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A Piece of Cake

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 9,361 ratings · 1,169 reviews

There are shelves of memoirs about overcoming the death of a parent, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, gangbanging, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution, or homelessness.

Cupcake Brown survived all these things before she’d even turned twenty.

And that’s when things got interesting….

You have in your hands the strange, heart...more

Paperback, 472 pages

Published April 10th 2007 by Broadway (first published February 28th 2006)

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Best Memoir / Biography / Autobiography

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Memoirs by Women

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Community Reviews

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Jun 04, 2008 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, top-picks

A Piece of Cake is one of those books that won't fade into the background long after it's been shelved for me. The story is so incredible, at times I felt like I was reading another Frey memoir that was somewhat embellished. Cupcake Brown is thrown into the foster care system at 11 and survives abuse, the streets, gangs, and drugs/alchohol to a point that puts her behind a dumster for several days at one point. If you don't like rough language- this one will be tough. However, I think it's so im...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2007 Demetria rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who are more interested in a good story than quality writing.

Shelves: bio-memoir

A Piece of Cake is a prime example of a story that is much better than the writing. This memoir is the life story of Cupcake Brown, a woman who has overcome abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, domestic violence and gang life to become a successful attorney and thanks to this book, a best-selling author. Brown's journey is nothing short of amazing. In fact, some have questioned the validity of her claims (in light of James Frey and others) because of the extreme situations detailed i...more

25 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2007 Danica rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

This is a great story, but even that can not make up for the horrible writing techniques. The author has had an amazing life and her story is truly amazing and leaves a feeling of hope for those who have friends or family involved in addiction. However, she tends to ramble and repeat her situations to the point that the story becomes boring and redundant. Also, you can tell she is attempting to write in the way that someone in that situation would actually speak, but at the same time, she never...more

15 likes · like · see review

Sep 16, 2007 Adriane rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: african-american, favorites, memoirs

This is a raw account of Cupcake Brown and her real life of drugs, sex and redemption and how yuou can turn it all around if you just believe in yourself. Not for the faint of heart or those who believe that life is all cupcakes and puppy dogs. I love the way she uncovered the raw truth of how the world, foster system and sometimes even your own flesh and blood can be real ugly. A definite favorite. Visit her website for more info, just Google her name.

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2007 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those interested in learning about life on the streets

Shelves: bookclubbooks

This book started out as a great read. I loved her stories of life in foster care and on the street. About halfway through the book it became redundant. Towards the end it picks up again and became more interesting. Part of the problem is her grammar. She tries to use street talk and then transform into more educated prose, but she doesn't do a very good job. The story of her amazing life is hidden behind poor writing.

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2009 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I started reading this book, I read several reviews of it. They varied--either people really like it or they didn't. I really liked it.

Of those who didn't they complained generally about one of two (or both) things:
1) The story was too unbelievable; therefore, it must be exaggerated or falsified in some way; and
2) The book is poorly written--has bad grammar and obvious transitions, for example--and probably should have been written by a ghost-writer.

I disagree with both of these points. A...more Before I started reading this book, I read several reviews of it. They varied--either people really like it or they didn't. I really liked it.

Of those who didn't they complained generally about one of two (or both) things:
1) The story was too unbelievable; therefore, it must be exaggerated or falsified in some way; and
2) The book is poorly written--has bad grammar and obvious transitions, for example--and probably should have been written by a ghost-writer.

I disagree with both of these points. Anyone who thinks the story is "too unbelievable" is clearly too sheltered and needs to take a few moments to come out of the safety of suburbia to see what the rest of the world is like. If someone thinks for one moment that these kind of things do not happen to children across our country and that the results are not those shared by Cupcake Brown, I've got a bridge I can sell him/her. Those of us who have experienced abuse know what it can do to a kid and how it can effect him/her. And those people will relate to and understand Cupcake Brown and her memoir--even if her experiences are different and perhaps more extreme. One thing this memoir does well is show you how and why a fractured and abusive childhood can lead to a life of crime and substance abuse. It makes it make sense. If there's one thing this memoir is, it is real, in every sense of the word...

