Customer Reviews

Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Knowing only that he had been on my favorite show as a kid and had been arrested as an adult, I was not prepared for the rollercoaster of emotion this book provided. Todd lets the reader into the deepest, darkest parts of his mind, thoughts, emotions, confessions, and life: the parts most of us are afraid to look at in ourselves, much less admit to others. The voice is so raw and honest, I felt as if I was snooping in someone's personal diary and that I should not be privileged to the information I was reading. The reality of his story is harsh, and at times I felt as if I were a child who should cover my ears while someone told a story I couldn't handle or shouldn't hear. He lays it all out on the table and holds NOTHING back. As painful as it was to read, I couldn't put it down and read it all in one day!
I cried so much reading this book that I was sick. I felt so terrible for him, and all the kids like him still in these situations, that there were times I had to stop and walk away. He makes intelligent and self-aware connections to how abuse and racism can lead to self-hatred which then leads to depression and other problems.
He makes no excuses for his mistakes, but shows how the mistreatment and abuse children receive in this world today, especially child stars, can scar them for life, and, as children, they are unable to deal with those events and unprepared to make the difficult decisions that are placed in front of them. He also shows how quickly depression can take its toll and how fast life spirals out of control once drug use begins. Readers get a true look into the lives of many who faced racism during that time period, as well as glimpse into the nasty world of many drug addicts. He shows no fear in telling it exactly like it was.
He learned a lot of life lessons the hard way, and all while still a young adult. He tells some disturbing, gut-wrenching stories about his recovery. But, he also describes the tough climb back up, and the humbling experience of starting over with his past as an obstacle.
In the end Todd completely changed his life, himself, and his outlook on the world. He also discusses his mission to educate others in hopes that teens can learn from his mistakes and make better choices for their lives. Reliving his pain day after day and admitting his faults to strangers cannot be easy, but in this book, he really inspires people to step up and be better to themselves and to their children and to face those difficult questions and situations in our lives head-on. He is not just a child star gone bad, he is a real person with real experiences and problems in his life just like everyone else. Fortunately, he is one of the survivors.

While reading KILLING WILLIS, especially as I came upon account after account of Todd's experiences with child abuse, drugs, and violence, all I could think was, 'How is this guy going to make it through?' On one hand, his memories of how he got into show business and his success from acting are thrilling to read. It was great to see how much his mother supported his interests; on the other hand, some of the other childhood memories are difficult to stomach. Some of the people he was around during his formative years had a negative impact on his life and he explains all the notorius and famous headlines that were made as he grew older. I must admit: I've never read a book like this before. At times the material took my breath away. It was a tough read. But Todd appears to be so forthcoming that you cannot fault the man for telling the truth. If you enjoy reading celebrity biographies, this one should definitely be included at the top of your list. You'll find yourself rooting for him and hoping he makes it out okay. No human being, actor or not, should ever have to go through what he endured. Excellent read.

If you're looking for a raw, no holds barred depiction of drugs, sex, and violence, then this may be the biography for you. However, if you're looking for anything heavier than that: introspection, self-awareness, and maturation, this may not be the place to look. I couldn't bear to keep reading after around 200 pages, not because of Todd's raw depiction of the street life, but rather because his chronicle feels thoroughly deficient in other, more important, respects.

First of all, Todd demonstrates little understanding of himself and often seems to be stroking his own ego. He goes on and on about what a big deal he was as a child/teen star, often seems like he's bragging when he discusses his exploits and promotions in the drug world, and constantly paints himself as an innocent victim, even going as far as to say that none of what he did was his fault other than taking drugs in the first place. How about his running two crack houses and intentionally getting several women hooked? How about all the crime and death he indirectly promoted through his drug dealing activities? At one particularly important point in the book, he finds himself wrongfully accused of murder and never connects the dots to realize that the murder was committed by his people in his crack house against his arch rival. No, Todd claims he never fired a gun, but many guns fired because of him. Todd sees himself here as an innocent victim of racial profiling and personal grudges in much the same way as he was when the police repeatedly pulled him over earlier in life and hassled him for being black. The two situations are far from the same. It's not that Todd needs to show more remorse over the things he did; it's that he doesn't show any because he doesn't see himself as deserving blame. Though he often talks about how far he fell and how ashamed of himself he'd become, it was never for anything other than being a drug user who no longer cared about his career. He'll spend entire pages talking about pioneering a way to make crack in the microwave or rising to become a small time drug lord in such a short amount of time, but these read like bragging rights, not confessions.

