Customer Reviews

Marni: My True Story of Stress, Hair-Pulling, and Other Obsessions (Louder Than Words)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marni sometimes seems to have the world out to get her. Her sister hates her guts, when she tries to talk to cute boys she accidentally sprays on them, and her dad uses her to get attention at the bar mitzvah's of some random relatives they always attend. The only person who seems to care for her is her mom. But even then she can't always confide in her, especially when she wants to gain the love and approval from her dad. After her parents divorced, Marni tried all that she could to obtain appreciation from her father. She would go to his place in California ready to spend the weekend together for some real father-daughter bonding time. That didn't happen. But when it was time for her to leave, she wanted more time with him, since he mainly ignored her the whole time she was there. And her wish came true at the airport: "We arrived at the airport and discovered my flight was delayed and I couldn't leave until the next morning. Suddenly, time wasn't an issue anymore...I was ecstatic...for all of three seconds...He looked like he'd been told he had a cavity...and disappointment settled in his eyes" (Bates, 35). As her stress level began to rise from no acceptance from her dad, sister, fellow classmates, and the world surrounding her, Marni began to pull.

Marni is a fun but shocking book as you go with Marni through her stressful life; however it causes her to start pulling her hair, a stress disorder called trichotillomania. First she found comfort in reading books but then she finds comfort in the ripping and popping sound as she carefully pulled out the hair from her eyebrows, eyelashes, and head. She definitely shows her emotions which helps draw you to her reasons why she starts. Since this is a non-fiction, based on the writer's life story, it can be very inspiring. Giving the readers an idea of what life can be like for other teenagers or those who suffer from trich. Though I think she just touched bases on all that happened in her life and would have made the book better if she went into more detail. But through her personality that is shown, you can see that it was hard for her to even get it out to others.

Overall, this is a great read for those who are also fighting with trich or struggling with acceptance. You can feel the emotions as you follow along, but the writing is very casual and every day like. If you just want a quick inspirational read then this book will be great. But if you want a more in-depth story, then I wouldn't recommend it.

I really liked Marni's voice, she is and writes in such a way that you are cheering for her, wanting her to succeed and get through the tough things in her life. From her troubles with her father and her sister and problems at school. She just seems like a nice person that doesn't deserve an ounce of the bad things that happen in her life. And really some of the things that she goes through with her father, sister, and a unbelievably rude debate coach almost seem like fiction. It's sure a lot for one girl to go through. But if you listen to Marni speak, which I had the privilege to listen in on online a few months back, she's a very cheery person, none of her past pain comes through her personality!

The way Marni describes her trich really makes sense. How it's a compulsive behavior and something you can't just stop, it's right there on your head and face asking you to pull. Her trich isn't as much as the main storyline as I had originally though. But it was ok, because Marni fills her memoir with a lot of other interesting things from her life. From homeschooling to her love of reading as a child to being a self proclaimed geek. I could definitely get along with Marni, I think we'd have a lot of things in common.

My main issue with the book was that I just wanted more. It seemed almost too short and almost truncated. The chapters are little glimpses into her life, but I felt like they kind of jumped around time-wise and it made it a little hard for me to get my bearings at times. Did this happen before that etc etc. So I think more pages would have allowed for smoother transitions between the different times in Marni's life that she talks about.

I've heard from Marni herself that she's working on some fiction and really hopes that comes to something because I definitely would love to read it!

Marni is having a huge amount of stress at home, school, and with her friends. She has started to pluck out her eyebrows, eyelashes, and even hair. It has helped her escape from all the trouble in the world. Unluckly, she gets hooked. Soon, she figures out that her little habait is actually a disorder called trichotillomania or "trich".
Marni had an honest story. She discussed something that was a major part about her. It was a story that was a huge part of her and it was amazing that she was able to write it. I could relate to having divorced parents and also the stress and the pressure of being a teenanger. This book is awesome and you should check it out.

HCI's Louder Than Words series features stories about serious issues from real teens who have experienced them.

Marni Bates's story is about how she developed trichotillomania, a disorder that causes her to pull hair from her head, eyebrows and eyelashes. This sounds unusual, but when reading her words, it's easy to see how she became afflicted with "trich." The stress she experiences both at home and in school has turned a bad habit into a real problem.

In her introduction, Marni writes, "Whether I am a freak, an inspiration, a nut case, a survivor, a mess, or a combination of all of the above is for you to decide." Marni is about a lot more than her disorder. She is funny and observant, especially about the people around her. When they see bald patches or a face with eyebrows gone, they don't understand.

When Marni discusses how she actually pulled out her eyelashes, or tried to disguise the bald patches on her head, it is very hard to take. But her account would merely be another after school special without these powerful details. Having the story in her voice makes it resonate in a way that other teens can relate to. The issues leading up to Marni's disorder could happen to anyone. Her father does not handle the divorce well and treats his children unequally. Marni is the favorite for a while, but then he becomes disappointed in her. She tries to reach a point where that doesn't bother her, but she and her sister fight frequently.

Marni struggles to find her place in school. While she loves reading, she has trouble making friends. When things change in junior high, she becomes so miserable that she transfers to an alternative school, only to find that issues involving friends can happen anywhere. While high school brings her some social success, this is when her hair pulling turns out of control. This frank, brutal story of how Marni learns who she is through her struggle with trichotillomania is thought-provoking, realistic and --- most importantly --- hopeful.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

Read this book by a courageous, honest, intelligent and optimistic young woman. Read it now, and you'll be waiting, like I am, for the next book by this talented author. Write on, Marni!

This first book from Marni Bates makes me eager to see more from this fine young author. She tells her story with humor, pathos, and above all, honesty. Her discovery of the nature of her obsession and the fact that it is shared by millions of people moves the reader even as it informs us of this little-known and even less talked about malady. I predict that many, many readers will find solace in Marni's story--not only those who suffer from trich, but those who know others with the same problem. Marni's story gives hope to all of us as we each face our own personal demons.

Brava, Marni!!

"Marni" is a refreshingly-written autobiography and a very impressive first for this young author. Marni's personality shows through in every word, pulling the reader into her life.
Although some autobiographies can turn into sob stories, the author counterbalances all of the bad things in her life with the most positive of messages--that one is not alone in the world, and can look back on even the most horrible of experiences with humour.
Marni shows that anyone can rise above adversity and make a wonderful life for themselves. Despite the serious nature of the topics she discusses, her book is an uplifting and amusing read.
Two thumbs up!

I read "Marni" in one day because I could not put it down. What a wonderful first novel for 19 year old Marni Bates, who overcomes her fears and has the courage to share her secret with the world. The book is so well written that it made me laugh and cry. I know that this book will help all teenagers who have secrets of their own in one form or another. We all deal with stress but in different ways. Hopefully, this book will be a vehicle for open communication for parents and their teens. BRAVO for "Marni!"

"Marni" is a beautifully written inspirational book. Marni's ability to tell her story about facing and dealing with her compulsive addictive behavior is clear, bold and open. I have no doubt her personal insight that is revealed in this book can only have the "nicest possible outcome". This book should be read by all teens and parents of teenagers. This book will give it's readers the compassionate understanding of why(and how) teenagers may struggle with stress related disorders and what family and friends can do to be supportive. Thank you Marni for being so brave and revealing your "secret".