...which brings me to point 2: the writing. The writing makes this book a quick read, and it also makes it real. It would be harder to believe or understand the story Brown has to tell if it were written without the slang, the cheesy metaphors, and the obvious transitions. This is a woman who dropped out of high school. Then, she studied criminal justice at a community college. Chances are, she never took an elective creative writing course, so what do you expect? She went to law school. She writes in the to-the-point way of lawyers. If you want long, obtrusive, flowery metaphors, then this book is not for you--because that's not what this book's about. Furthermore, except for when she does so purposely in dialogue or when transcribing her thoughts, Brown does not write grammatically incorrect sentence. She may write simple sentences, but she does write them correctly. It irks me when people who do not even know grammar themselves review work like this and claim the grammar throws them off. I studied grammar for 6 years. Between her and her editor, Brown wrote a book that is pretty much grammatically correct.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was quick and the story was good. It is real (and because it is, if you can't handle bad language, you shouldn't bother). A part I really related to was the "Marcia Brady" past. I, too, created a Marcia Brady past for myself, and I, too, was afraid of what revealing the truth of my past would bring, of what people would think...particularly after I worked so hard to break free of it. This book, I am, sure will give courage to others who also need to let go of their Marcia Brady pasts and allow them to see that accepting your past is accepting who you are, and only through so doing can you ever truly make something of yourself in life or be happy.

Part of what this book does is expose the failures of the child welfare system in this country and the ignorance of our society, so in a way, this book was written for those people who claim this story can't be true. Yes, it's sad; yes it's shocking; but yes, it's true and it can happen. Perhaps most importantly, though, the book gives hope to us all--hope that those who the system has forgotten or failed that they are worthy and can do and be something better; hope to those feeling defeated that things can get better; hope to those who feel alone that they aren't; hope to us all that with a strong support network and our inner fighter, we can conquer our biggest obstacles and achieve our biggest dreams.
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Aug 03, 2008 Eva Leger rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people interested in memoirs & addiction recovery

Recommended to Eva by: myself & Charlette

Shelves: drug-abuse-recovery, b-non-fiction, autos-bios-memoirs

This is one of the best books I've ever picked up. I don't think I've ever read a better book on the subject of drug and alcohol addiction and recovery. I knew there was a reason why I got this book without knowing much about it. Knowing enough about addiction and recovery to know that this is an honest account only made it that much better for me. After reading A Million Little Pieces and knowing it was a load of crap before the "truth" came out- reading a HONEST recollection of someones addict...more

11 likes · like · see review

Feb 16, 2009 Izetta Autumn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

At a certain point in this memoir, I just had to question the unbelieveable events of Cupcake Brown's life. How could all of this happen? How could a person survive? It can't possible be true, can it?
But for Cupcake Brown, she's lived every moment of it.

There are two things that I truly appreciate about this memoir: it gives a very detailed view of addiction, particularly to crack cocaine and addiction generally, and it makes it clear that care and protection of children is a paramount task for...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2008 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Raz

This is a memoir written by a woman practicing law at a big firm in San Francisco. But, before she broke into the corporate world, she had to overcome a horrible childhood. Her mother died when she was 11 and in an unbelievable example of how screwed up our child welfare system is, she ends up in a foster home. With a physically abusive foster mother only interested in checks from the government, Brown is then raped by the foster mother's nephew. Brown runs away repeatedly, turning tricks for mo...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 17, 2008 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any one who craves hope

Cupcake Brown (that's her real name) was 11 in 1976 when her mother died. Custody of Brown and her brother was given to a stranger—their birth father—who only wanted their social security checks. He then left them with an abusive foster mother who encouraged her nephew to rape Brown repeatedly. Brown got better and better at running away. A prostitute taught her to drink, smoke marijuana and charge for sex. Her next foster father traded her LSD and cocaine for oral sex. Eventually she went to li...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2008 Yvonne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Yvonne by: book club

The book spent to much time taking me through every bad experience in her life. I did not go through every drug/alcohol enduced binge. The book is 465pgs. And 365 of those she is high. Half way thorugh I just wanted her to hit rock bottom, wake up in a gutter somewhere then get it together. It kind of reminds me about "A Million Little Peices" After a while I just wanted it to end. The good news is that she does check her self in and goes to school to practice law. Yeah!!!!!!! Because I can not...more

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Feb 18, 2008 Veronica rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All CPS workers!

