Dear Lilly: From Father to Daughter: The Truth about Life, Love, and the World We Live in

by Peter Greyson

A father offers his advice, opinions, and the many useful stories gleaned from his past experiences in order to help his beloved daughter not only survive, but thrive in the dangerous and unpredictable world of young adulthood. From the pen of a former abused child, drug addict, womanizing frat boy, and suicidal depressive, comes forth the emotionally stirring account of a young man's battle with crippling inner demons and his eventual road to enlightenment. Peter Greyson calls upon his wisdom as both father and school teacher to gently lead teenage girls through a maze of truth, deception, and adolescent uncertainty. Greyson's literary style sparkles with a youthful enthusiasm that will capture your heart and provide boundless inspiration. Dear Lilly is a survival guide that offers the brutally honest male perspective to young women struggling for answers to life's deepest questions. Topics

Genres: Nonfiction

268 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2009

About the author

Peter Greyson has been enriching young minds for over ten years. He holds a B.S. in Education and a Masters degree in Literacy from Brooklyn College. An avid runner, soulful musician, and perpetual teenager, Peter currently resides in South Florida with his wife Gina, their four children, and two dogs.

Reviews

[Carissa Garabedian]

I read this book twice. It is such a learning tool on life ! I wish I had it when I was in high school. The author shares his "highs" and lows , the losses and lessons he had along the way and touches on so many issues faced by our kids today.
My teen has read it and I hope more do!
It's an easy read , the author is so likable and writes with such passion ! He breaks down life into categories I loved! We all need , family , friends and music !

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Pete: This book was very encouraging and blunt, bringing me to tears very often as I traveled with you on your ups and your downs in this book. I think your daughter will one day be very grateful for your life experiences. I have definitely learned a lot, and I hope that life only gets better from now on and that your past experiences will help Lilly prevent a lot of hurt and also be more wise about this crazy world we live in. I will definitely check out a lot of the movies you recommended. Thank you for sharing this wonderful book with me. It deserves to be published by one of the big guys for sure, though you seem to be doing pretty superb on your own merits.

Dear Everyone Else: This is a must-read!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually haves talked to this author. He is a very sweet man that genuinely loves his readers. Besides that, I adore this book. I haven't read it in months since I have been reading other things but I have read it two or three times. This book taught me so much that my parents never told me! I hope he'll come out with another book!

[Ieleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So true and intense at times it was hard to keep reading. Probably because it is so true. More credit has to be given to Mrs. Greyson, IMO. As a parent of 2 boys, I am now more terrified than ever! That's a good thing though. I learned a lot from this one.

[Lisa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book!! So much so, I am buying a copy for each of my students in my HS reading group! It is a must read for all teens and adults! Bravo

[Reading For Sanity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review and others at http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...

[Elaine Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and down to earth

After finishing this book, I ruminated over many of the life experiences the Author described. Suddenly, it took me back to my own experiences and how many coincided with his. While I did not experience the horrific effects of drugs and self-deprivation (luckily), there were a few things of my own that I am not very proud of. Whatever the experiences we must all live “our lives” to learn from and hopefully grow into a person with many of the Author’s values. I am sending a copy of this book to my daughter for my grandchildren to read when she feels they are age appropriate. I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Emily Flowers-Yahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. Ok, great family :) I'll have to reread this soon.

[Tamara Falcon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! I personally knew the author. He was a great individual and always very blunt.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me for review. (Free books rock!) Brutally honest, as it states in the summary, is accurate. The first couple chapters left me feeling hollow inside, it was that sad and full of heartbreak. It seemed almost too much to believe that someone had lived through so many horrible experiences and come out practically no worse for wear. He really has lived through, what I hope to believe, more than the average adult life.

There are aspects that while reading I had arguments with the author inside my head. Some of those included the recommendations about dairy intake--especially for women who need lots of calcium and dairy consumption is the best source--and that it is so rare for a male to be able to control himself during his teen years sexually. Maybe he is right on the last one. I'm obviously not male and cannot make a statement either way. But it seemed not only to demean the male gender, but also to almost make an excuse for such base behavior. Be that as it may, I do believe that many of his statements stand for many males, especially during their teen years.

Aspects to the book that I liked: he really is brutally honest and fairly objective in his expectations for his own daughter. (I know. I practically contradict myself here, but in some ways this is great and in others it's too much.) I liked that he shared just how much it terrified him to know his daughter could date someone like he was as a teenager. (What could be more honest than that?) I liked that he supported healthy lifestyles and healthy eating--although, again, it seems he might be more extreme than I would push things. I liked how he ended the book on a good note. Those last chapters definitely make up for the downer first chapters. I almost didn't make it through the book because the first chapters were so depressing. He really did try to share all parts of his personality and threw in pieces of information on his wife as well.

One last note: he swears a lot, uses a lot of slang, and mentions all topics--NOTHING is off limits in his guidebook for a girl's life. I wouldn't hand this to my teenage child unless they are already familiar with a sailors vocabulary. As a teacher I realize this isn't something shocking for most families. As a parent with different standards, I feel it is important to share this tid bit.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book made me miss my own dad who passed away in 1993 when I was 15. If only more dad's were this honest and open to share things about life perhaps our girls wouldn't fall into too much trouble or feel closer to their own dad's. I found this book to be an easy read, informational and even gave me ideas on how to talk to my children about different things in life such as friendships, drugs and alcohol, depression, safety, hope, body image - all things that touch a person's life.

[Johnnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I think the information in the book is so vital for most girls (and teens) to learn, I can't help feeling like he wrote the book as a form of therapy. It's as if it's almost cathartic for him to get it all out, including his early family and school life that shaped some of his worst decisions. A good read, though, worth it!

[Grecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Mr.G,
This book is a really helpful guide for teens , it gave me some advice of the real world and how much teens suffer everyday by bulling and other issues. I really enjoy every subject of this book. Hope that you could publish another book.
Sincerely,
One of you students

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book, probably a good book for a preteen/teenage girl
and maybe even the boys too!

[Ashley Back · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book I got to read this book on ink pop.com and I fell in love with this book when I first read it :)

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book if you are raising girls. Funny but scary

[Carrie Brang · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult, I even learned a few things from reading this book. I would highly recommend this for all teens & young adults. It would be the perfect book for teen book circles - male & female.

[Kristin]

I can't wait to read this book! Anybody read it yet? A friend of mine from high school wrote it:)