Customer Reviews

A Piece of Cake: A Memoir

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love this book. It's rough at times to read it and not cry for the little lost girl, but it's also well written, and honest. When she talks about discovering colon cancer, and wrapping her throat in a scarf, it made me laugh. But it's also a real look at foster homes, drug addiction and what rock bottom can look like for a person. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.

Whether you believe this book tells the absolute truth or not, it is still entertaining and a great read. This book is very inspiring and just proves that anyone can do anything!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. It really gets you into it.
Lots of time I teared up and literally wanted to reach into the
book and hug the little girl in the memoir. Some pretty
funny parts in it too. Keep it on my bookshelf and have
read it many times. Highly recommend.

Cupcake Brown's book was such an amazing book that I couldn't put it down! I couldn't believe what she had to endure at such a young age and her journey along the way. Even though she went through hell she still managed to keep her sense of humour and spunk which is probably what kept her alive. The fact that she persevered and came out on top was truly inspirational!!! Go Cupcake go!!!

this book is very good and easy to read. Cupcake has been through everything and she comes out on top. it is a very inspiring story. Reminds me very much of A Million Little Pieces.

This is a book in which the authors details her life story. After the death of her mother at the age of eleven, the author's life took a decided turn for the worse. A series of foster homes, coupled with physical and sexual abuse, led the author into a downward spiral. An eventual drug user, gang member, and prostitute, who engaged in violent criminal acts against others, the author, who ultimately depended upon the kindness of strangers to help set her on the path to redemption, lays it all out for the reader in graphic detail.

Unfortunately, the book could have used a good editor, as it is quite repetitive and poorly written. I found that it tended to pall after a while. There also appears to be quite an extensive use of literary license, as the book is littered with many conversations that took place years ago. The author's memory is apparently as remarkable as her life, given the fact that she was often either high or drunk by her own admission. It makes me wonder how much of her book is fact and how much is fiction? After all, she spent a large part of her life conning others. This book may possibly be her ultimate con. Who is to say?

Although the author had many people helping her along the way to achieve her eventual success, props must be accorded to her for letting her natural intelligence take precedence over her life of crime. Yet, she comes across surprisingly devoid of introspection or reflection and appears also to be devoid of empathy for others, making her someone less sympathetic or admirable. Moreover, it is unfortunate that she finds that she cannot extend that same helping hand, which was so graciously extended to her, to others. While the author will speak before any organization for thousands of dollars, she will not address any audience that cannot afford to pay her fees, no matter how indigent, destitute, or young. Instead, she recommends that they buy her book, if they cannot afford her fees. Unfortunately, her book just ain't all that.

I couldn't stop reading this book. I kept wanting to see what was going to happen with Cupcake or where she would end up... I was disgusted at what she had to endure, and as a social worker I was even more devastated at the state of social services and saddened that this child "slipped" through the cracks. Anyone who reads this will be moved!

I read a lot of negative rewiews on Amazon.com before I started reading this book where people commented on the fact they didn't believe this happened. I remember thinking, "how would THEY know?" Well now that I am almost finished this book, I understand why. There is no way, absolutely no way, this can all be real. How on earth could 3 law firms allow any employees to consistanly miss work, show up late, show up looking and smelling like she did, and still keep her job? And further more, how could a person lie about her resume for years and not once get caught or any background checks be done? And don't even get me STARTED on the drug use! Further to that, I can't believe she describes in such detail how to make certain drugs (bangin' crack) and then how to smoke it. I also cannot understand how a person can put that amount of drugs into their body on a daily basis and not have an overdose. Not to mention, she talks later in the book about how her face muscles stop working properly and she's drooling all over the place, but then she goes on to describe conversations she has with people. I don't buy it, not any more.

I tried and tried, as the book went on, to like it, and to really like HER, but I just couldn't. I now find myself not really caring what happens to her. I will finish it--I've invested 350 pages in this far, I might as well complete the last 100. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.