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Books : Smashed .
Rating: 
- Courtesy of Teens Read Too
SMASHED is a chilling novel of female alcohol addiction. For Koren Zailckas, it started at age fourteen, and from her first drink of Southern Comfort she was addicted. Koren later joins a college sonority, which just gives her more of a reason to get really drunk -- and more people to do it with!
The writing isn't the most brilliant that I have ever read but the story is definitely good. Most alcohol addiction books are about a male, so this is a great book to read if you want to learn about this subject -- or even if you are just a curious reader.
There is not a lot that you can say about this book without giving the whole thing away! Even though she drinks excessively, Koren never goes to rehab or actually goes to an AA meeting! And unlike James Frey's embellished novel of drug and alcohol addiction, this one is the truth.
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
Rating: - Different for me
Normally one to choose some mind-bending and funny tale that will take my mind off my troubles (think Toole's --Confederacy of Dunces-- or McCrae's --Katzenjammer--) I chose instead this harrowing tale of one person's descent into addiction. Usually with these type of stories, the tale itself is riveting while the writing is mundane. Not so with SMASHED. I'd rank this book very high on my reading list and it is a MUST for anyone who is even thinking about drugs or alcohol. Not to be confused with Frey's --A Million Little Pieces-- this book tells it like it is.
Rating:
- Smashing Success
This was an incredibly candid account about a young woman's socially acceptable "rite of passage" through teenage and college-age alcohol abuse into adulthood. Most of her experiences rang true with me and I would bet that they do for a lot of readers that have gone through this so-called "normal" experience. I would recommend this book for anyone, particular young women, who are going or have gone through similar experiences with alcohol, paricularly the college or university lifestyle that encourages binge drinking. This book confirmed to me what I already have learned and suspected about drinking patterns and experiences within our culture, particularly for my demographic.
Rating: - Thought pricking
Not often are we provided with stories that touch a rising problem in society. Binge drinking is a problem society can no longer ignore. It is endemic in countries like the UK, Ireland, and USA, and Cameroon, parts of the world like continental Europe, North America, South East Asia, and Latin America.
SMASHED is an amazing story of this problem of alcoholism that is prevalent amongst young women. It is quite a scary book that will make many readers cringe when they read about the problems alcohol caused for Zailckas. This book may be a little bit too much for parents because it certainly is frightening and shocking for them to learn that heavy drinking is common amongst the young at such a young age. But as some one who went through that phase, I can relate to the story. It is a problem that should be confronted.Mirrored in "The Oaf" in Tisi's THE USURPER AND OTHERS, this story depicts the consequences of alcoholism in all its forms.
I like the way Zailckas did the narration. Her voice is strong in the writing and her style is unique. Poetic and fast flowing, one gets the story without drowning in compassion for her. After all, it is a past she shrugged off. That is why I think many people will find it interesting reading about this experience of alcoholism or binge drinking from the perspective of a young woman. It has lots of lessons to be learnt. Anybody can become an alcohol addict at an early stage in life. But with courage, determination and support, anybody can bit the addiction, whether as an alcoholic or a binge boozer.
Rating: - Explosion of Emotion
Koren Zailckas's SMASHED is an eye opening book. ... it's as eye opening as the first time I read MY FRACTURED LIFE and DRY. These aren't junkies we pass on the street, these are functional people, even those we look up to. To read in those contexts is so terribly engrossing. Drinking just to get drunk? Drunken affairs only partially remembered? Using alcohol for bravery? Using alcohol to relax? Using alcohol to solve problems? Friendships that meet only over drinks? We all know people like that. Heck, half of us probably recognize at least some of those traits in ourselves. But to see them all on paper in the context of this person's life. In addition to SMASHED, DRY, and MY FRACTURED LIFE, also recommended are NIGHTMARES ECHO, A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, and THE GLASS CASTLE.
- Courtesy of Teens Read TooSMASHED is a chilling novel of female alcohol addiction. For Koren Zailckas, it started at age fourteen, and from her first drink of Southern Comfort she was addicted. Koren later joins a college sonority, which just gives her more of a reason to get really drunk -- and more people to do it with!
The writing isn't the most brilliant that I have ever read but the story is definitely good. Most alcohol addiction books are about a male, so this is a great book to read if you want to learn about this subject -- or even if you are just a curious reader.
There is not a lot that you can say about this book without giving the whole thing away! Even though she drinks excessively, Koren never goes to rehab or actually goes to an AA meeting! And unlike James Frey's embellished novel of drug and alcohol addiction, this one is the truth.
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
Rating:
- Different for meNormally one to choose some mind-bending and funny tale that will take my mind off my troubles (think Toole's --Confederacy of Dunces-- or McCrae's --Katzenjammer--) I chose instead this harrowing tale of one person's descent into addiction. Usually with these type of stories, the tale itself is riveting while the writing is mundane. Not so with SMASHED. I'd rank this book very high on my reading list and it is a MUST for anyone who is even thinking about drugs or alcohol. Not to be confused with Frey's --A Million Little Pieces-- this book tells it like it is.
Rating:
- Smashing SuccessThis was an incredibly candid account about a young woman's socially acceptable "rite of passage" through teenage and college-age alcohol abuse into adulthood. Most of her experiences rang true with me and I would bet that they do for a lot of readers that have gone through this so-called "normal" experience. I would recommend this book for anyone, particular young women, who are going or have gone through similar experiences with alcohol, paricularly the college or university lifestyle that encourages binge drinking. This book confirmed to me what I already have learned and suspected about drinking patterns and experiences within our culture, particularly for my demographic.
Rating:
- Thought prickingNot often are we provided with stories that touch a rising problem in society. Binge drinking is a problem society can no longer ignore. It is endemic in countries like the UK, Ireland, and USA, and Cameroon, parts of the world like continental Europe, North America, South East Asia, and Latin America.
SMASHED is an amazing story of this problem of alcoholism that is prevalent amongst young women. It is quite a scary book that will make many readers cringe when they read about the problems alcohol caused for Zailckas. This book may be a little bit too much for parents because it certainly is frightening and shocking for them to learn that heavy drinking is common amongst the young at such a young age. But as some one who went through that phase, I can relate to the story. It is a problem that should be confronted.Mirrored in "The Oaf" in Tisi's THE USURPER AND OTHERS, this story depicts the consequences of alcoholism in all its forms.
I like the way Zailckas did the narration. Her voice is strong in the writing and her style is unique. Poetic and fast flowing, one gets the story without drowning in compassion for her. After all, it is a past she shrugged off. That is why I think many people will find it interesting reading about this experience of alcoholism or binge drinking from the perspective of a young woman. It has lots of lessons to be learnt. Anybody can become an alcohol addict at an early stage in life. But with courage, determination and support, anybody can bit the addiction, whether as an alcoholic or a binge boozer.
Rating:
- Explosion of EmotionKoren Zailckas's SMASHED is an eye opening book. ... it's as eye opening as the first time I read MY FRACTURED LIFE and DRY. These aren't junkies we pass on the street, these are functional people, even those we look up to. To read in those contexts is so terribly engrossing. Drinking just to get drunk? Drunken affairs only partially remembered? Using alcohol for bravery? Using alcohol to relax? Using alcohol to solve problems? Friendships that meet only over drinks? We all know people like that. Heck, half of us probably recognize at least some of those traits in ourselves. But to see them all on paper in the context of this person's life. In addition to SMASHED, DRY, and MY FRACTURED LIFE, also recommended are NIGHTMARES ECHO, A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, and THE GLASS CASTLE.
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