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The Girl's Guide to Homelessness
Brianna Karp entered the workforce at age ten, supporting her mother and sister throughout her teen years in Southern California. Although her young life was scarred by violence and abuse, Karp stayed focused on her dream of a steady job and a home of her own. By age twenty-two her dream became reality. Karp loved her job as an executive assistant and signed the lease on a tiny cottage near the beach.And then the Great Recession hit. Karp, like millions of others, lost her job. In the six months between the day she was laid off and the day she was forced out onto the street, Karp scrambled for temp work and filed hundreds of job applications, only to find all doors closed. When she inherited a thirty-foot travel trailer after her father's suicide, Karp parked it in a Walmart parking lot and began to blog about her search for work and a way back.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
70 people are currently reading
1896 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 526 reviews
May 9, 2011
I tried so hard to give the author the benefit of the doubt. I really did. Bottom line is that I think Brianna is on the road to being gifted writer who will write very well when she has more experience. This is not a criticism by any means. She is articulate and precise in her ideas.
My overall feeling of the book, though, is that the book itself is based on Brianna's reality and not on truth. I also felt like she spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince the reader that she was right in all of her arguments with her mother, her sister, and her boyfriend. She provides direct quotations from a dialog where she paints herself as completely calm, intelligent and making perfect sense while the other person is a maniac. The overall message of the book was not to bring awareness to the public regarding homelessness (although that is a nice byproduct) but to publicize how she was victimized by her father, her mother, her sister, her boyfriend, and some supporting characters. She also provides a lot of "he said/she said" and supports it with saying that another character supports her in her "she said."
It may sound callous, but I don't care that Matt was wrong. I don't care that he dumped her and lied to her after promising he'd stand by her forever. Guess what? 50% of women folk have suffered the same loss. It sucks. It hurts. But we don't publish a book about it. It was almost the ultimate revenge - tell the world how you've been victimized by all the people you trusted.
I don't mean to be unkind because I really do believe that Brianna has had a hard life. On the other hand, the author has a lot of anger and unfinished business regarding her family and former boyfriend. This would have been a much stronger story if it had been told more objectively and less defensively. It would also have been much more believable.
I do hope Karp finds her home, not only physically but emotionally. Her resilience is commendable.
My overall feeling of the book, though, is that the book itself is based on Brianna's reality and not on truth. I also felt like she spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince the reader that she was right in all of her arguments with her mother, her sister, and her boyfriend. She provides direct quotations from a dialog where she paints herself as completely calm, intelligent and making perfect sense while the other person is a maniac. The overall message of the book was not to bring awareness to the public regarding homelessness (although that is a nice byproduct) but to publicize how she was victimized by her father, her mother, her sister, her boyfriend, and some supporting characters. She also provides a lot of "he said/she said" and supports it with saying that another character supports her in her "she said."
It may sound callous, but I don't care that Matt was wrong. I don't care that he dumped her and lied to her after promising he'd stand by her forever. Guess what? 50% of women folk have suffered the same loss. It sucks. It hurts. But we don't publish a book about it. It was almost the ultimate revenge - tell the world how you've been victimized by all the people you trusted.
I don't mean to be unkind because I really do believe that Brianna has had a hard life. On the other hand, the author has a lot of anger and unfinished business regarding her family and former boyfriend. This would have been a much stronger story if it had been told more objectively and less defensively. It would also have been much more believable.
I do hope Karp finds her home, not only physically but emotionally. Her resilience is commendable.
January 3, 2013
This? This is not a guide to homelessness. It's a revenge novel. And there's nothing wrong with revenge novels. Djuna Barnes, D.H. Lawrence and Leopold Woolf all penned revenge novels and no one holds that against them. Sometimes you just gotta unleash on those who may deserve it. It's just best to be honest about one's motives. For example, if one is getting revenge on a bad boyfriend, abusive parents, a weak stepfather and a shitheel who tricked you into paying for many expensive gifts even though you were homeless even as he was living with another woman, don't insinuate that the book is a memoir about being homeless.
Lots of people take issue with this book's veracity, and I understand that. The whole scene with Nancy Grace as Fox commentator certain calls into question Brianna's recall. This book is so teeming with WTF-moments that I too also wonder about the truth behind some of Karp's text. But I find really unappealing all of the poverty and homeless Olympics reactions this book has generated. Here's the thing: If your only place to crash is a travel trailer and the only place you can park it is in a Wal-Mart parking lot, you're homeless. People who quibble over Karp owning a cell phone and a laptop - the insinuation being that she should have sold them in order to... I don't know, have half a deposit for an apartment she couldn't afford? - are idiots. One cannot find a proper job these days without a computer, a phone and access to the Internet. Had she sold them, she would have been in even more dire straits.
All the more appalling is the notion that Karp was not poor enough. She was overweight, she dyed her hair, she kept all her books, she didn't get rid of her dog when her dog was all she felt she had left in the world... Surely if she was homeless she would have been skin and bones, her hair would have roots, she would have given up her pet, she would never have drunk a single coffee from Starbucks, etc. We really like our poor and homeless to be ragged, humbled and showing appropriate shame. They can have no small luxuries, they can have no small comforts. They must drink water, eat gruel and show themselves worthy of praise for being good poor people.
No one should dislike this book because Brianna Karp slept in a travel trailer in a parking lot and therefore was not sleeping on the pavement and homeless as homeless can be (do such people not consider people who sleep in their cars homeless because they are not exposed to the elements, one wonders) or because she was not a Good Poor Person. People should dislike this book because it is, at its heart, dishonest.
The book's title hit most people for a loop when they read the book. For a book that touts itself as a guide to homelessness, Brianna offers at most thirty full pages of information about how one can function when homeless, and much of it is stale information. I was unaware of the fact that Wal-Mart allows motor homes to stay in their parking lots, but if I know about how to get cheap WiFi and that a gym membership enables one to shower when one has no bathroom, surely others do as well. I think most people know that when one lacks a refrigerator, one is going to be eating a lot of shelf-stable meals. Brianna offered very little information on how to navigate the homeless world beyond "make sure your horrible father dies and leaves you a travel trailer before your mom throws you out and then camp out at Wal-Mart for as long as you can, eating ramen and hanging out at Starbucks when it gets too hot."
That's a problem. A big problem.
Also problematic is that Brianna is a foolish young woman. Very foolish. And an entire book of her foolishness is only worth reading because of the trainwreck factor. In many respects, this book reminded me of the early days of LiveJournal, when everyone shared every damn thing about themselves to the point that they had so many readers who stuck around to see what would happen next to the lunatic writer. That trainwreck factor is the only reason I kept reading and it will not be enough to make me spend more money on one of Brianna's books in the future.
And just to be clear, I was a complete idiot until I was 35 or so. I am so very glad I never created a blog before I was 30 or had a chance to immortalize my foolishness in a book. It's sad because Brianna, despite being foolish, is likable and intelligent. But the damn foolishness was all I could focus on.
Here's a list of some of her damn foolishness, and in this there is some crossover into the WTF!/did this really happen territory:
--Brianna, while homeless, clearly made the choice to live as a nomad. This is a problem when one is writing a book about homelessness. Because a deliberate nomad decides permanent shelter is not a priority and therefore can spend money buying her crappy Scottish boyfriend a ticket to come visit her, hotel rooms so they can romp while watching TV, his and her engagement rings, her own airfare to Scotland, a new car when her car bites the dust, and so many more large ticket purchases that I, a suburban homeowner with a moderate savings account, could not justify. And again, that's cool. It's just better to be honest and, say, call your blog and your book The Girl's Guide to Nomadic Living.
--The extraordinary amounts of money Brianna spent on non-essentials when she was ostensibly saving to have a permanent home brings us to the foolishness she had in her relationship with Matt, the Scottish loser. I cut her some slack here, because a crappy childhood can leave one prey to con artists and shysters. Perhaps she really did feel this formerly homeless dude she had spent remarkably little time with really was the love of her life and therefore it was not a problem he had gotten another girl pregnant. Perhaps she really felt she was building a life with this man even though she was homeless and he lived on another continent and was often broke, but even so, perhaps his incipient fatherhood combined with his seeming nonchalance with her spending money on him, money she needed to put toward finding a home, should have been a clue.
--The visit to Scotland. Oh, the visit to Scotland. Our heroine Brianna, despite having an IUD, got knocked up. She conveniently "forgot" and left the pregnancy test in the bathroom of the new trailer she was renting (her travel trailer got towed and impounded in a whole other mess), ensuring a bit of drama when her landlord let people stay there while she was gone. In fact, at times I felt like I was reading The Girl's Guide to Personality Disorders. But anyway, she got knocked up and wanted to fly to Scotland to surprise Matt with the good news, that he was going to be a father to a new baby he couldn't afford and that she couldn't properly house. Hurrah! Anyway, she shows up and finds out he lives with the woman he claimed was never his girlfriend in the first place and the baby mama is none too pleased to see Brianna standing there.
Matt, being the complete wiener he surely is, turned Brianna away, telling her to get a hotel room. She got locked in because the owners forgot she was there on Christmas, leaving her with no food but creamer. She meets with Matt finally, he tells her lies, she believes him. Time passes, he tells her lies, she believes him. She agrees to meet him at a train station that is not open during the holiday. She waits there for hours and hours, finally wandering off in the brutal cold, forcing concerned locals to help her because she clearly was too daft to not come in from the cold, even as she was snowed on.
She miscarries. She wraps the baby, which is developed enough to see is a boy, up in a towel and tosses it in a river, as you do. She finally understands Matt is a crap heap and comes back to the USA and writes this book to smear his name but good.
--And if elements of the Scotland trip seem odd to you, like continuing to believe a man who clearly is lying to you, or tossing a fetus into a river seem a bit WTF! to you, you are not alone. Jesus. Add to it that she bleeds all over the place, essentially gives birth to a stillborn baby, uses towels as pads to staunch her blood flow, and no one confronts her? And even better, she named the wee fetus before tossing it into the river. Which seems super likely.
Just so I am clear about how much time Brianna spends talking about her quasi relationship with Matt, he enters her life on page 133. From there on out it is nothing but Matt, Matt, Matt until page 325 or so. This is a book about a failed relationship, not about being homeless. The purpose of this book was to smear Matt, not to discuss the tactics of being homeless.
It is all the more horrible to note that I am only hitting on some of the appalling problems I encountered reading the book. Should you read elsewhere, you will find people who knew her dispute major chunks of the book. Hot mess doesn't even begin to cover it. That sucks because I entered this book wanting to love it.
So, I read this revenge novel and kept reading because I wanted to see the train derail. And it did. And I wish Harlequin had not published this book because I think Karp will be associated with her foolishness forever and that future jobs and future writing gigs may end up thin on the ground.
Lots of people take issue with this book's veracity, and I understand that. The whole scene with Nancy Grace as Fox commentator certain calls into question Brianna's recall. This book is so teeming with WTF-moments that I too also wonder about the truth behind some of Karp's text. But I find really unappealing all of the poverty and homeless Olympics reactions this book has generated. Here's the thing: If your only place to crash is a travel trailer and the only place you can park it is in a Wal-Mart parking lot, you're homeless. People who quibble over Karp owning a cell phone and a laptop - the insinuation being that she should have sold them in order to... I don't know, have half a deposit for an apartment she couldn't afford? - are idiots. One cannot find a proper job these days without a computer, a phone and access to the Internet. Had she sold them, she would have been in even more dire straits.
All the more appalling is the notion that Karp was not poor enough. She was overweight, she dyed her hair, she kept all her books, she didn't get rid of her dog when her dog was all she felt she had left in the world... Surely if she was homeless she would have been skin and bones, her hair would have roots, she would have given up her pet, she would never have drunk a single coffee from Starbucks, etc. We really like our poor and homeless to be ragged, humbled and showing appropriate shame. They can have no small luxuries, they can have no small comforts. They must drink water, eat gruel and show themselves worthy of praise for being good poor people.
No one should dislike this book because Brianna Karp slept in a travel trailer in a parking lot and therefore was not sleeping on the pavement and homeless as homeless can be (do such people not consider people who sleep in their cars homeless because they are not exposed to the elements, one wonders) or because she was not a Good Poor Person. People should dislike this book because it is, at its heart, dishonest.
The book's title hit most people for a loop when they read the book. For a book that touts itself as a guide to homelessness, Brianna offers at most thirty full pages of information about how one can function when homeless, and much of it is stale information. I was unaware of the fact that Wal-Mart allows motor homes to stay in their parking lots, but if I know about how to get cheap WiFi and that a gym membership enables one to shower when one has no bathroom, surely others do as well. I think most people know that when one lacks a refrigerator, one is going to be eating a lot of shelf-stable meals. Brianna offered very little information on how to navigate the homeless world beyond "make sure your horrible father dies and leaves you a travel trailer before your mom throws you out and then camp out at Wal-Mart for as long as you can, eating ramen and hanging out at Starbucks when it gets too hot."
