Never Give In To Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom

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Marti was an addict over and over and over and over again. She escaped being another victim of some serial killers, still an addict. She escaped the sex trade in Japan, still an addict. She escaped natural disasters, still an addict. I am happy that she was finally able to pull herself out of the hole that she was in and make a good life for herself, but I feel terrible for her daughter. Her daughter never really had a mother in her life and despite that she was able to give her a chance.

My sister is in the same situation and it ticks me off knowing that time and time again she has chosen drugs over her daughter. Hopefully, one day my niece will forgive my sister for her actions, but she may not because she may not think that she is worth it.

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Nov 28, Sofia rated it really liked it. I have a soft spot in my heart for addiction literature, and Marti MacGibbon's memoir runs the gamut--from poignant to hilarious to outrageous to unbelievable to suspenseful to affirming. As she explains in the epilogue, she purposely avoids glamorizing the effects and sensations of her drug use her drug of choice being meth and she firmly believes that as long as a person is still alive, no matter how bad things have gotten, there is still hope. Sure, she overuses exclamation points, but that's a minor quibble considering the story she has to tell.

MacGibbon opts to promote and espouse the positive. Jan 08, Rita Little rated it it was amazing. I downloaded this book for free on my Kindle I just finished the book including the epilogue and am really glad I had the chance to read it and would gladly pay the price of the book if there was one I've never tried drugs but have a morbid curiosity about that lifestyle. I now have a profound respect for anyone who overcomes it. I learned quite a bit about not just the drug culture itself but the different cultures that can be intertwined in i I downloaded this book for free on my Kindle I learned quite a bit about not just the drug culture itself but the different cultures that can be intertwined in it.

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Marti is a great teller of her own story and I missed a lot of sleep reading this book because I was that enthralled. I am glad her story had the ending it did and I love what she learned in the jail especially from the old guy trying to teach her a lesson! I hope more and more people hear about and read this great read. Marti MacGibbon is a beautiful woman who loses herself to a life of drugs , she is trafficked to Tokyo , and made into a sex slave.

She endures rape , beating , homelessness , and seperation from her daughter. She uses drugs to block out all her pain, after years of being an addict , she fights her fears and becomes the brilliant person that was hiding behind the drugs. This is an excellent memoir, I was shocked by everything this one human being went through, but yet she finally saw the light an Marti MacGibbon is a beautiful woman who loses herself to a life of drugs , she is trafficked to Tokyo , and made into a sex slave.

This is an excellent memoir, I was shocked by everything this one human being went through, but yet she finally saw the light and was strong enough to overcome all the darkness that had entered her life. Marti MacGibbon's memoir is a very compelling account of her descent into despair and drug addiction. It is an insightful look at how an addict is sucked into the cycle of dependency and how difficult it is to overcome the hold that that drugs can make on a person's life. The story also relates how she ultimately triumphs over the addiction by channeling her own tenacity and with the love and support of family and friends.

It was a very inspiring read. Nov 27, Sandra rated it liked it Shelves: I thought the drug abuse would never end, and just too much but, in the end it was inspiring and I appreciated the authors honesty in telling her story and overcoming things that caused her life to be so chaotic. I think that it was very well written, and the author took great care not to glamorize the world of the addict. She told the story straight to the point which is that no matter how much "fun" it is to engage in drug use, it can spiral out of control pretty darn quickly.

Dec 10, Brian rated it it was amazing. This true story was a real page turner. It's amazing that this woman survived at all, not to mention live to write about it!!!! Oh my god, what a fantastic thrill ride of a book. It made me look at my own life in a completely new way while taking me on an unbelievable journey of despair and redemption. This is a must read!! Dec 31, Debbie Revell rated it really liked it. Sep 25, Gayle Lucka rated it it was amazing.

Dec 26, Chris Thrall rated it it was amazing. Chris Thrall is the author of 'Eating Smoke: I just finished this book and found it to be quite the page-turner! I wasn't expecting it to be as gripping as it actually was -- sometimes a memoir can drag and get heavy-handed with reflection but this one kept me reading well into the night. Marti MacGibbon has had SO many misadventures. She had a blossoming career in comedy when her life went a bit off-track with drugs.

