Review: Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar

Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar 
Kelly Oxford
336 pages (paperback)
It Books
Goodreads  - Amazon  - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

From her beginnings as a wunderkind producer of pirated stage productions for six-year-olds, through her spirited adventures watching self-satisfying monkeys, throwing up on Chinese food deliverymen, and stalking Leo DiCaprio, here are the goofy highs and horrifying lows of life as Kelly Oxford. 

Review: 

I didn't know what to expect when I first got Everything Is Perfect when You're a Liar. It sounded like an interesting book, but I was never one for memoirs or life stories. Once I got a couple chapters in I realized that this memoir wasn't like other memoirs out there. Kelly's story is basically multiple essays weaved together to create a story, starting in her childhood and end in her now adult life. 

I have seen many people give mild rated reviews of this book, now that I have personally read it myself, and on Goodreads it curentlly holds a 3.36 star rating. I, on the other hand, love this book. Throughtout the story she is literally telling readers just who ignorant she was as a child and teenager, while as growing as an adult she realizes that everything that she had done in highschool really came back and bit her in the ass. 

Many reviewers have called her narcissistic for complaining about her seemingly perfect life, but what they don't realize is that she not really complaining, but rather telling her life story the way she sees it with her emotions and her feelings. This is what kept my attention while I was reading. If I remember correctly, I finished this book within 3 or 4 hours, so rather quickly. I honestly believe that if you enjoy reading and maybe even laughing at other peolples failures you might like reading this book, and if not, check it out anyway.  

Overall, I give this a hangover level 4 out of 5. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Review: The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle 
Jeannette Walls
Paperback 288 pages
Scribner
Goodreads - Amazon  - Barnes&Noble

Blurb:  

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town—and the family—Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.


Review: 

Firstly, I probably would have never picked out this book on my own. I was assigned to read Jeannette's memoir for my English class.Secondly, I like this book more than I ever thought I would. It's not only interesting because it's a story, it's interesting because it's Jeannette's life. Her real actual childhood. 

The memoir starts with Jeannette telling readers about how she lives now, then it switches to her childhood, to her first memory. Jeannette's story involves many subject, like alcoholism and neglect. Did she really consider it neglect though? She never tells readers that she does, but that she loves her parents very much. The Walls family moves around a lot but Jeannette and her siblings don't seem to mind.  But settling in one place makes the kids a little uncomfortable. Childhood is never easy, and this book highlights that point.

When I was reading this I couldn't help but think of how I would have reacted if this was how I grew up. Would I have done that same thing as Jeannette or done something differently? Jeannette's story really gives light to what it's like to grow up in poverty and making the best out of everything. I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a good read and doesn't mind non-fiction stories. 

Overall, I give The Glass Castle a level 4 hangover. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!