⋙ Read Gratis The AntiCool Girl Rosie Waterland 9781460750643 Books

The AntiCool Girl Rosie Waterland 9781460750643 Books

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The AntiCool Girl Rosie Waterland 9781460750643 Books

That doesn't sound like a fairy tale, does it? But then, fairy tales don't start with a schizophrenic alcoholic junkie having two children with a bi-polar alcoholic. And if you're thinking, "Nowhere to go but up!" you're wrong. Really, really wrong.

Rosie's drunk, crazy father was written out of the script fairly early, although he continued to make dramatic, unwelcome cameo appearances until his death. Her drunk, crazy mother became a single parent - in and out of rehab with her children in tow, hooking up with one man after another whenever she found one with a job who was willing to take on a lunatic with kids and move them out of the housing project. Sort of a low-rent production of "Pretty Woman."

But men have more sense than we give them credit for and an alcoholic (even a beautiful, seductive one) sets off alarm bells for a guy who isn't drunk or stoned himself. The beer-swilling, pot-smoking Step-Dads were never a long-term solution to their housing problem. Two children later, Rosie's mom was still on a binge and still on welfare. Eventually, her children were taken away from her.

This author has the skill to write about her childhood and make you feel the full horror of it while you're laughing hysterically at her insane stories. She and her older sister emerged from the wringer "bloody but unbowed." What would have happened to them if they hadn't been born with a sense of humor?

I read the first part of the book feeling deep sympathy for the children and none at all for their parents. I had huge admiration for Rosie, who not only survived but graduated from college and was ready to start a fabulous life. Then, sadly, she fell into the same alcohol and drug-fueled depressions that caused her mother to tank time after time.

Why should this surprise us? We know that we inherit the genetic tendency toward certain diseases. None of us is embarrassed to say that our family has a history of heart disease or diabetes. But a family history of mental illness is unacceptable. Get over it. Quickly and quietly if you know what's good for you.

This book forced me to examine my attitudes toward mental illness and those who suffer from it. Why can I not be as sympathetic to a person who's mentally ill/addicted as to a person who has M.S. or cancer? There's no question that both Rosie and her mother suffer from mental illness, but what role does alcohol play in their stories? Would they be "cured" if they avoided self-medicating with booze? Is that an option for them? Binge drinking is deeply ingrained into Australian life. Even those who know they shouldn't drink face enormous pressures to do so.

Then there's the issue of weight. In the depths of her depression, Rosie got fat. She discovered that it's acceptable to wake up in a puddle of your own vomit or with feces smeared over you after a night of black-out drinking, but only if you're SLIM. If you're fat, no one wants you around - drunk or sober. It's the Last Frontier. The one rule that even the No-Rules Aussies aren't allowed to break.

There's a happy ending that's as bizarre as the rest of the story. She can write and her writing earned her a place in the world. She still has problems, but she has a job she loves with people who value and support her. The director of the mental health clinic in my town said recently, "The mentally ill don't just need pills. They also need housing and satisfying work and human connections." For this author, writing was the key to meeting those needs and her joy in her new life is touching. She's a success story. Will she continue to be one?

There's a LOT of profanity in this book and some shockingly frank talk about about the author's sex life. Especially when she writes about her "adult" life, some parts read more like a Cosmo shock-essay than like part of the book. [I put "adult" in parenthesis because she's not very mature, as she'd be the first to tell you.] Toward the end, it seems she's filling in with material from her magazine articles to make the book longer. That's unfortunate. Put it another way, it was a 5-star book until about the 80% mark.

If the profanity and raunchy sex talk doesn't bother you (or if you can look past it) it's a funny, thoughtful book. I'm glad that it was offered on sale. I wouldn't have missed it.


Tags : The Anti-Cool Girl [Rosie Waterland] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Brutal, brave, hilarious - a full-frontal memoir about surviving the very worst that life can throw at you. Rosie Waterland has never been cool. Growing up in housing commission,Rosie Waterland,The Anti-Cool Girl,4th Estate,1460750640,Comedy,Entertainment & Performing Arts,Personal Memoirs,Australia,Autobiography: general,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Entertainment & Performing Arts,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Personal Memoirs,BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY,Biography & Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,COMEDY (PERFORMING ARTS),GENERAL,General Adult,Non-Fiction,PERFORMING ARTS Comedy,Personal Memoir

