This memoir (non-fiction autobiography genre) caught my eye on the towne library "new books" shelf because it's about a young woman who decided she needed to totally abstain from alcohol after years of being an alcoholic. I wanted to read this because I have an acquaintance who is struggling with an alcohol addiction and I have a close friend who has been in recovery for many years. My uncle is also in recovery. I wanted to learn some insights into how alcoholics think, act, etc.
SUMMARY
Sarah Levy's life looked pretty good. She seemed to be "on track". She was 28 years old, living in NYC, had a good job, and socialized every weekend.
Her secret: the relationship between her and alcohol was becoming very toxic. She says only she herself can save her self. (Not true....not one of us can save ourselves. It takes God.....but I digress.....I know what she meant.....she needed to take steps and only she herself could do that...no one can force an alcoholic to take the steps they need to get sober).
She explores the role that alcohol has in our formative years...from childhood....and what that means to opt out of a culture that is completely centered around drinking. (in her experience). She examines what short-term choices about drinking/alcohol do to our long-term selves. She explores how they challenge our ability to be vulnerable to discover what we really want from life.
She gives us a look into how she had this all-consuming cycle of working hard, playing even harder (partying) and trying to look perfect while doing all of this. She walks us through her journey of alcoholic blackouts, hangovers, dating, relationships, the wellness culture, startup companies, social media, friendships and self-discovery. She goes into a portion of her relationship with her mother and the fact that her father is French and grew up with alcohol not being a big deal.
This is also somewhat of a social critique over current culture.
MY THOUGHTS
This is a book to really learn what life as a Millennial is like when that person has succumbed to what the media in all its forms, has offered to this younger generation....basically the children of us baby boomers. As I read this, I thought even children raised in a Christ following home can struggle with these very same issues. No one is immune to the culture of today.
I love how vulnerable she is in this story. She worked hard at becoming sober and explored many different options to get sober and stay sober. I enjoyed her thoughts on life in NYC as a struggling millennial.
It's a book about the transformative power of sobriety. I say good for her for taking the steps to be alcohol free.
The one thing I didn't like was that she got into manifestation. (if you're unfamiliar with this practice, just click on the link). This goes against what we believe as Christ followers. It makes me sad that people are so blinded by this philosophy. On the other hand, no where in her book does she call herself a Christ follower so.......she reached out to what she learned is a great way to feel some control over your life.
There were some great quotes that leaped out at me. Here are some of my faves:
"Being a friend in your twenties is inherently messy. You hardly know who you are, let alone how to show up for someone who is struggling. You do your best, but there are still bumps and broken hearts." (pg 40 Drinking Games by Sarah Levy c.2022
"We're all convinced that everyone is watching judging, and waiting to see what we do next, but the truth is, we're all in our own worlds. Sure, this line of self-centered thinking has problematic ramifications for collective responsibility and society. But on a small scale, it can be a leerating reminder that people aren't thinking about your biggest insecurities; they're likely focused on their own." (pg 41)
My absolute fave quote:
"The opposite of loneliness, I wish I could tell Marina now, is finding people with whom you can be your most authentic self. " (pg 118)
and this one: "You're entitled to your feelings. But sometimes, just because we feel something, doesn't mean we need to share it with that person.". (pg 203)
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older. (due to mature content).
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 7.
2 comments:
it sounds like a very interesting read. I think it's good to read about lives that are different from our own. I think we learn about who we are from reading about lives that are different from our own.
I'm going to look for this book at our library!
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