Book Review: a million little pieces by James Frey

Synopsis from Goodreads

Title: a million little pieces

Author: James Frey

Publication date: December 3rd, 2007 / Original April 15th, 2003

Publisher: John Murray

The electrifying opening of James Frey's debut memoir, A Million Little Pieces, smash-cuts to the then 23-year-old author on a Chicago-bound plane "covered with a colorful mixture of spit, snot, urine, vomit and blood." Wanted by authorities in three states, without ID or any money, his face mangled and missing four front teeth, Frey is on a steep descent from a dark marathon of drug abuse. His stunned family checks him into a famed Minnesota drug treatment center where a doctor promises "he will be dead within a few days" if he starts to use again, and where Frey spends two agonizing months of detox confronting "The Fury" head on

My Review



A disturbing yet a brilliant read. I know that these two words contradict each other, but they’re true. The book started with a bang in which James Frey explicitly explains about his state in an airplane which was honestly gory and disgusting; it did not stop there though .

It was my first time reading a memoir of a person who used to be a drug addict, so most of the things in the book were shocking. The book contained disturbing graphical images, which made it an extreme read. However, it truly depicts the life of an addict, and what hardships he or she goes through trying to get clean. Also, a million little pieces contained a lot of mixed emotions: anger, sadness, disgust, love, lust, sympathy, and happiness.

It was interesting to read about Frey’s time at the Treatment Center. I was able to witness his dramatic transformation along the story. Seeing how his reactions, beliefs, and thoughts change and improve while he starts to open his eyes and learn about life all over again was captivating. The story was touching and sad as well as inspirational and vital.

I definitely enjoyed reading about the different characters in the book, especially Leonard (Frey’s best friend at the center), Lilly (a girl he likes at the center) and Miles (a judge as well as Frey’s roommate at the center). It was nice knowing about them and learning about how hard their life had been.

What I did not enjoy about the book though, was that Frey kept repeating some stuff over and over again. I know that it was his way of writing in which he was trying to make the book more meaningful and intense, but the repetition was a little bit overwhelming. Also, at the beginning, the book was a bit confusing because there were no quotations, so it got hard when there were conversations. I guess the style of writing was new to me, so it took me quite a while to get used to it; however, overall, the book still captured me; it was brilliant.

I know that there are issues about the truthfulness about the memoir which made it a controversial topic. Nevertheless, it did not bother me at all because the book still had many things to teach. I believe that a million little pieces can be a good guide to help many people with addiction.

4/5

Xoxo Meera

General: August books that I can't wait to get my hands on

Hello Book Geeks :)
There are many amazing books that are released or going to be released on the month of August 2011. I can't wait to have them added to my collection and devour them; the covers and the stories are all captivating. I don't know if I'll buy any book anytime soon, but if I do, I'll make sure to own the books that are going to be mentioned in this post. I'll try to do this segment every month in which I state the books I would love to have (like a month's wishlist). Most of the books are going to be of the Young Adult genres because they are what I mostly tend to read , so expect a lot of those. HOWEVER, I do read some adult books, so don't worry about not seeing any at all in my collection.

• The first book is Bloodline by Richelle Mead (Bloodline #1)

It's a new series by her in which some characters of the Vampire Academy series are continued in this, which is lovely. I haven't finished reading Vampire Academy, but I'm happy to know that it won't definitely end, just that the protagonist won't be Rose anymore. However, this is the book the I mostly anticipate and pine for among the other August books. This book is different than Vampire Academy in the sense that it focuses more into the human world rather than the vampire.. Hence, the main character is sent to an academy in the human world, which seems interesting enough! 
The cover is not really a favorite, but acceptable.

• The second book is The Near Witch by Victoria Shwab

This can be a creepy book. It's mostly about finding the missing children. Obviously, from the title, there is a witch involved.  An old story is being told to  children in order to scare them, if I'm not wrong, about a witch being lonely and looking for company. However, this story becomes true, and children do actually disappear from their beds.. and the main characters have to find them and find out the reasons why. I adore this cover with the purple hair, white dress, and clear drapes. Oh and it's a debut novel.


