Fall to Pieces is a beautifully written, visceral, roller coaster ride inside bipolar disorder, rock ’n’ roll, celebrity culture, and the world of modeling. Mary Forsberg Weiland, wife of Scott Weiland, front man for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, tells a harrowing true story of depression, drug addiction, and mental illness with candor and, often, humor. Co-written with veteran journalist Larkin Warren, Fall to Pieces is a blistering, eye-opening memoir of
Fall to Pieces
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Weiland's lively, vernacular memoir tells the sadly wasted but ultimately self-directed tale of her meteoric rise as a model from impoverished, half-Mexican roots to a precipitous plunge into drug addiction. Growing up in a broken Southern California home in the 1980s, where she lived mostly with her working Mexican mother in near poverty, the author, née Forsberg, found autonomy and financial independence early on in modeling; by age 14 she was a finalist for a Seventeen magazine modeling contest and traveling to New York; by 16, she had quit school, been legally emancipated and booked overseas jobs. She also became infatuated with aspiring rock and roller Scott Weiland, who was briefly her driver, and as he became hugely successful with his band, Stone Temple Pilots, he slid into heroin addiction and dragged her along with him. He was also involved with another woman, and the author's account is a painful re-enactment of her youthful abasement. From partying scene to junkie desperation to psychiatrist's office, jail and rehab, Forsberg Weiland battled her demons, learning with some surprise that she suffered from bipolar disorder. Having two children with Scott turned her around, though her marriage crumbled when he didn't change. Weiland's forthright, resilient can-do spirit injects this sad story with a healthy moral. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“A harrowing story of addiction and mental illness.” (People )
“A worthy addition to the rock canon.” (New York Post )
“Weiland’s lively, vernacular memoir tells the sadly wasted but ultimately self-directed tale of her meteoric rise as a model from impoverished, half-Mexican roots to a precipitous plunge into drug addiction....Weiland’s forthright, resilient can-do spirit injects this sad story with a healthy moral.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A brutally honest and compelling account of Mary Weiland’s struggles with addiction and mental illness. Brave, bold and unfiltered, Mary’s writing injects humor and levity in a way that is both entertaining and necessary. I have no doubt that this important book will help save many lives.” (Dave Navarro )
“Mary Weiland’s beautifully crafted memoir takes the reader through the journey that is so very common today, the slow drift into addiction and mental illness. Honest, clear, and accurate, Fall to Pieces is perhaps the most vivid rendition of this experience I have ever come across.” (Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of Loveline and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, author of The Mirror Effect and Cracked )
“Mary Weiland describes the depths of madness and addiction with surprising clarity. Fall to Pieces is a wild, gripping story, told with intense emotional honesty.” (Terri Cheney, New York Times bestselling author of Manic )
“For all the death and devastation detailed in its pages, this book is surprisingly funny.” (Reuters )
“A worthy addition to the rock canon.” (New York Post )
“Weiland’s lively, vernacular memoir tells the sadly wasted but ultimately self-directed tale of her meteoric rise as a model from impoverished, half-Mexican roots to a precipitous plunge into drug addiction....Weiland’s forthright, resilient can-do spirit injects this sad story with a healthy moral.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A brutally honest and compelling account of Mary Weiland’s struggles with addiction and mental illness. Brave, bold and unfiltered, Mary’s writing injects humor and levity in a way that is both entertaining and necessary. I have no doubt that this important book will help save many lives.” (Dave Navarro )
“Mary Weiland’s beautifully crafted memoir takes the reader through the journey that is so very common today, the slow drift into addiction and mental illness. Honest, clear, and accurate, Fall to Pieces is perhaps the most vivid rendition of this experience I have ever come across.” (Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of Loveline and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, author of The Mirror Effect and Cracked )
“Mary Weiland describes the depths of madness and addiction with surprising clarity. Fall to Pieces is a wild, gripping story, told with intense emotional honesty.” (Terri Cheney, New York Times bestselling author of Manic )
“For all the death and devastation detailed in its pages, this book is surprisingly funny.” (Reuters )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In "Falling to Pieces," Mary Forsberg Weiland, the model ex-wife of Scott Weiland from the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver rock groups, tells her story--one of a promising modeling career, lavish lifestyle, and touring with rock stars turned into a lifestyle of drug abuse, depression, and divorce. Coming from a working background and a broken family, Weiland has a dark childhood that reaches its climax when she goes to jail. Shortly afterwards, Mary replies to an ad for the Barbizon school of modeling and her life is forever changed.
