Angels, Dreams, Nightmares and Everything in Between in Living in LA
My review on Amazon
I truly loved, LOVED this book. I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. I actually had to slow my reading pace down to savor it a little longer. James Frey is an incredible writer and now one of my favorites. He has actually inspired me to write again.
My knowledge of James Frey prior to reading this book was from the national scandal pertaining to his faux memoir. I didn't have an opinion about him either way but I knew I didn't want to read that memoir. When a friend of mine recommended "Bright Shiny Morning," I thought of giving it a shot, especially that it was about my city--Los Angeles. I'm so glad I did.
I was immediately hooked by the captivating narrative and the rich and conflicted characters: the young midwestern eighteen-year-old couple that is California Dreamin', the high-powered, closeted Hollywood actor in love with another man, the Mexican-American girl trying to reconcile her dreams with reality and dealing with a body party she hates, the homeless man that spends his days waiting and wondering where his life went, the immigrants, the porn stars, the gangs, the poor, the rich and everyone in between that lives and dies in Los Angeles.
I was mostly impressed by the historical anecdotes of the city with which this book is rife and some of which I did verify. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of research that went into this splendid work of fiction.
I can literally go on and on about this book, but I'll leave you with this: BUY IT. READ IT. RE-READ IT. It will inspire your creativity and captivate your imagination.
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