“I didn’t care that he was broken. Everyone I love is. Or was. That’s how we recognize each other.”⁣
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Thank you @celadonbooks for this Memoir. This is the first memoir I have ever read. I simultaneously listened to it on @libro.fm as well, and after hearing Mikel’s voice, how at times I felt like a small boy was reading this story of his broken life to me, I just felt his story deep in my soul. ⁣
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He seemed to go through, but get through any and every possible awful thing thrown at person, starting as a small child. Getting ripped away from his parents in a cult, to be raised by random people, and watch other children be beaten and have their heads shaved to instill fear. To finally escape, with his real mother, to realize she suffered from tremendous mental health disease and could not quite be a mother. To have to be on the run, out of fear of being found with no resources, living in poverty, and later losing friends to drugs, and almost losing his brother to drugs as well. ⁣
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But he is here today, he has grown from all of this pain and torment, and he is living a better life than he was every given previously. This was written so well. It was so dark at times, but Mikel seemed to always find his way. #memoir #bookstagram #hollywoodpark #celadonbooks

I received a shortened version of "Hollywood Park" from its publisher. I wish I had received the full book. This version has inspired me to read the full book.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free preview in exchange for an honest review.
I missed the boat for an arc of the full book, but I still got a chance to access the free preview of the first 44 pages of this much talked about book..
My conclusion: the hype appears to be warranted, and I can't wait to get hold of a copy to see if the rest of the book is as arresting as those first 44 pages!

I only read the chapter sampler I was given but I will be buying this book. I had heard it compared to Educated which is big boots to follow from the first for chapters I would say that is an accurate assessment. The story just flows and keeps you interested, piecing things together and such an excellent point of view. I am excited to get the book and finish it.

Wow, just a small excerpt from Hollywood Park, and I am hooked. Just knowing a brief amount about Mikel Jollett's life, I know that this will most likely be heartbreaking and I am going to love this book.

The first few chapters of Hollywood Park that I was lucky to read begin with the Jollett's mother grabbing her children and fleeing in to the night from the cult that was consumed their life. An engrossing and emotional first few chapters. This is a story that I would recommend to everyone.

Thank you to Net Galley and Celadon for this chapter sampler. I found Jollet’s story fascinating and his language and voice as his young self was spot on. I will definitely be purchasing this book. The sampler was enough to entice me to read the rest!

Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett promises to be a gritty, moving glimpse into the life of Jollett. This excerpt introduces him as a young boy escaping the cult he was born into, and is told in the language of a young child. The story is very intriguing and powerfully written - I want to hear how his difficult life propelled him into writing and music. It definitely got me excited for the whole book and I just ordered my copy today!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the chapter sampler of Hollywood Park.*

I usually love a good memoir, but this one wasn’t for me. In the 50 or so page sample, I couldn’t relate or connect with any of the characters. Their struggles seemed distant, and I found myself reading just to finish. I will most likely not purchase this book.

From the moment I opened this book, I was hooked. The story was riveting and fascinating. To have such an abrupt change in life is traumatic, but reading about everything along the way... Mikel Jollett did a wonderful job putting it all on paper and sharing the story with everyone.

This book is being strong hyped and I was excited to just get the few chapters. I also love anything to do with cults because I find them fascinating.

I was very disappointed in the writing style. It's scattered and told in a child's POV, but it goes on with that so long that I couldn't keep on reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Obviously I wish this was the full book, but it was enough to get me hooked and craving the entire thing.
Starting, I had no idea what this was about. The first four chapters just give me an idea of what the book is about which makes it even more interesting. There are so many directions for it to go in!

This book was great! It was so easy to lose yourself in the story, and kept you turning pages to see what happened next! Will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the sampler of Hollywood Park., It got me excited for the book and I can't wait to read the rest of it. Just got my copy of the full book today.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the sample of Hollywood Park., I can't wait to read the rest of the book. Hollywood Park will be one of the most talked about memoirs of the year!

I received this excerpt of one of my highly anticipated reads for the year and flew through it. Hollywood Park is a memoir that is based on the early life (in the excerpt) of Mikel and his brother Tony, who are children being housed and "taught" at a cult. Both of their parents are involved but their mother is the one who gets them out.
The fascinating thing about these early chapters is that Mikel tells the story from his younger child's POV. He is younger than his brother and therefore his memories and words for events and objects reflect that childlike quality. This really brings a unique perspective to this recounting of lived events.
As I was getting set to write this, and with this book already on my "to buy" list, I was approved for the full-length eARC of this. I am greatly looking forward to it. Full review to follow.
I hope the whole book is as good as the beginning!
Highly recommend.
Thank you #Netgalley #CeladonBooks #HollywoodPark

Hollywood Park was an incredible memoir. It left me smiling, crying, and pausing several times in between chapters to process what I had just read.

Mikel Jollet tells a beautiful story that initially began as a way to process the loss of his father. It turned into a stunning memoir that details Mikel's life from his early days in the Synanon Cult up to his career with the successful rock band he founded, The Airborne Toxic Event. One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing how the relationships progressed throughout Mikel's life. I love the brotherhood that finally developed between Tony and Mikel, the courage it took for Mikel to stand up to his mother, and of course the love and support provided to both boys by Jim and Bonnie.

You can tell the emotion that went into writing this and it really gripped me from the beginning. I highly recommend listening to the audio version, as it's read by Mikel himself. It also has snippets of music from The Airborne Toxic Event and their album, Hollywood Park, was just recently released. I already preordered the vinyl version!

This has all the makings of a classic memoir like Educated or The Glass Castle. The author’s unconventional upbringing and unique voice made this a quick and engaging read.

I loved having the opportunity for a “sneak peak” of this book. The chapters are well-written and descriptive. I wanted to have empathy for the mother, Gerry, while feeling protective of her boys as they maneuver the world without her physical or emotional protection. I am eager to read more!

This was a very good read. I will be looking to read the full book. Totally drew me in. Very well written from the chapter sample provided. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.