Still a teenager, Mary drops out of school to pursue modeling. Her driver to assignments, for a brief period, becomes Scott Weiland--who at that point is a struggling musician. When he gets backed by a record company, Mary gets a new driver but can never forget Scott. Fast forward a couple of years, and Mary's touring with Scott and the band, spending time back and forth between the band's schedule and her modeling job. However, as Mary soon finds out, getting embroiled in the rock n' roll lifestyle has its costs--in Weiland's case, exposure to drugs. While Mary's modeling roommates, including future actress Charlize Theron, advance their careers--Mary enters a downward spiral, an increasingly dark frame of mind, and an ugly on/off relationship with her rock star boyfriend Scott.
The writing keeps the story interesting and Mary's occasional name dropping adds some extra flavor. You get to see the kind of world Weiland had access to, and see inside the mind of an addict. Mary's stories about her escalating dependence on Weiland and illegal substances seem to be rooted in her inability to deal with the real world. Throughout the book, there's almost nothing held back--including her breakdowns and dealing with being bipolar. Overall, I found the read pretty solid--too serious for a day at the beach, but deep enough to satisfy the more curious readers looking for a tell-all.
Still a teenager, Mary drops out of school to pursue modeling. Her driver to assignments, for a brief period, becomes Scott Weiland--who at that point is a struggling musician. When he gets backed by a record company, Mary gets a new driver but can never forget Scott. Fast forward a couple of years, and Mary's touring with Scott and the band, spending time back and forth between the band's schedule and her modeling job. However, as Mary soon finds out, getting embroiled in the rock n' roll lifestyle has its costs--in Weiland's case, exposure to drugs. While Mary's modeling roommates, including future actress Charlize Theron, advance their careers--Mary enters a downward spiral, an increasingly dark frame of mind, and an ugly on/off relationship with her rock star boyfriend Scott.
The writing keeps the story interesting and Mary's occasional name dropping adds some extra flavor. You get to see the kind of world Weiland had access to, and see inside the mind of an addict. Mary's stories about her escalating dependence on Weiland and illegal substances seem to be rooted in her inability to deal with the real world. Throughout the book, there's almost nothing held back--including her breakdowns and dealing with being bipolar. Overall, I found the read pretty solid--too serious for a day at the beach, but deep enough to satisfy the more curious readers looking for a tell-all.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A captivating story of mental illness, not a lame hollywood tell-all
December 5, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is an amazing account of a person's struggle with bi-polar disorder and mental illness with the unusual twist of the life of a model who was too young and unprepared for the type of life that her accidental career provided.
To be honest, I was completely surprised by this book. I assumed this would be a poorly written, boring attempt to cash in on knowing someone famous and having a few moments in the spotlight thanks to another wacko hollywood person's meltdown. Being a fan of Scott Weiland, I assumed that this was just his crazy wife's attempt to make him look worse in the public eye.
I was completely wrong about the intended purpose of this book, the author, and her capability to share her story. Over the course of one weekend this page-turner gave me insight into the world of someone with bipolar disorder, addiction, and no where in the book did she seem like she was trying to capitalize on her husband's troubles or that of other hollywood celebs. Although, I will admit that it is fun to read about people like Dave Navarro, Anthony Kiedis, and Charlize Theron. I would recommend this easy to read book to anyone, especially those like me who know someone who struggles with mental illness and drug addiction.