That's a problem. A big problem.
Also problematic is that Brianna is a foolish young woman. Very foolish. And an entire book of her foolishness is only worth reading because of the trainwreck factor. In many respects, this book reminded me of the early days of LiveJournal, when everyone shared every damn thing about themselves to the point that they had so many readers who stuck around to see what would happen next to the lunatic writer. That trainwreck factor is the only reason I kept reading and it will not be enough to make me spend more money on one of Brianna's books in the future.
And just to be clear, I was a complete idiot until I was 35 or so. I am so very glad I never created a blog before I was 30 or had a chance to immortalize my foolishness in a book. It's sad because Brianna, despite being foolish, is likable and intelligent. But the damn foolishness was all I could focus on.
Here's a list of some of her damn foolishness, and in this there is some crossover into the WTF!/did this really happen territory:
--Brianna, while homeless, clearly made the choice to live as a nomad. This is a problem when one is writing a book about homelessness. Because a deliberate nomad decides permanent shelter is not a priority and therefore can spend money buying her crappy Scottish boyfriend a ticket to come visit her, hotel rooms so they can romp while watching TV, his and her engagement rings, her own airfare to Scotland, a new car when her car bites the dust, and so many more large ticket purchases that I, a suburban homeowner with a moderate savings account, could not justify. And again, that's cool. It's just better to be honest and, say, call your blog and your book The Girl's Guide to Nomadic Living.
--The extraordinary amounts of money Brianna spent on non-essentials when she was ostensibly saving to have a permanent home brings us to the foolishness she had in her relationship with Matt, the Scottish loser. I cut her some slack here, because a crappy childhood can leave one prey to con artists and shysters. Perhaps she really did feel this formerly homeless dude she had spent remarkably little time with really was the love of her life and therefore it was not a problem he had gotten another girl pregnant. Perhaps she really felt she was building a life with this man even though she was homeless and he lived on another continent and was often broke, but even so, perhaps his incipient fatherhood combined with his seeming nonchalance with her spending money on him, money she needed to put toward finding a home, should have been a clue.
--The visit to Scotland. Oh, the visit to Scotland. Our heroine Brianna, despite having an IUD, got knocked up. She conveniently "forgot" and left the pregnancy test in the bathroom of the new trailer she was renting (her travel trailer got towed and impounded in a whole other mess), ensuring a bit of drama when her landlord let people stay there while she was gone. In fact, at times I felt like I was reading The Girl's Guide to Personality Disorders. But anyway, she got knocked up and wanted to fly to Scotland to surprise Matt with the good news, that he was going to be a father to a new baby he couldn't afford and that she couldn't properly house. Hurrah! Anyway, she shows up and finds out he lives with the woman he claimed was never his girlfriend in the first place and the baby mama is none too pleased to see Brianna standing there.
Matt, being the complete wiener he surely is, turned Brianna away, telling her to get a hotel room. She got locked in because the owners forgot she was there on Christmas, leaving her with no food but creamer. She meets with Matt finally, he tells her lies, she believes him. Time passes, he tells her lies, she believes him. She agrees to meet him at a train station that is not open during the holiday. She waits there for hours and hours, finally wandering off in the brutal cold, forcing concerned locals to help her because she clearly was too daft to not come in from the cold, even as she was snowed on.
She miscarries. She wraps the baby, which is developed enough to see is a boy, up in a towel and tosses it in a river, as you do. She finally understands Matt is a crap heap and comes back to the USA and writes this book to smear his name but good.
--And if elements of the Scotland trip seem odd to you, like continuing to believe a man who clearly is lying to you, or tossing a fetus into a river seem a bit WTF! to you, you are not alone. Jesus. Add to it that she bleeds all over the place, essentially gives birth to a stillborn baby, uses towels as pads to staunch her blood flow, and no one confronts her? And even better, she named the wee fetus before tossing it into the river. Which seems super likely.
Just so I am clear about how much time Brianna spends talking about her quasi relationship with Matt, he enters her life on page 133. From there on out it is nothing but Matt, Matt, Matt until page 325 or so. This is a book about a failed relationship, not about being homeless. The purpose of this book was to smear Matt, not to discuss the tactics of being homeless.
It is all the more horrible to note that I am only hitting on some of the appalling problems I encountered reading the book. Should you read elsewhere, you will find people who knew her dispute major chunks of the book. Hot mess doesn't even begin to cover it. That sucks because I entered this book wanting to love it.
So, I read this revenge novel and kept reading because I wanted to see the train derail. And it did. And I wish Harlequin had not published this book because I think Karp will be associated with her foolishness forever and that future jobs and future writing gigs may end up thin on the ground.
August 29, 2011
The first half of this "memoir" is strong and searing, recounting a seemingly smart girl's coming of age in a dysfunctional family and her determination to survive and break free. The author's work ethic, compassion, and commitment are admirable.
However, the second half of the book, detailing her life in a trailer and her relationship with a homeless Scot, reads like an anti-feminist roadmap of bad decisions. Though the author had access to both a therapist and advice columnist, readers are left to wonder why neither suggested she attend college or choose herself (or her dog) over the man with all the red flags.
Moreover, many sequences in this "memoir" ring false. The details of sexual abuse she claims to remember her father inflicting on her as a very young child seem fabricated from "false memories" inspired by bad therapy. The entire sequence in Scotland reads like a hallucination. Conveniently, in both cases, no witnesses exist to contradict her claims.
I read this to review for Elle magazine, but would not have picked it up on my own. I wish publishers stopped rewarding members of the modern cult of victimhood. I cannot relate to those who consider such wallow entertaining. If you love the Oprah show, Dr. Phil, Celebrity Rehab, and other displays of emotional incontinence, you'd probably enjoy this book.
However, the second half of the book, detailing her life in a trailer and her relationship with a homeless Scot, reads like an anti-feminist roadmap of bad decisions. Though the author had access to both a therapist and advice columnist, readers are left to wonder why neither suggested she attend college or choose herself (or her dog) over the man with all the red flags.
Moreover, many sequences in this "memoir" ring false. The details of sexual abuse she claims to remember her father inflicting on her as a very young child seem fabricated from "false memories" inspired by bad therapy. The entire sequence in Scotland reads like a hallucination. Conveniently, in both cases, no witnesses exist to contradict her claims.
I read this to review for Elle magazine, but would not have picked it up on my own. I wish publishers stopped rewarding members of the modern cult of victimhood. I cannot relate to those who consider such wallow entertaining. If you love the Oprah show, Dr. Phil, Celebrity Rehab, and other displays of emotional incontinence, you'd probably enjoy this book.
July 13, 2011
I call BS. This book is not about homelessness. This is partially a short memoir of a messed up childhood and the rest is all about a guy. There's no tips for living "on the streets", or anything like that. Parking at Wal-Mart, peeing at a gas station, showering at the gym, these are all things that I'm pretty sure anyone with common sense would figure out on their own. And while I get that there is a new kind of homeless person, laid-off, foreclosed on, etc, this young woman is living inside a trailer, not in an alley somewhere. She's shopping, driving around in one of her two vehicles, meeting a man and spending money on him instead of trying to get into a cheap apartment throughout the entire book. She could have also easily stayed with friends, and eventually did, so this woman is not the new face of anything except maybe poor decisions and regular old poverty.
I do feel guilty that I did not like her more, but I feel that the entire story is told through her own one-sided, self righteous memories, and may not be exactly true-to-life. There are a lot of gaps, there are things never mentioned, and the conversations she has with people that have wronged her paint her as completely right all of the time. She spends an inordinate amount of time defending choices she has made, and many I agree with, for instance the fact that homeless people need cell phones and internet to try to pull themselves back up in the world is completely true, but her attempted justification of wasting enormous amounts of money on plane tickets and hotel rooms for a guy are ridiculous. Admit that you've abandoned your plan and goals in exchange for a relationship, don't try to make it seem understandable.
I was also extremely irritated that she kept referring to herself as educated, (hammering that home so we all understand that she is smart), and then proceeding to make some of the dumbest choices and defending them! And the second half of the book seemed as if every other line of the story was some ridiculous justification for some idiot thing her idiot boyfriend had said or done. Love is blind, sure, but is it also brain-damaged? Oh, and she keeps calling him being on the computer all day his "social media work." Give me a break. Additionally, I was also put off by the vulgar language. Not the bad words, I don't mind those, and use them myself, but mostly the disgusting descriptions of things. Probably a writing tool for shock value, perhaps she was advised to do that, but I don't think it was necessary.
I am giving the book two stars instead of one because I don't believe it's completely without value. I do think that all of the reviews touting its helping of the homeless are utter crap (that means you too, Augusten Burroughs, did you even read it?) The relationship with the douche bag is the real, and really the only story. I finished the book quickly because of it and was angry when I was done. Angry that I was misled about the subject matter, yes, but also very angry at the douche bag and at the author's naivete. I'm not sure if I'm completely convinced about the whole secret pregnancy/secret miscarriage thing, or if it was an attempt at making her ex feel worse about himself. Yes, I know I'm a horrible person for questioning that, but that is what crossed my mind, and if it did really occur, than I am truly sorry that it happened to her. The part near the end when she received the brush-off e-mail truly resonated with me, I felt, as she must have, that I had been punched in the stomach, even though I knew it was coming. That is why I think that although the author is young and somewhat naive about the world, that her writing will improve with time.
I do feel guilty that I did not like her more, but I feel that the entire story is told through her own one-sided, self righteous memories, and may not be exactly true-to-life. There are a lot of gaps, there are things never mentioned, and the conversations she has with people that have wronged her paint her as completely right all of the time. She spends an inordinate amount of time defending choices she has made, and many I agree with, for instance the fact that homeless people need cell phones and internet to try to pull themselves back up in the world is completely true, but her attempted justification of wasting enormous amounts of money on plane tickets and hotel rooms for a guy are ridiculous. Admit that you've abandoned your plan and goals in exchange for a relationship, don't try to make it seem understandable.
I was also extremely irritated that she kept referring to herself as educated, (hammering that home so we all understand that she is smart), and then proceeding to make some of the dumbest choices and defending them! And the second half of the book seemed as if every other line of the story was some ridiculous justification for some idiot thing her idiot boyfriend had said or done. Love is blind, sure, but is it also brain-damaged? Oh, and she keeps calling him being on the computer all day his "social media work." Give me a break. Additionally, I was also put off by the vulgar language. Not the bad words, I don't mind those, and use them myself, but mostly the disgusting descriptions of things. Probably a writing tool for shock value, perhaps she was advised to do that, but I don't think it was necessary.
I am giving the book two stars instead of one because I don't believe it's completely without value. I do think that all of the reviews touting its helping of the homeless are utter crap (that means you too, Augusten Burroughs, did you even read it?) The relationship with the douche bag is the real, and really the only story. I finished the book quickly because of it and was angry when I was done. Angry that I was misled about the subject matter, yes, but also very angry at the douche bag and at the author's naivete. I'm not sure if I'm completely convinced about the whole secret pregnancy/secret miscarriage thing, or if it was an attempt at making her ex feel worse about himself. Yes, I know I'm a horrible person for questioning that, but that is what crossed my mind, and if it did really occur, than I am truly sorry that it happened to her. The part near the end when she received the brush-off e-mail truly resonated with me, I felt, as she must have, that I had been punched in the stomach, even though I knew it was coming. That is why I think that although the author is young and somewhat naive about the world, that her writing will improve with time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2011
I read about The Girls Guide To Homelessness in PEOPLE magazine and was looking forward to picking it up. The idea, I thought, was interesting enough and the book was made to sound like it would be quick read. I finished the book in a single night, mostly because I couldn't wait to write this review, but felt in order to do so, I owed Brianna a fair shake at things.
This book should have been have been written in three parts: Belief, Suspicion of Disbelief and Total Disbelief.
I harbored a feeling, a strong feeling at that, that most of this book is written from Brianna supposed reality, and I highly doubt most of it is actual reality. A lot has been made about fictions claims and stories in the books--and I'm guessing that is probably the only nonfiction thing about this story.
Brianna claims to be homeless, and yes, by definition she is without a stable home ergo "homeless". But she's far, far, far and away from the image of a woman sitting curbside asking for change. She's not that by a mile and a half. She works really hard to sell you on why her version of homelessness is still legit, despite having money enough to fly her online boyfriend around the world 4 times, own a Blackberry cell phone, a neo mastiff and 2 cars, oops...lets not forget her trailer. Brianna tries, and fails, to justify these actions by pull the old "poor little me" excuse to explain away various expenses she occurs in the pursuit of wooing her man--like the antique ring or the the trips across the globe last minute.
There are moments where you'll feel for this girl, of course. If this story even harbors 1/100th of truth, that's a real shame. But, at the end of the day--and all else aside-- she's an active and willing participant in making poor decisions, al a, taking her unemployment, when she's too broke to buy food mind you, and flying her boyfriend to the US for an extended "sex and getting to know you" vacation. Those tickets aren't cheap and that same money could go far spent in practical ways.
