I really enjoyed this book! This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

I love memoirs and while I enjoyed parts of this book, overall I would rate it a 3. Perhaps I was expecting more of its substance dedicated to the cult but that didn't really figure into it as much as I anticipated.

From what I read in the sampler, I found Mikel's story very interesting as it is always captivating to learn about different ways of life. I enjoyed the style of writing as it made the chapters an easy read despite the difficult topic. I look forward to reading the memoir in its entirety.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This was just a sampler, but it got me interested in the book which I then reeived.

Amazing, amazing memoir. Being a fellow Gen Xer, I could really visualize the times as he was growing up. Mikel was taken from a cult to go live with his mother, but as time goes on, his relationship becomes strained with her as she descends into mental disorders and his time living with his dad when he was older brought new meaning and expectations for him as a young man and what path he could take into manhood. The reader is taken from the darkness in his life through the successes as Mikel is accepted to Stanford on scholarship and graduates, to the happiness and pride of his foot. Yet on his journey, something is still lacking and he diverges into the world of music and becomes an awesome band I know as Airborne Toxic Event. What an accomplished man.
Some people make you feel like a slouch, this would be one of those times. Mikel didn't let any grass grow under his feet. He has so many adventures and it will be interesting to see how far his band goes.
One of the better memoirs I have read in a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my own thoughts in this review.

Memoirs are a unique way to enter the world of others in an immersive and emotional ride and Mikel Jollett does a phenomenal literary job sharing his story in Hollywood Park.

Born into an infamous cult might be what drew you to read more about Jollett's life, but his world only begins there and this raw emotional sharing explores much more. It is certainly worthy of a read!

Thank you for this book, Netgalley! The chapter sampler was quite promising and I can't wait to get my hands on this book! The writing was honest and blunt, and I can't think of a better way it could be written!

This fascinating memoir documenting a broken family’s path back to normal while peeking behind the curtain of the Church of Syanon packs a powerful punch.

Mikel was born into the cult and was 4 years old when his mother snuck him and older brother Tony out of the compound under dark of night. Syanon was originally envisioned as a drug rehab facility and in time turned violent. Kudos to the boys’ mother who though psychologically impaired, found the courage to leave, saving the boys’ lives.

The naivety of Mikel and Tony were glaringly apparent. So many things that I take for granted, like riding in a car or going to a restaurant were things of wonder for Mikel as he was exposed to living on the ‘outside’ and learning the concept of a real family. A quick read.

Mikel Jollet's remarkable memoir about growing up inside a California cult. As a young child he was victimized and abused by the Church of Synanaon, who took him away from his parents at six months old. After being forced into a regimented life filled with emotional torment and neglect, he, his older brother and his mother managed to escape. But their journey wan't over and he finds himself unprepared to tackle the real world. His story is an amazing one and the author's lyrical voice is compelling. A must read. Highly recommend.

Hollywood Park is an amazing book about a young man refusing to settle. Born into an infamous cult that separates children from parents, raised among family with undiagnosed mental health issues and drugs. Mikel Jollett continued to thrive against all the odds. An extremely intelligent young man with fierce loyalty to family and friends with determination to make a change and does. Mikel beats the odds of a childhood of abuse, drugs, family mental illness to painfully build a life that takes him to Stanford and into a world of music and writing.

Thank you Celadon Books for this ARC. Great memoir on a musical genius.
#HollywoodPark #CeladonBooks #Netgalley

The topic of this book was an instant pull for me. I am a huge memoir fan and loved the chapter sampler I was provided with! I cannot wait to grab a copy from a bookstore/library to read Mikel's full story.

In excerpt I read, the author recounts his early childhood memories after recently escaping a cult with his mother and brother. Definitely intrigued by this book. Remind me of the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls in that Jollets perspective of the events stem from the limit d understanding of a child.. The prose is lyrical and engaging, and Jollet’s story is shocking. My only hesitation is the gratuitous use of baby talk - the narrator is a child but it’s a bit overkill. However I’m eager to read this story and learn more about the authors unique and intriguing upbringing.

Loving memoirs at the moment. This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers.

