While slightly repetitive, I really enjoyed this somewhat cautionary tale turned happy ending and how things can quickly spin out of control when you’re not paying attention.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pass. I didn’t love the story and she seemed pretentious and overly privileged. I also didn’t love the way it was written in essays rather than straight forward memoir/story

I found Drinking Games extremely relatable. Not because I'm rich or have an ivy league education. Not because I live in a big city. But because I too would drink to be 'one of the boys' and match shot for shot until I blacked out. I too had an extremely hard time stopping. I don't feel that Sarah Levy wrote this memoir to be pretentious or elitist. I think she wrote it to share even as someone who appeared to have everything she could want, she still struggled with her inner addiction that caused her to feel like she needed to drink to feel. To be.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

As someone navigating the complexities of alcohol's role in modern life, "Drinking Games" resonated deeply with me. Sarah Levy's honest and vulnerable exploration of her relationship with alcohol felt like a conversation with a close friend. Her experiences mirrored many of my own, from the initial allure of social drinking to the gradual realization of its detrimental impact.

Levy's writing is witty and engaging, making even the difficult topics accessible and relatable. Her insights into the pressures and expectations surrounding drinking culture were particularly insightful, shedding light on the often-unspoken struggles many of us face.

The book is not simply a memoir but also a thoughtful commentary on societal norms and the challenges of breaking free from them. It offers a refreshing perspective on sobriety, one that celebrates personal growth and self-discovery.

Whether you're questioning your relationship with alcohol, considering sobriety, or simply interested in a candid and insightful read, "Drinking Games" is a book I wholeheartedly recommend. It's a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is hope for a fulfilling life beyond the confines of drinking culture.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I'm so far behind in reading this and reviewing it. This book was amazing. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I have never had issues like Sarah did, but I did quit drinking when I felt I might start having issues. I've been through therapy many years ago, and this book felt like a big refresher of everything I learned in my therapy sessions. So a huge thank you to Sarah Levy.
Thanks also to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️/5

Yeah, I didn’t like this. I only finished it because by the time I realized I really didn’t like it and was avoiding picking it up, I was 50% in.

It was all over the place in regards to the writing and the timeline. One second she’s talking about college and then she goes back to high school, then jumps to when she meets her husband, back to her first year of college. It was confusing to follow and really should have been written in chronological order. At times it didn’t even feel like a book. Some people say that its essays she is writing, and that makes a lot more sense.

A lot of people have been saying how entitled Sarah is, and how that affects the story. I do think she was entitled, but I didn’t see it as a negative of the story. Everyone’s story is different regardless of economic status.

It was also pretty repetitive. Some things were mentioned two or three times. It almost felt like it was just a filler for the page. Some things she repeated even more than three times. Like we get it Sarah, you blacked out all the time and woke up next to a strange guy.

I will say, I do appreciate her honesty in regards to her mental health struggles and substance use. She doesn’t sugar coat anything and I think that’s so important when writing a memoir. You want to be true to your audience, but also to yourself.

I’m bummed I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to!

As always, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, even if I didn’t get it done before release day. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Levy is one of many millennials rethinking her relationship with alcohol, this book is about her journey from blackouts to sober living. On top of her personal experiences and relationship with drinking, Levy weaves in some social commentary about our collective relationship with alcohol and how it can effect those predisposed to addiction.

As a rule of thumb, I always give memoirs 5 stars. This is someone’s truth laid bare to all so who am I to judge their experience? Additionally, I am not a drinker. I’ve never struggle with my alcohol consumption (mostly because I’m allergic so … ). For me “Drinking Games” was an opportunity for me to listen to someone share their experience with alcoholism and how they overcame their addiction.

Levy shares the wild up and downs of her drinking. How socially it wasn’t such much of an issue — because our society sees drinking daily as nothing to be concerned with — but personally she was blackout messy, lacking not only self-control, but impulse control. She recounts moments that could have ended much worse than they did, including the times she would wake up in the hospital with no memory of what happened the evening before. Sarah was a single female in NYC and left me shocked by how often she put herself in some shady situations — that’s the mom in me being worried for someone else.

