Drew Barrymore Books

A fascinating look into the world of a troubled 14-year-old girl and the ghost writer who sucks almost as bad as she does at making sentences.

I gave it five stars because really, don't you know what you're getting here? This book is review proof.

Drew Barrymore captured the hearts of the world, as the adorable wide eyed seven year old Gertie, in ET, in 1982.

Barrymore was born into the acting profession, coming from a long line of acting talent extending back nearly 200 years
Faced with an abusive father, the execrable and vicious degenerate John Drew Barrymore( it is shocking to read of the physical and emotional abuse he subjected the little girl to) , a mother who was not always there, and nasty schoolmates, she drifted into the company of an older crowd and began her descent into drugs and alcohol by nine, when she began drinking alcohol, began smoking marijuana by ten (offered it by a friend's mother),and was snorting cocaine at twelve. She also craved the approval of boys on whom her self-esteem depended.
This is her story of why she took refuge from her unhappy young life in parties, alcohol and drugs, and her difficult and painful rehabilitation. but she succeeded. I found myself really feeling Drew's pain and empathized with what she went through.
Drew wanted to be an actress by five.
I really admired how she told her abusive pig of a father to get out of her life, when she was eight, after achieving success in E.T
She also tells of her work on movies such as Firestarter, Irreconcilable Differences,Babes in Toyland and Far From Home.
Drew talks about the support given to her by Steven Spielberg who she says gave her the best advice she ever been given on acting : "Drew, you can't act your character, you gotta be your character."

She made it though and in by 16 had cleaned up her life, to go on to a string of successes in a series comedies and dramas . By the late 90's her bubbly personality made such movies as Ever After, The Wedding Singer. Charlies Angels and Never Been Kissed a lot of fun and charming to watch.
It is a sad story of a child whose life was marred by what no child should go through, but who overcame her self-destructive habits and proved those who said she was burned out at 13, so wrong. How she repaired her life is incredibly inspirational. Drew is offering advice to young actresses entering rehab these days: ""If you don't pull it together for yourself, no one else will," she says in the March issue of Vogue. "That's coming from a person who had to try it all ... and who still loves to have a good time."

Remember this book was sritten when Drewwas only fourteen years old.


One has to admire her.
I hope she will be making films for decades to come.

I read this book 5 times in High School. (1992-1996)
I LOOOOOOOVED it!!!

Drew Barrymore is to be congratulated. Her honesty is painfully refreshing and hasn't been seen lately since the new Star Jones book ... or possibly the Burt Reynolds biography.

She's seen the depths and the heights and knows the difference. She's drank the champagne (even though she was 8 at the time) and sipped the sewer water and prefers the former. She's been on the carpet and also received carpet burns on her knees when she was short rent.

Thank you Drew for being an inspiration to all the preteens with drinking problems ... they don't have to suffer in silence anymore.

Literally one of the greatest books I've ever read. No, I'm not saying that because I'm a Drew Barrymore fan. I mean, if acting isn't what she wanted to do, she could've been an author! Written when she was still in rehab circa late 1988 and published in 1990, this book gives all of us an insight into her early years, and the hell she went through at such a young age. She tells us about her first taste of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, and marijuana. She also tells us about her first kiss, and her first makeout session, and how she was always fighting with her mother. She tells us about living at the rehab. She tells us about her visits with her father as well. She shares all of her stories and adventures, her mishaps and her first achievements. With this book, I've learned how truly strong this woman is, and how no matter what she went through, she didn't ever back down at achieving what she wanted. Drew Barrymore is a true idol for anyone, and this book proves that.

If your have a wild imagination, and you remember all kinds of traumas you had to face just growing up, this book is for you. Think about all the characters in "Peanuts" and how complex the simple things in life might look to each of them as they march through the cartoon strip. You don't just scan these cartoons and move on -- you need to really digest the concept of what is being said and then ask yourself, "Is there a little bit of me in there?" Like Penelope Poptart, I sometimes fancy myself eminently wordly.

I loved this book -- and everyone who has received it from me has loved it. The drawings are crisp and colorful; the captions describe the perplexities, vicissitudes, pathos of coping with life in a way I've never seen described before. I want to see more of Rosen's highly original work -- I have a feeling there are a lot more characters longing for exposure. Some of these little people make me laugh; some make me think. I can see humanity in them all. Congratulations to the author and to Bloomsbury for a marvelous book launch.

This is a small book with a huge heart. Rosen's misfits are a colorful assemblage straight out of a true poet's head. A delight to the eye that speaks to the soul. Unpretentious little book that seems genuinely inspired.

