Wild West Village is a simultaneously hilarious yet raw memoir of Lola Kirke and her coming of age. I found myself laughing and crying, while also rooting her on. I loved the development of relationships and the candidness.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the enook in exchange for an honest review.

Such a quick, fun, easy read! Liked how Lola wasn't afraid of her prviledge and acknowledges it head on

I love Lola Kirke's voice in this- no matter what she says, I still feel like I am in fact standing next to her at a dinner party, getting sloshed with her

Lola Kirke’s Wild West Village offers a candid and chaotic glimpse into her unconventional childhood, growing up in a West Village brownstone surrounded by rock stars, artists, and eccentrics. With humor and rawness, Kirke reflects on her misadventures, from self-discovery to trying to fit in with larger-than-life personalities. The book provides a unique perspective on a celebrity childhood, filled with fascinating characters, and Kirke’s engaging writing keeps the narrative lively and vivid, almost like a documentary of her world. Her humor shines through as she navigates her struggles with identity and quirky encounters.

However, the book leans heavily into self-loathing, making it difficult to fully connect with Kirke’s character at times. The chaotic tone and overwhelming drama can feel disconnected and hard to digest, especially when some moments border on the tragic. Additionally, the privileged, eccentric world Kirke grew up in may alienate readers who struggle to relate to her experiences.

Overall, Wild West Village is a fascinating, raw journey that offers humor and insight into a world few will ever experience, but the heavy emphasis on self-doubt and tragedy may be off-putting for some readers.

While the book offers an intriguing and humorous narrative, its chaotic tone and self-deprecating focus make it a challenging read for some. Still, it’s worth experiencing for those curious about the eccentricities of Kirke’s life.

I get the intention of this memoir and all, but I just couldn't get into the book. I was not aware of the author and her family before reading, so maybe I am losing something in not knowing them, but I do not recommend this memoir.

I was mostly familiar with Lola Kirke’s actress sister before reading Wild West Village, which I suppose is rather apt. Kirke spends most of her “not-memoir” hoping to be seen and loved by her family, particularly her 2 older sisters. Her life is privileged and filled with name dropping (which I enjoy, don’t get me wrong.) She had the fortune of being able to truly find herself through a winding journey into her late 20s. Kirke has an appealing voice and knack for telling a good story. This is light and enjoyable if you like reading about celebrity families. I did find Lola to be sympathetic, and her stories line up with her sister’s Instagram persona. Nice debut, and I wish her luck in her career.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for kindly providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lola Kirke is so empathetic and kind toward the people in this book but definitely doesn't hold back. I really enjoyed her voice and oh my gosh what a crazy life.

This one was not for me. It's not bad, just not my style and ultimately a DNF after about 20 pages. Often with these books of essays I find that it sounds like the author was rushed, which is not their fault! This time, however, I would like to think that with her background, Kirke might have had the advantage of time (given that money is likely not a huge problem). Ah well, thank you NetGalley for the ebook! Always appreciate trying something new.

This memoir (while described as “not a memoir” but is definitely just a memoir) seems like it was aiming to be a witty and unfiltered look at the author’s unconventional upbringing and artistic journey, but it often felt more self-indulgent than intriguing. It was all very surface-level stories that aimed for shock value, but came across disjointed and chaotic.

Wild West Village by Lola Kirke
Set against a rugged, cinematic backdrop, Wild West Village is a bold and immersive story that blends modern storytelling with classic Western charm. Lola Kirke crafts a tale filled with grit, adventure, and deeply human characters, making it a must-read for those who love the allure of the frontier. With its evocative prose and engaging plot, this novel is a compelling journey into a world where past and present collide.

Wild West Village is refreshing and entertaining, especially compared to the slog of whiney celebrity memoirs I've reviewed in the past.

I didn't know anything about Lola Kirke or her family before reading this but I enjoyed learning about her life. A lot of this book focuses on her tough childhood which I found heartfelt and, at times, darkly funny. Obviously, all "wealthy" memoirs are going to be a little out of touch but Kirke's is nearly self-aware---kudos!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC.

Have to admit, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! I really enjoyed the movie Mistress America, so was curious to see what her writing is like. This is a fairly candid, humorous memoir-in-essays about Kirke's unconventional upbringing in a West Village household. It had great elements of bohemian NY in the setting, while also getting into the dysfunction of the family system (her father's affairs and sister Jemima's tribulations). Kirke is, not surprisingly for an actor, very good at creating characters in her writing. The time period and setting alongside the personal story made this a win for me.