This book is good but very hard to read! It's about Cupcake Brown's life after she was thrown into the foster care system back when there was zero regard for the best interest regarding placements. Man, she has gone through so much shit and I'm only about a fourth through the book. I cannot read this book at night in bed because I was having dreams about it. When I met with my teenage client the other day, I was thinking about Cupcake's experiences. Nonetheless, it is super good to read for the...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2008 Khelani rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I rated this book a 1 star because at the time I was very upset that a woman named cupcake brown who smoked crack and did ampehetamines on her lunch break had mulitple jobs as a legal secretary. At the time, I was looking for a similar job, I had just completed my 2nd yr in law school and I couldn't even get a call back. It was disallusioning to say the least. I was appalled at the wonton abandon with which this woman (a barred attorney) spoke. I also didn't believe half of the stories, starting...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 04shantelleR redding rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reviews

A Piece of Cake is by Cupcake Brown.
This story is more likely intended for young adults and adults. The main issue for this book is that a girl named Cupcake has to overcome the death of her mother, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, gangbanging, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution, or homelessness.The setting contributes to the story because is the only way for you to understand what kind of places she was living in. The story could happen in r...more A Piece of Cake is by Cupcake Brown.
This story is more likely intended for young adults and adults. The main issue for this book is that a girl named Cupcake has to overcome the death of her mother, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, gangbanging, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution, or homelessness.The setting contributes to the story because is the only way for you to understand what kind of places she was living in. The story could happen in real life because it did Cupcake Brown is just re-telling her life story. Daddy (who turns out not to be her real dad), Uncle Jr, Fly, The Gang, and Aunt Becky are the protagonists, because they help her out with everything. Diane, Connie, Mr. Burns, and Mr. and Mrs. Bassinet are the antagonists because they don't try to help her they actually try to hurt her.

In this story Cupcakes mothers passes away. Daddy starts to take care of her and her brother, as there guardian. That is until Mr. Burns finds out that Cupcakes mother had money. Then Mr. Burns feels the need after many years that it is time to take care of his children. He takes Daddy to court. Mr. Burns gets them and then he takes them to Diane's home. Diane is a foster mother, she only wants them because the state would send her money. This is just the beginning of Cupcakes long venture.

Cupcake runs away from the foster home because Diane wouldn't feed her and Diane's son was beginning to rape her. The state then puts her in the care of her Aunt Becky. Aunt Becky has a son named Fly. Fly is in a gang and he introduces her with all his friends in the gang. They jump her in. When she is finally part of the gang that is when she begins to start her journeys. Cupcake starts getting older and meets a girl named Candy that introduces her to prostitution. She starts selling herself. Candy introduced her to "weed". Candy takes her home where her friend has her drink some alcohol. Cupcake loves the way the weed and alcohol make her feel so she begins to become addicted. During her prostitution days she gets pregnant four times.

Aunt Becky can no longer take care of her so Cupcake needs to find her way back to San Fransisco. She hitch hikes to her "Daddy's". where they begin looking for apartments for her self because she gets emancipated so she has to have somewhere to stay.

She begins to look at herself and realize that she need to clean up and that is exactly what she did. She is now a author obviously.

