I’ve been a hardcore Fall Out Boy fan since the mere age of eight, so I can’t properly express my excitement in reading a memoir by “that other guy” from the band. The book offered a hilarious insight to Joe’s disarrayed mind in a rather eloquent format. His self-awareness is refreshing— regardless if one’s been a diehard fan since pre-hiatus or are only familiar with “Centuries”— as he’s open about the good, the bad, and the ugly of success, fruitless endeavors, and his general life. Anyone can benefit from engaging with the self-discovery, mental-health struggle, addiction, and trauma that Joe grappled with over the years. The sincerity of his snarky attitude and (bordering on un-) healthy self-degradation made “None of This Rocks” all the more enjoyable and relatable. An easy read of a not-so-easy life that gave me an entirely new appreciation for someone whose story runs far deeper than just that of the bassist for a well-known pop-punk band.

I love Fall out boy so this was a great read, but I found the humor/jokes not to be all that funny? Just my taste, but recommend to fans of the band!

Fall Out Boy was a very essential band to me growing up so I was very interested to check out this memoir. Joe Trohman covers his life from childhood to adulthood while documenting the rise of Fall Out Boy from DIY shows to full stadium tours. I really connected with his mentions of his upbringing in the North Shore suburbs and Chicago’s hardcore and punk scenes. Admittedly, I found his sense of humor rather corny throughout the book but it does read like having a conversation with him which many diehard fans would love to do.

As a huge fan of his music and the bands he’s played with, hearing Joe’s side is f all of this was enlightening.

I really admire Joe Trohman’s vulnerability about addiction, mental illness, generational trauma, and what it’s like to be a touring musician. But as a whole, this book really did not land for me. I didn’t connect at all to the writing, the jokes, or the audiobook narration, and was pretty confused by how the chapters were organized in not-quite-chronological order. It does way too much jumping around that doesn’t really make a ton of sense thematically.

I don’t feel great about giving someone’s personal memoir a low rating, so I’m not going to. But I think this book could’ve been a lot better if it was less poop joke heavy, leaned more into the introspective writing, and had some more time to go through another thoughtful round of edits.

I'm always hesitant to rate memoirs - who am I to say if their personal journey was a good read? Regardless, I think every Fall Out Boy fan would enjoy this. I've been a fan since I was in middle school and a peak behind the curtain to so much of it was so interesting to read about. I absolutely recommend this to fans but also anyone who has an interest in the music industry. This book really felt like I was having a conversation with Joe rather than reading his story, it was so well done.

Joe Trohman delivers a raw and intimate look at his life and behind the scenes of Fall Out Boy. The stories aren't all heartwarming and joyful, but they are true and I appreciate his willingness to share these parts of his life with his fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this memoir. It was raw, real and gripping with just the right amount of comedic relief that made it very well rounded. Joe speaks openly about his childhood with a very ill mother and his struggles with mental illness, substance abuse, and imposter syndrome. Joe’s life was very relatable and it was refreshing to be able to read that and in such an honest and open light. I loved the way Joe wrote it with such comedic relief that at points, I was laughing out loud. I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars!

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

---

I will begin by saying that this book is not for everyone. Joe's writing style and dark and dry humor are not for everyone - it's the sort of thing you will either vibe with or just dislike. However, as a Fall Out Boy fan for seventeen years, I adored this book. I found it to be an intimate and touching look behind the curtain, into the life of someone I have looked up to for more than half of my life. Joe doesn't take himself so seriously, even when the situation perhaps calls for seriousness. I loved the conversational writing style and the tone of the writing - it felt like having a conversation with a friend over drinks. I will say that the frank and honest discussions of emotional neglect, mental illness, and addition may be triggering for some, but it refreshing to see it discussed so openly.

---

Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving this an extra star because I know Joe and this book gives a lot of insight into who Joe is as a person. A lot of people might think Joe would be the least likely member of FOB to write a book but he actually has a lot of life experience. I didn't know about his mom's battle with mental illness or how bad his drug addiction got. He peels back the façade of being a rock star and what life was actually like for him during his band's biggest moments.

Any Fall Out Boy fan will find this book enjoyable especially because it's written in Joe's signature sarcasm and sense of humor.

I am one of the biggest Fall Out Boy fans so learning more about Joe, other than being the curly haired lead guitarist, was really entertaining and interesting. A very cool behind the scenes look at how a band can make it but the road that you take being a bumpy one.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Release: Tuesday! (September 13)

Joe is the co-founder of one of my fav bands of all time - Fall Out Boy. And while this isn't a memoir about the band, they are mentioned. Instead, this is a look at Joe's life and the trials he had to go to. He definitely uses humor to cope (oh, look, me too!) And his humor is refreshing.

I do feel weird rating someone's memoir, so I'll rate the writing. It was a bit chaotic, however it was like you were up late talking to a friend. The stories sometimes went all over the place, but we eventually got where we needed to go! Haha!

