This was an enjoyable memoir. I'm a huge pop punk person, have been probably since the first time I heard Sugar We're Going Down. So when I saw that a guy from Fall Out Boy wrote a book his life, I hit request (got it from Netgalley) as fast as humanly possible. And generally, I'm not disappointed.

I enjoy learning people's life stories, and that's what this is. It's literally just Joe talking to the reader, explaining his life. There's no narrative, there's no play by play of conversations, no embellishes for the purposes of entertainment. If you're looking for a narrative non fiction that reads more like a story, don't read this. If you just like to hear an individual talk about their life, read it.

Now, it isn't my favourite memoir. While there are generally themes to each chapter, I felt like there was a LOT of jumping, which made it kind of hard to keep track of what was happening. All I'm gonna say is don't read it before bed or you will need to double back and reread stuff. I also am not a fan of the first 30% being very... Sad? Samesie? I dunno, it was kind of a lot for a long time. But yeah, after that, much more enticing.

Overall, very fun. I wish more individuals in the music world would write stuff like this.

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It was fun to hear the backstage stories about the band and how the author came to find himself where he is now. It was moderately crass for a book written by an adult, almost felt like how a teenage boy would write. Interesting subject matter and the book was not longer than it needed to be.

You know Joe Trohman–for over 20 years he has been the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American rock mega-band, Fall Out Boy. In None of This Rocks, he reveals parts of his life that fans may not know, from his nomadic childhood, to falling in love with the guitar, to struggling with clinical depression and chronic pain, and what it was like becoming an adult in one of the biggest bands in the world.

This memoir is full of highlights, the first of which is Trohman’s humorous writing that showcases his powerful, distinct voice and immerses the reader in his world. I appreciated how candid he was about everything, especially when describing his mental health journey, depicting it as a constant WIP that he works hard to maintain. He recognizes, still, that at times there are wounds that one keeps open themselves, that threaten to spill blood on anyone during moments of vulnerability. Impacted by his mother’s treatment as a kid, he analyzes his desire for validation from cruel people, and the imposter syndrome that plagues his career moves.

Unbeknownst to Trohman, he’s scored my life for decades. I’ve seen FOB multiple times in concert, including at the Vans Warped Tour in 2005 when they toured with My Chemical Romance–a time during FOB’s rise that Trohman recounts so vividly and at times tenderly, I was transported to that era of youthful discovery. With FOB’s glory comes Trohman’s trademark honesty as he reveals that at times he felt out of place in the group he founded, and for periods went through the motions during recordings and concerts. Although his circumstances are larger than life, his constant uncertainty around his place in the band, and concerns over the sustainability of his career are absolutely relatable.

My only mild critique is that the book isn’t structured chronologically, instead it jumps back and forth through time, however, the stories in each chapter clearly connect in their own way. For anyone who loves reading about bands, musicians, or highly creative people in general, check this out.

if you’re familiar with fall out boy, then you probably know who joe trohman is (aka FOB’s cofounder + guitarist) but if you’re looking for a fall out boy memoir, this isn’t that at all. ‘none of this rocks’ is full of stories about trohman’s life, the ups and the downs and of course, what it was like to be in one of the biggest bands of the 2000s.

is this a perfect book? maybe not, but that doesn’t mean i didn’t have fun reading this. joe trohman obviously knows how to make you laugh at his self deprecating jokes and insane life stories, it feels like you’re going down memory lane with an old friend. each chapter is witty and clearly comes from a vulnerable place. i have so much respect for his ability to be so honest, there’s clearly no sugarcoating any aspect of his life.

while i had fun (and occasionally got teary eyed) reading this memoir, i’d find myself getting a bit lost in where the stories were going. at one point, trohman says he likes to talk a lot and that definitely shows throughout the book (i’m guilty of talking A LOT too, so i get it)! there were multiple times where i started losing interest because there were stories within stories within stories, it was a bit long winded.

despite the many detours you go on as a reader, this was still an amazing read! it has everything you’d want from a memoir: humor, honesty and if you’re like me, the involuntary urge to cry!

This is Joe Trohman, one of the founders of Fall Out Boy,'s autobiography. I found it engaging in the beginning and at times in the middle. There were some really funny lines, and some other rather boring sections that I kind of skimmed.

Overall I think it would be a good book for those of us dealing with depression and/or impostor's syndrome. Joe has gone through this for much of his life and a lot of the book deals with his experiences being put down by his mother, much of his classmates, and feeling like he's not as useful in FOB as his bandmates. He discusses his experiences in many of the chapters, and it is uplifting to see how someone has coped with those mental issues and continued to survive and thrive.

Hearing about Joe's mom and dad was also a part of the book that I found interesting. His mom had some major health issues that made her a pretty bad parent, and may have affected Joe his entire life. And on the other hand, his father tried to make up for whatever he could.

This book is a serious book written in a humorous way. Maybe the humor isn't for me, but if you're a die hard FOB fan and interested in how it got started, or are living with depression or impostor's syndrome, you should check it out.

I grew up in the peak of the pop punk/emo era, so obviously this book was immediately on my must read. Joe Trohman delivered his story just like most songs of this era: chaotic but underneath the loudness, a lot of honest emotion. Even though my story is not his story, I was able to relate to a lot of his thoughts and perspectives and this is what makes a great memoir. Joe is very candid here as well, which I appreciated. Thank you to Hatchette Books and Net Galley for allowing me an ARC for an honest review :)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of None of This Rocks! This was a great memoir and I had fun learning all the ins and outs of Joe’s life. I loved reading about all aspects of his family, but mostly his daughters that you can really tell how much he loves them! I enjoyed how open he was about his mental, physical, and emotional health throughout his life. As someone who grew up with Fall Out Boy with seeing them in concert and at Warped Tour, this was just the book I needed. I can’t wait to hear the new music coming out! I’ll be sure to preorder the psychosexual spy thriller that he’s writing next! Haha. Thank you again for the ARC! Highly recommend for those of us who went through an emo stage!

I'm sure Joe is a really nice guy and he had a bummer of an upbringing, but there was something about his reference heavy writing style and sense of humor that I just couldn't get in sync with. I had a hard time enjoying it. Not for my taste, but fans of Fall Out Boy should enjoy it.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Hachette Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A breathtaking, poignant, memoir about growing up, life on the road, depression and real struggles. Being a celebrity doesn’t take the pain away. Or make it easier.