I have no doubt Brianna struggles, be it from her circumstances or free will, but the reader will have a hard time reconciling the two. If it wasn't for bad luck, Brianna would have none and so I wish her the best and hope she can realign her priorities so she can get back to on an even keel.
This book should have been have been written in three parts: Belief, Suspicion of Disbelief and Total Disbelief.
I harbored a feeling, a strong feeling at that, that most of this book is written from Brianna supposed reality, and I highly doubt most of it is actual reality. A lot has been made about fictions claims and stories in the books--and I'm guessing that is probably the only nonfiction thing about this story.
Brianna claims to be homeless, and yes, by definition she is without a stable home ergo "homeless". But she's far, far, far and away from the image of a woman sitting curbside asking for change. She's not that by a mile and a half. She works really hard to sell you on why her version of homelessness is still legit, despite having money enough to fly her online boyfriend around the world 4 times, own a Blackberry cell phone, a neo mastiff and 2 cars, oops...lets not forget her trailer. Brianna tries, and fails, to justify these actions by pull the old "poor little me" excuse to explain away various expenses she occurs in the pursuit of wooing her man--like the antique ring or the the trips across the globe last minute.
There are moments where you'll feel for this girl, of course. If this story even harbors 1/100th of truth, that's a real shame. But, at the end of the day--and all else aside-- she's an active and willing participant in making poor decisions, al a, taking her unemployment, when she's too broke to buy food mind you, and flying her boyfriend to the US for an extended "sex and getting to know you" vacation. Those tickets aren't cheap and that same money could go far spent in practical ways.
I have no doubt Brianna struggles, be it from her circumstances or free will, but the reader will have a hard time reconciling the two. If it wasn't for bad luck, Brianna would have none and so I wish her the best and hope she can realign her priorities so she can get back to on an even keel.
May 18, 2011
Not good. Also, not about being homeless. It's about having an ill-advised and ill-fated long distance relationship with some dude from Scotland. For whom she regularly bought plane tickets, btw. I'd say 50 percent of this book is Karp chastising her readers/the public for being judgmental about other people's choices and circumstances. And the other 50 percent of this book is Karp describing the cringe-worthy choices she made, most of them centered around the Scottish guy. (I guess there's a fair amount of bad-childhood material in there, too, but it doesn't add anything.) Reading this is basically like being on a long car trip with an unstable chick. I left my copy on the plane, in the pocket of the seat in front of me.
October 18, 2011
Anyone with a brain who reads this book and thinks for a moment this author is playing with a full deck needs to have their own head examined. This book is not about homelessness. Forget the argument about whether or not she can be considered homeless with a roof over her head, a cell phone, laptop, or trips to Europe. I think she brilliantly parlayed a homeless stint into a book deal. Part way through she did a switch from a subject which is a very real concern, into a self-absorbed fantasy about her life in order to publicly chastise those in her past who hurt her.
If you cannot see from the first few chapters how an abusive upbringing colored this girl's imagination, or perception of her own reality, then you have no idea how an adult who is a product of mental illness can be fragmented and broken. The apple does not fall far from the tree, despite the fact that this author repeatedly claims that she somehow miraculously escaped the pathology that entrenches her. Among the cast of characters are her mother (Bi-Polar abusive) her grandmother (crazy abusive hoarder) her father (abusive sex offender who committed suicide) etc. I am concerned that she has herself so convinced that she is sane that she may never get the help she so desperately needs. Such is the challenge with BPD. At times, they can be so lucid and "on" that no one would ever think they wrestled with mental illness. The chink in the armor occurs because they can never perform consistently for any period of time.
The author states early on in the book that she is not mentally ill. Does that make it so? Remember Ted, the homeless man with the golden voice? He claimed to be 2 years sober. The public loved it. He was offered a broadcast job, was reunited with his family, then promptly fell apart on a family reunion on network TV. He was not sober. He lied. People with mental illness lie because it is their coping mechanism. The public wants to believe them, because it makes for a good humanitarian story.
For me, the more I read, the clearer the picture I received. She is a victim of child abuse and her defense is to create her reality by presenting herself as sane, calm, rational and intellectual. Lying is a coping mechanism. She has probably been doing it for so long she doesn't really know what is truth anymore. Between the lines, she emerges as a classic example of Borderline Personality Disorder. She is just sane enough to be able to fool some of the people some of the time. I actually went on her blog to see if there is any current information. There is not. My hope is that she does seek professional help.
If you cannot see from the first few chapters how an abusive upbringing colored this girl's imagination, or perception of her own reality, then you have no idea how an adult who is a product of mental illness can be fragmented and broken. The apple does not fall far from the tree, despite the fact that this author repeatedly claims that she somehow miraculously escaped the pathology that entrenches her. Among the cast of characters are her mother (Bi-Polar abusive) her grandmother (crazy abusive hoarder) her father (abusive sex offender who committed suicide) etc. I am concerned that she has herself so convinced that she is sane that she may never get the help she so desperately needs. Such is the challenge with BPD. At times, they can be so lucid and "on" that no one would ever think they wrestled with mental illness. The chink in the armor occurs because they can never perform consistently for any period of time.
The author states early on in the book that she is not mentally ill. Does that make it so? Remember Ted, the homeless man with the golden voice? He claimed to be 2 years sober. The public loved it. He was offered a broadcast job, was reunited with his family, then promptly fell apart on a family reunion on network TV. He was not sober. He lied. People with mental illness lie because it is their coping mechanism. The public wants to believe them, because it makes for a good humanitarian story.
For me, the more I read, the clearer the picture I received. She is a victim of child abuse and her defense is to create her reality by presenting herself as sane, calm, rational and intellectual. Lying is a coping mechanism. She has probably been doing it for so long she doesn't really know what is truth anymore. Between the lines, she emerges as a classic example of Borderline Personality Disorder. She is just sane enough to be able to fool some of the people some of the time. I actually went on her blog to see if there is any current information. There is not. My hope is that she does seek professional help.
July 20, 2011
Can't remember where I first heard about this story - probably read about it online. It kind of sounded intriguing, so I figured "what the hell, I'll buy the book and support this gal."
What started off as a fairly well-crafted, believable narrative quickly devolved into the kind of drivel that teenage girl novels are probably made of. Seriously. Pieces stopped fitting together. Stuff stopped making sense. The whole tone became really melodramatic... and THEN we're introduced to the boyfriend - the most impossibly spineless douchebag to ever prance about Scotland, who happens to have a random knocked-up girl back home! AND THEN (spoiler alert!) SHE GETS PREGNANT? AN DEN??? HER BIG, FAT CHRISTMAS SURPRISE ENDS IN TEARS! There are so many wildly unbelievable (yet unintentionally comedic) bits in this stupid book that it can't possibly be taken seriously. Not even halfway through, I completely doubted everything I read. It reads like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" full of terrible choices, self-fulfilling prophecies, and general annoyance. So why did I stick it out and finish this piece of garbage? Well, it was such a train wreck that I had to see just how many cars would come off the track. I was really hoping for a tanker car explosion, but in the end we got was a couple of wrecked box cars and smattering of hobos warming their hands by a trash fire in a barrel. Yay.
I could probably go on, but I'm about to go set this piece of trash on fire in my back yard. That's right, this book isn't even worth reselling or giving to somebody else. I'm going to set it on fire and maybe poke it with a stick just to get some kind of entertainment for my money. Argh!!!
What started off as a fairly well-crafted, believable narrative quickly devolved into the kind of drivel that teenage girl novels are probably made of. Seriously. Pieces stopped fitting together. Stuff stopped making sense. The whole tone became really melodramatic... and THEN we're introduced to the boyfriend - the most impossibly spineless douchebag to ever prance about Scotland, who happens to have a random knocked-up girl back home! AND THEN (spoiler alert!) SHE GETS PREGNANT? AN DEN??? HER BIG, FAT CHRISTMAS SURPRISE ENDS IN TEARS! There are so many wildly unbelievable (yet unintentionally comedic) bits in this stupid book that it can't possibly be taken seriously. Not even halfway through, I completely doubted everything I read. It reads like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" full of terrible choices, self-fulfilling prophecies, and general annoyance. So why did I stick it out and finish this piece of garbage? Well, it was such a train wreck that I had to see just how many cars would come off the track. I was really hoping for a tanker car explosion, but in the end we got was a couple of wrecked box cars and smattering of hobos warming their hands by a trash fire in a barrel. Yay.
I could probably go on, but I'm about to go set this piece of trash on fire in my back yard. That's right, this book isn't even worth reselling or giving to somebody else. I'm going to set it on fire and maybe poke it with a stick just to get some kind of entertainment for my money. Argh!!!
May 20, 2011
I was kind of disappointed with this book overall. Instead of being a interesting read into the life of a homeless girl, it ended up being a one sided tell-all drama fest about her whirlwind internet relationship that turned into a horror story. Not really at all what I was expecting, or *wanted* to read in the first place. On the positive side, it was interesting and well written enough to make me want to keep reading and find out how it ended. I saw huge red flags right from the beginning of their relationship though, everything seemed creepy and kind of off to me right from the start. I would have loved to hear more details about her day to day struggles, deeper things, what was going on inside, rather than her desperate grab at any sort of intimacy and how it went wrong. The intimacy within herself and her personal struggles are what would have made this book extra special, definitely not her rather abysmal recount of a shitty relationship. I think this book showed an incredible amount of promise and potential in the beginning, and then sadly things veered horribly off track. It was like watching a car accident, you want to look away, but you can't.
May 31, 2011
The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: A Memoir by Brianna Karp
I have heard a lot of buzz about Brianna Karp’s The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness so I was very excited to be able to read a prepublication of it. Unfortunately I was disappointed with this title.
Ms. Karp is very angry in the book. And yes, she has many things to be angry about – a violent childhood, a horrible father. After she loses her job she really does not have the opportunity to move in for a lengthy stay with her parents. Ms. Karp also says she could not find friends to stay with. It seems a little difficult to believe that there wasn’t someone willing to provide her with a couch for awhile.
Luckily she inherits a trailer which she gets to a local Wal-Mart and parks. Ms. Karp is fortunate to have a trailer and she does mention that she is better off than many of the other homeless. The thing is not only does she have the trailer she also has a laptop and a smart phone. Mrs. Karp refuses to give these tools up saying that they are lifeline to a job and a normal life. She gets very defensive throughout the book, defending her choices. Whether these were the “right” choices or not is not for me to say – but her defensiveness is very off putting for the reader.
I was still very opened minded about this book. I could see her need to move out; I could sort of understand her choices to keep the laptop, the dog, the phone. Ms. Karp considered these to be essential items to her life. But, the last part of The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: a Memoir is where Ms. Karp lost me. She spends way too much time discussing her growing relationship with a fellow homeless advocate, Matt. She barely knows Matt, who is based in Scotland, yet spends her meager savings visiting him, buying gifts for him, supporting him.
This part of The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: a Memoir turned out to be another story of a naïve girl making bad choices about men. There was just way too much information about their romance and about the heartbreaking end to their relationship. It really ruined a book that was presenting an interesting perspective about being single, female and homeless in America.
I have heard a lot of buzz about Brianna Karp’s The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness so I was very excited to be able to read a prepublication of it. Unfortunately I was disappointed with this title.
Ms. Karp is very angry in the book. And yes, she has many things to be angry about – a violent childhood, a horrible father. After she loses her job she really does not have the opportunity to move in for a lengthy stay with her parents. Ms. Karp also says she could not find friends to stay with. It seems a little difficult to believe that there wasn’t someone willing to provide her with a couch for awhile.
Luckily she inherits a trailer which she gets to a local Wal-Mart and parks. Ms. Karp is fortunate to have a trailer and she does mention that she is better off than many of the other homeless. The thing is not only does she have the trailer she also has a laptop and a smart phone. Mrs. Karp refuses to give these tools up saying that they are lifeline to a job and a normal life. She gets very defensive throughout the book, defending her choices. Whether these were the “right” choices or not is not for me to say – but her defensiveness is very off putting for the reader.
I was still very opened minded about this book. I could see her need to move out; I could sort of understand her choices to keep the laptop, the dog, the phone. Ms. Karp considered these to be essential items to her life. But, the last part of The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: a Memoir is where Ms. Karp lost me. She spends way too much time discussing her growing relationship with a fellow homeless advocate, Matt. She barely knows Matt, who is based in Scotland, yet spends her meager savings visiting him, buying gifts for him, supporting him.
This part of The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: a Memoir turned out to be another story of a naïve girl making bad choices about men. There was just way too much information about their romance and about the heartbreaking end to their relationship. It really ruined a book that was presenting an interesting perspective about being single, female and homeless in America.
