A review by whatcourtneyreads
My Thoughts Exactly by Lily Allen

4.0

I feel like Lily Allen is the kind of artist that has always been on my periphery. I remember when she appeared on the music scene, talk-singing in a London accent, when everyone was listening to Pussycat Dolls and The Black Eyed Peas. In 2009 I remember her music playing in the retail store I worked in, wincing every time she sang “I spent ages giving head”, because we had 30 customers in our ‘family friendly’ store.

This is a really insightful memoir about Allen’s music career, making mistakes, self-destructive behaviour, strength, redemption, and owning what you’ve done. It is so searingly honest, even when it makes her look like a bit of a shit person - which to be clear, she is not. We’re all just out here doing the best we can, and celebrities are actually just people. Shocking, I know!

This honesty also makes it one of the best celebrity memoirs I have ever read; you don’t often get such openness from people in the entertainment industry, and it was so down-to-earth. I also listened to the audiobook which Allen narrated, and it felt like she was just a mate telling me some stories, and I was being let into her secret inner world.

I really recommend this one to fans of Lily Allen, but also just anyone who loves a celeb memoir.