I absoultly love this book because it tells a real story it isn't made up or anything.
A quote from the book is " I just prayed for some dishes! This is happening to soon!" I like that quote because while she is cleaning her act up she starts going to a church, and turning to things other than drugs. And it would probably be something that i would say if I got my own home.
The theme of this book is probably that you can get through anything if you try your hardest to get out of that situation. I would recommend this to anybody that has the courage to sit through and read some of the worst things that happen in real life. This book is different and unique because it is a story about trials and tribulations that happen in every day life.(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Victoriap added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. a.) The book was a bout a girl named Cupcake Brown who found her mother dead at the age of 9. After this discovery, her life began to spiral down uncontrollably. Even though she had a very loving father figure, she could not stay with him because of the fact that he wasn't her real father. Cupcake and her brother were then left with their biological father and all he wanted was the insurance money that their mother left them. After he found out that no one could get a hold of the money until the...more a.) The book was a bout a girl named Cupcake Brown who found her mother dead at the age of 9. After this discovery, her life began to spiral down uncontrollably. Even though she had a very loving father figure, she could not stay with him because of the fact that he wasn't her real father. Cupcake and her brother were then left with their biological father and all he wanted was the insurance money that their mother left them. After he found out that no one could get a hold of the money until they were eighteen, he left them with a lady named Diane and ultimately ended up being in the foster care system. Both Cupcake and her brother Larry started their unbearable journies after this time. Cupcake got raped,used drugs, sold drugs, gang banged, and began to prostitute. She ran away from her foster home many times and as she got older, she got more and more into drugs.After turning 19 she started on the road to recovery.She began to go to recovery meetings and she got a sponsor, Venita, who helped her along the way. She ended up going back to school and getting a degree in law. Now she works for a large law firm in San Francisco.

b.) I enjoyed the fact that it was a true story. Even though I know that a lot of what was in the book does happen to people daily, I liked that this a a real success story. I already knew not to "judge a book by it's cover", but this book reminded me of that and to be more conscious of it. I also enjoyed that Cupcake wrote it as if it was a regular fiction book as well as an autobiography.

c.)I don't have any criticism for this book. I really did enjoy it.

d.)I would recommend this book to any girl or woman that is struggling to get through life. It isn't so much a self encouragement book but it does you that anything is possible. I also recommend this book to any social worker. I feel like social work is very important because those people take care of the kids that aren't necessarily wanted. Children are the future and without a good social worker, those kids would be placed in bad homes like Cupcake.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Meagan callahan rated it 3 of 5 stars

A piece of cake was definitely a really sad book to read. Cup cake brown is basically talking about her entire life, and doesn't hold anything back. I gave this book 3 stars considering this book isn't something id usually want to read, but over all it was really good. This book is extremely inspirational, and I really do think people should read it, it teaches us to appreciate what we have instead of complaining about it.

“She talked about wanting to be a part of something, wanting to be desire...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I bought this book several times when I worked as a therapist at an adolescent group home. I never got to read it because each successive copy would either 'come up missing' (taken without permission and never returned) or I would lend it to one of my group home kids in an attempt to get them to read. Loving the book, they would then lend it to their friends and I would never see it again. Because of the way this book had touched the lives of people who had touched me, I thought it would be more...more I bought this book several times when I worked as a therapist at an adolescent group home. I never got to read it because each successive copy would either 'come up missing' (taken without permission and never returned) or I would lend it to one of my group home kids in an attempt to get them to read. Loving the book, they would then lend it to their friends and I would never see it again. Because of the way this book had touched the lives of people who had touched me, I thought it would be more revelatory than it actually was. I know that my group home kids loved the book because it spoke to their own experiences in foster care and the juvenile justice system. I have read many reviews doubting the truth in the number of unrelenting horror stories the author relates. Having worked with kids in foster care and having read their four-inch thick case files, I've come to expect that if anything can go wrong it will. I have heard all these stories before, but I did not mind and I do not doubt that they can all happen to one person. The middle section, when Cupcake is working as a paralegal as a cover for her addiction, tends to be repetitive but I think gives a lived-in experience of an addict's insane behaviors and bizarre expectations. The final section on recovery also holds no surprises; it conveys a very standard 'two steps forward, one step back' progression in AA. I am glad that so many young people are connecting with this book and hopefully it has demystified the recovery process for those who may need it later. In this sense, the book is reaching a part of the population who might not reach for other recovery memoirs, which tend to be middle and upper class stories about a great fall. Cupcake started at the bottom and managed to pull herself up to the top. What will stay with me are the moments of unexpected kindness from strangers and co-workers who did not have to extend themselves at all. And the fact that Cupcake tried very hard to appear and sound professional in order to cover her addiction, but this faking it actually helped her make it in the end, as so many people believed she could overcome everything. The reason why I'm only giving this book 3 stars is because it is poorly written. The writing in the beginning is very simple, with the intention of conveying a young girl's thoughts and feelings. It is not quite successful and I could tell what the author was trying to do. Later when Cupcake is trying to speak properly to prepare for the working world, the vocabulary expands too obviously, inorganically as if she were searching through a thesaurus for grander words. But if the writing was supposed to reflect the character's current intellectual capacity, why did she not know the meanings of colon, hypoglycemia or other words that would cause her humorous embarrassment? And on almost every page she will describe an action or emotion with three adjectives, and usually one does not quite fit or two are so close in meaning as to render one of them redundant. At her graduation she was "hyped, excited and nervous" while her family was "cheering, screaming and crying". I got so exhausted, exasperated and exclamatory whenever I read phrases such as these. Oh, did I mention she also has a talent for alliteration? I love her for that, actually, and I even enjoyed her triple adjectives if they were alliterative. (less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Andrea Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get through this book; I went through periods of time where I could not put the book down, and other periods where I dreaded picking it back up. The book gives readers an inside look inside an addict's life and their recovery. Her story breaks your heart and makes you wonder how she survived. Her strength and courage are definitely something to be admired.