March 2, 2012
This book is a tough read. Brianna is so strong and so brave and she did it all herself. She challenges the definition of homeless and reminds people there is no one circumstance or reason for being homeless. Everyone has a very different story and just because they aren't begging and without shelter doesn't make them any less homeless. Her particular story starts in violence, assault, abuse and religious fanaticism that keeps her prisoner until she's an adult.
I've read a few reviews from people who were still not convinced she was homeless and after her story I'm appalled they could read this book and fixate on her having 'too much' to be homeless. They missed the point entirely. As far as judging that, it doesn't matter how homeless (as if it should be measured) a person is, if they can't consistently provide for all their needs and their residence is anything less than a house or apartment that they aren't in danger of losing, homeless.
Brianna has overcome obstacles that would ruin most people. This book is about a lot of things but most of all it's about resilience and not assigning blame as part of recovering, just focusing on the hope and believing in your own strength through it all. Her personal trials connected her to the homeless community and she is a continuing advocate for them even now.
I can see that some people who have no experience with suffering might not get the point or take away any relevant messages, but they are the ones who wouldn't survive ordeals like the ones Bri did.
I've read a few reviews from people who were still not convinced she was homeless and after her story I'm appalled they could read this book and fixate on her having 'too much' to be homeless. They missed the point entirely. As far as judging that, it doesn't matter how homeless (as if it should be measured) a person is, if they can't consistently provide for all their needs and their residence is anything less than a house or apartment that they aren't in danger of losing, homeless.
Brianna has overcome obstacles that would ruin most people. This book is about a lot of things but most of all it's about resilience and not assigning blame as part of recovering, just focusing on the hope and believing in your own strength through it all. Her personal trials connected her to the homeless community and she is a continuing advocate for them even now.
I can see that some people who have no experience with suffering might not get the point or take away any relevant messages, but they are the ones who wouldn't survive ordeals like the ones Bri did.
August 26, 2015
This is a memoir about a clueless young woman who loses her job and ends up with no place to live, no real friends, and with a bad family she can't get help from. She inherits a trailer and lives out of that, mostly in a Walmart parking lot. She does find various jobs, but she ends up spending most of her money on a guy from overseas who she meets while she's writing a homelessness blog. There is a whole community and they fall in love online, over long distance phone calls, and a couple visits. I'm not going to spoil the story at all but the entire book, I was shaking my head at Brianna Karp and muttering to myself, 'I can't, I just can't.' Parts of the book were interesting and I guess the story is real, because no one would make this up. I did finish the book but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone. This is not what I expected.
June 7, 2013
Very odd but very readable memoir that starts off as the story of Karp's extremely messed-up family (she has a few memoirs still left in the tank on this alone). But it then becomes the story of the unfortunate decisions she makes as she looks for love in all the wrong places. The publisher is Harlequin, so I suppose this makes sense, but the story arc still comes across as schizophrenic. The best (as in, well-written) parts are the details of her father's sexual abuse and her mother's mental, emotional and physical abuse, as well as the tenets of their religion--Jehovah's Witness--that makes all that possible. A very well-written memoir still needs to be written about that alone--about how a religion imprisons the children of its followers. One does not doubt that what she says here about the religion is true: apparently, a severely abused woman is told to be better to her husband, and the abuse should go away. This would make a Pulitzer-winning memoir in of itself. I'll never look at Jehovah's Witnesses again. No longer will they be, for me, the quaint men in black who bravely go door-to-door, knowing said doors will be slammed in their faces, but doing it anyway.
One would think that this would create some controversy, but it hasn't. What has created controversy, strangely, is the second schizophrenic half of this memoir, where she chronicles her rise from depressed homeless person living in Wal-Mart's parking lot in SoCal (Did you know that some Wal-Marts let homeless people live in their parking lots in their cars and campers? I didn't. I'm interested to see if my local Wal-Mart allows this. If so, kudos to them. This book brings up something I've wondered about: How are homeless people to sleep in safety if they're not allowed to park their cars in parking lots for fear of being towed? Where are they to go?) to winning writer/blogger of the homeless and working for Elle Magazine and going on the Today show to write about it. The controversy starts when she mentions that some guy came to her trailer to interview her, treated her shabbily and did the same to other interviewees he tried to "help." She wrote that she asked him to not mention her real name, or her real location. He does, anyway, and says that it's too late when she complains.
I saw online yesterday that he says all this isn't true, but that he took the video of the interview down anyway, per advice of his lawyer after Karp's book came out. Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre...There was also some silly stuff about her not really being homeless, since she (usually) had a car, and a cellphone, and something that resembled shelter. These people are simply not seeing the true face of homelessness for God knows how many: the homeless of the 2000s won't just be unshaven and bench-sleeping alcoholics and addicts. They'll be recently-successful people who through downsizing have lost their jobs, and who through the housing crunch/crisis have lost their homes. In other words, but for the Grace of God, one of most of us...
Even more controversial was her description of how utterly catastrophic her last relationship ends, with the same guy who'd helped her rise from homelessness to super-blogger and Today Show guest. Lots of stuff online says all or most of this latter stuff was fake, especially the stuff about what happened when she hopped a flight to surprise him at his home across the pond. Uh-oh...Those never turn out well. But what happens to her here is truly horrible. But is it true? Sounds like it to me, though it does seem incredible that one person has gone through everything she chronicles here. But being someone who's been to Hell and back several dozens of times, I can assure you with some bitter truth that several lives of horror and travesty can all happen to one person.
Very disturbing to me, though, is how Karp seems to have fallen off the map after October/November of last year. I went to www.girlsguidetohomelessness.com to see what was new with her (it's her own blog, as well as a site to assist the homeless), to see if she's still homeless. But the site seems to have been abandoned after Oct./Nov. 2012, as does her other online ventures, including her blog at Goodreads. What gives? This is odd for someone with a book released just last year, and for someone who was so ardent a helper with the homeless. Her public appearances and book-signings also seem to have stopped very abruptly. There is no Wikipedia page for her, for the book, or for the oft-mentioned website--all very odd for a new-ish author and book. In short, I have a more thorough web presence than she now does, and that's not good for a new author of a bestseller. There is not a lot of internet backlash about her book, a la James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, so I wouldn't just assume that she has had to take it all down.
I simply don't know. One hates to assume the worst, so...I'll prefer to think that she's just taking a well-deserved break from it all. The last thing I heard about all this is that, in Oct./Nov. 2012, she had to leave the apartment she was in because her landlord was selling, but that she was able to move into a much better place. If anyone has an update on her, or her website of the homeless, please let me know. I wish her well, and after reading this book, which you should, you would wish her the best, too.
One would think that this would create some controversy, but it hasn't. What has created controversy, strangely, is the second schizophrenic half of this memoir, where she chronicles her rise from depressed homeless person living in Wal-Mart's parking lot in SoCal (Did you know that some Wal-Marts let homeless people live in their parking lots in their cars and campers? I didn't. I'm interested to see if my local Wal-Mart allows this. If so, kudos to them. This book brings up something I've wondered about: How are homeless people to sleep in safety if they're not allowed to park their cars in parking lots for fear of being towed? Where are they to go?) to winning writer/blogger of the homeless and working for Elle Magazine and going on the Today show to write about it. The controversy starts when she mentions that some guy came to her trailer to interview her, treated her shabbily and did the same to other interviewees he tried to "help." She wrote that she asked him to not mention her real name, or her real location. He does, anyway, and says that it's too late when she complains.
I saw online yesterday that he says all this isn't true, but that he took the video of the interview down anyway, per advice of his lawyer after Karp's book came out. Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre...There was also some silly stuff about her not really being homeless, since she (usually) had a car, and a cellphone, and something that resembled shelter. These people are simply not seeing the true face of homelessness for God knows how many: the homeless of the 2000s won't just be unshaven and bench-sleeping alcoholics and addicts. They'll be recently-successful people who through downsizing have lost their jobs, and who through the housing crunch/crisis have lost their homes. In other words, but for the Grace of God, one of most of us...
Even more controversial was her description of how utterly catastrophic her last relationship ends, with the same guy who'd helped her rise from homelessness to super-blogger and Today Show guest. Lots of stuff online says all or most of this latter stuff was fake, especially the stuff about what happened when she hopped a flight to surprise him at his home across the pond. Uh-oh...Those never turn out well. But what happens to her here is truly horrible. But is it true? Sounds like it to me, though it does seem incredible that one person has gone through everything she chronicles here. But being someone who's been to Hell and back several dozens of times, I can assure you with some bitter truth that several lives of horror and travesty can all happen to one person.
Very disturbing to me, though, is how Karp seems to have fallen off the map after October/November of last year. I went to www.girlsguidetohomelessness.com to see what was new with her (it's her own blog, as well as a site to assist the homeless), to see if she's still homeless. But the site seems to have been abandoned after Oct./Nov. 2012, as does her other online ventures, including her blog at Goodreads. What gives? This is odd for someone with a book released just last year, and for someone who was so ardent a helper with the homeless. Her public appearances and book-signings also seem to have stopped very abruptly. There is no Wikipedia page for her, for the book, or for the oft-mentioned website--all very odd for a new-ish author and book. In short, I have a more thorough web presence than she now does, and that's not good for a new author of a bestseller. There is not a lot of internet backlash about her book, a la James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, so I wouldn't just assume that she has had to take it all down.
I simply don't know. One hates to assume the worst, so...I'll prefer to think that she's just taking a well-deserved break from it all. The last thing I heard about all this is that, in Oct./Nov. 2012, she had to leave the apartment she was in because her landlord was selling, but that she was able to move into a much better place. If anyone has an update on her, or her website of the homeless, please let me know. I wish her well, and after reading this book, which you should, you would wish her the best, too.
May 2, 2011
"The review for this is going to be hard to write" is what I wrote immediately after finishing the book. I have had a few days to digest it now but I am still unsure how to address my thoughts.
The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is a memoir from twenty something Brianna Karp. Abused and neglected as a child by her bipolar mother, Brianna grew up in a dysfunctional Seventh Adventist family. Despite her truly shocking childhood circumstances, Brianna establishes herself as an independent adult, until redundancy and the current state of the economy, forces her back home to live with her mother and stepfather. Brianna is immediately victimised by her mother until in a nasty confrontation, Brianna is told to leave. With no where to go, Brianna tracks down her recently deceased biological father's trailer and moves into a Walmart carpark with her beloved dog. Starbucks' free WiFi allows her to keep job hunting and unemployment benefits keep her fed but it's a struggle to keep body and soul together in such soul crushing circumstances.
Briana Karp is to be commended for highlighting the face of homelessness that people would prefer to ignore. It is far more comfortable to blame homelessness on drug addiction, laziness or mental illness, than a combination of circumstances that could befall anyone, especially in times of global financial stress. For most people living payday to payday the thought is truly terrifying and so to push it away they choose to ignore the issue, and brand the 'homeless' with stereotypes. I have heard the complaints that Briana faced from those I know - wanting to know how do the homeless justify cell phones and laptops but it seems sensible to me that these are tools that in this age are essential for anyone seeking work, just as much as a good suit and access to transport. Brianna reminds us to that each homeless person has individual circumstances that led them to their situation and quite frankly no one is immune.
Had the memoir continued to explore these issues and Brianna's struggle to reestablish her life, this would have been a five star book for me. Karp writes with an honest and authentic voice and her tone is confiding rather than preachy. I think her style would particularly appeal to young adults, and she had the potential to become a role model for them.
Unfortunately the memoir slowly devolves as Karp's relationship with Matt becomes the focus. Obviously this relationship had a major impact on Brianna and this is her memoir, but the issues of her homelessness are pushed aside in favour of melodrama. The respect I had developed for her slowly ebbed away as she made Matt a priority in her life. Her independence suffered, her determination to improve her situation waned and it was frustrating. I couldn't help but be disappointed in Brianna's decision to buy an expensive first edition book as a gift for Matt, even while I recognise I don't have the right to judge her. There is no doubt her trip to Scotland is heartbreaking and I had sympathy for her, there is no doubt it is a sad story.
Personally though this entire drama left me disenchanted with the book, it wasn't what I wanted to know, or what I was expecting given the first half of the book. I almost felt deceived, even if that reaction seems unfair.
When I finished the book, I went to browse Brianna's blog but found that in the 18 months since the book's end Brianna has posted very rarely and has made little progress towards stability. I am both saddened and disheartened by that, she seems to be reveling in her status as a 'celebrity' homeless person, her initial goals forgotten. Of course there is still plenty of time for her to find her way. I truly wish Brianna the best and hope she takes full advantage of the opportunities she will get upon publication of this book to create a safe, secure and happy life for herself.
I do think The Girl's Guide to Homelessness should be read widely for the message she has about the issues surrounding dispossessed persons and the stereotypes it confronts. Yet I think several might share a similar opinion to mine on the second half of the book, so I recommend it with that caveat. In turns inspiring, heartbreaking and (over)dramatic, The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is compelling and confronting reading.