This is an adorable little book! I've never heard of the author; from the looks of him on the back flap you'd think he was bored with the idea of being a superstar, which is what he will undoubtedly become once word gets out. This is a very funny, adorable little book! The pages are smooth and creamy, like the tender thighs of a freshly plucked chicken. Between the covers you'll find a generous assortment of endearingly eccentric characters that are in many ways Kafkaesque--with not a wee bit of Bloom County thrown in for good measure? I think my favorite character is "Clyde Battle, corporate walrus" who "lumbers down another synthetic hallway." Man that guy cracks me up! My sole misgiving concerns the paper. I love creamy paper--because I have dry skin and so I like to touch moist things-- but it's sooo white that I'm afraid to turn the pages with my fingers for fear that I might irreparably damage them with my uncleanliness. My favorite moviestar wrote the foreward: Drew Barrymore. I was already intrigued by it's cover, but I just knew I had to purchase it when I read Miss Barrymore's foreword. (Or is it Mrs. now? Honestly, I can't keep track--she's so delicious!) This would make the perfect present for that special someone--maybe cushion it inside a well-crafted basswood box with Hershey's Kisses and leave it on their doorstep along with a brief note that says, "I Love You"!

Zannos covers Barrymore like an asbestos blanket. Indepth, insightful and insipid, this book gets to heart of what makes Barrymore tick. It's about heart, people. Barrymore came from nothing. No money. No famous name to fall back on ... it was what was in her heart that made her famous. I'll always remember her fondly for her hair-raising performance in Boys on the Side. I'm not sure if Barrymore did any more films after that but there was also a great performance in that film by a man who goes by the name of Whoopi ... is that right? Whoopi? Mr. Whoopi Goldberg? Hmm. Anyway, he was good and reminded me of a young Al Roker.

o.k. this is a very good book, i advice to alot of teens that are struggling with drugs or family problems. drew barrymore is the best role-model and this is a must have book. i have been a drew fan for 7 years and love it when a good book like this comes out:) i would advice everybody to buy this RIGHT AWAY.. before its too late.

o.k. this is a very good book, i advice to alot of teens that are struggling with drugs or family problems. drew is barrymore is the best role-model and this is a must have book. i have been a drew fan for 7 years and love it when a good book like this comes out:) i would advice everybody to buy this RIGHT AWAY.. before its too late.

"Aching To Be" pulls no punches as it tells the story of Joyce Raskin's life as a woman in rock and roll, from her struggles to learn the bass at age 13 to reaching the heights of indie success with her band Scarce. Tragically, the magic of Scarce was ravaged by band member Chick Graning's sudden illness. Joyce chronicles Chick's journey back to the world, and how the band coped. After a long hiatus Scarce is now playing and recording together again.

If you ever played in a band, if you ever dreamed of playing, if you ever were a girl in an all-boy situation, this book is for you.

Guy Fontaine is an Okie (although not from Muskogee) who, in 2022, finds himself in assisted living on the California coast with the 70- and 80-year olds of Haight Ashbury and the Summer of Love. It only takes him a few days to learn to appreciate the finer points of sex, drugs and rock `n roll. But he's still a Heartlander, not bound by ideas of peace, love and harmony when the facility's director decides to euthanize a cat. As the assisted community reverts to commune, the music blares, the bras come off, the Viagara appears and the Man is at the gate. It's a hoot-and-a-half. The humor rings true and there is no patronizing these dudes. I appreciate that.

I learned of Tim Sandlin through the humor author Christopher Moore. I did a little research on Sandlin and decided to give one of his novels a try. I was not disappointed. Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty is at times clever, humorous, and ultimately touching. Many of the reviews have disparaged the ending. However, I felt it was massively apropos and true to the tricks of life. Great success and highs are followed by lows and heartache. And time keeps marching on.
Although some of the characters are underdeveloped, and the novel has a few too many digressions for my taste, it is overall a satisfying read. Not only that, but there were some profound revelations about the nature of life, including this line from a character; "Beauty is heartbreaking and heartbreak is life-affirming, therefore beauty is a heartbreaking form of life affirmation." Words that only those who have lived can truly appreciate.
I will say, that I did not find the novel as funny as Mr. Moore's novels, but what humor there was seemed appropriate and fit the scene. Sandlin tried hard to steer clear of shtick, and I for one appreciate the attempt. I will definitely investigate more of Sandlin's novels.

Reading about anyone in a nursing home is depressing... even moreso when you realize that they could be writing about you!!

Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty really isn't that far-fetched when one reconsiders that we often relive our experiences: our parents want us to like what they like, we want our kids to be like us, etc. So what's so unusually to think that a group of senior hippies might stage a sit-in at their nursing home, or jam to music of the 60s?

