Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story [Paperback]

Cherie Currie (Author), Neal Shusterman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 1989

The author recounts her teenaged years as the lead singer of the all-girl rock band, the Runaways, her career as a movie actress, and her battle with drugs and alcohol.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Currie powerfully recounts her teenage years in this candid autobiography, chronicling the experiences that destroyed her self-confidence and led her to drug and alcohol abuse. At 15 she became the lead singer for the Runaways, a female rock group. The Runaways soared rapidly to success, but Currie was overwhelmed by the pace and constant travel. As the pressure increased, Currie went from marijuana to Quaaludes; amid family conflicts and quarrels with the Runaways, she eventually became a cocaine addict. At age 17 she left the group to produce a solo album; her drug use continued to escalate, moreso when she learned that her father was dying of alcoholism, and her mother, of cancer. Currie lets readers know that drug abuse destroyed her family, her career and almost her life; she hit rock bottom before realizing that if she didn't get help she would die. This turbulent, frightening story sends mature readers a potent warning against drugs. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Price Stern Sloan (August 23, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843123486
• ISBN-13: 978-0843123487
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #974,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome February 18, 2003

By Jim

Format:Paperback

This is a wild book. One minute I wished I was there hanging out and partying with Cherie, then the next chapter would start and I'd feel such horror at what I was reading. Kind of like if you were on a roller coster, laughing and having fun, then you notice your harness is missing... and that loop is coming up. That sums up her teenage/young adult life.
Cherie Currie is not afraid to tell all. Even if it means exposing her darkest moments in life, her fears, her failures, addictions, etc.

She has overcome a lot. But she is more than a survivor. She knows how and why she conquered her demons and prevailed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very tough content written by a truly strong lady November 27, 2006

By L. Corfiati

Format:Paperback

It is true what they say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" because this is what you are likely to think after reading this book, particularly after one particular chapter following Cherie's split up with The Runaways...I don't personally know Cherie Currie nor I ever will, but certainly I can tell that she is a truly strong lady, who has been through an incredible amount of emotional garbage in her teens (and unfortunately for her not just emotional), managing to survive and overcome her turbolent past. I felt for her on numerous pages. If you are into The Runaways and would like to know more about it from the Icon of the legendary group, if you are into Cherie Currie's artistic visions, this autobiography is for you. Warning: at times the contents can be real tough to "digest", especially if you are a woman or a sensitive person. Enjoy it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff March 11, 2008

By T. P. Watt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

First-hand account from the ex-Runaways singer about the highs and lows of stardom, LA-style, at an early age. Cherie Currie packed a lot of living in a few years while fronting the all-girl group, and this is a vivid recounting of how she and her fellow Runaways made it sorta big in the mid to late 1970s (I'd say at best they were a band with a big cult following that fell JUST a bit short of making it big-time). Also displays the sleazier side of fame, with plenty of unsavory characters in the Hollywood nightlife ready to exploit Currie (who, sadly, was more often than not a witting participant in her own drug-addled decline). Clearly written, highly descriptive and very concise, this book is an effective, cautionary tale. Nice work.