‘How To Murder Your Life’ is a memoir with a modern-day style of brutal honesty which surprises and shocks but in a twisted turn of events brings a grin to your face. Cat Marnell is a drug-addicted socialite / writer based in New York and her first book packs in all the controversial ups and downs and life experiences she’s gone through in her 34 years of life. It is a rollercoaster of emotions for the reader, do you like her or does her actions down right irritate and piss you off because she brings it all on herself. After getting a few chapters in, my first thoughts were…how did she get away with publishing this…and what else was included before her editor got their hands on it! Could someone really lead a life like this? But that is of course what entices you in.
Loved & Hated
I had a love/hate relationship with ‘How to Murder Your Life’ where countless times I put it down thinking I hate what she’s put herself through. But then again mental health is the main subject that runs through its pages which is such an important subject in today’s society.
I loved her honesty, her humility and her humour.
Cat sounded like she struggled alone, or was it tried to pretend she didn’t need help and loved what drugs did for her and needed them to enjoy her life. Her life; her description of her family; wealthy ultra-conservative parents who provided her with her prescription drugs from a young age, getting expelled, going through unwanted pregnancies, experiencing heartbreak, attempting university, meeting celebrities on her numerous nights out as high as a kite…but then all through this I loved that she had the passion and ambition to get the jobs she wanted even though it seemed like she wanted to self-destruct every day she worked as a beauty editor at Lucky, XOJane and Vice.
After learning about each person and experience that has shaped who she is today you just want to take a deep breath and say to her ‘you’re ok, you’re getting through it’. But what I loved the most is that she probably wouldn’t care what I thought and she wasn’t apologetic for any of her actions throughout the book, the only thing you do wonder is is that a good role model for young girls.
GozenGirl Rating: 4/5
Buy [amazon_textlink asin=’0091957354′ text=’How To Murder Your Life’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’gozen-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’2fbc0c93-9263-11e7-ab47-df9010d74885′] at Amazon.