Dear Diary by Lesley Arfin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dear Diary
Book Review: Helpful to others
Summary: 5 Stars
As a health care professional who works with adolescents, I found this book to be insightful and honest. The author holds little back and shares much of the teenage angst that is so common to that population.It is hopeful and inspiring and I am recommending it to my clients and their parents as a must read. Thank you Lesley Arfin.
Lila Samson
Book Review: I'm on the fence here....
Summary: 3 Stars
I can't say I hated Dear Diary but I'm not a total convert like all the other reviewers here.
There are definitely some sections - particularly her middle and high school entries - where I felt like "OMG, that's EXACTLY how I was feeling at that age." And her updated commentary on some of those passages is really spot on and, in some cases, very funny. I also thought her description of her first time in rehab had some bittersweet, and in one case, hilarious, moments.
But on the other hand, as another reviewer mentions, I have a really hard time with her claim that she published the book to let girls know they aren't alone in what they might be going through. Nothing in her "update" commentary is particularly dissuading about drug use... or even tormenting your friends, for that matter. She seems to have taken thinly veiled delight in the fact that, although her middle school friends tormented and ousted her, they were also tormented and ousted by each other.
While she is a decent writer, and the entries aren't quite as boring as one reviewer would have you believe, I was ultimately left with the feeling that I really don't like or care about Leslie that much. She may be sober now and she may have gone through the school of hard knocks like a real champ but she still comes across like an immature, spoiled upper middle class Gen-Xer. Ironically, she pretty much admits this.
Book Review: If You're Not 16, Don't Bother
Summary: 1 Stars
author is shallow and full of herself...basically, she's the person who just wants to go on and on and on because she likes hearing herself speak.
there is nothing useful or helpful here, the writing is weak, undeveloped, and juvenile; the author seems very proud of herself for what she was involved in--and what info there is of that is very sketchy...even as i was reading this 5-minute story, i found myself wondering why this book was published at all.
Book Review: Insightful, and Funny book
Summary: 4 Stars
The writer talks as if you're having a cigarette outside of a mall rather than in a confessional. Comfortable but with a little distance,(for purposes only in protecting herself) she keeps herself vulnerable throughout the story (most of the time) with recalling the past, mini- update-interviews with past acquaintances (which were great) and coming of age revelations.
I enjoyed the book, found myself cracking up at her dry humor and some of the references of growing up in the 90's. Overall I'd recommend the book, just don't take everything literal or too serious. it is her story.
Book Review: Just okay...
Summary: 2 Stars
When I read the reviews of this book I thought it was going to be amazing. I was disappointed by it - I thought the book could have been deeper to really express the pains of going through addiction and how it messes up your life and the ones who love you. I felt this book just scratched the surface and it made for ok reading to boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone I know...each to his own...