The other two, I do not know much about, but their covers captivated me.

• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood #1)

Wow look at the cover.. this is my favorite of the month of August... and the title, WOW!.. I really want this book; it is definitely on my wishlist!

• Possession by Gretchen McNeil

I've seen this in many other blogs, so I got interested :P and this cover is ranked # 2

That is all.. thnx for reading

Xoxo Meera

To Be Read (TBR) August, 2011 Books

Hello Book-Geeks

I decided to organize my to be read pile wherein I choose 4 books from my bookshelf to read in each month. I believe that by planning this, I would be able to go over my pile pretty quickly and neatly. Probably, if this worked out, I might do this every month. If it also went pretty well, I would start to organize a theme for each month, but I did not do so for August.

The following four books I've chosen will be read in order.

Click on the titles for the synopsis from Goodreads!

1. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey 

2. Need by Carrie Jones (Need #1)

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth

4. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely #1)

Hope this works out! Expect a review for A million Little Pieces soon, but not too soon :P

Xoxo Meera

Book Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Synopsis from Goodreads

Title: Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publication Date: 6th of April, 2006

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

My Review

It was an enjoyable summer and light read. It is the first book I’ve ever read of Sarah Dessen’s and it definitely won’t be the last.

Just listen is about a girl called Annabel, who is viewed and known as “The girl who has everything”, a popular best friend, a seemingly perfect family, a popular reputation for being the beautiful model. However, it all ended after one incident at a party she was attending last summer. She lost her friendship with Sophie, her reputation was tampered, and is totally alone. This incident traumatized Annabel, which her solution to it was isolate herself  the rest of the summer believing everything would be okay after returning back to school. Instead, her perfect plan backfired wherein she found herself alone and judged by everyone around her. Which also eventually, she still believes that not talking about it is still for the best, which in reality, she was lying to herself and to the people around her. 

One day, she meets this boy, Owen, who is a music freak.. He is addicted to it. He teaches her that there are many things to learn in life and where she can make options for herself instead of sticking with just one that might as well suffocate her. Other than that one incident, she also has issues at home in which her sister Whitney has eating disorder, and her parents were on denial of everything that’s going on around them, well maybe, mostly her mother. The whole plot is about Annabel's life after that incident and how she would be able to learn more about herself.

Character: Annabel can be relatable, but she still was very annoying to me. I just wanted her to speak up and say what’s on her mind. However, it’s the whole purpose of this book, where Annabel is in this journey trying to figure out who she really is and who she can be. Owen, was this sweet boy, but not so sweet to the point of being TOO perfect. He was realistic, and he also has some issues of his own. Whitney, Annabel’s sister, was dark, but has this unique character that makes you want to read more about. 

At first, I had issues with how the story kept going back and forth between pasts and presents. Nevertheless, I was able to get over it because Sarah Dessen was able to synchronize the past and present pretty well in which I did not feel out of place. The whole story was able to be a well rounded piece of work/art.

Overall, this book is great for teens where it teaches many valuable and memorable lessons. It teach us how to be honest with ourselves, how to be able to open up to people we trust expecting them not to judge us, and how to understand and figure out ourselves. A definitely recommended read for everyone. 

There are many memorable quotes I liked in the book; here are some I want to share:

“I was beginning to see, though, that the unknown wasn’t always the greatest thing to fear. The people who know you best can be riskier, because the words they say and the things they think have the potential to be not only scary but true, as well” Page 67

“It wasn’t until I was right up to him that it occurred to me this might be a mistake. But you get only so many do-overs in this life, so many chances to, if not change your past, alter your future” Page 145

“It was not the last time I would run away from my sisters. Not the last time I thought being alone was preferable. I am still the center sister. But I see it differently now. There has to be a middle. Without it, nothing can ever truly be a whole. Because it is not just the space between, but what also holds everything together” Page 333

“There comes a time in every life when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you’d better learn to know the sound of it. Otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s saying” page 349

These quotes taught me a lot.. this book is filled with advices, so it’s a must read!

5/5

I know I’m always positive about my books, but I guess I choose them pretty well :P 

Xoxo Meera