The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is a memoir from twenty something Brianna Karp. Abused and neglected as a child by her bipolar mother, Brianna grew up in a dysfunctional Seventh Adventist family. Despite her truly shocking childhood circumstances, Brianna establishes herself as an independent adult, until redundancy and the current state of the economy, forces her back home to live with her mother and stepfather. Brianna is immediately victimised by her mother until in a nasty confrontation, Brianna is told to leave. With no where to go, Brianna tracks down her recently deceased biological father's trailer and moves into a Walmart carpark with her beloved dog. Starbucks' free WiFi allows her to keep job hunting and unemployment benefits keep her fed but it's a struggle to keep body and soul together in such soul crushing circumstances.
Briana Karp is to be commended for highlighting the face of homelessness that people would prefer to ignore. It is far more comfortable to blame homelessness on drug addiction, laziness or mental illness, than a combination of circumstances that could befall anyone, especially in times of global financial stress. For most people living payday to payday the thought is truly terrifying and so to push it away they choose to ignore the issue, and brand the 'homeless' with stereotypes. I have heard the complaints that Briana faced from those I know - wanting to know how do the homeless justify cell phones and laptops but it seems sensible to me that these are tools that in this age are essential for anyone seeking work, just as much as a good suit and access to transport. Brianna reminds us to that each homeless person has individual circumstances that led them to their situation and quite frankly no one is immune.
Had the memoir continued to explore these issues and Brianna's struggle to reestablish her life, this would have been a five star book for me. Karp writes with an honest and authentic voice and her tone is confiding rather than preachy. I think her style would particularly appeal to young adults, and she had the potential to become a role model for them.
Unfortunately the memoir slowly devolves as Karp's relationship with Matt becomes the focus. Obviously this relationship had a major impact on Brianna and this is her memoir, but the issues of her homelessness are pushed aside in favour of melodrama. The respect I had developed for her slowly ebbed away as she made Matt a priority in her life. Her independence suffered, her determination to improve her situation waned and it was frustrating. I couldn't help but be disappointed in Brianna's decision to buy an expensive first edition book as a gift for Matt, even while I recognise I don't have the right to judge her. There is no doubt her trip to Scotland is heartbreaking and I had sympathy for her, there is no doubt it is a sad story.
Personally though this entire drama left me disenchanted with the book, it wasn't what I wanted to know, or what I was expecting given the first half of the book. I almost felt deceived, even if that reaction seems unfair.
When I finished the book, I went to browse Brianna's blog but found that in the 18 months since the book's end Brianna has posted very rarely and has made little progress towards stability. I am both saddened and disheartened by that, she seems to be reveling in her status as a 'celebrity' homeless person, her initial goals forgotten. Of course there is still plenty of time for her to find her way. I truly wish Brianna the best and hope she takes full advantage of the opportunities she will get upon publication of this book to create a safe, secure and happy life for herself.
I do think The Girl's Guide to Homelessness should be read widely for the message she has about the issues surrounding dispossessed persons and the stereotypes it confronts. Yet I think several might share a similar opinion to mine on the second half of the book, so I recommend it with that caveat. In turns inspiring, heartbreaking and (over)dramatic, The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is compelling and confronting reading.
October 8, 2014
You know, I loved the idea of this book. I loved that someone was writing a book to bring awareness to the epidemic of homelessness. I loved the idea that this book was bringing to light the fact that homeless people are not all addicts or mentally ill, that a few wrong choices in an otherwise completely "normal" existence could end your life as you know it. I did not, however, love this book.
The author was in her twenties when she wrote this book, and it shows. I felt empathy for her, if only because of the poor choices that she was making. I've been there, believe me. I did not feel like this was even a book about homelessness in the end, just a book about a girl who is really bad with money.
I have been broke. Really broke. In my past I have been so broke that I still hoard canned goods in my pantry (just in case). I really have to say that as someone who, while not homeless, has lived without enough money to even get my kids something small for their birthdays or Christmas, it really bothers me that she waxes poetic about how hard it is to be homeless when she practically threw her money away flying her boyfriend all over the place, buying engagement rings and paying for hotel rooms for weeks at a time. I, as someone who has never been good with money either, truly understand how these things can happen, but also, I have never written a book complaining about how hard my life is.
Have you ever gone back to a journal entry of yours from a few years ago, and been vaguely embarassed by your supremely naive younger self? That is how I felt reading this book. I believe that this author will be great once she's gained a little bit of perspective, but for now, her writing is just not for me.
The author was in her twenties when she wrote this book, and it shows. I felt empathy for her, if only because of the poor choices that she was making. I've been there, believe me. I did not feel like this was even a book about homelessness in the end, just a book about a girl who is really bad with money.
I have been broke. Really broke. In my past I have been so broke that I still hoard canned goods in my pantry (just in case). I really have to say that as someone who, while not homeless, has lived without enough money to even get my kids something small for their birthdays or Christmas, it really bothers me that she waxes poetic about how hard it is to be homeless when she practically threw her money away flying her boyfriend all over the place, buying engagement rings and paying for hotel rooms for weeks at a time. I, as someone who has never been good with money either, truly understand how these things can happen, but also, I have never written a book complaining about how hard my life is.
Have you ever gone back to a journal entry of yours from a few years ago, and been vaguely embarassed by your supremely naive younger self? That is how I felt reading this book. I believe that this author will be great once she's gained a little bit of perspective, but for now, her writing is just not for me.
August 20, 2011
The title to this book is misleading or perhaps I read more into what I had hoped the book would be about. I really wanted this (as did the author, I believe) to be about putting a face and an inside look at the working "homeless." To some extent, Brianna Karp does this as she walks us through how she learned to live in the Walmart parking lots for free, shower with a $10/month gym membership, and job hunt at Starbucks that offer free internet. But mostly the book is a memoir of an abused child who still has a lot of healing to do and a lot of growing up. I can only imagine how much harder it would be to make your way in a world where unconditional love, acceptance, and wise decision-making was never modeled for you.
Published by Harlequin (which should have tipped me off) this blog-turned-paperback is long on homeless internet boyfriend and short on lessons learned while homeless. Karp does a good of writing her story - what her life experiences had been up until then and how she was coping from her point of view. However, I certainly wouldn't call it a "guide," much less to homelessness.
Published by Harlequin (which should have tipped me off) this blog-turned-paperback is long on homeless internet boyfriend and short on lessons learned while homeless. Karp does a good of writing her story - what her life experiences had been up until then and how she was coping from her point of view. However, I certainly wouldn't call it a "guide," much less to homelessness.
January 20, 2016
Fun read simply because of all of the interesting drama conveyed in the plotline (it's pretty girly, lot's of romance), but not what I was expecting. It gave some insight into how one falls into homelessness, the community one might find in homelessness and the creative ways in which one can survive. But all in all, the book was a drama, focussed more on the main character's personal relationship than her homelessness as an independent woman.
It was simply written and a very easy and fast read.
It was simply written and a very easy and fast read.
March 9, 2017
First, let's get the Trigger/Content Warnings out of the way:
Descriptions of Child Sexual Abuse
Descriptions of Domestic Violence
Descriptions of Physical Child Abuse
Gaslighting/Mental and Emotional Abuse
Religious Cultism (Jehovah Witness)
Descriptions of Suicide
Mental Illness (undiagnosed and untreated)
And that was just the first 50 pages
The book begins with Brianna giving the readers a run down on her family history with both mental illness and being in the Christian sect known as Jehovah's Witnesses. When she is born in early 1986, the family tree looks more like Jackson Pollack painting, just a hot mess of bad decisions and religious dogma. Her sister Molly was born two years later.
Brianna's and Molly's parents were just the cream of the crop of shitty parents. Their mother was beginning her journey into Bipolar Disorder and their father was a shiftless womanizer who liked to use his wife as a punching bag. They divorced when Brianna was two years old. Her dad had visitation rights, and when he exercised those rights, he used Brianna as a stand-in for an intimate partner until he started dating/ending up marrying Charlie and having two more kids before divorcing her.
Brianna never knew about her half-sisters or saw her dad ever again after he decided to give up on family number 1 to work on family number two. So as a now 22 year old Brianna is at a Jamba Juice, trying to get her dickhead of a current boyfriend to stay with her and end the affair with his co-star, we get a glimpse of a broken child. More flashbacks of her mother beating her to the point of scaring and irreparable damage, and the unstable life of living with her mother, her sister (who is hella into the JW lifestyle), and their step-dad (a spineless asshole). It was at this Jamba Juice that Brianna gets a call from the LA county coroner's office, with news that her father committed suicide and she was the sole next of kin and executor of his will. There are descriptions of both the suicide, what the victim looked like dead, and the scene of the incident. After divvying up most of her father's possessions between the four sisters, she walks away with the truck (1999 Dodge Ram) and a thirty foot Fan Coach travel trailer.
Which is a good thing, because this being the last days of 2008/early days of 2009, there is a global recession going on and Brianna loses her job as an executive assistant at Kelly Blue Book. She can't make rent, so she moves back in with her mother and step-father; issues arose and she is kicked out of the house, leaving her with the only shelter she can afford - the truck and trailer. She parks the trailer at the edge of the Wal-Mart parking lot (many of the stores have such policies in place because the creator of Wal-Mart/Asada, Sam Walton, was a big fan of RV-ing) and joins the fast-growing homeless population of Southern California.
Again this is just the first 50 pages.
The next 25 pages or so describes how she is living on unemployment and how she is managing to live with her big-ass dog (a Neo-Mastiff named Fezzik). She starts a blog (title of the book is the same title as the blog) and works hard to save what little she could and look for jobs. Here is where I think the book does the most good - shining a light on what it really means to be homeless or even just the working poor in America. She talks about why it is important to hold onto her laptop and cellphone, as that is how prospective employers can find her and contact her (for example, loading a resume onto Monster.com). She doesn't put a donate button on her blog because she doesn't want to be seen as a charity case or as someone who is e-panhandling. The only assistance she applies for is unemployment; she feels others are in more need of food stamps and shelters.
The rest of the book deals with her toxic relationship with a Scottish dude named Matt. Matt is a "homeless activist" who is living in a council flat and receiving disability benefits due to a having emotional and mental breakdown after his first wife divorced him. Matt was finally diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and needed medication to keep him healthy. Matt also had a blog about homelessness, and they met while networking among the homeless activist community online.
Before I go on any further, here is a second list of Trigger/Content Warnings:
Gaslighting
Miscarriage
Intimate Partner Abuse
Mental Illness (untreated)
Animal Cruelty
So after a few months of talking and falling in love online and on the phone, resourceful Brianna turns into Dumbass Brianna. This would be the time to let you know the publisher of this crap book is Harlequin - yep that one. This had to be the shittiest Presents line book ever, except it actually happened (well, maybe happened - some of this stuff had to be made up, nobody is THAT unlucky in life).
Dumbass Brianna finally gets a job, but it doesn't pay much over unemployment. She uses the last of her unemployment money to buy Matt a plane ticket so he can come to California for "sex and getting to know you in person" stage of the relationship. Just before he comes out to see her, his ex-girlfriend (Lori) tells him she is pregnant and he is the father. Dumbass Brianna buys a second plane ticket so that Matt can go back to Scotland for an ultrasound and then comes back to California. Brianna and Matt spend time living in the trailer, and sometimes staying at motels/hotels (on Brianna's limited dime). By this time, Brianna is also paying for her dog to be boarded at a kennel because the California summer heat inside her trailer is too dangerous for a dog to stay in while she is at work. Come to find out, Brianna makes a surprise trip to visit Fez at the kennel and he is looking sickly and abused - turns out Brianna didn't read the fine print on her contract and the dog is only getting one cup of kibble a day and no exercise - a healthy Neo Mastiff needs about 8-10 cups a day. Each additional cup is $1, plus there is an exercise charge. Brianna finds someone to foster Fez so she can get him out of the kennel.
Brianna hopes that talking to Matt about formalizing custody arrangements prior to the baby's birth would get things settle so that Brianna and Matt can work on their future together - yep, marriage and kids were already being planned! Matt doesn't like to talk about Lori or the baby or anything uncomfortable - shades of her step-father ALL OVER AGAIN, but Dumbass Brianna is so blindly in love, she doesn't see it and decides to drop any topic Matt finds uncomfortable. Brianna was all set to marry Matt (even buying her own engagement ring), and Matt really wanted kids with Brianna RIGHT AWAY. Brianna doesn't think this is a good idea since they don't have a steady place to live, so she goes to Planned Parenthood for a copper IUD (aka Paraguard). See Brianna can't do hormonal birth control because she gets to hella bitchy on it; however, the IUD she got was designed for women who had at least been pregnant before - it is not for those who have never been pregnant, due to the changes that come with pregnancy. An IUD can come dislodged in women who have never been pregnant.