To be honest, I was completely surprised by this book. I assumed this would be a poorly written, boring attempt to cash in on knowing someone famous and having a few moments in the spotlight thanks to another wacko hollywood person's meltdown. Being a fan of Scott Weiland, I assumed that this was just his crazy wife's attempt to make him look worse in the public eye.
I was completely wrong about the intended purpose of this book, the author, and her capability to share her story. Over the course of one weekend this page-turner gave me insight into the world of someone with bipolar disorder, addiction, and no where in the book did she seem like she was trying to capitalize on her husband's troubles or that of other hollywood celebs. Although, I will admit that it is fun to read about people like Dave Navarro, Anthony Kiedis, and Charlize Theron. I would recommend this easy to read book to anyone, especially those like me who know someone who struggles with mental illness and drug addiction.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mary Forsberg, ex-wife of Stone Temple Pilots and former Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland, takes the title of her memoir from one of Velvet Revolver's hits, a song inspired directly by her. I had no desire read her memoir until I read Scott's Not Dead & Not for Sale: A Memoir and heard that his wife's provided a much more in-depth look. While Mary made her living as a model for some time, it's easy to say that this memoir is the result of riding the coattails of her husband. It's true that had she never married Weiland; publishes would have no interest in her memoirs. However, I feel she wrote this out of a genuine need for this information to be heard rather than just as a way to cash in. There is a great story here that details her struggle drug addiction and with mental illness, particularly bi-polar (a disorder both Mary and Scott have). Not only is this book entertaining and thoughtfully written, but it's eye-opening enough that it may actually help people going through similar troubles.
Mary opens the book with the first time she shot heroin, after catching her then-husband Scott doing it. Jumping far back, she details her early family life; growing up poor and misunderstood. Essentially, she covers everything from birth to now. Almost anyone reading this will be most interested in her first meetings with then-fledgling rock star Scott Weiland and, I assure you, there is plenty here to satisfy Weiland fans. The memoir isn't just a book of gossip about the rock star though and there's a lot of interesting information about the woman who is more known to the public through songs penned by her husband. There are two sides to every story and Mary seems willing to go in-depth about everything, particularly her and Scott's mental health/drug struggles. It's nearly impossible to write a memoir without any bias, but Mary comes off as pretty truthful throughout. When she discusses incidents that are well-known to the public, such as setting her husband's clothes on fire, she does her best to take full responsibility for her actions.
The book is co-written with Larkin Warren, so it's hard to judge Ms. Forsberg as a writer. Assuming it's mostly her, she comes off as a casual, intelligent, and humble woman. Her writing feels very personal, due to its informal style. She spares no details throughout (if you want to know what her dad and stepdad's favorite records are, she tells you), yet it never feels too wordy or over-thought, with much of it feeling very conversational. Forsberg has lived an adventurous life and has a lot of interesting tidbits about various people to share, but it never feels exploitative. There is a lot of celebrity name-dropping, but when you are friends with people like Anthony Kiedis and you modeled at a show that you want to emphasize the importance of by mentioning people like Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg...It seems appropriate and well-placed.
Mary lays her soul bare when she talks about struggling with addiction, struggling with mental illness, and her desperation to get better. Since Scott Weiland was a huge part of her life since the early 90s, she does share some details that may cause some to see him in a negative light (he gets a massage at one very insensitive moment) but he seemed to support her writing it.
While I'm sure she was offered a lot of money to share these thoughts and feelings, I respect Forsberg for being as detailed and truthful as she is. Reading this book I learned a lot about her, Mr. Weiland, drug addiction, and mental illness. It's a soul-baring, inquisitive memoir filled with fascinating insight into an excessive lifestyle that she claims has only recently returned to Earth. Some may struggle to empathize with Mary, who grew up poor until she was about 18 and has been living a pretty glamorous life ever since, but this is a fascinating, enlightening, and gloriously written memoir that is worth your time.