However, I find it hard to believe some of the detailed stories she writes about, specifically the ones where she is st...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Sputnik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 'A Piece of Cake' by Cupcake Brown is a tumultuous story of a young girl experiencing first hand the death of her mother, to be torn away from her loving family and thrown into the foster care system. From here she was physically and sexually abused, using alcohol and drugs as a means of escape and 'turning tricks' for money. Upon leaving foster care, she becomes exposed to the life of dangerous gangs and harder drugs. Her life seems to just go downhill from there, however still maintaining a jo...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an amazing story. Cupcake Brown has not had an easy life. She manages to hit rock bottom, then climb her way from nothing to fulfilling her dream of becoming a lawyer. It is a great testimony as to the wonderful things that can happen with faith and love.

This book has a huge emotional factor. It made me feel some really raw emotion. I was very thankful for all my life blessings after I put this read down.

While it was indeed a great underdog story, I felt it was way too long, and the la...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Kirsty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

'A Piece of Cake' is an excellent book and one that I've read a number of times over the years. I haven't known any other book to cover the tales of drug addiction so well.

It includes Cupcake discussing many of her personal issues over her life, such as the death of her mother, her life in foster homes, her fall into teenage prostitution, her long battle with drugs and then her struggle to come clean and get her life into gear.

I was quite young when I first read this book, around 14 or 15. I'm 2...more

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May 30, 2012 Gaby Cardenas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Its about this girl named Cupcake Brown and she struggles so much in her life from being put into foster care over and over again to having her mom die when she's just 11 years old. She over came all this but everything is still there till this day. Her mother died she couldnt believe it that the dad that she called her own turned out to be not hers but an adoptive father. As her real dad came into the picture only for her money because when she hits 18 years old shes...more

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May 10, 2012 Nena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: womens-reads

Audiobook Version:

This is one of the very first audiobooks that I downloaded when I first received my MP3 player several years ago. I still remember reading this like it was yesterday because the whole concept of a book being read to me was still very new and very exciting for me.

I am going to post some "spoilers" here even though the book cover tells the story and I am not really giving anything away here. Still, if you don't want to know, stop now.

*********************************************...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Katie Chatfield rated it 5 of 5 stars