She was held against her will in Japan and forced to be an escort, she performed odd, menial jobs to support her drug habit, I just finished this book and found it to be quite the page-turner! She was held against her will in Japan and forced to be an escort, she performed odd, menial jobs to support her drug habit, she was homeless for awhile, and had to come to grips with losing custody of her daughter.

The book was more well-written than I'd expected, with no typos or grammatical errors, and MacGibbon has a talent for pulling you into the story. The writing made it easy for me to picture what things were like for her, and she does a great job at painting a scene with succinct yet effective prose and dialogue. The quality of writing and her ability to keep me absorbed with her story is what puts this memoir at a full five-stars in my book.

I was provided this book for free by NetGalley, but in no way does it influence my rating and review.

Lecture: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom - Events Calendar - Iowa State University

Not sure where all the good reviews came from. Because the author seemed to revel in her addiction and her life as a self-described dope fiend. She freely admits to shoplifting but says she has her integrity and won't steal from a friend. After living a life of for many years as an addict, she starts recovery, and although she says it wasn't easy, she portrays it like there was never any second thoughts or back sliding. If it were as easy as she implicates, there wouldn't be any addicts or dope fiends. Am I glad she beat the demon of addiction?

Absolutely, but I don't see her story as ringing quite true. And the book, well I kept hoping that with the great reviews, it was going to get better, but it didn't. With so many good books out there, save your time. Dec 28, Danielle rated it liked it Shelves: I received this as a free book to read.

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock Bottom

I wasn't sure what to expect before starting it. If this had been a book of fiction, I would have thought that there was so much happening to the main character that it was unbelievable. This was the compelling story of the life of an addict. It depicts how a persons life can become fully centered on the next high. Through the course of Marti's story of addiction, she deals with homelessness, incarceration, and being sold as a human sex slave. Although thi I received this as a free book to read. Although this story was compelling, Marti's recovery seemed to occur based on one conversation and there wasn't an in depth story following.

Additionally, I liked the title but I think I was expecting there to be more with the title. I got this book for free from Members Giveaway. This book was okay and definitely not one of my favorite memoirs. In a nutshell, the book takes the reader through Marti's young life when she moved to California, started using drugs and how she got through it.

I was not too keen on the writing. There was too much bad language and I'm not the type that would normally complain, but literally it was too much in this book. The writing was very basic, more like she was having a conversation with the i I got this book for free from Members Giveaway.

The writing was very basic, more like she was having a conversation with the invisible reader. For the rest of the review, visit my book blog at: Mar 12, Sayaka rated it it was amazing. This is a very honest and humorous account of a woman's struggle and eventual recovery from drug addiction. Marti is very funny and I couldn't believe some of the things I found myself laughing about.

That's what kept me reading. I usually have a hard time finishing a book but this one was very easy to read on. I gets a bit repetitive in the middle, but I believe it's also very true to the process. Recovery doesn't always happen in a single big swoop, one can experience numerous false starts and This is a very honest and humorous account of a woman's struggle and eventual recovery from drug addiction.

Recovery doesn't always happen in a single big swoop, one can experience numerous false starts and relapses and disappointments, but also there are many opportunities and people willing to help if one learns to see them. Jan 11, Linda rated it liked it. Bookbub led me to this book. Faced with a hour plane ride, I hoped this would see me through. It did, but not with a lot of enthusiasm. I think if I had been a "drug fiend" Marti MacGibbon's lifestyle , I might have had a greater appreciation for the book.

Instead I found myself a angry that she had multiple opportunities and support groups for getting out of her drug-laced world and b dissatisfied with her limited description of what could be called her "epiphany" into the real world. I f Bookbub led me to this book. I feel certain that writing this book was a cathartic experience for the author, but I was not enthused.

May 07, Richard Fitzgerald rated it liked it. This is a typical I was a drug addict and now I'm clean type of self-help memoir. The cover describes it as having a "raw, honest, casual, funny voice. I found myself questioning the honest part, but then I don't have the mind of a drug addict so I'll give "honesty" the benefit of the doubt. There is nothing funny or humorous in this tale of stupidity, brutality, and mental illness.

