Customer Reviews

Never Give in to Fear: A Memoir

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Never Give Into Fear is a roller coaster ride on the addiction train that takes us to the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Marti MacGibbon's book is filled with mind-boggling misadventures from the sex trade in Japan to the homeless haunts of the river people to the drug dealers in the seamy back alleys of San Francisco. Marti's story shows just where the insanity of addiction can take us. Sometimes funny, often poignant, and frequently heartbreaking the book reads like fiction but is rooted in an honesty the challenges not to look away. Surely this book will serve as a cautionary tale for anyone who is tempted by the "glamour" of drugs. Ultimately, Marti's story is one of redemption and we rejoice in her recovery.

Marti MacGibbon's memoir is a very compelling account of her descent into despair and drug addiction. It is an insightful look at how an addict is sucked into the cycle of dependency and how it is difficult to overcome the hold that drugs can make on a person's life. The story also relates how she ultimately triumphs over the addiction by channeling her own tenacity and with the love and support of family and friends. It was an inspiring read.

This is an amazing story of a woman sharing her life story that happens to deal with the consequences of addiction. And addiction took her to some very interesting places. And not some nice, recreational easy-going addiction - this woman was full on. I mean, you can't make this stuff up! And she's funny. An inspiring story of a woman running away from herself, then coming back and facing all the reasons she ran away in the first place. A thrill of a ride - couldn't put it down. Read it twice in one sitting. Would make a great film.

What an incredible book! In spite of a series of bad choices and setbacks, Marti eventually trimuphs over addiction and estrangement from her family. This book has it all; unsavory characters, unlikely heros, a mothers' loss and loads of drugs. It's a no-holds-barred look into a downward spiral with a faint glimmer of hope woven through.

One of the most engrossing books I have read in a l-o-n-g time. Marti's crisp, no minced words, writing style works perfectly to describe her misadventures with drugs, abuse, captivity and other dire situations. Reading her book made me feel like I was there.

Thanks Marti for an outstanding and ultimately inspiring read.

Keep on keeping!

Marti McGibbon's book had me in its clutches right from page one. Excuse the cliche, but I could not put this book down. McGibbon writes with a wry, intelligent and vulnerable honesty that I have not come across in any other author's work, ever. She is hands-down the funniest writer I've ever read. Not "isn't-that-clever" funny, either, but "oh-my-f'in-god-I-can't believe-this-is-happening" funny -- the kind of funny that has you gasping in horror and laughing at the same time as you accompany her on a wild roller-coast ride of abuse, addiction, floods and kidnapping, all told with a fearless, non-sentimental truthfulness that leaves you breathless at every turn. McGibbon doesn't mince words. Her story of dealing (and, boy do I mean dealing) with addiction and abuse, and finally finding a way out, is more than just inspirational. It's real. Books don't get better than this.

I usually don't go around giving people direct orders, but you have to read this! It kept me up a few nights just to see if Marti would survive and how she would escape her many "adventures" fueled by drugs and attraction to the dark side of humanity.

Her courage and tenacity to live and recover will make you think you can do anything too. Plus, it is a great read you can't put down no matter how hard some of it is to endure. You have to read this!

Addicts act less like people and more like animals. They misplace thoughts of self-preservation with a need to find the next fix. The book, Never Give In To Fear follows Marti MacGibbon's descent into her own personal hell, filled with loss, regret, and drug abuse. She moved to San Francisco in the early 1980s to pursue a stand-up comedy career. She even had a chance to be on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Unfortunately, Marti's recreational drug use quickly became a full-scale addiction. In the book, Marti's spiral downward takes us from the Russian River people, to her imprisonment in Japanese prostitution ring, and a meth-fueled drive to Nebraska. While the overall tone of the book is dark and seedy, Marti's natural humor and storytelling help balance out the book into a symmetrical tale of both hurt and healing.

I had to remind myself that Marti is going to survive each encounter in the book. That thought gave me an emotional safety net. Some of the places the book travels to are so fantastical and dangerous that it is a miracle that Marti survives. The narrative was the best part of the book. It felt like there were two narrators telling the story. There is the Marti of the story, the plucky young woman that had to live day-to-day getting high. There was also Marti, the writer, whose voice added much-needed levity and humor to the book's overall tone. The book is successful as a motivating tool and touching story.

In the end, her saving grace comes in an unlikely form, and it almost brought a tear to my eye. Never Give In To Fear is a book everyone needs to read. This is not only a story about the danger of drugs, but about the power of the human spirit.

*Originally published for San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review*

I'm not usually a memoir reader, but when my neighbor told me about her book, I decided to check it out.This story is an oddly mesmerizing look at a young woman's twisty-bendy descent into the rabbit hole of addiction, petty crime and prostitution. That she survived, much less thrived, is impressive. Her humor shines through the bleakness. As a writer, I gained insight into the shadowy world of lost souls. If you want to write characters from that world with authenticity, this is a must read. If you have been an addict or involved with an addict, it is a testament that there is always a path back, if you have the courage to follow it.

Never GIve in to Fear: A Memoir was all I hoped for and more. Marti takes us through the trials and tribulations one faces in addiction that is raw and emotional. She allows us into her life- how it was and how it can be. He comedic genius shines though keeping the reader turning page after page seeking more! Thank you for sharing your life with us and hitting home the emotions I know I felt in my addiction. Recovery is possible, even when it seems there is no way out-- Peace and love to you!