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In this book, readers find bold, brash, honest, and confessional personal narratives about social class, race, sexuality, and how the places a person calls "home" can make, break, or shape a person's perceptions of not only oneself but also society. From football practice to boot camp to punk rock band life, readers have an insider's look inside the author's pain and struggles with identity. In other chapters, they travel down the winding road of drug use and partying. Readers also learn about the horrific world of sexual abuse and the toll it takes on victims for years to come. However, the book leaves one with the certainty that when one story ends, another begins, hopefully for the better.
This book houses a little bit of something for everyone. Its discussions about sexual abuse and the victim-blaming that predators engage in pertain to many of society's ongoing discussions and issues surrounding this topic. Its focus on the music industry and the role of music in shaping one's identity will resonate with the vast majority of readers. Others will gravitate to dark-humored insights such as "Like most people, I had no idea what I was in for. The Army looked far more glamorous through the eyes of my favorite WWII movie director, Steven Spielberg." The book's focus on the importance of self-love and self-acceptance and its power to thwart negativity is a powerful one that leaves one considering one's situation in life and how to change it. With the humor of David Sedaris and the philosophical insights of Toni Morrison, this book is a quick, engaging read sure to leave readers hoping for more of the author's work.