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silentnpale's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully written. I normally don't really like essays because I don't think they flow together nicely but each of these are well told stories. I was a fan of Mara as a kid actor and I continue to be a fan with how honest and interesting she is.
apetranoff's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Read for book club. Interesting if you're into child star memoirs, though not my favorite. I really enjoyed about half the chapters but didn't like the rest. Didn't love the audiobook narration.
rutledge20910's review against another edition
5.0
I originally bought this for my 12-year-old. Not sure if it's appropriate for that age, but I really, really enjoyed this!
Witty, smart, heartfelt, and inspiring. This is, by far, the best book I've read this year. You should pick it up.
Witty, smart, heartfelt, and inspiring. This is, by far, the best book I've read this year. You should pick it up.
ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
Mara Wilson is a born storyteller and this was an absolute delight to read!
Wilson delves into her child stardom, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, body image, the Matilda + Whore complex, breaking up with Hollywood, her mother's death, Robin Williams' death, and forging her own path as a storyteller. It's non-linear and reads less as a story of her life, and more of a recap of a few key formative moments and awkward phases.
It's no secret that I never read autobiographies (hell, just look at my shelf). I had this preconceived notion that they're all lengthy, depressing or scandalous tomes about cocaine-fuelled orgies, trauma, and other things I have no interest in reading about. I live my life in the speculative fiction aisle; I'd rather read about fictionalised trauma and gay dragons than real life trauma and no dragons.
But this might have just changed the game for me. I can't relate to shooting up drugs on a tour bus, but Mara Wilson feels like someone I could be friends with, whose neuroses and quirks I can see in myself or other people. Her tales of stardom, mental illness, and finding her path as a storyteller had me laughing out loud and ugly crying on my couch in the middle of the afternoon!
What a neurotic, cynical little delight of a book.
Wilson delves into her child stardom, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, body image, the Matilda + Whore complex, breaking up with Hollywood, her mother's death, Robin Williams' death, and forging her own path as a storyteller. It's non-linear and reads less as a story of her life, and more of a recap of a few key formative moments and awkward phases.
It's no secret that I never read autobiographies (hell, just look at my shelf). I had this preconceived notion that they're all lengthy, depressing or scandalous tomes about cocaine-fuelled orgies, trauma, and other things I have no interest in reading about. I live my life in the speculative fiction aisle; I'd rather read about fictionalised trauma and gay dragons than real life trauma and no dragons.
But this might have just changed the game for me. I can't relate to shooting up drugs on a tour bus, but Mara Wilson feels like someone I could be friends with, whose neuroses and quirks I can see in myself or other people. Her tales of stardom, mental illness, and finding her path as a storyteller had me laughing out loud and ugly crying on my couch in the middle of the afternoon!
What a neurotic, cynical little delight of a book.
ceceewing_'s review against another edition
4.0
Someday I will probably write a long and dramatic review of this book and how much I loved it. For now, I think I’ll just cradle my copy to my chest and cry a tiny bit more.
mastersal's review against another edition
5.0
This was lovely memoir which made for a great audiobook narrated by Ms. Wilson. I am fond of the movies Ms. Wilson starred in as a child but I was not very invested in her life as a fan. I am not fond of celebrity memoirs as I often find them too unsubstantial. However, there was an honesty here which I appreciated and which won me over in the end.
I was actually intrigued by how normal parts of Ms. Wilson’s life was. The celebrity part of Ms. Wilson’s life was unusual even for her and something she has to find a balance with. That navigation between “normal” and “celebrity” gave this book a context which I found interesting.
I did find the book a little long, mostly because some of the chapters seemed too simple. For example, there is a chapter on show choirs which I could have done without. I know it’s about growing up and finding your creative spark but I found it dull.
Here, the audiobook continued to keep me engaged. I liked the emphasis and the voice inflections that Ms. Wilson put in the reading - it really made the text come to life.
In the end, that investment as well as some genuinely moving chapters put this comfortably into 4 stars for me. However, that whole chapter about reading a book and seeing yourself in it, was so powerful and real to me that I am giving this an extra star
"This book is the story of my life."
I was actually intrigued by how normal parts of Ms. Wilson’s life was. The celebrity part of Ms. Wilson’s life was unusual even for her and something she has to find a balance with. That navigation between “normal” and “celebrity” gave this book a context which I found interesting.
I did find the book a little long, mostly because some of the chapters seemed too simple. For example, there is a chapter on show choirs which I could have done without. I know it’s about growing up and finding your creative spark but I found it dull.
Here, the audiobook continued to keep me engaged. I liked the emphasis and the voice inflections that Ms. Wilson put in the reading - it really made the text come to life.
In the end, that investment as well as some genuinely moving chapters put this comfortably into 4 stars for me. However, that whole chapter about reading a book and seeing yourself in it, was so powerful and real to me that I am giving this an extra star
"This book is the story of my life."