Secondly, there are several times in the book where Todd's accounts seem highly unreliable. Though there are times where he knows that what he's saying sounds hard to believe and says as much, there are other accounts that simply don't add up. At one point in the book, Todd is cheated out of his entire fortune and is left with nothing. Yet, in the next few chapters, he mentions his nice five bedroom home, his Ethan Allen dining room table, and his BMW (and he has another car too). Sure, he may have lost most of his fortune, but he's clearly still affluent and goes on to survive comfortably and support a heavy drug addiction without working or stealing for many years after. At another point in the book, Todd's drug lord mentor has four crack houses, but when Todd takes over his business a few pages later, there are two crack houses. In a third memorable instance, Todd's old rival gets revenge on Todd by knocking him down, running into his crack house, and locking him out. This makes absolutely no sense. Drug lords seeking revenge outside of a crack house at night fire guns and kill. They do not run into houses and lock people out. The fact that this is all part of Todd's alibi for how he had nothing to do with this man ending up in his crack house and being brutally murdered makes this account even more suspicious. There's also a time when Todd is on death row for killing "Henry," and the cops add an armed robbery charge to the mix. Todd tells them that Henry is the one who did it, and to go look for him. Why would he have said that if Henry's death is the whole reason Todd was on death row in the first place?

Finally, the general writing style is exceptionally poor and non-engaging. Todd often sounds like he's just rambling and heading toward a general direction in his narrative. There's also an excessive usage of commas in the middle of sentences and before the word "because" any time that it is used. I'm not sure what co-writer Sarah Tomlinson actually did for this book, but it feels completely unedited.

Please don't get me wrong. Todd Bridges has led a fascinating and incredibly painful life, he has been the victim of many unfortunate circumstances including abuse, sexual abuse, and blatant racism, he has pulled himself out of the abyss, and (in at least one instance) he has performed a heroic feat that saved someone's life. I have nothing against Todd Bridges as a person, but I could certainly do without Killing Willis.

I really did enjoy this book. I even cried while reading certain sections( read the book and u will know what section I'm referring to)... I'm the same age as Todd, and grew up in Los Angeles so I could really relate to a lot of the drug stuff he talked about that went down in our community. He was a part of it, and lived to tell about it which is a miracle in it's self. Todd laid it all out in this book, and I think fans will really enjoy it like I did.

Todd Bridges holds nothing back in this autobiography. Well, almost nothing. Unlike many memoirists or biographers, Bridges does not rat out his fellow celebrities to make a few extra bucks. It was hard to read this book, because as an adult, you could see the danger approaching, and I found myself talking back to the book like it was a horror movie screen ("Run, kid!") And kudos to Sarah Tomlinson. She did the best job that I have ever read producing a coherent, chronological, and easy to read tome.

Bridges was a gifted and sensitive boy, subjected to horrible abuse (physical, emotional and sexual), racism, and depravity of every description. I admire him for being this honest and admitting to all the horrible things he did in the grip of drugs. (Maybe too honest - I was telling my husband over breakfast this morning that I now know how to make crack in the microwave and run a drug ring)

<grimace> I'm gonna get flamed for this, but it IS my honest opinion...
A lot of times the tone of the book really stuck in my craw. I was constantly amazed that Bridges seemed shocked when someone in the drug world screwed him over (even though he was running a prostitution and drug ring) and his complete willingness (almost expectation) to take the perks that come with celebrity, but not the negatives.

