I found this to be an incredibly vulnerable, brave, open and honest memoir about one millennial's struggles with drinking/alcoholism, self-love, social media and overall life contentment. As someone who grew up around the same time as the author, I related to so much of her story and feel like this should be a must-read! She voices challenges that I feel like so many of us are facing but afraid to voice. Powerful and moving, this was great on audio read by the author herself. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Sarah Levy bares her soul and faces her past in this memoir/social critique, "Drinking Games" is her journey from being "that girl" - the one always down for anything, the drinking buddy and the one who blacks-out and makes a funny story.... through her sobriety journey to the happy life she has now created.

While everyone's experience with alcohol is different, Sarah's stories are raw and relatable - we all have been in similar situations and/or know people in these situations. From relying on alcohol to make friends, tying it to your personality, the fear of being "uncool", living in a haze of selfishness and being overall unsafe. Sarah also explores social situations like dating, sex, celebrations, social media and what that looks like with/without drinking and how insecurity and awareness can come up in any aspect.

Sarah's stories touch not only on alcohol, but food, exercise, wellness and work - grasping for control and struggling to keep our heads above water. Making something your entire personality because you don't know who you are without it. As it states "Drinking Games speaks to the millennial experience of working hard, playing harder, and wanting everything to look perfect on social media."

Overall, I could not put this book down (I read it in one sitting) - it was candid, real and raw. Sarah has great stories all around (both entertaining, horrifying and enlightening) but she also touches on so many aspects of our world that are important to consider and I appreciate her showing her experience.

TBH the only reason this wasn't a full 5 stars is because some stories felt repetitive and/or layered with others and I think they should've been condensed or linked (or at least acknowledged that we've already heard part of it or that the story calls back to/continues an earlier one).

Drinking Games is a memoir that follows the author Sarah Levy on her journey of getting and staying sober. She was open and honest about the good and the bad which I appreciated. Getting sober can change many of your relationships and she talked us through losing friends but also getting so much closer to others.

There were so many lines in the book when she was talking about her anxiety that I connected with. You always think your inner bully is so powerful but hearing that other people have the same struggles, helps you feel validated.

The narration of this book took it to another level. It was so easy to listen to.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

DRINKING GAMES follows author Sarah Levy’s experiences with alcoholism to sobriety. Her memoir is written well with the author narrating the audiobook herself, I found her voice easy to listen to and I finished this in a day.
Levy’s stories about the period of her life where she would get black out drunk were uncomfortable, but it was interesting to me how she explored alcohol in his memoir. Obviously her relationship with it impacted her relationships with others, but I thought the commentary on how societal expectations play a role was very interesting.
It was very relatable how all types of social events have an expectation for you to drink. As a woman, if I said no to a drink, it was always met with side eye like are you pregnant or do you have a problem. There is so much stigma around alcohol so while Levy’s specific experience may not be relatable to all, I think there a nuggets in here that could resonate with everyone.
Thank you St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir highlights the authors escapades with heavy drinking to the point of blacking out frequently in her twenties and her personal journey to sobriety. I really enjoyed the authors narration making it an easy listen. I found her recounts very relatable and can see how other people can take something away from her sharing her experiences.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and netgalley for an Advance Listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Although I am not sober myself, I enjoy reading books about sobriety because I think there's always room for improvement in your relationship with alchohol. That being said, I loved this book. Sarah Levy was completely transparent about her struggles and issues with drinking and I never once felt she was coming from a place of judgement. I think this book will help so many and I'm so glad it exists.

This book is the epitome of why society is influencing young people to be something they are not. I really enjoyed this listen, because the narrator was the author and I really felt for her. She definitely has/had a drinking problem and I applaud her for seeing this and getting the help she needed. There are so many people who think that the next big thing is going to fix their life and I fear that now it is even worse than it was when she was going through it. We have to live up to these unattainable standards set by social media that we spiral when we are not good enough, pretty enough, thin enough. Thank you Sarah Levy for giving us your story, in order to make us all feel better about ourselves and how we are feeling.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Macmillan for an early audio copy.

In some ways, this book is the timeless tale of self-destruction and alcoholism. I appreciate Levy's vulnerability and braveness to share her story and enjoyed the book. The only part I found a bit cringe was the "I manifested this life" part.

I love listening to a good memoir, especially when it pertains to a struggle that I'm sure many readers can level with. I am so thankful to NetGalley, Sarah Levy, and Macmillan Audio for granting me Advanced Listener Access to Drinking Games prior to its publication date of January 3, 2023.

Writer, Sarah Levy walks us through her relationship and ongoing battle with alcoholism and learning not to let it define her indefinitely I think there were definitely periods in my early twenties where I really had to sit myself down and assess where my life was going, in accordance with alcohol, but all of that aside, that was definitely a learning period, because now in my late twenties, the thought of a hangover headache is enough to deter me from bar-hopping.

I commend Sarah for her brutal, raw honesty and her journey is and was very inspiring and liberating to see her actually strive to do better by herself and those around her. I highly recommend this memoir, if you're in the mood for a lesson-learned formatted memoir -- so definitely get your pre-orders in now!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Drinking Games by Sarah Levy.

This is a memoir read by Levy about her relationship with alcohol as she grows up. It's incredibly honest and gritty, and I learned a lot. She also warns about modern day issues people face today, disordered eating, perfectly curated social media presence, and mental illness. I can see this as a huge balm for anyone, especially young people who experience these things. It was also an enjoyable and very well written read.