Cat MarnellReseñas

Too long, too full of names I don’t know or care about. First world problems.

This is a memoir of addiction and unlike most other stories of this type, it doesn't end with recovery. Cat Marnell starts taking pills (of all types) as a teenage in a New England boarding school. Her life quickly spirals out of control - she ends up pregnant and is expelled just weeks before graduation. Yet, her talent and ambition propels her into a remarkably successful career in magazine publishing. She rises to the post of beauty editor at a major publication - all while taking an astonishing number of drugs ranging from prescription medications to heroin and cocaine. She lands in rehab multiple times, family members stop talking to her, and she misses tons of work. This book didn't end the way I expected, but it did reach a kind of satisfy balance between ambition and addiction. Overall, a good read, even if the author's writing (name dropping celebrities and brands) did annoy me at times.

I have wanted to read Cat Marnell’s memoir since I heard it was being published. I have not followed her for her whole career but I find her fascinating and tragic. Her memoir, How to Murder Your Life, succeeds in all of my required categories for a good read. She is a good writer, or at least has a great editor. Her voice is wholly original, only anecdotes which add to the narrative are present, meaning any incoherence or extraneous stories are missing. Cat leaves the reader wanting more, leaving room for potential sequels.

I am deliciously jealous of the opportunities she had as a beauty editor, ruined by her addict disposition. She describes her drug use matter of factly, not romanticized, sensationalized, or underplayed. HTMYL makes me want to read everything Cat has ever published, and give her a hug.

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This book....

The author is so spoiled, pretentious, privileged and full of herself that it's pretty unbearable to read. I thought the story would be somewhat interesting except she never gets better and she never WANTS to get better so it seemed like a fruitless read. It's also a bore to read about some dull girl talk about how beautiful she is while she's starving herself and puking up her food. I have no sympathy for addicts so I'm most assuredly biased but this girl needs a slap in the face and to have everything taken away from her. What a little shit she is. Also, her wig on the back cover is because she was messed up on drugs and left hair dye or hair treatment in too long and basically fried her hair and scalp. That's the sign of a winner in life! But at least she's thin and rich, right? The $500,000 she got for even writing this book is undoubtedly in her arms, snorted up her nose, or inhaled in her lungs. I'm just glad I rented it from the library so she doesn't get a dime from me. She's just trash and she will definitely die from a drug overdose.

3.5 stars. Cat Marnell really lets you see what life as an addict is really like. There were so many times I was squirming in my seat because of the decisions she was making, or I guess I should say that her addiction was making. I was very uncomfortable at several points because you could see her life heading in very dangerous and scary direction, but it also felt very real. I really appreciated her candor when it came to her reality. I wish so badly she could have ended the book with a happier note but I guess that's not real life. I know some people have a problem with her writing style, but I enjoyed her conversational tone. It was fun and inviting and it made her feel all the more relatable. If you are into celebrity and fashion and gossip, you will probably enjoy this book because she delves into her life as a beauty editor and her experiences in the NYC fashion industry alongside her addiction to oh so many drugs.½

I admit I was extremely intrigued and entertained by Cat Marnell's story and writing style, but I was also extremely irritated and put off by it. I honestly don't think I have ever read anything so vapid and shallow. This is not an uplifting "look at how much I have overcome to get healthy" story. This isn't even a "learn from my mistakes so you don't end up like me" story. This whole story is self-indulgent glamorization of drug addiction that reeks of spoiled white privilege.