I have no idea why I chose to read this book, but I am glad I did. I couldn't relate to Sarah Hepola's drinking until blacking out, but I could relate to her journey to stop drinking. I especially appreciated her figuring out when in her life writing was not criticized. I used to write when I was young too. I was published in small magazines and local newspapers. When did I stop? So Sarah Hepola became sober and began to write sober and write well. I thank her for courage to publish her story.

Sarah Hepola is a very good writer, and Blackout is compelling and definitely held my interest. She divides her tale into two parts, and in the first, she offers some of the best insights into drinking and the phenomenon of blacking out that I've ever read. As she got close to winding up the second part, though, the energy of her narrative fizzled out a bit. Hepola was four years sober when she wrote this, and although every day counts, and is a wonderful thing, that's a pretty short timeframe for self-reflection. The strain of trying to come up with conclusions about living sober shows, and the attempt seems a bit unwise. I like that her dedication is "For Anyone Who Needs It," though, and do think that the book could be a big help and wake-up call to a younger person struggling with the "am I or aren't I?" phase of coming to terms with her alcoholism. That possibility alone makes Blackout worthwhile, but Hepola's writing makes it more than just that. Three and a half stars. ( )

A long overdue memoir about alcoholism and addiction told from a woman's point of view. Funny, punchy, yet terrifyingly real. Enjoyed the hell out of it. ( )

Nothing special as a memoir or AA story, except for a couple of horrific drinking incidences. Just a straight-forward non-anonymous AA talk. Hard to take with the whole celebrity anonymity issue; not a good model. ( )

What a brave fucking person. Love how honest she was about her alcoholism. It's amazing nothing terrible ever happened to her. I also love her writing. ( )