Katie Chatfield
2/15/12
A Piece of Cake Book Review
Cupcake was just your average child until one tragic day at home when she found her mother dead, which led to the destruction of the rest of her family. So young and naive, she was quickly was introduced to the life of drugs and alcohol, which slowly became the only consistent thing in her life. After the constant abuse not only from the people she was supposed to trust but from herself as well, she finally decides to clean up, turning her life in...more Katie Chatfield
2/15/12
A Piece of Cake Book Review
Cupcake was just your average child until one tragic day at home when she found her mother dead, which led to the destruction of the rest of her family. So young and naive, she was quickly was introduced to the life of drugs and alcohol, which slowly became the only consistent thing in her life. After the constant abuse not only from the people she was supposed to trust but from herself as well, she finally decides to clean up, turning her life into something meaningful instead of a life where dying wasn’t such a tragedy.
This book was anything but ordinary. A Piece Of Cake revolves around a real girl with real struggles and one unbelievable miracle that changed this girl’s life forever. I find any book that revolves around addiction and recovery very interesting. Cupcake’s story was that and much more. She not only went through the abuse of drugs and alcohol but the abuse from nearly everyone she encountered in her life. Reading this true story from an addict herself put everything into a new perspective, allowing me to enter her world and escape from mine. This book takes you on a journey through abuse, drugs, alcohol, prostitution and gangbanging. Through it all, she ends up being successful and turning her life around. This book is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. She does not tell us her life journey; she shows it with her unique way of writing. Really using her voice in the book made everything so real and brought me to that time in her life, I didn’t feel I was reading a normal book on addiction. She describes each journey in her life through her own voice, putting me right in the moment and allowing me to see her destructive world through her eyes. This book had many different twists and turns throughout it, but the one part of this book that I found to be inspirational was her cleaning up. After this battle with addiction, right when there seems to be no hope left, she finally turns her life around and quits doing drugs. When reading this book, I was so captivated by her destructive lifestyle and convinced that she was never going to change, she was too in love with the feeling of being numb to ever give it up, but a miracle allowed her the strength to get clean and because of that she is now a successful woman.
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Feb 15, 2012 Nikki Hummel rated it 5 of 5 stars

After waking up one morning to find her mother dead, ten-year-old Cupcake Brown soon found out the person she had been calling “Daddy” her whole life was not her biological father. Taken away from the only family she had ever known, Cupcake was dropped off at an abusive foster home where she would spend years trying to escape by running away, hitchhiking, drinking, gangbanging, prostituting, and trying every drug in the book. After years of drugs and alcohol being the only thing Cupcake knew, sh...more After waking up one morning to find her mother dead, ten-year-old Cupcake Brown soon found out the person she had been calling “Daddy” her whole life was not her biological father. Taken away from the only family she had ever known, Cupcake was dropped off at an abusive foster home where she would spend years trying to escape by running away, hitchhiking, drinking, gangbanging, prostituting, and trying every drug in the book. After years of drugs and alcohol being the only thing Cupcake knew, she finally decided to get clean and follow her dreams to make life worth living. A Piece Of Cake is Cupcake Brown’s true story of the horrors of abuse and addiction, and the road to recovery.

It’s not often you find a book that’s so honest, tragic, hilarious, and inspirational at the same time. A Piece Of Cake is the perfect combination of just that. Cupcake shares the story of her unimaginable life and doesn’t leave out a single detail. Her shocking descriptions of her most tragic memories make it impossible to not feel sympathy for her. She recounts her stories of abuse just as she remembers them. During the parts where she explains her childhood, it’s as if you can hear ten-year-old Cupcake actually speaking. She talks to the reader from that exact moment in time instead of just retelling the story, which makes it so painstakingly real. Her use of voice is just so incredible that you forget she’s telling a story. It feels as though you are actually with Cupcake, living out each moment in her life. You begin to really feel her pain and see that all she wants is love, which comes up in a quote I can’t forget. “It was during a discussion about that book that I decided purple would be my new favorite color. There was a line in the book that said the color purple just wanted to be loved like everything else, like me.” (126) Her innocence and longing to just feel love is so striking. You begin to feel like you actually know her, which makes her stories of abuse, rape, prostitution, gangbanging, homelessness, and drug addiction even more heartbreaking. It makes it seem impossible that anybody would be able to live through the things she’s experienced in her life. Yet, right when it seems like there is no hope left, Cupcake asks for help and decides to get clean. After recovery, she goes on to attend college and fulfill her dream of being a lawyer. Her success and resilience is so incredibly inspirational. It shows that there is always hope no matter what you’ve been through. When you finish this book, you don’t just throw it back on the shelf and forget about it. It’s one that really sticks with you and has a place in your heart. It’s something you find yourself revisiting again and again and will always be my favorite book for these reasons and more.
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Aug 09, 2011 Chayla rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was hesitant to read this book in the beginning. I knew that once I started, I was in for a journey with the author. I am so glad that I read this book, simply amazing. There was a few times, I put the book down, thinking that I could not go on the journey with the author anymore. In particular, her description of things that "Pete" did to her, the abuse by Diane, the feelings of despair, etc. If you are in a stage in your life and you feel like you can't go on anymore, I would encourage you t...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Kiarra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although the writting technique is terrible the story of this womans life captivated me. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone so I will say as little as possible. Cupcake Brown memior is a horrible life story that may seem "far-fetched" to those who wish to close their minds from the reality of the world, she does not hold back on details and makes the book hard to put down. Although there was light at the end of the tunnel, with Cupcake surviving her childhood and young adult years to get...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