Fall Out Boy was a very essential band to me growing up so I was very interested to check out this memoir. Joe Trohman covers his life from childhood to adulthood while documenting the rise of Fall Out Boy from DIY shows to full stadium tours. I really connected with his mentions of his upbringing in the North Shore suburbs and Chicago’s hardcore and punk scenes. Admittedly, I found his sense of humor rather corny throughout the book but it does read like having a conversation with him which many diehard fans would love to do.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the e-ARC!

As a fan of Fall Out Boy and Joe's guitar playing in general, I found this to be an enjoyable memoir to read as a whole. While I was intrigued early on and appreciated how transparent Joe was about his personal life, I did feel like the book was a bit drawn out and felt repetitive as things progressed. That said, I'm still and fan of Joe's and the bands he plays in and if you're into memoirs this one is worth giving a shot.

Fall Out Boy has been a huge influence on my personality, musical taste, and general worldview for over half of my life now. I was 14 the first time I heard any of their music, and I’ve been smitten ever since. All of my lasting friendships from high school were formed around FOB and the cast of misfits associated with them in the early aughts.

I say all of that to illustrate how fast I scrambled to get my hands on this book. And I was not disappointed. Joe Troh was always on the outskirts of the limelight (I admit to being as much of a sucker for Pete and Patrick as everyone else), but to me, he’s still worth hearing from.

And this is one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a LONG time. I don’t care if it’s because the subject matter is so close to my heart or not. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I cheered. Joe and I have a much more similar parental situation than I ever would have guessed, and that hit me so hard.

This was incredibly well written and thought out. I couldn’t put it down. And I loved reading about all of these dumbass punk kids that I’ve looked up to for so long now. Good job, Joe!

A funny and punk rock look into Joe's life before, during, and after FOB. Great for any music lovers, especially those who still think on sweaty, sticky Warped Tour memories fondly.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book. I was very interested in learning about Mr. Trohman as a longtime Fall Out Boy fan, and I appreciated his humor and openness. There were some things, like his early time.with the band, that I wish he had talked about more, and I think there were some random asides that could have been trimmed out. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would enjoy any other creative endeavors outside.of music that Mr. Trohman produces.

This was an enjoyable memoir. I'm a huge pop punk person, have been probably since the first time I heard Sugar We're Going Down. So when I saw that a guy from Fall Out Boy wrote a book his life, I hit request (got it from Netgalley) as fast as humanly possible. And generally, I'm not disappointed.

I enjoy learning people's life stories, and that's what this is. It's literally just Joe talking to the reader, explaining his life. There's no narrative, there's no play by play of conversations, no embellishes for the purposes of entertainment. If you're looking for a narrative non fiction that reads more like a story, don't read this. If you just like to hear an individual talk about their life, read it.

Now, it isn't my favourite memoir. While there are generally themes to each chapter, I felt like there was a LOT of jumping, which made it kind of hard to keep track of what was happening. All I'm gonna say is don't read it before bed or you will need to double back and reread stuff. I also am not a fan of the first 30% being very... Sad? Samesie? I dunno, it was kind of a lot for a long time. But yeah, after that, much more enticing.

Overall, very fun. I wish more individuals in the music world would write stuff like this.

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It was fun to hear the backstage stories about the band and how the author came to find himself where he is now. It was moderately crass for a book written by an adult, almost felt like how a teenage boy would write. Interesting subject matter and the book was not longer than it needed to be.

You know Joe Trohman–for over 20 years he has been the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American rock mega-band, Fall Out Boy. In None of This Rocks, he reveals parts of his life that fans may not know, from his nomadic childhood, to falling in love with the guitar, to struggling with clinical depression and chronic pain, and what it was like becoming an adult in one of the biggest bands in the world.

This memoir is full of highlights, the first of which is Trohman’s humorous writing that showcases his powerful, distinct voice and immerses the reader in his world. I appreciated how candid he was about everything, especially when describing his mental health journey, depicting it as a constant WIP that he works hard to maintain. He recognizes, still, that at times there are wounds that one keeps open themselves, that threaten to spill blood on anyone during moments of vulnerability. Impacted by his mother’s treatment as a kid, he analyzes his desire for validation from cruel people, and the imposter syndrome that plagues his career moves.

Unbeknownst to Trohman, he’s scored my life for decades. I’ve seen FOB multiple times in concert, including at the Vans Warped Tour in 2005 when they toured with My Chemical Romance–a time during FOB’s rise that Trohman recounts so vividly and at times tenderly, I was transported to that era of youthful discovery. With FOB’s glory comes Trohman’s trademark honesty as he reveals that at times he felt out of place in the group he founded, and for periods went through the motions during recordings and concerts. Although his circumstances are larger than life, his constant uncertainty around his place in the band, and concerns over the sustainability of his career are absolutely relatable.

My only mild critique is that the book isn’t structured chronologically, instead it jumps back and forth through time, however, the stories in each chapter clearly connect in their own way. For anyone who loves reading about bands, musicians, or highly creative people in general, check this out.