First, I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC! This is my honest review of reading this book.

Well, this book certainly lives up to its title — wild. If you’ve ever wondered how the “other half” lives… this gives you a pretty great insight. It almost feels unreal, as though this is something you would see in a wild documentary. Apparently, that is really what happens.

While I salute Lola for writing the book and doing her own thing, and while the writing is better than other (not) memoirs, this book is a 2-star read for me. It’s slightly depressing (there are some really horrific things that happen, especially to Emi), often ridiculous, and generally was an exercise in self-loathing and pity.

I don’t feel like the author really likes herself, at all. I’m not sure if it was just reminiscing on teenage apathy and self-consciousness. However, it just seemed overly self-deprecating and depressing if she really felt that way.

She does acknowledge that she grew up in a privileged world, but honestly, she lived in a privileged world where her parents needed to be held accountable for A LOT, and everyone in her life seemed to need a LOT of therapy.

Perhaps it is because I did not grow up in that sort of lifestyle, but I couldn’t really relate to any of the characters. Generally, I appreciate memoirs and biographies, but this one just wasn’t my top read.

"Subject-bears-all" memoirs are a dime a dozen; Lola Kirke's sincerity is what makes this genre entry a cut above the rest.

I have been a big fan of Lola Kirke since seeing her in Mistress America -- she is so captivating and I've enjoyed following the careers of her and her sisters.

I really enjoyed this book -- Lola Kirke's stories are hilarious and poignant, and she has such a good way of telling them. I loved learning about her family and relationship dynamics, and her writing is so descriptive and I loved all the parts about New York.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys creative nonfiction type memoirs -- it's very readable and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I thought this was fine, but a bit all over the place. I think some of the essays were too short that they didn't feel they had a point, and I honestly just didn't very entertained and just kept waiting to get through it so I can read something more interesting. She definitely has had an interesting life, but it all felt a little... tone deaf? Not sure exactly my fully fleshed-out thoughts, but I just don't care enough to continue processing this book.

I picked this book because I was intrigued by the part of the title that hinted at “Not a Memoir (unless I win an Oscar, Die Tragically, or Score a Country #1)” Big mistake. I also read the reviews and it sounded like a fun and maybe interesting read - another big mistake.

OK, I admit to knowing nothing about Lola Kirke and after reading her Not Memoir all I know about her is there was a whole lot of sex, drugs, rock and roll going on and then a bit of country music and a cowboy. I would have loved to know more about the cowboy. I could have done with a lot less about her parents, but she thought it was important and it is her book. There was definitely this love-hate dynamic going on and I am unsure what the takeaway is. Sure, some of her inner thoughts were out there and amusing but overall, no, not funny, lots of entitlement, lots of messy stuff, lots of sad goings on.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for a copy.

I found this book to be really entertaining anecdotes from someone whose career I didn't know a ton about. Lola Kirke has undoubtedly had an interesting life, and I found the stories she told to be told well - she definitely knows how to write well!

The thing I think was missing - and perhaps it was so because this "wasn't a memoir" - was a clear throughline or message, or some sort of takeaway. The things I will remember from this book are some of the interesting or funny details from these stories, and that would've likely made this a five-star read for me. As it stands, I'm at 3 or 3.5/5, because I did enjoy spending time reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is both fun and funny, and a pleasant surprise.

I’m not big on memoirs, especially those of the celebrity or celebrity-adjacent variety, but this was absolutely delightful.

Lola Kirke is both hilarious and exceptionally poignant here in this collection of essays that tells the story of her life and family. Of the three Kirke sisters she was actually the one I was the least familiar with, but now I wonder if she’s perhaps the most intriguing.

I really enjoyed how well she captures teenage girlhood (“I considered what it would be like to kiss him. Or rather what it would be like to tell people I had.”), as well as what it’s like to struggle to find your place within your own family. The Kirkes are unconventional and preternaturally talented as a group, but that doesn’t mean a lot of what Lola discussed isn’t relatable or at least interesting.

I thought she was going to lose me a little with the country music stuff at the end (and yes, her reason for doing it feels excessively philosophical and a bit silly), but I checked out her music and actually ended up being impressed. She’s got a gift. To that end, ignore the silly reviews screaming about nepo babies that are already getting foisted upon this book. Unlike some other families in the spotlight who shall remain nameless here, this is a gifted and talented bunch who are well worth your attention.

Wild West Village by Lola Kirke was a very interesting and entertaining read.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!