This is a memoir about a girl who has been through everything and then some. After surviving abuse, drugs, gangs, prostitution, and other stuff, Cupcake goes on to talk about overcoming it all to become a successful lawyer.

The beginning is the toughest to read, because Cupcake talks about her childhood, including being thrown into a broken foster care system, and suffering physical, sexual, and mental abuse. I think the most messed up part is she had loving family who wanted to take her in and...more

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Apr 03, 2010 Rebecca Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir-abuse, memoir-addiction, memoir-childhood, memoir-mental-illness, non-fiction

'A Piece of Cake' was extremely detailed, it was at times heart-wrenching, and many times, turned my stomach. I feel that Cupcake Brown really did suffer an extreme amount, came through an extreme amount, and accomplished amazing feats to get where she is today (you'll have to read the book to find out exactly where that is). Reading it, however, I didn't feel like it was very... realistic, even though it seemed to be an accurate portrayal of her life. It could just be her amazing ability to shr...more 'A Piece of Cake' was extremely detailed, it was at times heart-wrenching, and many times, turned my stomach. I feel that Cupcake Brown really did suffer an extreme amount, came through an extreme amount, and accomplished amazing feats to get where she is today (you'll have to read the book to find out exactly where that is). Reading it, however, I didn't feel like it was very... realistic, even though it seemed to be an accurate portrayal of her life. It could just be her amazing ability to shrug off so many horrifying events, it could just be the way she wrote about those events, perhaps to protect herself from getting too deep into the experience. I don't know. And there WAS a lot... but there were issues that really bothered me, that she discussed almost... coldly, and issues, such as her multiple abortions, that she seemed to find amusing (for example, she explains that she could tell she was pregnant right away, because the smell of fried chicken, which she loved, would make her vomit - uh oh, time for another abortion), and she didn't follow it up by explaining the effects she experienced because of things of that nature... she also seemed to find it amusing, how while on so many drugs, she decided she would be better off dead, and proceeded to sleep with multiple strangers - many, many of them - without protection, in the hope that she would contract and die from AIDS. I thought this book was... descriptive, informative, and definitely portrayed a world that can only be seen through certain perspectives, such as hers. I don't recommend it if you are easily offended or disgusted by issues such as those discussed in the book (drugs, physical and sexual abuse, prostitution, abortion, etc., etc.), or if you have gone through any of these things... normally i recommend success stories such as this (I'm sorry, but I don't totally see it that way, it was more... sickening than anything) but I think this book would likely bring back some horrific memories, and not necessarily give you a positive way to cope with the resulting feelings. (less)

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Mar 11, 2010 Benny K rated it 5 of 5 stars

