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Upper Cut: Highlights Of My Hollywood Life (2011)

by Carrie White(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1439199094 (ISBN13: 9781439199091)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Atria Books

review 1: WOW! Carrie's young years were surely tough, Carrie details her abuse by her stepfather and mistreatment by her alcoholic mother in some detail, and leads us into the not-so-glamorous backside of Hollywood. The world of stars, drugs and alcohol, and the abuse that comes along with the celebrities. I was afraid that this would be another poorly written "tell all" that leads the reader no where. Boy was I wrong!Carrie White has poured her heart and soul into telling her life story. She's not looking for sympathy, she tells things as they were in her world. The names were not "dropped" - the famous people were as normal to her as our neighbors are to us. White doesn't use names to create sensational gossip. She's sharing her life and her fight to gain control of her own wor... moreld.Upper Cut is so well written and so addictive in itself that I couldn't put it down. I was thrilled to have a printed galley because I did carry it around with me and it was way too easy for me to reach into my tote and bring it out to read immediately!! No turning up the e-reader and waiting for it to load it. There's something to be said for a printed book. Instant read!I was into the read from the first page, although the bits about her abuse by her stepfather, Johnny, were hard to read, I didn't skim a word.It's great to read about someone's life that ends on the right note, where they do pull themselves up. The path along the way is sometimes hard to read, sometimes hard to understand why she chose what she did, but it's never dull and always entertaining.I highly recommend Upper Cut, it's so nice to see someone survive to share her story so others can see it's possible for people to succeed.4 out of 5 stars!
review 2: Upper Cut opens with Carrie White introducing us to a childhood which was without boundaries or parental nurturing as she mixes a cocktail for her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and herself at the tender age of six. Glimpses of heartfelt humor are woven within the tragic tale of a young girl who survived abuse, abandonment, and neglect. While reading Carrie White's accounts as a child, it is plain to see that even at an early age, her instinct to survive was formidable, and she was imaginative and clever enough to find her niche in styling hair. She realized even then, that one must be able to create the illusion of art and fashion in order to, not simply thrive in Hollywood, but to succeed. It is this understanding of art and illusion mingled with a persevering attitude and an unequivocal desire to be the best at what she did which catapulted her into the limelight. From tales of dates with Jack Nicholson, styling the hair of Claudette Colbert,Bette Midler and Cybill Shepherd among others, Carrie's life appeared to gain momentum quickly. Champagne, drugs, and access to the entire world became her new norm. However, it was not long before alcohol and drugs began to take their tole on her life. Upper Cut is one of the most candid accounts I have ever read of drug abuse. Excuses are not made for all that Carrie White's children suffered because of her behavior. She does not embellish or try to paint her personal life in a way which glamorizes the hard fast life she once lived, and it is admirable to read of someone who has learned to accept herself regardless of her past. She is proof that true freedom comes when you learn to accept yourself in spite of your background, disabilities, or past mistakes.Upper Cut is the tale of a child who was not nurtured, a child who became an adult who did not possess the know-how to nurture herself or her own children--but a tale, of a woman who in spite of not having a strong foundation, worked her way to the top in order to care for herself and those she loved in the only way she knew how. It is truly a testament to the human spirit. Inspiring, emotionally transforming, and honest, Upper Cut is the best memoir I have ever read, and I know it will change lives. There is nothing more powerful than a person's desire for love, and Upper Cut is all heart! less

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