2008 Woodie Awards
Book Review: A Sobering Experience
Informational novel found to be an eye-opening must-read for young party girls.
Lizzie Donovan
Issue date: 6/13/06 Section: Entertainment
Long nights huddled by a keg of beer, countless shots of Smirnoff vodka with friends, early mornings hugging a toilet in sickness; most of us females in college experience the same types of events. "Smashed: Story of Drunken Girlhood," by Koren Zailckas is a brilliant and unflinching memoir about one girl's experience with alcohol, and how it led her down a path of oblivion.
The story begins when 14-year-old Koren decides to take a family trip with her best friend.When she takes her first sip of Southern Comfort, the downfall begins. Although she does not become an alcoholic, the book shows how downing shots for fun can still lead to serious problems. With literary excellence, Koren holds nothing back while telling her story. Based on her experience, she analyzes the reasons young females binge drink to extremes. "Smashed" also includes disturbing statistics regarding women and alcohol, noting that it has indeed turned into a serious social problem within the female community.
A major highlight of the memoir is when 16-year-old Koren nearly dies of alcohol poisoning, and falls into a coma after a night of excessive drinking. Throughout the book, she admits to heavy drinking and partying, but doesn't consider herself an "alcoholic" considering she lacks the same genetically based reactions that contribute to addiction. She makes it clear to readers that you don't need to be labeled an alcoholic to hit rock bottom with the habit.
Koren's entire experience ends when she finds herself one morning disoriented in an unfamiliar Manhattan apartment, she realizes that she lacks tools of adulthood, and has difficulty conversing with individuals. After a decade of blackouts, random sexual encounters, and drunken madness with her sorority sisters at Syracuse University, she finds her life in the exact place as when she took that first sip.
After picking up "Smashed: Story of Drunken Girlhood," I was unable to put it down. At the age of 25, Koren Zailckas has put out a piece of work that is both moving and informational. This is definitely a must-read for every girl involved in the party scene.
The story begins when 14-year-old Koren decides to take a family trip with her best friend.When she takes her first sip of Southern Comfort, the downfall begins. Although she does not become an alcoholic, the book shows how downing shots for fun can still lead to serious problems. With literary excellence, Koren holds nothing back while telling her story. Based on her experience, she analyzes the reasons young females binge drink to extremes. "Smashed" also includes disturbing statistics regarding women and alcohol, noting that it has indeed turned into a serious social problem within the female community.
A major highlight of the memoir is when 16-year-old Koren nearly dies of alcohol poisoning, and falls into a coma after a night of excessive drinking. Throughout the book, she admits to heavy drinking and partying, but doesn't consider herself an "alcoholic" considering she lacks the same genetically based reactions that contribute to addiction. She makes it clear to readers that you don't need to be labeled an alcoholic to hit rock bottom with the habit.
Koren's entire experience ends when she finds herself one morning disoriented in an unfamiliar Manhattan apartment, she realizes that she lacks tools of adulthood, and has difficulty conversing with individuals. After a decade of blackouts, random sexual encounters, and drunken madness with her sorority sisters at Syracuse University, she finds her life in the exact place as when she took that first sip.
After picking up "Smashed: Story of Drunken Girlhood," I was unable to put it down. At the age of 25, Koren Zailckas has put out a piece of work that is both moving and informational. This is definitely a must-read for every girl involved in the party scene.
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