There is redemption, finally, in the love of those who never give up on someone caught in This is a typical I was a drug addict and now I'm clean type of self-help memoir. There is redemption, finally, in the love of those who never give up on someone caught in the web of bondage. I won this book on Goodreads and as reading it, it reminded me of the book Lit by Mary Karr in a way. The differences I saw were Marti was not looking for people to feel bad for her and her addiction, she was addicted to meth, and she was not getting all these good breaks.

She was on a horrible path and was even homeless for awhile during her addiction. It did take me awhile to read because there were a ton of names and people, plus the book would mention something which would lead to a side sto I won this book on Goodreads and as reading it, it reminded me of the book Lit by Mary Karr in a way. It did take me awhile to read because there were a ton of names and people, plus the book would mention something which would lead to a side story. All in all, it was okay. I did enjoy it a lot better than Lit though. I received this book from Goodreads as a promo.

I enjoyed reading the memoir but I really didn't feel like I got the full effects of what the author was feeling. I think she could have been more descriptive in telling how doing the drugs made her feel, physically.

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According to the book jacket she is now a counselor - I would have liked to have heard more about that part of her journey. Her journey to sobriety and wellness. Plus what happened to Christopher? Based on the reviews and ratings, I had high hopes for a very insightful and well written memoir. It was an inspiring read. I just finished this book and found it to be quite the page-turner!

Marti MacGibbon "Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom”

Marti MacGibbon has had SO many misadventures. She had a blossoming career in comedy when her life went a bit off-track with drugs. She was held against her will in Japan and forced to be an escort, she performed odd, menial jobs to support her drug habit, she was homeless for awhile, and had to come to grips with losing custody of her daughter. The writing made it easy for me to picture what things were like for her, and she does a great job at painting a scene with succinct yet effective prose and dialogue.

The quality of writing and her ability to keep me absorbed with her story is what puts this memoir at a full five-stars in my book. I was provided this book for free by NetGalley, but in no way does it influence my star rating or review. Marti MacGibbon shows readers just how rough the road to redemption is in her gritty memoir of addiction. The narrative begins with Marti, an aspiring stand-up comedian with a promising career, strung out on drugs and steeped in a culture of sex and music.

My kind of people. People I could trust. When her dark dream turns into a real-life news story, Marti and her boyfriend run further from the fear and realities that, once confronted, will ultimately make or break the couple. Any reader who has ever faced chilling regrets will sympathize with Marti as she recounts, one by one, the red flags of her past. Her raw, honest, casual, funny voice permeates every page. Facing a number of tough crowds as her stand-up career restarts also helps Marti learn to maintain her composure.

Stay Strong Publishing Program: Kirkus Indie Review Posted Online: June 22nd, From. Ever conscious that the past makes us who we are, Marti MacGibbon, a recovering alcoholic and addict, not only leaves open the door to her past—she goes in, turns the lights on, makes herself a cup of coffee, and gets comfortable on the couch.

Her memoir of recovery is an unflinching examination of her choices and what they cost her—as well as how she was pulled out of her personal hell into a saner way of life. MacGibbon, as a certified addiction treatment professional, clearly understands the value of honesty. The bald truth can make us laugh, or it can be a punch in the gut. Her narration is funny— she can laugh at her old self, even as she shows the reader the terror and loss she felt in the past.

She was the ideal person to seek out as a de facto pharmacist. The memoir whips along, hardly taking a breath. Never Give in to Fear earns its place among other recent sobriety memoirs. MacGibbon has a natural gift for storytelling—no surprise, considering her background as a standup comic and motivational speaker. MacGibbon has written—and lived—her way through a forbidding place.

A memoir that offers hope, even in the worst of times, Never Give in to Fear is a terrific read. Addicts act less like people and more like animals.

They misplace thoughts of self-preservation with a need to find the next fix. She moved to San Francisco in the early s to pursue a stand-up comedy career.

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