Matt returns to Scotland for the birth of his daughter. Lori really doesn't want to take care of the baby (baby was just a way to get Matt back into her life), so Matt (now off his medication because he was in California and didn't know how to go about getting more after running out) is a full-time SAHD with a newborn. Dumbass Brianna, who already lost her new job, decides to borrow money from a friend to buy herself a plane ticket to Scotland and surprise Matt for Christmas! She also decides to spend some unemployment money on expensive gifts for the baby and Matt. The best gift, one she has known about for some time but doesn't want to tell Matt via email or phone, is that Brianna is pregnant! Turns out that IUD was not the best choice in birth control. Dumbass Brianna can't wait to tell Matt in person that they are going to be parents.
We all know where this is going, don't we?
Brianna shows up in cold, snowy Scotland, on Matt's council flat and who does she find hanging out with Matt and his daughter? Why it's Lori, and she is none too happy to see Brianna. Lori is quite the loser in the character and morals department, so I'm not taking sides. Matt tells Brianna to find a hotel (on Christmas Eve in a foreign country that takes the winter holidays seriously) to stay in for the night and he will sort all this out.....
Needless to say, conversations are had and promises made, leaving Brianna alone in Huntly, Scotland with little money and a bun in the oven. There is a plan to meet at the train station, but Matt never shows up (and doesn't call) and Brianna ends up getting hyperthermia and is found by a local, who calls the cops. Cops rescue Brianna and looks for Matt, who fled the city and is nowhere to be found. Brianna is staying at the inn again, and it is New Year's Eve; she decides to drink five or six shots of Scottish whiskey. Soon she doesn't feel so good; she makes her way up to her room and into the bathroom in time to miscarry. She holds her dead son in her palm for a while, then begins to clean up and shower some of the blood off. She doesn't have enough money to buy sanitary napkins or tampons, so she is using towels and toilet paper. The next day Brianna wraps her son in a blue scarf, walks down to the river, says her goodbyes, and places him in the river. Then goes back to the hotel as if nothing happened.
Another homeless activist contacts her and tells her to come to London and stay with her. Brianna is very vulnerable mentally and emotionally as her body recovers from the pregnancy. No one in their social circle online can find Matt; however, the News of the World paper (a British tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch and akin to the US Enquirer) runs a story on Matt and Lori's beautiful relationship and their family. Because Brianna was getting national and international press attention for her blog, there were statements from "sources" that painted Brianna in a bad light. Thanks News of the World, but Brianna can do bad all by herself.
Brianna went home to California, got a job with a theater company, and is doing promo for the book/blog, and is continuing with being an activist for the homeless community. There are people who are/were close to her family and Matt who don't quite see things the same way as Brianna - some have come out publicly against Brianna. Many within the homeless activist circle, however, side with Brianna and have severed all ties with Matt.
Harlequin has truly jumped the shark with this book. The soap opera-level drama and piss poor decisions were way over the top. The book was supposed to be about homelessness, and shattering preconceptions - not someone's bad Live Journal post. I feel bad for my library, as this was one of my "rescues" from the weeded out pile and now the library is stuck with this book for two more years. Stay away.
Descriptions of Child Sexual Abuse
Descriptions of Domestic Violence
Descriptions of Physical Child Abuse
Gaslighting/Mental and Emotional Abuse
Religious Cultism (Jehovah Witness)
Descriptions of Suicide
Mental Illness (undiagnosed and untreated)
And that was just the first 50 pages
The book begins with Brianna giving the readers a run down on her family history with both mental illness and being in the Christian sect known as Jehovah's Witnesses. When she is born in early 1986, the family tree looks more like Jackson Pollack painting, just a hot mess of bad decisions and religious dogma. Her sister Molly was born two years later.
Brianna's and Molly's parents were just the cream of the crop of shitty parents. Their mother was beginning her journey into Bipolar Disorder and their father was a shiftless womanizer who liked to use his wife as a punching bag. They divorced when Brianna was two years old. Her dad had visitation rights, and when he exercised those rights, he used Brianna as a stand-in for an intimate partner until he started dating/ending up marrying Charlie and having two more kids before divorcing her.
Brianna never knew about her half-sisters or saw her dad ever again after he decided to give up on family number 1 to work on family number two. So as a now 22 year old Brianna is at a Jamba Juice, trying to get her dickhead of a current boyfriend to stay with her and end the affair with his co-star, we get a glimpse of a broken child. More flashbacks of her mother beating her to the point of scaring and irreparable damage, and the unstable life of living with her mother, her sister (who is hella into the JW lifestyle), and their step-dad (a spineless asshole). It was at this Jamba Juice that Brianna gets a call from the LA county coroner's office, with news that her father committed suicide and she was the sole next of kin and executor of his will. There are descriptions of both the suicide, what the victim looked like dead, and the scene of the incident. After divvying up most of her father's possessions between the four sisters, she walks away with the truck (1999 Dodge Ram) and a thirty foot Fan Coach travel trailer.
Which is a good thing, because this being the last days of 2008/early days of 2009, there is a global recession going on and Brianna loses her job as an executive assistant at Kelly Blue Book. She can't make rent, so she moves back in with her mother and step-father; issues arose and she is kicked out of the house, leaving her with the only shelter she can afford - the truck and trailer. She parks the trailer at the edge of the Wal-Mart parking lot (many of the stores have such policies in place because the creator of Wal-Mart/Asada, Sam Walton, was a big fan of RV-ing) and joins the fast-growing homeless population of Southern California.
Again this is just the first 50 pages.
The next 25 pages or so describes how she is living on unemployment and how she is managing to live with her big-ass dog (a Neo-Mastiff named Fezzik). She starts a blog (title of the book is the same title as the blog) and works hard to save what little she could and look for jobs. Here is where I think the book does the most good - shining a light on what it really means to be homeless or even just the working poor in America. She talks about why it is important to hold onto her laptop and cellphone, as that is how prospective employers can find her and contact her (for example, loading a resume onto Monster.com). She doesn't put a donate button on her blog because she doesn't want to be seen as a charity case or as someone who is e-panhandling. The only assistance she applies for is unemployment; she feels others are in more need of food stamps and shelters.
The rest of the book deals with her toxic relationship with a Scottish dude named Matt. Matt is a "homeless activist" who is living in a council flat and receiving disability benefits due to a having emotional and mental breakdown after his first wife divorced him. Matt was finally diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and needed medication to keep him healthy. Matt also had a blog about homelessness, and they met while networking among the homeless activist community online.
Before I go on any further, here is a second list of Trigger/Content Warnings:
Gaslighting
Miscarriage
Intimate Partner Abuse
Mental Illness (untreated)
Animal Cruelty
So after a few months of talking and falling in love online and on the phone, resourceful Brianna turns into Dumbass Brianna. This would be the time to let you know the publisher of this crap book is Harlequin - yep that one. This had to be the shittiest Presents line book ever, except it actually happened (well, maybe happened - some of this stuff had to be made up, nobody is THAT unlucky in life).
Dumbass Brianna finally gets a job, but it doesn't pay much over unemployment. She uses the last of her unemployment money to buy Matt a plane ticket so he can come to California for "sex and getting to know you in person" stage of the relationship. Just before he comes out to see her, his ex-girlfriend (Lori) tells him she is pregnant and he is the father. Dumbass Brianna buys a second plane ticket so that Matt can go back to Scotland for an ultrasound and then comes back to California. Brianna and Matt spend time living in the trailer, and sometimes staying at motels/hotels (on Brianna's limited dime). By this time, Brianna is also paying for her dog to be boarded at a kennel because the California summer heat inside her trailer is too dangerous for a dog to stay in while she is at work. Come to find out, Brianna makes a surprise trip to visit Fez at the kennel and he is looking sickly and abused - turns out Brianna didn't read the fine print on her contract and the dog is only getting one cup of kibble a day and no exercise - a healthy Neo Mastiff needs about 8-10 cups a day. Each additional cup is $1, plus there is an exercise charge. Brianna finds someone to foster Fez so she can get him out of the kennel.
Brianna hopes that talking to Matt about formalizing custody arrangements prior to the baby's birth would get things settle so that Brianna and Matt can work on their future together - yep, marriage and kids were already being planned! Matt doesn't like to talk about Lori or the baby or anything uncomfortable - shades of her step-father ALL OVER AGAIN, but Dumbass Brianna is so blindly in love, she doesn't see it and decides to drop any topic Matt finds uncomfortable. Brianna was all set to marry Matt (even buying her own engagement ring), and Matt really wanted kids with Brianna RIGHT AWAY. Brianna doesn't think this is a good idea since they don't have a steady place to live, so she goes to Planned Parenthood for a copper IUD (aka Paraguard). See Brianna can't do hormonal birth control because she gets to hella bitchy on it; however, the IUD she got was designed for women who had at least been pregnant before - it is not for those who have never been pregnant, due to the changes that come with pregnancy. An IUD can come dislodged in women who have never been pregnant.
Matt returns to Scotland for the birth of his daughter. Lori really doesn't want to take care of the baby (baby was just a way to get Matt back into her life), so Matt (now off his medication because he was in California and didn't know how to go about getting more after running out) is a full-time SAHD with a newborn. Dumbass Brianna, who already lost her new job, decides to borrow money from a friend to buy herself a plane ticket to Scotland and surprise Matt for Christmas! She also decides to spend some unemployment money on expensive gifts for the baby and Matt. The best gift, one she has known about for some time but doesn't want to tell Matt via email or phone, is that Brianna is pregnant! Turns out that IUD was not the best choice in birth control. Dumbass Brianna can't wait to tell Matt in person that they are going to be parents.
We all know where this is going, don't we?
Brianna shows up in cold, snowy Scotland, on Matt's council flat and who does she find hanging out with Matt and his daughter? Why it's Lori, and she is none too happy to see Brianna. Lori is quite the loser in the character and morals department, so I'm not taking sides. Matt tells Brianna to find a hotel (on Christmas Eve in a foreign country that takes the winter holidays seriously) to stay in for the night and he will sort all this out.....
Needless to say, conversations are had and promises made, leaving Brianna alone in Huntly, Scotland with little money and a bun in the oven. There is a plan to meet at the train station, but Matt never shows up (and doesn't call) and Brianna ends up getting hyperthermia and is found by a local, who calls the cops. Cops rescue Brianna and looks for Matt, who fled the city and is nowhere to be found. Brianna is staying at the inn again, and it is New Year's Eve; she decides to drink five or six shots of Scottish whiskey. Soon she doesn't feel so good; she makes her way up to her room and into the bathroom in time to miscarry. She holds her dead son in her palm for a while, then begins to clean up and shower some of the blood off. She doesn't have enough money to buy sanitary napkins or tampons, so she is using towels and toilet paper. The next day Brianna wraps her son in a blue scarf, walks down to the river, says her goodbyes, and places him in the river. Then goes back to the hotel as if nothing happened.
Another homeless activist contacts her and tells her to come to London and stay with her. Brianna is very vulnerable mentally and emotionally as her body recovers from the pregnancy. No one in their social circle online can find Matt; however, the News of the World paper (a British tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch and akin to the US Enquirer) runs a story on Matt and Lori's beautiful relationship and their family. Because Brianna was getting national and international press attention for her blog, there were statements from "sources" that painted Brianna in a bad light. Thanks News of the World, but Brianna can do bad all by herself.
Brianna went home to California, got a job with a theater company, and is doing promo for the book/blog, and is continuing with being an activist for the homeless community. There are people who are/were close to her family and Matt who don't quite see things the same way as Brianna - some have come out publicly against Brianna. Many within the homeless activist circle, however, side with Brianna and have severed all ties with Matt.
Harlequin has truly jumped the shark with this book. The soap opera-level drama and piss poor decisions were way over the top. The book was supposed to be about homelessness, and shattering preconceptions - not someone's bad Live Journal post. I feel bad for my library, as this was one of my "rescues" from the weeded out pile and now the library is stuck with this book for two more years. Stay away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 4, 2012OK, full disclosure first. The version I was trying to read was an Advanced Uncorrected Proof. So perhaps some of the problems I had with this were fixed before the final, official version. But I sort of doubt it. And yes, if you read all that carefully enough, you'll know the second thing I'm going to say...
I couldn't finish this.
This is upsetting to me on several levels, the main one being that while helping choose selections for my library system, I saw the professional reviews on this title and said we had to get it. Even got a copy for my little branch as well. Now I wonder if it was the best way to spend some of our very limited materials budget. The reviews were very positive, the blurb sounded extremely interesting, and the subject matter couldn't have been more timely.
