Truly fascinating, LOL memoir. So funny I felt guilty for laughing at the sad, embarrassing, destructive behavior of a drug addict. But clearly Marvell's sense of humor is her weapon of choice and I'll devour anything she writes. More books please! Maybe a novel?

Full disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley for review purposes.

This is a very chatty, gossipy, unashamed and uhhh fun memoir about drug addiction and mental illnesses. It was almost like a manic episode or an upper in book form.

Cat Marnell sounds like she'd be an exciting, trainwreck to be friends with. You'd want her to come over to tell you about her deranged exploits, but briefly. It would be too draining to deal with her for very long.

I like that she acknowledges coming from a privileged background. This isn't really a "poor little rich white girl" type of book. She's doesn't want people to feel sorry for her. She knows that she has more options and help than the average person.

Cat Marnell's self-described "amphetamine memoir" is harrowing. I had heard about Ms. Marnell during her tenure at xoJane, and was curious to read her account. She writes dangerously, with a visceral power that creates a rush, and sometimes empathic anxiety, in the reader. To read How to Murder Your Life is an experience, but a satisfying one. I finished the memoir with a better understanding of the Adderall phenomenon, but, more importantly, an appreciation for Ms. Marnell, and others like her. There is no sugar coating, nor is this a recovery story. In that way, and others, it is a very worthwhile read. Kudos.

I am amused by people who requested the book not knowing Cat Marnell nor having any interested in the beauty industry and post a review about how they hated everything about it. The point of spending money on a book is to buy something that interests you. Read, learn, grown, carry on a conversation, etc.

With that said, I have always been a fan of Cat Marnell's writing. From Lucky to VICE. I am also a big fan of her favorite boss (JGJ). Having lived in the same neighborhood, shared friends in the industry and visited the same spots for social or work related meetings, I had high hopes for the memoir. It delivered on every front. She's honest, brutally honest, sparing no detail about the disaster her life has become as an addict.

Not for everyone, this is a great read for those curious about the rise and fall of a beauty editor. So proud of her for making this comeback.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a polarizing book not because of the writing but because of Marnell's actions and views of the world. You can't dispute that it's well written but it's not enjoyable. Reading this is watching a disaster unfold and you just know this isn't the end of it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good luck to Marnell.

This book was a refreshingly raw & honest look into the life of Cat Marnell. I appreciate that she refused to hold back on all the dirty little details for
"like-ability " reviews.
I devoured this book in one sitting, finally finishing in the wee hours of the morning, in total Cat fashion . It was a fabulous read, full of one-line quirkiness, jaw dropping truths & glamorous name drops that are every fashion-loving, sex-in-the-city watching fans wet dream!
Great read ! Recommend for everyone that can appreciate an honest look into the life of a not so glamorous- glamazon!
Macy Romero Rodriguez

So I was ready to write a pretty negative review of How to Murder Your Life, and then toward the end I turned a sharp corner and realized I was a bit teary and totally engaged in Cat Marnell's story about her addiction. I didn't know anything about Marnell nor do I have much interest in beauty or celebrity, but I gather that she has been the focus of some publicity in the last few years. I don't even remember what piqued my interest when I requested this book because I can only read so many addiction memoirs and, as I said, I have no interest in the beauty publishing world. So when I started reading Marnell's memoir there was a real "who cares" overlay to my reading experience.

Cat comes from a wealthy Washington DC family. Her family life although privileged was tumultuous. In boarding school at age 15, she discovered Addaral which she thought was absolutely necessary to daily functioning. From then on, her prescription and illegal drug intake became over the top. There is nothing she wouldn't take. In her late teens, she moved to New York and managed to get some good jobs working for fashion magazines, but all the while she continued to be a heavy drug user. And her life spiralled out of control, over and over again.

The strength in Cat's story is that she tells it with so much unashamed honesty, recounting her experiences as they felt at the time. What starts off looking like the reckless and spoiled behaviour of privilege, turns into a painful raw story of addiction. She doesn't hold much back, so much so that it's often hard to read parts of her story. In her afterword, Cat tells us she she's doing better, but she certainly doesn't pretend to be fine.