I read the excerpt of this book and really enjoyed it. It captivated me from the start as it seemed to offer a fascinating glimpse into Jollett's life with Synanon. I'm very interested in buying the book after having read these first chapters.

Loved this preview so much that I bought the book right away. Poignant and leaves a lasting mark. Really shows that sometimes love can conquer all. You can learn from your past to make your future better. Beautifully written with raw emotion.

3.5 stars for me so far. A few chapters in, Jollett has been raised to his young childhood in Synanon (a California drug rehab program that evolved into a violent cult) in which the roles of parents are not recognized and designated caregivers take care of all of the children present. All of the married couples have been pushed to divorce and encouraged to remarry at the cult leader’s whim.

But when his mother spirits Mikel and his brother away, different life-shaping challenges and problematic issues emerge—a lack of emotional support in the family, his mother’s dangerous codependence on her small boys as well as various men who come and go, a lack of money for heat and food, and various addictive characters who bring temporary stability or periods of havoc and panic, depending.

His father, a larger-than-life former convict and heroin addict, emerges as the unlikely source of stability and source of easy, unconditional love Jollett yearns for.

So far in the book there has been less emotional exploration and more voyeurism into Jollett’s complicated, fraught life circumstances. This tone suits the largely lacking-in-support life experiences Jollett has undergone thus far in the story. I’ll be curious to read more to find out if emotional growth and self-reflection is possible for him in spite of his difficult circumstances.

I received a chapter sampler from Celadon Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book took a little getting used to due to being from the perspective of a young boy. It reminds me a little of Eoom by Emma Donough, which I had a lot of trouble following with the writing style. I was very anxious to read this due to the glowing reviews and I do think I will get the whole book and read it based on this sample.

I chose to listen this book after starting this little section and it just didn't work for me.

I think the audio book just didn't work for me. I found the music that went along with it and the tone of the audiobook didn't match.

I want to be clear that I felt this book was likely quite good, Jollett writing is beautiful. But this book was triggering for me with the child abuse and the behavior of his mother so I couldn't move forward. I got through probably 25% of the book before returning it.

I think that readers should be aware that this is a dark memoir and Jollett writes about child abuse and sexual abuse at the hands of a parent.

I got this advance book courtesy of Bookish First.

Boy was this book a wild read! There were so many ups and downs, though sadly more downs than ups. It was a fascinating story nonetheless! I am impressed that Mikel could put together this memoir and remember so much. From being in the school at Synanon to fleeing to Oregon with his mom and brother to escape the cult and his escapades from then on in California with his dad and Bonnie and then to college and forming the band.

I enjoyed how Mikel wrote it to reflect his age so that when he was young he thought his mother had deep russian and then as he got older he realized it was depression. I felt so sorry for him having to deal with trying to be older to take care of his mother when it should have been the other way around. And some of the things he did (like smoking and drinking) happened when he was so young. I would forget his age as I read until he would mention that he just passed his 11th birthday. It was sobering.

I really enjoyed this book (especially his dad and Bonnie!) and I am so glad that he was able to be strong and turn his life around despite the hardship of his childhood. I actually have one of his songs and it is great that I can now put a face and story to it. I would definitely recommend this book for those looking for a really interesting memoir.

I received a sample from the publisher. The first four chapters of the book. Can you be hooked on a book in four chapters? In this case, YES! Mikel Jollett is a good writer with an emotional, unbelievable, impossible to put down memoir. Told from the perspective of a 7 year old, the reader is taken to Synanon, a rehab for drug addicts. Mikel and his older brother also live there and are cared for by women living at Synanon and are rarely allowed to see their parents. It started out as a great idea for rehabilitation until it slowly turned into a cult and from a 7 year old perspective, there are elements that are terrifying and abusive(to the adult reader).

There is a curiosity with cults that have a mysterious and dangerous aura. The leader and the people that follow. In this case, children are involved and Mikel's perspective is fascinating. In four chapters I was so curious about Synanon that I looked it up and read about the founder, Charles Dederich. I can imagine the rest of the book is just as impressive as the first for chapters!