This book was fun to read, and certainly well written. However, I think the author fell a bit short in reaching a conclusion. I would have felt better knowing that a group of retired hippies might have genuinely come to some logical (and reasonable) conclusions instead of a neatly wrapped ending. Still, I found it a good-enough read to hold my interest. I would recommend it.

If you already love Tim Sandlin as I do, you'll find that his unique, quirky humor continues here. Tim has a way of breaking life down into simple body functions.I'm pretty sure the number of references to drool and spit in this book is some kind of literary record. While still hilarious at times,the dark side of this book hit me harder than any of his others, the love, loss and parenting in his other books are pretty open ended subjects, but old age as a subject runs up against the wall of iminent death and makes me think harder on that subject than is comfortable. I wanted to run right out,join a gym, beef up my IRA contribtions and re-write my will, and even that didn't make me think I would be safe from the fate shared by Sandlin's characters. This is the scariest funny book I've ever read.

More than a novel, this is a story of the fears of growing old. Most of us fear that we will end up in an institution without any rites, being ordered to play bingo and shuffleboard. We fear being treated like children, given drugs that zap us out, put in a wheelchair and sat in front of a TV to watch "Regis and Kathy Lee" reruns all day. More than anything else we fear the loss of freedom of action (or inaction). If I wanted to be regimented, I would have joined the armed forces, or become a guerilla with the Grey Panther Liberation Forces.

Sandlin does a decent job putting all these fears together, at the same time he doesn't take everything to seriously either. The problem I had with the book was that it was much of a 'pastiche' as opposed to a coherent story. All the little anecdotes that he created are cute or funny, but that doesn't create a 'whole'.

As been a fan of drew barrymore, i could read anything about her and it would amuse me for a long time. I don't normally read books, although there is an odd occasion. I ordered this book 3 days before it came, and as soon as i had it, i read at least an hour of it [past half way OF THE BOOK.]It tells you about her when she was young, her family, her boyfriends that she as gone out with and her career. It is very interesting to read and, and as soon as you start reading it, you probably won't want to put it down. I got so interested in it and i didn't realise that i had got half way through. If you like her this book is perfect for you.

Drew Barrymore is an inspiration to me. I've followed her entire career, seen all her movies, and read almost every single article about her. This is a great book for a great star.

xcellent read for fans of Drew Barrymore. This book shows the hard times she has had in her life and the new beginning that have been brought about. Drew is a very talented actor, and I'm sure she will be around for a very long time.

BTW, Gerry Hixon...after reading your message I checked out your other reviews, I must say I actually laughed out loud...funny guy!

I love Drew. Very positive person throughout all her battles. So I had to get this book. I loved everything about it except it did not discuss her being bisexual at all. Minor disappointment, but its very informative and positive towards Drew and her life.

The Furman sisters brought Drew Barrymore to life in the biography. The detailed description throughout the book chronicles Drew's life and that of her famous family. It was revealed that Drew's drug and alcohol addictions were part of a family tradition that dated back to her famous grandfather, John Barrymore. This quick read will give you a "real" insight into what it is like to be a star in the 20th and 21st. centuries.

If you're die-hard Drew fan, you'll most likely be disappointed in this book. It's not all it's cracked up to be.
My advice? Stick to "Little Girl Lost" - much better look into her life, and it's written with her own words.
I'm not completely knocking this book - it's cute, but not so chock-full of information.

IT WAS WONDERFUL. THE DETAIL OF YOUNG DREW'S LIFE WAS IN GREAT DETAIL. I LOVED IT

I really don't have anything against Drew Barrymore, and it is too bad that she got into drug and alchohol abuse at such a young age, but without the drugs she still is a major airhead deluxe. Just listen to her when she's on Jay Leno or David Letterman. I remember a few years ago she was all psyched when she was on the tonight show with Jay Leno because she learned a few things about politics and she had to share that knowledge with the audience. Wow what a major airhead!!!! She probably wouldn't be in movies if she hadn't been in commercials and movies when she was very young. There might be a few teenage girls that might be interested in this book but most should steer clear of this biography.

After reading this biography my opinion on Drew Barrymore changed 100%. The authors challenge the way she is so often presented in the media throughout the book by demonstrating her bizarre upbringing and precocious achievements. Although ditzy would sometimes be a good word to describe her I now realise she's extremely hard working and dedicated to her career. Her private life also makes for good reading and it's all presented here in an informative but entertaining way.

This is a must read for Drew fans (also known as Drewpies)It chronicles her problems with drugs alcohol, and growing up in the limelight, and how she overcome to be on the A list in Hollywood