If you were exposed to all the wealth and fame of being an child actor on a highly successful television show, then I'm sure that would take a tole on your personal life as you attempted to grow into an adult. And we saw that happen with Diff'rent Stroke star Todd "Willis" Bridges who shares a tumultuous tale of the highs, lows and everything in between of his life. While we saw this happy kid portrayed in Bridges' character on television, there were some deep, dark secrets nobody knew about that would manifest themselves clearly once the spotlight of fame and fortune began to fade. Whether you are a fan of "Willis" who Bridges is seeking to distance himself from or in a story of triumph over personal circumstances, you're gonna love this book. I'm so happy to hear the back story of one of the kids I literally grew up with watching on television.

I love memoirs of all kinds. You find that most celebrity ones are pretty white washed. This book was really different. Todd lays it all out, and some of the content is pretty shocking. His honesty is really refreshing and is inspirational as well. I really enjoyed this book.

This book was awesome it brought tears to my eyes, of certain chapters but overall it was a awesome book.I'm glad Todd's mother was there for him throughout his whole life, and even though his dad was always abusive to him I wish his dad changed his ways before he died.I8 would recommend this book to others :O)

This was a HONEST look into Todd Bridge's life. YES I've always thought of him as a crackhead or strung out on SOMETHING. And that overshadowed him as an actor. Bridges lets us deep into his thoughts and reveals his true emotions about his past. He had negative people all around him and had to learn the hard way as a young adult.

It was some serious content and at times hard to read. But overall I thought it was a great biography.

Todd Bridges was one of those youngsters who saw stars in his eyes, a la Hollywood. He wanted to be a star and with a few commercials, a supportive mother and a lot of luck he soon found himself starring in a series that would give him everything he wanted. Diff'rent Strokes gave him fame and, oddly enough, found him a father figure in Conrad Bain, who played Philip Drummond on the set. His own father was abusive and instilled fear in the family. Perhaps his father's drinking set the stage for Todd's later drug abuse, but nothing is ever a certainty, including lasting fame. He had another man who entered his life who was good to him, good in a surprisingly evil way, but Todd didn't understand that at the tender age of twelve.

Ronald, his publicist was there for him when his own father shuffled him aside. "Let me tell you something else," he said, "You can get the same feeling from boys that you can from girls." (P. 65) This evil man wasn't the first sign of trouble in his life, but it wouldn't be the last. Todd wanted to crush out the pain of his life and began experimenting with drugs. Dana Plato, who later died of a drug overdose began her experiments as well. It wasn't the Pepsi generation any more. It was something much more insidious. Todd Bridges wasn't going to remain that cute little boy on Diff'rent Strokes forever. He would become a young adult, one that police loved to harass and fling the "n" word at.

He quickly learned that drugs became his best friend and claimed that "Drugs didn't seem like a big deal to us, and we were able to get away with a lot." (P. 128) Really, did they? His self-destructive side began to surface and the drugs and body bashing accidents with motorcycles began to take their toll. Subconsciously Todd knew he was spiraling into the unknown, but didn't seem to care. "It was a brutal world. It really was. It was a world that was uncaring and unforgiving." (P. 159) How did he get there? Why did he stay in such an unwelcoming world? But most of all how would he get out and who would rescue him from it? The streets were raw and brutal and a place that would eat you alive . . . just who was going to help Willis?

This is one book you are going to want to put everything aside to read if you were ever a fan of Diff'rent Strokes. The book hooked me from the first pages with a great lead and an excellent pace, but after the first hundred pages or so, the drug aspect was starting to get a bit tedious. It's easy to close a chapter on someone's life in a book, but I decided to keep on reading and didn't regret it. What happened to Todd happened to a lot of young people in that generation and, in all likelihood, will happen again. I kept on reading and got a thorough grounding on what happens to the good boy gone bad and the incessant drug culture in our country. The ending was a bit rushed, but regained its balance toward the end. If you want to read a grinding, raw tale of a young man who had it all, lost it and now is trying to move forward and put his past where it belongs, Todd Bridges will lead you down the road from heaven `n hell and back again!