The story of Cupcake Brown is a true story that’s emotionally uplifting and inspiring, which motivates the reader to reflect on their own lives. I remember that when I was reading this book for the first time, I was absolutely blown away by the honesty that Cupcake was writing with. When she said “This [prostitution:] ain’t so bad,” she wasn’t afraid of the world knowing about her past, and I felt very emotional because she was only nine and was so innocent and pure.
I learned that Cupcake’s p...more The story of Cupcake Brown is a true story that’s emotionally uplifting and inspiring, which motivates the reader to reflect on their own lives. I remember that when I was reading this book for the first time, I was absolutely blown away by the honesty that Cupcake was writing with. When she said “This [prostitution:] ain’t so bad,” she wasn’t afraid of the world knowing about her past, and I felt very emotional because she was only nine and was so innocent and pure.
I learned that Cupcake’s parents were divorced and therefore she lived with her mother whom she loved and cared about the most. However, her mother suddenly died of a seizure when Cupcake was only nine. Ever since her mother’s death, Cupcake’s life turned into what seems to be a living hell. She suffered abuse, mistreatment, and neglect from the people around her. She was forced into prostitution in order to make a living.
To me, Cupcake is lost like a sheep without a shepherd and I want to just jump in and give her a helping hand, but I can’t. She believed that as long as she made money, she was going to be ok. “I felt like I was rich!” was the sentence that made me, a 16 year old boy, feel tearful. After earning $40 from sex, she thought that she was rich because she was famished and starved. This book will give you insight on how difficult someone’s life can be before they become successful.
As a boy who was raised with everything to my demand, it was rare that I appreciated what I had and what I got. However, after reading this book, I gained a lot of insight on how much more difficult other people’s lives are. As I continued to read, I really didn’t have the heart to stop reading. This book was just written with so much honesty and truthfulness that you wouldn’t have the heart to put it down until you have finished. As you read, you’ll hope that things will get better for Cupcake because as a young child, she didn’t deserve to go through so much pain and suffering.
This book is filled with so many beautiful mysteries that made me ponder page after page. “I’m not really sure where I’m going,” is a sentence that makes you keep thinking about what’s going to happen next. I can feel the determination and struggle that Cupcake had and was hooked by the intensity and concentration. I really enjoyed how Cupcake told her life as a story, and taught the readers about right and wrong. This book, written with its frankness will make you laugh, cry, smile and frown as you read from the first page to the last.
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About Cupcake Brown

Cupcake Brown was not born into a life of privilege, intellectual stimulation, or professional dynamics. Her younger years were not a model for achieving success; her youth interrupted by violence and emotional turbulence. At 11, she regularly engaged in prostitution, drugs, and alcohol. By age 13, she had graduated to gang activities and street crime. Unfortunately, life would get much worse befo...more Cupcake Brown was not born into a life of privilege, intellectual stimulation, or professional dynamics. Her younger years were not a model for achieving success; her youth interrupted by violence and emotional turbulence. At 11, she regularly engaged in prostitution, drugs, and alcohol. By age 13, she had graduated to gang activities and street crime. Unfortunately, life would get much worse before it got better as Cupcake spiraled into a life that hovered somewhere above state prison, at best, and death on the mean streets, at worst.

Cupcake's story is about system failure, societal ignorance, and a little girl who, as a result, resigned to degradation, depression, deprivation, and defeat. Her story is also about choices -- good ones and bad ones -- and about the possibilities that are there if only we "Pray, trust, work hard, and grab hold!" Most people would have been daunted by the hurdles she faced. Yet, despite enormous fear and grave self-doubt, Cupcake grabbed a hold, prayed, and held on for dear life as she learned that there was another way -- a better way. She sensed a Guiding Hand and discovered that, over time, a network of people were being formed to encourage and guide her along the way. Leaning on this network, Cupcake climbed the long, difficult, and steep ladder to transformation, sobriety, positive change, self-improvement, and triumph.

As an author, attorney, and advocate, Cupcake speaks all over the country, using all of the years of negative experiences, coupled with the positives, to share with others how -- even though it seems impossible -- the hopes and dreams of anyone really can come true.

After law school, Cupcake was an attorney for one of the 25th largest law firms in the nation.

Besides graduating college magna cum laude without a high school diploma or G.E.D., Cupcake has received many scholastic awards including, the University of San Francisco School of Law's Judge Harold J. Haley Award for Exceptional Distinction in Scholarship, Character and Activities; the McAuliffe Honor Society; the National Law School Dean's List; and San Diego State University's Donald Leiffer Outstanding Alumni Award for Distinguished Service.

In addition to her numerous accomplishments, Cupcake has served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Joyce Kennard, California Supreme Court, and to the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. (less)

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Quotes from A Piece of Cake

“Always remember the acronym for "FEAR" can mean one of two things: Fuck Everything And Run or Face Everything And Recover.” — 88 people liked it

“She talked about wanting to be a part of something, wanting to be desired, to be 'special', craving to be loved. She talked about experiencing the kind of loneliness so immense it could swallow you up. She called it 'loneliness that crowds couldn't cure'.” — 73 people liked it

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