By Jamie Maletta
We all love Drew Barrymore. Can I say that? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love Drew Barrymore? I didn’t have to read her book to know I’d love it. I was definitely expecting a wholesome memoir, and while Drew exudes the all-American girl-next-door vibe, the woman has an adventurous, rebellious, middle-finger-to-the-sky side that we just haven’t seen—and, to be honest, I love it.
Drew Barrymore’s Wallflower is a tell-all-memoir beginning from her early and extremely unique childhood to her preteen, teenage, and adult years. Going back as far as her pre-E.T. days, Drew describes her life as a young child of a single mother and the simplicities of that time that brought her joy. She doesn’t skip the hard stuff either, describing the difficulties of growing up with a busy parent trying to make their own way into Hollywood, a “hippie” father that comes and goes from her life, a wild career at such a young age, and the pressures of being the breadwinner of the family. Drew goes on to speak about her time in rehab, her time spent institutionalized, and what very few of us know about her early teenage years. At a time when social media wasn’t at the forefront of news distribution, Drew managed to fly under the radar with her erratic behaviour, and she basically sums it up to life in the ‘90s. Cheers!
Hard work, harder lessons, and following some awesome stories all accounted for in her book, Drew writes about how it felt “starting over” in her thirties as a single woman that knew she wanted more from life and the journey she took to get there. Committing to charity work, taking her career and relationships seriously, and meeting her now-husband, having children, and balancing a fire hot career—Drew includes it all: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the even better, and it does not disappoint.
Wallflower is an easy and not-too-serious read, with each chapter telling a story of a different time in Drew’s life. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, leaving nothing to the imagination, which is exactly what I want from a tell-all memoir! If you’re a fan of Drew Barrymore, you are going to love how well this book is written, and I think even a little surprised at the honesty throughout. It did not disappoint, and I totally recommend you add this one to your TBR pile today!