unflattering light. I enjoyed her book so much more because she seemed like a regular flawed person who happened to be famous. I will always enjoy Mariah’s vast catalog of songs but this book just felt like a very long PR fluff piece.
October 16, 2020
if you like audiobooks I recommend you listen to this!!
Mariah also sings some lyrics throughout this book besides reading it...
as a long-time listener of her music and a fan, I went into this thinking I already know so much about her and her music, yet there is so much more to learn...I loved her stories about how her iconic lyrics came about..and of course, there are so many "behind the scenes" stories about her life..
this memoir has everything one would respect of such an icon;
* heartfelt & personal stories
* humor
* candid storytelling
* many moments where she remembers Aretha, Whitney, Michael Jackson, Prince, Luther Vandross, Aaliyah, Biggie, ODB
* music
Mariah is a storyteller, fighter, and a survivor ... she made her dreams come true and it was delightful to hear about it..
Here is my Mariah playlist
November 4, 2020
As a long time fan of Mariah Carey, I was eager to get started on her first published memoir. While I had an internal sense that Mariah's path was never a smooth one, there was a lot I didn't know about her journey that the pages in the book enlightened me about. I truly felt empathy for her struggles throughout her life and career—but glad she seems to be in a much happier and healthier place now. I'd be eager to read another memoir from her in a decade or two from now about raising her children into adulthood and what she might do next.
October 21, 2020
It is a waste of time to be fixated on time. Often time can be bleak, dahling, so why choose to live in it? Life is about the moments we create and remember. My memory is a sacred place, one of the few things that belong entirely to me. This memoir is a collection of the moments that matter, the moments that most accurately tell the story of who I am, according to me.
Global superstar Mariah Carey tells her story about her childhood, triumphs and resilience in this vulnerable book about beating the odds. I will not say that I am a huge fan of Mariah but I cannot deny her vocal talent and her iconic shade. This book explored in depth with how many trials that she had to through as a child and it surprised me to discover all the trauma that she experienced. It was sad to read through all the racism that she experienced and how she was abandoned by many people that were sworn to protect her.
I love how most of these chapters had song titles and the inspiration behind the songs were shocking to read. As an artist, one puts all their hard work in a song thus it is always special to read about the background of a song. This book really made you appreciate Carey not only as an artist but as a human being. The fame could cloud away all the emotional stress that she been through as a child,as well as a grown adult.
Amazing account of Mariah, she came from very humble beginnings to be an amazing singer she is today.
Global superstar Mariah Carey tells her story about her childhood, triumphs and resilience in this vulnerable book about beating the odds. I will not say that I am a huge fan of Mariah but I cannot deny her vocal talent and her iconic shade. This book explored in depth with how many trials that she had to through as a child and it surprised me to discover all the trauma that she experienced. It was sad to read through all the racism that she experienced and how she was abandoned by many people that were sworn to protect her.
I love how most of these chapters had song titles and the inspiration behind the songs were shocking to read. As an artist, one puts all their hard work in a song thus it is always special to read about the background of a song. This book really made you appreciate Carey not only as an artist but as a human being. The fame could cloud away all the emotional stress that she been through as a child,as well as a grown adult.
Amazing account of Mariah, she came from very humble beginnings to be an amazing singer she is today.
May 30, 2021
''Much of what went wrong with Glitter led back to Tommy.''
uuugghhhh fuck Tommy Mottola... Glitter is a great album tho. so many bops. #JusticeForGlitter
Mariah is so fascinating and a fucking legend. not her biggest fan but for some weird reason i wanted to read it and i'm glad i did... it's almost Pride Month so stream Rainbow.
uuugghhhh fuck Tommy Mottola... Glitter is a great album tho. so many bops. #JusticeForGlitter
Mariah is so fascinating and a fucking legend. not her biggest fan but for some weird reason i wanted to read it and i'm glad i did... it's almost Pride Month so stream Rainbow.
November 1, 2020
I love, love, love, Ms. Carey. As a fan since 1990, I listened to countless songs and records, awaiting the inevitable memoir because, well, why not? She lead a life worthy of a tale to tell.
She did not disappoint. I laughed. I got upset at some revelations, wishing I knew earlier, but understanding she would tell when SHE wanted to. But, I appreciated her honesty at her pace.
While I would have liked to see her speak on other moments, perhaps she'll give us a sequel.
4/5 stars
She did not disappoint. I laughed. I got upset at some revelations, wishing I knew earlier, but understanding she would tell when SHE wanted to. But, I appreciated her honesty at her pace.
While I would have liked to see her speak on other moments, perhaps she'll give us a sequel.
4/5 stars
November 20, 2020
I can either rate this book 5 stars or 1 Star so I will land right in the middle. I listened to this on audio and it’s truly the only way to consume this masterpiece/train wreck. Here are my favorite 5 things about this book:
1. “Why talk to narrate the book when you can randomly bust into song?” - Mariah
2. It is abundantly clear in many passages that her ghost writer was instructed to use at least 3 adjectives to be EXTRA. Jeter’s kiss was “warm, slow, intoxicating.”
3. Mariah was released from her hospitalization (which she thought was a spa trip?) because of 9/11. You can not make this up.
4. I actually truly learned nothing about her despite this being a memoir. This is an incredible feat.
5. This memoir demonstrates that people are unreliable narrators and all memoirs are told through the author’s lens.
Complete meltdown on NYE? “I don’t sing in the cold.” Hospitalized for bipolar? Let’s not mention that. Had an affair with an MLB star? “I wrote a beautiful song about that.”
And bonus 6. She thanked her dogs in the acknowledgements.
I both loved this book and found it wildly unbelievable (yet believable?!) and I guess that’s the magic of Mariah. You either 100% accept the crazy or you don’t. I guess I do!
1. “Why talk to narrate the book when you can randomly bust into song?” - Mariah
2. It is abundantly clear in many passages that her ghost writer was instructed to use at least 3 adjectives to be EXTRA. Jeter’s kiss was “warm, slow, intoxicating.”
3. Mariah was released from her hospitalization (which she thought was a spa trip?) because of 9/11. You can not make this up.
4. I actually truly learned nothing about her despite this being a memoir. This is an incredible feat.
5. This memoir demonstrates that people are unreliable narrators and all memoirs are told through the author’s lens.
Complete meltdown on NYE? “I don’t sing in the cold.” Hospitalized for bipolar? Let’s not mention that. Had an affair with an MLB star? “I wrote a beautiful song about that.”
And bonus 6. She thanked her dogs in the acknowledgements.
I both loved this book and found it wildly unbelievable (yet believable?!) and I guess that’s the magic of Mariah. You either 100% accept the crazy or you don’t. I guess I do!
Want to read
September 21, 2020THIS IS GONNA BE BULLSHIT SINCE I AM A STINGY BITCH WITH MY 5 STARS—BUT NO MATTER WHAT HOW I FEEL WHEN I FINISH READING THE BOOK, I WILL RATE THIS WITH A SOLID, EARTH-SHATTERING 5 STARS.
MARIAH CAREY IS MY QUEEN, MY SOLACE, AND MY SAVIOR. HER MUSIC SAVED ME WHEN ANY ENTITY WITH A LITERAL HEART AND SOUL COULDN'T.
MARIAH CAREY IS MY QUEEN, MY SOLACE, AND MY SAVIOR. HER MUSIC SAVED ME WHEN ANY ENTITY WITH A LITERAL HEART AND SOUL COULDN'T.
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