So what's the problem? I wish I knew. I made it to the fourth chapter and just couldn't get any further. It took me a good month or more to read even that much, and that should really tell you all you need to know right there, shouldn't it? That fourth chapter opens with her talking about losing her job, figuring out how much she would be getting from unemployment, and trying to reconcile how she was going to pay her rent ($1500/month), feed herself, her hungry dog (a Neapolitan Mastiff), and - wait for it! - her horse. Yep, a horse. That was the moment I realized I just didn't care about this girl, not the way I should have. It's one thing if you're struggling to make ends meet and you lose your job and everything falls to sh*t almost immediately because you have no savings to speak of. It's entirely different when you're that young (23), you've come from a hard-scrabble life (don't forget, she's been working since age 10), you've suffered physical and mental abuse (so you know you should have an emergency plan, right?) and you go out and start spending money on beach apartments, very large dogs, and something that often should just remain a young girl's dream.
The pages before the final straw weren't much better. The narrative was all over the map, which didn't help. The author would start to tell something about her life, jump back to her childhood, go back to the present, go to a different part of her childhood, etc. Very disjointed, often with no clear sign that we were about to time-travel. The abuse is horrible, but she sounds very nonchalant about it, which really, really bothered me. If my mother had treated me the way her mother did, I don't think I could remain detached while I described it. We won't even talk about her father. Maybe that's what therapy does, but it just didn't work for me as a reader.
And I had a hard time believing that much of what she said happened to her in those first 23 years happened the way she said it did. Now, before anyone decides to blast me and say I'm being one of those awful reviewers that's slamming the author, let me clarify: I am not saying this author lied - not about anything. What I am saying is that the way it comes across on the written page, it sounds embellished. That's just my personal opinion, and it's a big part of why I couldn't finish this book. I kept finding myself reading something and saying "Really? REALLY? No one noticed this 12-yr-old driving herself to work? No one on the freeway noticed her mother bashing her face into the steering wheel when she almost side-swiped another car?" I mean, this is a young girl, and these are recent events, so I just hard a very difficult time believing that no one would pick up a cell phone and report anything like this. People seem eager to rat out others behaving badly, especially where children are involved, or so it seems.
Maybe someday down the road I'll pick up the version that was published, the version that sits in my very own library branch. Perhaps some of the issues I had with this work will have been addressed between the AUP and that version. If anyone out there has read the "official" version, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you thought. I really would like to know if this is just me reacting to this AUP.
I couldn't finish this.
This is upsetting to me on several levels, the main one being that while helping choose selections for my library system, I saw the professional reviews on this title and said we had to get it. Even got a copy for my little branch as well. Now I wonder if it was the best way to spend some of our very limited materials budget. The reviews were very positive, the blurb sounded extremely interesting, and the subject matter couldn't have been more timely.
So what's the problem? I wish I knew. I made it to the fourth chapter and just couldn't get any further. It took me a good month or more to read even that much, and that should really tell you all you need to know right there, shouldn't it? That fourth chapter opens with her talking about losing her job, figuring out how much she would be getting from unemployment, and trying to reconcile how she was going to pay her rent ($1500/month), feed herself, her hungry dog (a Neapolitan Mastiff), and - wait for it! - her horse. Yep, a horse. That was the moment I realized I just didn't care about this girl, not the way I should have. It's one thing if you're struggling to make ends meet and you lose your job and everything falls to sh*t almost immediately because you have no savings to speak of. It's entirely different when you're that young (23), you've come from a hard-scrabble life (don't forget, she's been working since age 10), you've suffered physical and mental abuse (so you know you should have an emergency plan, right?) and you go out and start spending money on beach apartments, very large dogs, and something that often should just remain a young girl's dream.
The pages before the final straw weren't much better. The narrative was all over the map, which didn't help. The author would start to tell something about her life, jump back to her childhood, go back to the present, go to a different part of her childhood, etc. Very disjointed, often with no clear sign that we were about to time-travel. The abuse is horrible, but she sounds very nonchalant about it, which really, really bothered me. If my mother had treated me the way her mother did, I don't think I could remain detached while I described it. We won't even talk about her father. Maybe that's what therapy does, but it just didn't work for me as a reader.
And I had a hard time believing that much of what she said happened to her in those first 23 years happened the way she said it did. Now, before anyone decides to blast me and say I'm being one of those awful reviewers that's slamming the author, let me clarify: I am not saying this author lied - not about anything. What I am saying is that the way it comes across on the written page, it sounds embellished. That's just my personal opinion, and it's a big part of why I couldn't finish this book. I kept finding myself reading something and saying "Really? REALLY? No one noticed this 12-yr-old driving herself to work? No one on the freeway noticed her mother bashing her face into the steering wheel when she almost side-swiped another car?" I mean, this is a young girl, and these are recent events, so I just hard a very difficult time believing that no one would pick up a cell phone and report anything like this. People seem eager to rat out others behaving badly, especially where children are involved, or so it seems.
Maybe someday down the road I'll pick up the version that was published, the version that sits in my very own library branch. Perhaps some of the issues I had with this work will have been addressed between the AUP and that version. If anyone out there has read the "official" version, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you thought. I really would like to know if this is just me reacting to this AUP.
May 22, 2011
"The Girl’s Guide to the Consequences of a Homelessness State of Mind"
This book is about a girl's homelessness state of mind and the consequences.
The book is published by Harlequin, the publisher of trashy novels. Brianna's story is a tragic modern day, facebook, twitter, cell phone, blogging romance.
I think Brianna is a kind, loving and creative young woman, but misses the point of her life situation.
Homelessness applies to Brianna's state of mind. She is out in the world feeling rootless and alone. Not because she doesn't have shelter...but because she feels unloved and unwanted.
This state of mind has nothing to do with not having shelter. I think Brianna would have this story to tell even if she had a "house".
She had a life full of lies, inconsistencies,abuse and heartache. She had the right to feel homeless. She did not have a safe place to feel,connect or grow. A home provides a safety net, not a roof that is shattered and crumbling.
The relationship she chose to be in, was an outcome of a girl longing to belong, to love and be loved.
I was a '70's hippie hitchhiker without a "home". I lived years on the road, I didn't feel a victim, but rather free. I did not have a home to go to, yet my experiences, full of chaos,some good and some bad, taught me that "home" was something inside of me. People were at the heart of what home meant to me. I was deceived, cheated, abused...until I no longer chose the kind of people who help me stay in a homelessness state of mind. I have had to work hard over the years to build a home within. Having a house to live in is nothing compared to the work at being "home" within myself.
I can not recommend this book to a homeless girl or boy. This is a sad story of bad choices of a lonely young woman. If you want to know an example of a relationship that authors of "Co-Dependent No More" and "Women Who Love Too Much" were describing....read this book and tell yourself....never, never will I find myself in this kind of relationship.
I am happy she had found success in her life. It is obvious that she is a woman of soul and goodness. But finding "homefulness" will be her challenge.
This book is about a girl's homelessness state of mind and the consequences.
The book is published by Harlequin, the publisher of trashy novels. Brianna's story is a tragic modern day, facebook, twitter, cell phone, blogging romance.
I think Brianna is a kind, loving and creative young woman, but misses the point of her life situation.
Homelessness applies to Brianna's state of mind. She is out in the world feeling rootless and alone. Not because she doesn't have shelter...but because she feels unloved and unwanted.
This state of mind has nothing to do with not having shelter. I think Brianna would have this story to tell even if she had a "house".
She had a life full of lies, inconsistencies,abuse and heartache. She had the right to feel homeless. She did not have a safe place to feel,connect or grow. A home provides a safety net, not a roof that is shattered and crumbling.
The relationship she chose to be in, was an outcome of a girl longing to belong, to love and be loved.
I was a '70's hippie hitchhiker without a "home". I lived years on the road, I didn't feel a victim, but rather free. I did not have a home to go to, yet my experiences, full of chaos,some good and some bad, taught me that "home" was something inside of me. People were at the heart of what home meant to me. I was deceived, cheated, abused...until I no longer chose the kind of people who help me stay in a homelessness state of mind. I have had to work hard over the years to build a home within. Having a house to live in is nothing compared to the work at being "home" within myself.
I can not recommend this book to a homeless girl or boy. This is a sad story of bad choices of a lonely young woman. If you want to know an example of a relationship that authors of "Co-Dependent No More" and "Women Who Love Too Much" were describing....read this book and tell yourself....never, never will I find myself in this kind of relationship.
I am happy she had found success in her life. It is obvious that she is a woman of soul and goodness. But finding "homefulness" will be her challenge.
May 14, 2011
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I have really mixed emotions about this book. It is really hard for me to have empathy for someone who calls herself homeless, yet has a roof over her head and a door that locks. Granted, there is no plumbing or electricity. To me it is a little more like "roughing it" than being homeless. It is also hard for me to feel empathy when I could see her choices lead her down a path that would only draw out her "homelessness". For example, flying her boyfriend in from Europe multiple times, giving him her laptop & buying a netbook herself. And yes I am including her entire relationship with that sleazeball, Matt. Oh & don't get me started on the whole Fezzik (her dog) situation. I nearly through my nook across the room at that point. I got a huge sense of "poor me, look at how bad my life is" and not enough "I will do ANYTHING to rectify my situation".
Bottom line, The Girls Guide to Homelessness, is one of those train-wreck type of books that you can't put down because you just want to see what happens next. Maybe it was her youth that kept her making stupid choices and kept her "homeless". Maybe it was her childhood issues and lack of a positive role model. Maybe it was a combination of everything. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is worth the read, but be prepared to question the validity of the title. I know of a lot of truly homeless people who would give anything to be able to call a trailer in a Walmart parking lot "home." Maybe a title like "The Girls Guide to Bad Relationships" would be a more appropriate title.
I have really mixed emotions about this book. It is really hard for me to have empathy for someone who calls herself homeless, yet has a roof over her head and a door that locks. Granted, there is no plumbing or electricity. To me it is a little more like "roughing it" than being homeless. It is also hard for me to feel empathy when I could see her choices lead her down a path that would only draw out her "homelessness". For example, flying her boyfriend in from Europe multiple times, giving him her laptop & buying a netbook herself. And yes I am including her entire relationship with that sleazeball, Matt. Oh & don't get me started on the whole Fezzik (her dog) situation. I nearly through my nook across the room at that point. I got a huge sense of "poor me, look at how bad my life is" and not enough "I will do ANYTHING to rectify my situation".
Bottom line, The Girls Guide to Homelessness, is one of those train-wreck type of books that you can't put down because you just want to see what happens next. Maybe it was her youth that kept her making stupid choices and kept her "homeless". Maybe it was her childhood issues and lack of a positive role model. Maybe it was a combination of everything. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is worth the read, but be prepared to question the validity of the title. I know of a lot of truly homeless people who would give anything to be able to call a trailer in a Walmart parking lot "home." Maybe a title like "The Girls Guide to Bad Relationships" would be a more appropriate title.
January 20, 2013
The Girls Guide to Homelessness was an interesting read. I would've recommended it to my family and friends, except that there was a great deal of crude language that I know most would be offended by, so I don't recommend for that reason. I skimmed over the crude language myself, because, although it makes me uncomfortable, I am not offended enough to avoid reading the book because of it. It wasn't really a "guide" per se, more of a journaling of her experiences being homeless. If I hadn't already experienced homelessness myself, with far less than she had (such as a trailer, truck, car, unemployment income, dog companion, boyfriend...) I would say that this book is an eye opener to the issue of homelessness and hopefully will cause people to re-think their stereotypes of homeless people. It can happen to anyone, faster than you would realize, and can be extremely difficult to get out of once in. Brianna maintains a blog, that I follow, just out of curiosity. I'd like to see her succeed and get ahead in life. If I were to write my story as a "guide", I would include some of the tricks and insights I learned on how to get along while living on the street. Such as how to eat healthily without a refrigerator or stove. Where to get a shower. Best places to park overnight. How to find bathroom facilities in the middle of the night! How to stay safe. What to do during the day. The necessities to keep on hand. How to maintain emotional stability and hope. How to avoid being pre-judged and labeled. Things like that.
June 10, 2011
Brianna Karp is on a mission. She has a purpose. She did not choose it, but she chose to take what life dealt her and to use it for good.
Brianna has had a difficult life. From the early age of ten she was forced to work to support her mother and sister. Violence and abuse was a way of life for her. Through perseverance and determination, she fought her way out of it.
Finally, barely into her twenties, Brianna thought she had paid her dues. She had a good job and a place of her own. When the Recession hit, a series of events caused Brianna to lose it all. She found herself homeless.
Inheriting her father’s travel trailer and having nowhere to go, she parked it in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It is then that she begins to blog about being jobless and homeless.
Surprised at the responses she received and the similar stories she read, Brianna finds the courage to become an advocate for the homeless.
Young, smart, and resourceful Brianna Karp has given help and hope to countless people. She has also educated many more. Her book includes a discussion guide and a list of resources. She is a special young woman with an important book.
Brianna has had a difficult life. From the early age of ten she was forced to work to support her mother and sister. Violence and abuse was a way of life for her. Through perseverance and determination, she fought her way out of it.
Finally, barely into her twenties, Brianna thought she had paid her dues. She had a good job and a place of her own. When the Recession hit, a series of events caused Brianna to lose it all. She found herself homeless.