The AntiCool Girl Rosie Waterland 9781460750643 Books Reviews

Yep, I invented a word just for this book. Rosie gives great story, blood, guts, poo and all. And actually made ms feel better about my own 'less than conventional' upbringing. Kudos to her for being brave enough to bare all.
So I did both ... but will admit to finishing this book feeling emotionally shattered. A raw and honest account of a harrowing upbringing. And given what made it into the book, I don't really want to think about what didn't.
It's been a while since I finished reading this book, but knowing that I can remember I liked it is good enough to warrant a positive review!
Rosie is that girl we all know ... Probably because most of us have been her at times (although perhaps with less poo and better parents). Her story is laugh out loud funny in places and heartwrenchingly sad in others, but always blisteringly honest.
This book was written in a way that made you laugh at the craziness in Rosie's life but I was heart broken at how she was totally and utterly let down and abused by the adults in her life. A totally honest and brave look at her life, worts and all. Loved it.
A bit crude for my taste, but also funny
It is amazing how she was able to turn the incredible challenges in her childhood into humor. I would like to say im proud of her for finding her place at Mamma Mia and all the belonging it seems to have given her but how can one say they are proud of someone they have never met! That is how inviting Rosie was in opening up her life to us, the reader. Thanks Rosie!
That doesn't sound like a fairy tale, does it? But then, fairy tales don't start with a schizophrenic alcoholic junkie having two children with a bi-polar alcoholic. And if you're thinking, "Nowhere to go but up!" you're wrong. Really, really wrong.

Rosie's drunk, crazy father was written out of the script fairly early, although he continued to make dramatic, unwelcome cameo appearances until his death. Her drunk, crazy mother became a single parent - in and out of rehab with her children in tow, hooking up with one man after another whenever she found one with a job who was willing to take on a lunatic with kids and move them out of the housing project. Sort of a low-rent production of "Pretty Woman."

But men have more sense than we give them credit for and an alcoholic (even a beautiful, seductive one) sets off alarm bells for a guy who isn't drunk or stoned himself. The beer-swilling, pot-smoking Step-Dads were never a long-term solution to their housing problem. Two children later, Rosie's mom was still on a binge and still on welfare. Eventually, her children were taken away from her.

This author has the skill to write about her childhood and make you feel the full horror of it while you're laughing hysterically at her insane stories. She and her older sister emerged from the wringer "bloody but unbowed." What would have happened to them if they hadn't been born with a sense of humor?

I read the first part of the book feeling deep sympathy for the children and none at all for their parents. I had huge admiration for Rosie, who not only survived but graduated from college and was ready to start a fabulous life. Then, sadly, she fell into the same alcohol and drug-fueled depressions that caused her mother to tank time after time.

Why should this surprise us? We know that we inherit the genetic tendency toward certain diseases. None of us is embarrassed to say that our family has a history of heart disease or diabetes. But a family history of mental illness is unacceptable. Get over it. Quickly and quietly if you know what's good for you.

This book forced me to examine my attitudes toward mental illness and those who suffer from it. Why can I not be as sympathetic to a person who's mentally ill/addicted as to a person who has M.S. or cancer? There's no question that both Rosie and her mother suffer from mental illness, but what role does alcohol play in their stories? Would they be "cured" if they avoided self-medicating with booze? Is that an option for them? Binge drinking is deeply ingrained into Australian life. Even those who know they shouldn't drink face enormous pressures to do so.

Then there's the issue of weight. In the depths of her depression, Rosie got fat. She discovered that it's acceptable to wake up in a puddle of your own vomit or with feces smeared over you after a night of black-out drinking, but only if you're SLIM. If you're fat, no one wants you around - drunk or sober. It's the Last Frontier. The one rule that even the No-Rules Aussies aren't allowed to break.

There's a happy ending that's as bizarre as the rest of the story. She can write and her writing earned her a place in the world. She still has problems, but she has a job she loves with people who value and support her. The director of the mental health clinic in my town said recently, "The mentally ill don't just need pills. They also need housing and satisfying work and human connections." For this author, writing was the key to meeting those needs and her joy in her new life is touching. She's a success story. Will she continue to be one?

There's a LOT of profanity in this book and some shockingly frank talk about about the author's sex life. Especially when she writes about her "adult" life, some parts read more like a Cosmo shock-essay than like part of the book. [I put "adult" in parenthesis because she's not very mature, as she'd be the first to tell you.] Toward the end, it seems she's filling in with material from her magazine articles to make the book longer. That's unfortunate. Put it another way, it was a 5-star book until about the 80% mark.

If the profanity and raunchy sex talk doesn't bother you (or if you can look past it) it's a funny, thoughtful book. I'm glad that it was offered on sale. I wouldn't have missed it.