You don’t have to be on the road to recovery or in the depts of your addiction to connect to this story. I think anyone who has struggled with a balanced life can see themselves in this book. Our society is extreme in many ways, we like to indulge, and this book touches on why we are like that and how we can overcome the constant need for more.

Five stars!!

I have to be honest that I took awhile to pick this up, thinking it might make me feel poorly about my own relationship with alcohol. It didn’t at all, other than open my eyes and make me more aware.

Sarah did an incredible job of sharing her story. It was beautifully written.

Gorgeous cover too!!

Thank you for this advanced copy to NetGally and the publisher!

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy is a darkly comic memoir about the role of drinking in one's life. It's a thought-provoking exploration of how one woman comes to terms with how alcohol acts as a social lubricant and what that means for her. It's a book about how alcohol can play a role in relationships and about its role in US culture.

From a sociological lens, it brings up many insights and many questions.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Drinking Games is the story of a woman with a drinking problem that finds sobriety. I enjoyed reading about her recovery journey. The structure of this memoir was a bit distracting at times, but the message is worth hearing.

I think books like this are very important however I couldn't get past some parts of this one. It felt like it could do with some trigger warnings and awareness of privilege. A lot of this was unfortunately not relatable and I was hopeful it would be based on my own personal experiences and those of friends and family. Overall, not for me.

i enjoyed this book! it was a lighthearted way of showcasing struggling a with alcohol and the absurdity of social drinking.
i did feel like it was a bit clunky at times. but, since these struggles are such a personal experience, i enjoyed this point of view!
it was captivating and easy to read.

I originally requested this book because I thought the author was Sarah Levy from Schitt's Creek. Once I actually read the blurb and realized it wasn't, I was still interested. While I had a kindle copy of this from NetGalley, I mostly listened to it on audiobook. I think listening to Sarah narrate her own story really added and extra bit to it that really just made the book that much more emotional.

It's hard to listen to the stories of Sarah waking up in emergency rooms because she blacked out and somehow ended up getting hurt - like seriously hurt. Getting hit by a cab, stitches. It's a lot. And I can only imagine how her friends felt when they witnessed these situations or had to repeatedly tell her what happened because she couldn't remember.

I enjoyed how Sarah tells us about what made becoming sober so special for her - her ability to finally be present with her loved ones. It felt like she was showing why sobriety can be the right choice, despite it being hard, rather than preaching that sobriety is the right answer. And she talks about how for some, moderation is the answer, but for her, no matter what she did, she couldn't moderate her drinking.

I really enjoyed this book despite its heavy topics - alcoholism, mental health, eating disorders, and brief mentions of sexual assault. Thanks to @sarahllevy, @netgalley, and @stmartinspress for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a down to earth addiction recovery memoir. I loved the format being a series of essays - it did jump around a bit & wasn’t chronological which took a bit of getting used to, but once I did, I really enjoyed it! Levy really gets vulnerable and is so REAL about her struggles with alcohol, men, disordered eating, and low self esteem. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is newly sober or even just toying with the idea of sobriety. A funny, heartfelt memoir that I really enjoyed!

This was an interesting read. Not totally what I expected, but a good book nonetheless. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review it!

I applaud the author for seeking help, becoming sober and sharing her story. I found the details annoying and off-putting, specifically someone who has a 6-figure income. Why would anyone jeopradize that?

Her account also was not believable. Cannot recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Levy and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already Available.

There is something for everyone in this series of essays chronicling Millenial There is something for everyone in this series of essays chronicling Millennial Sarah Levy's life experiences from heavy drinking party girl to sober. Levy also describes her other destructive tendencies: disordered eating, the desire for a perfect social media presence.

The essay format was both good and bad. It was easy to digest one story (essay) at a time. However, at times the timeline felt repetitious and disjointed.

While some may be able to relate to this book her apparent lack of awareness of her privilege. Trips to Europe, Harvard education and six figure salary may make this challenging for others to relate to. Overall her willingness to bare her soul for the story is highly commendable.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book highlighted many important things to look out for as someone who may be struggling with addiction, alcohol or otherwise. I think Sarah was brace in putting her story out there and being honest with herself while also encouraging others to find the path that works for them is inspiring.