Scan barcode
izziestone1's review against another edition
5.0
this book BROKE me i am now crying in my bed at 1am
lorrietruck's review against another edition
3.0
Not particularly well written but fascinating none the less.
bibliolucinda's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars - I've read quite a few books about Amy Winehouse over the years, I've always loved her voice and her authenticity as an artist. This book hit me differently though, perhaps given I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tyler himself - his grief and heartbreak is incredibly raw and it's clear through his voice and narration that his love for Amy and their friendship could never dull over time. She's a complex figure, as most artists are, and this book showcases the brutal realities of addiction and self-destruction in both Tyler and Amy's lives. There's so many thoughts that I have on Amy, this book and the ongoing mythology surrounding her life and the personality of 'Amy Winehouse' - but for now, I'll just say this:
It seems like everyone is constantly releasing 'their side of the story' of life with Amy and having the opportunity to share their memories of her. The tragedy is that Amy herself will never have that opportunity to voice her own story and perspective with the world - not that I think she would have, in any way, entertained the idea of a 'tell-all' book; I'm 95% certain she would have called it a piss-take or called out anyone who suggested the idea for being a mug. Tyler makes it clear time and time again that she wanted a normal life and to grow old with her friends and have a family, whilst continuing to write songs and music. We had such a brief window of insight into her life and what she had experienced with the lyrics in her first two albums, and it's a window we will never have again.
10 years later and I still can't shake the hold Amy's story has over me; not for the tabloid personality and media circus that she became unfairly known for, and not for the countless recounts of personal histories from her friends and family (or the number of people who have wanted to capitalise on her popularity for monetary gain) - but for her music and the way she makes you feel a little less alone in the world when you listen to those vocals and the stories she gave us in the short time she was here.
So while I'm grateful to people like Tyler for sharing these stories so that Amy continues to live on in collective, shared memory, it's also bittersweet. Even if she'd never written another damn song, she still had so much life left to live. Although I never knew Amy, nor could I ever claim to understand the pain of her friends' and family's loss, I miss her. And after listening to Tyler's book, I know with painful certainty that there will never be another person or talent quite like her.
It seems like everyone is constantly releasing 'their side of the story' of life with Amy and having the opportunity to share their memories of her. The tragedy is that Amy herself will never have that opportunity to voice her own story and perspective with the world - not that I think she would have, in any way, entertained the idea of a 'tell-all' book; I'm 95% certain she would have called it a piss-take or called out anyone who suggested the idea for being a mug. Tyler makes it clear time and time again that she wanted a normal life and to grow old with her friends and have a family, whilst continuing to write songs and music. We had such a brief window of insight into her life and what she had experienced with the lyrics in her first two albums, and it's a window we will never have again.
10 years later and I still can't shake the hold Amy's story has over me; not for the tabloid personality and media circus that she became unfairly known for, and not for the countless recounts of personal histories from her friends and family (or the number of people who have wanted to capitalise on her popularity for monetary gain) - but for her music and the way she makes you feel a little less alone in the world when you listen to those vocals and the stories she gave us in the short time she was here.
So while I'm grateful to people like Tyler for sharing these stories so that Amy continues to live on in collective, shared memory, it's also bittersweet. Even if she'd never written another damn song, she still had so much life left to live. Although I never knew Amy, nor could I ever claim to understand the pain of her friends' and family's loss, I miss her. And after listening to Tyler's book, I know with painful certainty that there will never be another person or talent quite like her.
mcrowno's review against another edition
5.0
Ugh. This book broke my heart. I didn’t want to finish it because I was rooting for a different outcome to the story. Its deeply affecting, moving, heartbreaking, and shows the highest highs and lowest lows of loving someone. Thank you, Tyler James, for such a beautiful tribute to a beautiful woman who deserved such a better outcome
book_bunnie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, and Alcohol
gabriellemonroe's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, what a heavy read. Amy's story is absolutely heartbreaking and captivating. I hope Tyler has found at least a little bit of healing after losing such a gem. She tried so many times to cry for help, and management decided that money was more important?! Truly unsettling.
This was such a deep but amazing book. There needs to be more material published on this angel's short life.
This was such a deep but amazing book. There needs to be more material published on this angel's short life.
lilyanna0's review against another edition
4.0
PLEASEEEE this has to be one of the only memoirs I’ve ever read and I was sobbing at the end. I learned so much from this book about the life of Amy Winehouse and her best friend but I also learned things about her music and the ideas behind some of my favourite songs of hers. Life was so unfair to Amy in the long run , and so we’re the people who never truly cared about her well-being. Fame and money change people. I watched the Amy Winehouse documentary on Netflix a while back and was under the impression that Amy’s dad never really had her best interests at heart and only ever cared about the money and fame she brought him. However, this book has definitely shed some light on that and has made me realise that while yes he was invested in those things he was also a loving dad who happened to also get swept up in the glory of it all. I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in Amy Winehouse or is a fan
autienaut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I simply just don’t have the words to describe this book. All I can say is that if your going to read a book about Amy, read this one. 🖤
I’m going to be forever grateful to Tyler for putting himself through everything all over again to write this for the world. He’s taught us who the real Amy was, not the Amy whinehouse people thought they knew. This is real and this is raw.
I’m going to be forever grateful to Tyler for putting himself through everything all over again to write this for the world. He’s taught us who the real Amy was, not the Amy whinehouse people thought they knew. This is real and this is raw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Vomit