Would I recommend it? There's a lot of name and brand dropping that meant nothing to me. Editing could have made this one quite a bit shorter. Her language and affect often felt immature and "blogger". And addicts tend to be really self-absorbed, so Cat doesn't look much further than herself in this book -- although she writes generously about the people who tried to help her. But if you have the patience, Cat's memoir does deliver a really stark picture of how powerful and destructive addiction can be.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Compulsively readable, feels more like a novel than an autobiography. At times I found myself able to relate to her or almost feeling sorry for her, at least in regards to her childhood, while other times I found her to be truly obnoxious and off-putting, especially in not accepting responsibility for her actions. However, I enjoyed her style of writing and I commend her bravery in putting her life and her struggles with addiction out there for the world to see, and judge. I imagine that every author dreads the bad reviews but when it's a book about your life that has to sting twice as hard. Hopefully her story will inspire others dealing with the same issues to turn things around. Curious to see if/how she will continue her literary career, perhaps a novel will be in her future (I certainly hope so!) *Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!*

Entertaining despite the darkness, and more self-aware that I would have thought possible - but keep in mind: this is a memoir, not a reportage on the effects of drugs. Cat Marnell's voice and writing talent could have been better harnessed by some line editing to curb a bit her expressive quirks (internetspeak, basically).

4.5, rounded to 5.
While I wouldn't say this is the best piece of "literature" around, it's entertaining and ticks every box in terms of my personal interests. It's a wickedly witty memoir by a hot mess author about her struggles with addiction and the fucked up things (and people) she has done. This is the sort of female-Augusten Burroughs-story for which I've been searching. Other readers will surely complain about Cat's self destructive behavior, crude language, white people problems, middle class privilege, and a host of other ways Marnell doesn't deserve the success she has gotten, not to mention the lack of literary finesse displayed within the pages of this book. But those people shouldn't be reading this book-- and the author is transparent about this from the start. If you're not interested in delving into the mind of a drug addict, for better or for worse, then don't read! And if you're looking for a happy ending, it's not here. Read Jane Austen if you want things to be tied up in pretty, little bows. This searing book left an indelible impression on me and I will definitely be recommending it.

Cat Marnell is very charming. If you're already familiar with her from her articles for xojane or vice-- this reads like a (much) longer version of the same. I found it interesting that she doesn't stick to the traditional narrative of a recovery memoir, which is to say, she never really claims to be recovered. That honesty saves this from being unbelievable.

I admit I was extremely intrigued and entertained by Cat Marnell's story and writing style, but I was also extremely irritated and put off by it. I honestly don't think I have ever read anything so vapid and shallow. This is not an uplifting "look at how much I have overcome to get healthy" story. This isn't even a "learn from my mistakes so you don't end up like me" story. This whole story is self-indulgent glamorization of drug addiction that reeks of spoiled white privilege.

It's impossible not to find Cat Marnell fascinating. She careens through life looking for love and self-esteem in all the wrong places, self-medicating with any drug she can get her hands on (frequently supplied by her negligent abusive parents). And while Marnell's raw honesty will evoke both pity and revulsion from her readers, she remains a shiny, shiny object that they just can't look away from. Unlike many memoirs of addiction, however, Marnell portrays her life as a cautionary tale but also suggests to younger readers that they give the lifestyle a try, which is disturbing. And while Marnell seems glad to be in recovery, she clearly remembers her days as an addict with disturbing relish. She did not convince me that she could truly be satisfied by a sober life or that she was seeking fulfillment in other healthier ways. Made me sad.

A cautionary tale that should be read by young adults who are drawn to the worlds of fashion, fame, and social media. A moving look inside what should have been a safe, successful family, but instead helped plant the seeds of addiction.

Where to begin with this one. Marnell has a distinctive voice and, for whatever reason, her writing is intensely compelling.

I've been reading Cat Marnell's work on-and-off since her days at Lucky. I admit to hate-reading her columns for xoJane, annoyed at her nonchalant, narcissistic, utterly irresponsible drug-fueled antics. I did not find them charming so much as infuriating, which I suppose may be the point. Or one of them, at least; I'm sure there are some who found her stories of circling the drain glamourous. Marnell certainly does, as she liberally peppers her work with designer names.

There is an honesty and a sort of introspection, however, that peeks through her memoir that was absent in her blog entries. How much of that is a fabrication, I can't tell. But the moments where Marnell stops trying so damn hard to make her life seem so enthralling are incredibly welcome. Unfortunately, these are fairly rare in the majority of the book. The introduction and the epilogue are the closest to a "come to Jesus moment" as Marnell gets.

There is no epiphanic moment where the addict realizes her life is in shambles and she has to make it right. In fact, Marnell repeatedly acknowledges her terrible decisions, the second-chances, and her disregard for the handful of people in her life that try to help her. Her journey -- or rather, her adamant refusal to change her circumstances -- is what this book is really about.
It manages to be unapologetic, pretentious, self-indulgent, and falsely-naive. Much like Marnell herself.

(Lengthened review to come shortly... Stay tuned...)