GRADE: A
Mary opens the book with the first time she shot heroin, after catching her then-husband Scott doing it. Jumping far back, she details her early family life; growing up poor and misunderstood. Essentially, she covers everything from birth to now. Almost anyone reading this will be most interested in her first meetings with then-fledgling rock star Scott Weiland and, I assure you, there is plenty here to satisfy Weiland fans. The memoir isn't just a book of gossip about the rock star though and there's a lot of interesting information about the woman who is more known to the public through songs penned by her husband. There are two sides to every story and Mary seems willing to go in-depth about everything, particularly her and Scott's mental health/drug struggles. It's nearly impossible to write a memoir without any bias, but Mary comes off as pretty truthful throughout. When she discusses incidents that are well-known to the public, such as setting her husband's clothes on fire, she does her best to take full responsibility for her actions.
The book is co-written with Larkin Warren, so it's hard to judge Ms. Forsberg as a writer. Assuming it's mostly her, she comes off as a casual, intelligent, and humble woman. Her writing feels very personal, due to its informal style. She spares no details throughout (if you want to know what her dad and stepdad's favorite records are, she tells you), yet it never feels too wordy or over-thought, with much of it feeling very conversational. Forsberg has lived an adventurous life and has a lot of interesting tidbits about various people to share, but it never feels exploitative. There is a lot of celebrity name-dropping, but when you are friends with people like Anthony Kiedis and you modeled at a show that you want to emphasize the importance of by mentioning people like Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg...It seems appropriate and well-placed.
Mary lays her soul bare when she talks about struggling with addiction, struggling with mental illness, and her desperation to get better. Since Scott Weiland was a huge part of her life since the early 90s, she does share some details that may cause some to see him in a negative light (he gets a massage at one very insensitive moment) but he seemed to support her writing it.
While I'm sure she was offered a lot of money to share these thoughts and feelings, I respect Forsberg for being as detailed and truthful as she is. Reading this book I learned a lot about her, Mr. Weiland, drug addiction, and mental illness. It's a soul-baring, inquisitive memoir filled with fascinating insight into an excessive lifestyle that she claims has only recently returned to Earth. Some may struggle to empathize with Mary, who grew up poor until she was about 18 and has been living a pretty glamorous life ever since, but this is a fascinating, enlightening, and gloriously written memoir that is worth your time.
GRADE: A
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
read this about 500 times
Never ceases to amaze me. What an awesome woman with a great story to tell. You kick butt, Mary amd I love you
Published 17 days ago by Tracy
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was an awesome read...
I loved reading this book. It was very inspiring to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel for bi-polar disorder and drug addiction! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michelle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad at all.
I picked it up and read the whole thing over the course of three days in my spare time. She seems pretentious at times, but it's an amusing story regardless. Read more
Published 2 months ago by meep
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!!!
If you want to know about the grimy side of the music modelling scene during the 90's, you'll enjoy this book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lisa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book
Absolutely loved this book, could not put it down once I started it! Would recommend it to anyone that enjoys memoirs.
Published 3 months ago by Lmase
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book!
It was interesting, courageous, and amazing cover to cover! I loved it and enjoyed it very much! It keeps you guessing!
Published 3 months ago by Cathy Fagner
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT book!
I have NEVER read a book in three days. I probably would have read it in less if I didn't work full time and have toddler twins! I loved this book. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. George
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really Good Book
A bit slow in the very beginning but veryyyyyy good book to read! I loved the pictures that are inside of it too. Read more
Published 6 months ago by KFLICK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
This book is amazing. I've read plenty of drug-based memoirs and this one is different. This book isn't about drugs like many are. It's about life, and drugs were a part of that. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Alyse
4.0 out of 5 stars
Honest, Intriguing Account of Addiction & Mental Illness
Last month, I purchased Mary Weiland's autobiography of her life growing up working-class in California, as a model in the early 1990s, and as the fiancee, then wife of Stone... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Laney
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