Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood
 

Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood

by Koren Zailckas

Garnering a vast amount of attention from young people and parents, and from book buyers across the country, Smashed became a media sensation and a New York Times bestseller. Eye- opening and utterly gripping, Koren Zailckas?s story is that of thousands of girls like her who are not alcoholics?yet?but who routinely use booze as a shortcut to courage and a stand-in for good judgment.
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Top tags: memoiraddictionalcoholismnon-fictioncoming of age (all tags)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

Francine M
  • Rated 4 stars

This is a must read for parents. Will scare you out of your wits. The author took her first drink, by herself (meaning alone with no peers), at the age of 14. Makes you question what you think you know about underage drinking and what you think you know about your kids.

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Didn’t Like It

Laura V
  • Rated 2 stars

It was an interesting book - about 3/4's of it. There came a point when I had read enough about her trying to get drunk. It's interesting how she thinks she's not an alcoholic.

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Community:
  • Rated 3.492188 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 3.916667 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • Katie R

    katie r said:

    I must disagree with the post 2 down from this one, by Saran, I don't think that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the same thing. My ex-boyfriend was an alcoholic and physically dependent on alcohol. He would shake and have other withdrawl effects if he didn't have adrink in the morning. I used to abuse alcohol. I used to drink very large amounts once or twice a week but I didn't need to have a drink everyday. I also could have one drink with a meal and not have anymore, but every weekend I would drink too much.

    This book is one of my favorites. It's very well written and I like that she didbn't sugar-coat the ending and make it sound too easy to get help and get things sorted out.

    posted Wednesday, July 9 2008
  • CoffeeCat

    coffeecat said:

    I would have to disagree with the idea that Zailckas doesn't encourage others to get help in her novel. She chronicles the troubles of finding someone to talk to without the being inappropriately labeled an alcoholic. She recognizes that her struggle with drinking/self image/etc is something that most women (and men) go through whether it's using alcohol or not. I was a bit relieved that she was able to overcome her own anxieties about life and learn to accept herself, if that isn't progress I don't know what is.

    posted Wednesday, July 9 2008
  • saran

    saran said:

    I just finished this book, and I agree the ending was kind of weak but the overall writing, I thought, was written well. Koren has been through a lot and I think by writing this book it's another step into taking control of her life. Whether she is an alcoholic or abuser, they are one in the same. It's how you perceive it and how you act on it. The choices she made are very similar to many that have gone through college or in earlier years. I think many girls will be able to relate to her story at some point in their lives. I give Koren much credit for sharing her story with others.

    posted Saturday, June 28 2008
  • koreen56

    koreen56 said:

    I liked this book but was not satisfied with the ending. I thought there should have been more encouragement for people to get help if they have a drinking problem. I thought the ending was not typical of a person with a drinking problem.

    posted Thursday, April 17 2008
  • cbreyes

    cbreyes said:

    I'm currently reading this. As much as the author defines herself as "not an alcoholic" make no mistake this chick's a straight up booze hound ho' sans rehab or not. Miss. Zailckas, you don't have to attend AA or rehab to be an alcoholic; the blackouts alone qualify you, ask any doctor. There is a growing denial among younger drinkers that the only alcoholics are a cartoon version of a "skid-row bum," "older, ragged clothes, leaning on a lampost, red nosed with a thought bubble that says "burp."
    Face it, if your drinking brings negative results to your life you have a problem and are probably an alcoholic.

    posted Wednesday, February 27 2008
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