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A review by neighborhood_librarian
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
4.0
Troublemaker is the biography of actress Leah Remini and her life growing up in the Church of Scientology all the way into adulthood. In no way is she trying to hide her mistakes from the public in this book. Instead on the very first page she lists her major faults including falling in love with a married man. She puts blame on herself instead of throwing in on everyone else just to prove she is not out for blood but rather trying to make a point.
Remini’s mother was brought to Scientology by a now ex-boyfriend. In order to spend more time with her mother both her and her sister joined as well. It was here she found a sense of peace and understanding. Scientology was a good practice for her because at the time it was black and white by offering a scientific process on how to improve quality of life and make you a better person. It showed her respect from adults she never had from her father or any other adults from her neighborhood. Being from Brooklyn, New York, she was never one to hold back to stay quiet and often spoke up on things that she didn’t think were okay. This led to getting into trouble a lot with the church and its members and have reports written up against her.
Throughout different stages of her faith she was strongly encouraged in to giving so much money and time to the church that she not only lost out on jobs but lost her car and home as well because she was unable to make payments. As children and adults were all treated as equals in regards to payment for “classes” which were mandatory to go up levels in the church, as well as jobs outside the church to contribute to the church and its. Remini dropped out of middle school to help support her family because it was what the church told her to do. While living on a Scientology work base she was starved to the point that she stole some food. Later in life after admitting to this deed her auditor (person who makes sure she is staying on track with the church) told her she owed the church $40,000 in payment for the food she took as a child.
After 30 years of practicing Scientology, Remini had enough. Being forced to cut contact with some of her best friends and own family and giving millions of dollars away, she begins to question some of the church’s practices. It wasn’t until she was put in bad standing after questioning the church about a certain celebrity holding a very high standing in the church and controlling practices she realized that something was truly wrong and tried to get help. Receiving no answers and being told she was a horrible person and everything happening was all her fault, in 2013 she left the Church of Scientology for good.
This book not only tells of Leah’s personal experiences with Scientology, but history of how it came to be as well as what attracts people to it in the first place. By just asking questions such as where her friends were or where the money she gave to the church was going; she was declared a threat to the organization and therefore all contact with her should be severed.
Leaving something that you have invested your whole life into is not easy or simple as one may think. Remini had to deal with many repercussions from rewriting her brain to realizing that she was not the horrible person people kept saying she was as well as telling herself that she really did do the best thing for her and her family. This book shows just how hard that struggle can be and how it is even harder when the people against you have more control then you ever dreamed.
Leah Remini knows that her life hasn’t been perfect; She has made many mistakes and fallen many times only to pick herself up and move on. This book highlights all of that. Every story and every painful memory she tells is packed with her personality and humor that it seems as if you are swapping stories with a friend. Remini admits that she is not perfect and has many flaws which many people see as a problem but it is these statements that make her that much more likeable and enjoyable as a person. You want her to succeed and create a better life not only for her sake but her husband and daughters as well. With the support of her loved ones, Remini is getting her life back on track by going to therapy. The main thing that she is learning is that you have to find what works best for her to succeed in life and that sometimes it’s okay to be a troublemaker and stir things up.
Remini’s mother was brought to Scientology by a now ex-boyfriend. In order to spend more time with her mother both her and her sister joined as well. It was here she found a sense of peace and understanding. Scientology was a good practice for her because at the time it was black and white by offering a scientific process on how to improve quality of life and make you a better person. It showed her respect from adults she never had from her father or any other adults from her neighborhood. Being from Brooklyn, New York, she was never one to hold back to stay quiet and often spoke up on things that she didn’t think were okay. This led to getting into trouble a lot with the church and its members and have reports written up against her.
Throughout different stages of her faith she was strongly encouraged in to giving so much money and time to the church that she not only lost out on jobs but lost her car and home as well because she was unable to make payments. As children and adults were all treated as equals in regards to payment for “classes” which were mandatory to go up levels in the church, as well as jobs outside the church to contribute to the church and its. Remini dropped out of middle school to help support her family because it was what the church told her to do. While living on a Scientology work base she was starved to the point that she stole some food. Later in life after admitting to this deed her auditor (person who makes sure she is staying on track with the church) told her she owed the church $40,000 in payment for the food she took as a child.
After 30 years of practicing Scientology, Remini had enough. Being forced to cut contact with some of her best friends and own family and giving millions of dollars away, she begins to question some of the church’s practices. It wasn’t until she was put in bad standing after questioning the church about a certain celebrity holding a very high standing in the church and controlling practices she realized that something was truly wrong and tried to get help. Receiving no answers and being told she was a horrible person and everything happening was all her fault, in 2013 she left the Church of Scientology for good.
This book not only tells of Leah’s personal experiences with Scientology, but history of how it came to be as well as what attracts people to it in the first place. By just asking questions such as where her friends were or where the money she gave to the church was going; she was declared a threat to the organization and therefore all contact with her should be severed.
Leaving something that you have invested your whole life into is not easy or simple as one may think. Remini had to deal with many repercussions from rewriting her brain to realizing that she was not the horrible person people kept saying she was as well as telling herself that she really did do the best thing for her and her family. This book shows just how hard that struggle can be and how it is even harder when the people against you have more control then you ever dreamed.
Leah Remini knows that her life hasn’t been perfect; She has made many mistakes and fallen many times only to pick herself up and move on. This book highlights all of that. Every story and every painful memory she tells is packed with her personality and humor that it seems as if you are swapping stories with a friend. Remini admits that she is not perfect and has many flaws which many people see as a problem but it is these statements that make her that much more likeable and enjoyable as a person. You want her to succeed and create a better life not only for her sake but her husband and daughters as well. With the support of her loved ones, Remini is getting her life back on track by going to therapy. The main thing that she is learning is that you have to find what works best for her to succeed in life and that sometimes it’s okay to be a troublemaker and stir things up.