Inheriting her father’s travel trailer and having nowhere to go, she parked it in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It is then that she begins to blog about being jobless and homeless.
Surprised at the responses she received and the similar stories she read, Brianna finds the courage to become an advocate for the homeless.
Young, smart, and resourceful Brianna Karp has given help and hope to countless people. She has also educated many more. Her book includes a discussion guide and a list of resources. She is a special young woman with an important book.
August 5, 2015
This didn't talk as much about homelessness as I expected. A large part of it was devoted to her budding on-line, then in-person, relationship with a man who hosted a blog on homelessness. That's not why I picked up the book, and I skimmed a lot as a result. But, I suppose, even homeless people have relationships - I suppose that's part of what she was getting at. But it didn't do much for me.
The author also provided a lot of good glimpses about what it's like being homeless. Now, her situation didn't seem as desperate as many that I have worked with (she had a trailer, she had a low-paying job). But that's part of the point. There are a lot of homeless right in our midst that we don't even know about. She provided some glimpse into the obliviousness and biases of many of the people she came in contact with. For example, she had a great write-up of how most people diss the fact that many homeless people need food or clothes or housing or transportation yet have a personal cell phone; she explains how essential of phone is and why it is one of their priorities.
The author also provided a lot of good glimpses about what it's like being homeless. Now, her situation didn't seem as desperate as many that I have worked with (she had a trailer, she had a low-paying job). But that's part of the point. There are a lot of homeless right in our midst that we don't even know about. She provided some glimpse into the obliviousness and biases of many of the people she came in contact with. For example, she had a great write-up of how most people diss the fact that many homeless people need food or clothes or housing or transportation yet have a personal cell phone; she explains how essential of phone is and why it is one of their priorities.
March 1, 2011
That is IT. I am through reading blogs-turned-into memoirs. Though Brianna's life was much more interesting that that of Two Kisses for Maddy's Matt, I found myself bored halfway through. When the memoir becomes less about what it's like to survive as homeless and more about the dodgy asshole she enters a relationship with (Spoiler alert: HE TURNS OUT TO BE A SUPER SHADY PERSON), I find myself over it really really quickly.
Also: generally speaking, at least 30% of blog memoir content becomes a story of HOW I GOT FAMOUS ON THE INTERNET from their blog, and that's just not my memoir preference. Sorry, world. Now we know.
Also: generally speaking, at least 30% of blog memoir content becomes a story of HOW I GOT FAMOUS ON THE INTERNET from their blog, and that's just not my memoir preference. Sorry, world. Now we know.
May 4, 2011
Brianna wrote this book as she was living it, so it's really honest and raw. It drives me crazy when people challange her status of "homeless" b/c she lives in a camper. Come on! let's see them live in a camper and not call it homeless! Brianna is amazingly resiliant. She had no family to fall back on at all and she manages to do so much. If someone as intelligent and resourceful as Brianna has this much trouble bouncing back, how in the world can anyone else do it?? Something needs to change here, but what?
December 20, 2013
Brianna Karp's book, The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is about herself and the struggles she faced as a young girl who focused on her dreams of having a better life despite the abuse and pain she felt. The book is set in California from 1985 to 2010, when Brianna was born to the one she was homeless. Thinking that the worst of her troubles was over with as a child, Brianna soon learns about her dead father and ends being homeless and jobless at age twenty three. Brianna does anything she can to keep herself alive and to find a home, she applies for hundreds of jobs and lives in a travel trailer parked in a Walmart parking lot. The book tells readers a lot about the lifestyle she lived, which tells us that it is not impossible to become successful our of nothing and through hardships that pull you down, you must find a way to rise to the occasion.
One of the most memorable events in the book would be when Brianna goes to her father's house after finding out about his suicide. When she walks in with her mother and step-father, all those horrible memories came back to gain her, which made it worse was she was standing in the same room where her father had shot himself. A man that she hasn't spoken to for more than two decades, that has abused and threaten her mother and her own life, and someone who has molested her at the age of two. Brianna didn't know what to feel because Bob was never a real father to her and her whole life she lived in fear.
Ultimately, the story I the fascinating life of Brianna Karp is a story of her struggles trying to make a successful life out what she was given, facing hardships since she was an infant, hoping one day to see her dreams come true. It all adds up to a tale of having faith in what we believe in, an example to everyone which reminds us that we are given hard times to become stronger people. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness tells that story very well, giving us the message that it's about how willing you are to work for what you want.
I would recommend this book because it has touched my heart and taught me many life lessons. This book has taught me to appreciate everything, both the good and bad. I would complain a lot about little things when I should be grateful and thankful because I got really lucky with life. Everyday of Brianna's childhood was an uphill battle Dan then later in life she became homeless. Instead of letting it sink her, she took fate into her own hands and molded a bright future for herself. A girl who had to deal with abuse, molestation, and neglect from her parents, took her pain and used it as motivation to reach her goals. This book teaches you that you cannot give up on yourself even when everything in the world is pulling you down because wonderful things happen to those who endure through the pain.
How I felt while reading this book was sympathy for the author. I don't know what it's like I feel what she felt especially at such a young age. Although, at some parts I began to lose interest, it began after the first half of the book. However, I do look up to her for the fact that she got to where she is today despite everything she went through. At one point, she had tried to commit suicide in her early teen years but after that she realized that by doing those kind of actions, you only run away from your problems.
What I learned is that no matter how bad you think you have it, there's always someone who has it worse than you which is why you should never take anything for granted. During the time I was reading this book, there was a bump in the road in my life and after reading it, it made me appreciate life more. If someone is going through all of that and can still find value in living, I shouldn't be letting little things bring me down so much. I learned to just love life and to smile even when you don't want to because you don't even know how lucky you are until you read someone else's life story.
One of the most memorable events in the book would be when Brianna goes to her father's house after finding out about his suicide. When she walks in with her mother and step-father, all those horrible memories came back to gain her, which made it worse was she was standing in the same room where her father had shot himself. A man that she hasn't spoken to for more than two decades, that has abused and threaten her mother and her own life, and someone who has molested her at the age of two. Brianna didn't know what to feel because Bob was never a real father to her and her whole life she lived in fear.
Ultimately, the story I the fascinating life of Brianna Karp is a story of her struggles trying to make a successful life out what she was given, facing hardships since she was an infant, hoping one day to see her dreams come true. It all adds up to a tale of having faith in what we believe in, an example to everyone which reminds us that we are given hard times to become stronger people. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness tells that story very well, giving us the message that it's about how willing you are to work for what you want.
I would recommend this book because it has touched my heart and taught me many life lessons. This book has taught me to appreciate everything, both the good and bad. I would complain a lot about little things when I should be grateful and thankful because I got really lucky with life. Everyday of Brianna's childhood was an uphill battle Dan then later in life she became homeless. Instead of letting it sink her, she took fate into her own hands and molded a bright future for herself. A girl who had to deal with abuse, molestation, and neglect from her parents, took her pain and used it as motivation to reach her goals. This book teaches you that you cannot give up on yourself even when everything in the world is pulling you down because wonderful things happen to those who endure through the pain.
How I felt while reading this book was sympathy for the author. I don't know what it's like I feel what she felt especially at such a young age. Although, at some parts I began to lose interest, it began after the first half of the book. However, I do look up to her for the fact that she got to where she is today despite everything she went through. At one point, she had tried to commit suicide in her early teen years but after that she realized that by doing those kind of actions, you only run away from your problems.
What I learned is that no matter how bad you think you have it, there's always someone who has it worse than you which is why you should never take anything for granted. During the time I was reading this book, there was a bump in the road in my life and after reading it, it made me appreciate life more. If someone is going through all of that and can still find value in living, I shouldn't be letting little things bring me down so much. I learned to just love life and to smile even when you don't want to because you don't even know how lucky you are until you read someone else's life story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2019
If my life was as disastrous as Briana Karp’s i’d be depressed, angry, and not optimistic about the future. But Briana comes through happy and optimistic. How does she do it ? I definitely admire the woman.
October 10, 2016
I got a really bad taste in my mouth after reading this book. I didn't even know how to rate it at first. The only thing I was sure of was that the more I thought about it the more annoyed I felt.
Karp is so full of bullshit it is unbelievable. The sad part is that I don't think she realises it. She is not writing to help provide a face to homelessness or to provide guidance to others who are lacking proper housing. She is writing only for the sake of telling the world how mad she is, how let down she is, and to justify herself. Karp does a good job of making everyone feel sorry for her.. up until the point that it just gets to be too much. I don't know, and I don't care to know, how much of this book is actually true. To me, it makes no difference. It is the way that Karp carries on and on in trying to victimize herself. There is no storytelling here, just a lot of expostulating about how sucky her life is. Karp makes many foolish decisions in this book- None that she tries to hide, but she certainly tries to defend these choices and, when she isn't sure if that has worked, she goes off into blaming other people for them.
Karp has some limited writing skills, but they are not at all helped by her editor or the sheer intensity of built-up anger that she pens with. The way this book was put together is just awful. It is like a hodgepodge of her needlessly defending herself with a lot of angry statements and narcissistic drivelling. How any publisher could allow this girl to humiliate herself in public by publishing this nonsense is beyond me.
I agree with other commenters with the words "hot mess" and "train wreck." Yes, I am being harsh here but - Karp needs to stop pretending she is trying to do the world good by selling her story and spend more time getting some good counselling rather than unleashing her rage on the world. That is just my viewpoint. As for the book itself, I suggest you burn it.
Karp is so full of bullshit it is unbelievable. The sad part is that I don't think she realises it. She is not writing to help provide a face to homelessness or to provide guidance to others who are lacking proper housing. She is writing only for the sake of telling the world how mad she is, how let down she is, and to justify herself. Karp does a good job of making everyone feel sorry for her.. up until the point that it just gets to be too much. I don't know, and I don't care to know, how much of this book is actually true. To me, it makes no difference. It is the way that Karp carries on and on in trying to victimize herself. There is no storytelling here, just a lot of expostulating about how sucky her life is. Karp makes many foolish decisions in this book- None that she tries to hide, but she certainly tries to defend these choices and, when she isn't sure if that has worked, she goes off into blaming other people for them.
Karp has some limited writing skills, but they are not at all helped by her editor or the sheer intensity of built-up anger that she pens with. The way this book was put together is just awful. It is like a hodgepodge of her needlessly defending herself with a lot of angry statements and narcissistic drivelling. How any publisher could allow this girl to humiliate herself in public by publishing this nonsense is beyond me.
I agree with other commenters with the words "hot mess" and "train wreck." Yes, I am being harsh here but - Karp needs to stop pretending she is trying to do the world good by selling her story and spend more time getting some good counselling rather than unleashing her rage on the world. That is just my viewpoint. As for the book itself, I suggest you burn it.
August 15, 2011
I really, really wanted to like this book more. The premise is intriguing: a smart, intelligent woman loses her job and her home and has no other option than living on the street. The book starts out well, as well as could be expected when the author recounts her childhood, full of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her mother, and sexual abuse by her father. Add to that a huge dollop of craziness laid on by being Jehovah's Witnesses, and the reader becomes rather intrigued to see how this woman was going to triumph over all of her adversity.
The problem is, the rest of the book focuses on the blog she had written and her relationship with the homelessness advocate she had met through her blog. She insists she wants to make people aware that the word "homeless" doesn't always mean a dirty, unshowered high-school dropout addict that's panhandling just to find his next fix. She wants us to know that the homeless are among us everywhere, and could even include our friends, coworkers, church members, whomever. But she doesn't quite get there, in my opinion. I became bored of reading about her relationship in such great detail, with mentions of how she is surviving in a trailer parked in a Walmart parking lot thrown in every so often. Not only that, but the book ends with the disintegration of her relationship, not with the reader's hoped-for triumph in her finding a permanent home and recounting everything she learned from the adversity of being homeless. Considering the book ends with events from just last year, it seems that perhaps if she had waited a bit to write her book, it would have achieved her goal a little better.
It's really a shame. This book could have been really great.
The problem is, the rest of the book focuses on the blog she had written and her relationship with the homelessness advocate she had met through her blog. She insists she wants to make people aware that the word "homeless" doesn't always mean a dirty, unshowered high-school dropout addict that's panhandling just to find his next fix. She wants us to know that the homeless are among us everywhere, and could even include our friends, coworkers, church members, whomever. But she doesn't quite get there, in my opinion. I became bored of reading about her relationship in such great detail, with mentions of how she is surviving in a trailer parked in a Walmart parking lot thrown in every so often. Not only that, but the book ends with the disintegration of her relationship, not with the reader's hoped-for triumph in her finding a permanent home and recounting everything she learned from the adversity of being homeless. Considering the book ends with events from just last year, it seems that perhaps if she had waited a bit to write her book, it would have achieved her goal a little better.
It's really a shame. This book could have been really great.
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