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racheltheripper's review against another edition
3.5
But the emotional journey of Dolly's relationships and stories from her 20s were pretty relatable for a 32 year old who has lost one best friend to an untimely death and another due to just growing apart. Dolly expressed these emotions beautifully. And as the narrator of the audiobook, she is damn entertaining.
I wouldn't go to this book for advice by any means - her experience is unique and not a reflection of my own in a lot of ways. But it's... Comforting? It's also an easy, enjoyable read, and it's kind of fun to read the audiobook and Kindle version (America) for the subtle changes in rhetoric.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, and Grief
ceedy's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
abicaro17's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Acephobia/Arophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
sidekicksam's review against another edition
2.5
But (and there is a massive big but with this book for me), the overall tone of the book just made it very difficult for me to either love Dolly or to appreciate any of her stories. The excessive drinking and the egocentric attitude in her relationships with her friends (and not in her teen years, but as a 20-something) made her seem bratty and self-indulgent in my eyes. The satirical e-mails in between chapters definitely emphasized Alderton's ability to write (I liked her writing well enough), and though I also understood the recipes she included, with the naggy tone of her stories and the satirical tone of the e-mails, they felt out of place to me.
Perhaps it is because I don't have a close group of girlfriends that are my whole world, or because I am not single, or because I had a very different upbringing that the book didn't resonate with me. But alas. Personally, though I do consider the message of friendship evolving and that being ok an important one for people to read about and learn, I would expect a memoir to reflect on bigger personal growth or a truly outstanding story. This was not that for me, and for that I am sorry.
I would recommend picking up Conversations On Love, in which Dolly also contributed. And for memoirs I really appreciated: Educated (Tara Westover), I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy), Taste: My Life Through Food (Stanley Tucci) and Finding Me (Viola Davis).
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
bookworm247's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
mraddd's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
jenncortes's review against another edition
1.5
The few chapters that stood out were the one with the wedding (but i can’t even remember it now LOL), the one with her therapist, and the chapter that followed it. She became a good friend to Farly as she matured, and realized she didn’t need a man. That’s the only good things that happened LOL
I was ready to DNF this book but gave it another chance. I thought it was getting better towards the end, but then ended up getting boring again. LOL. Also, what’s with all the page fillers? We don’t need recipes and lists and fake emails.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
malustedile's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship