Customer Reviews

A Piece of Cake

5 star:		(165)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Before this book lifts your spirit and expands your understanding, it will break your heart...on two levels. Brown's personal story of being abused and neglected is a shattering one. If she were the only little girl in America that this had ever happened to, it would still be too much. But when the understanding of another reality sinks in--that there are hundreds of thousands of children out there still being abused as Cupcake Brown was--it's too much to take.

And yet, as you read through unimaginable (at at times, graphic) depictions of Brown's personal hell, you will find your respect and admiration for her growing, as she finally begins her slow ascent, out of the valley of the shadow of death, and into redemption. Coming out of awful abuse, and a life of prostitution on the street, and drug addiction, she finally seeks--and finds--hope, strength, and focus in her relationship with God.

To use a Bible phrase, she "sets her face like flint" to accomplish worthy goals: she gets clean from drugs, she works hard, goes to school, and finally graduates from law school. Today, she is a highly respected lawyer at a top California law firm and a much-sought after motivational speaker.

Re-read the above paragraph, and pause to think about it.

This is not an everyday story. Sadly, the thousands upon thousands of little girls and boys who experience similar tragedy and abuse in their lives never rise above the horrific aftermath. How did Cupcake Brown do it? What makes the outcome of her story so different? What can we all learn from this amazing lady?

Read the book and find out. Some may criticize her writing style or grammar. Not me. (Or is it "not I"? Dang grammar police got me confused. Er, they HAVE me confused.) At any rate, for me, Brown's style is refreshing. It's like sitting down with someone personally and just listening to their heart.

Stories of redemption are my favorite kind. Some people can write and speak eloquently, but have nothing to say. Cupcake Brown's story and message ARE her eloquence. Her gritty determination commands respect, and her faith inspires hope for everyone.

Let's face it. We all know the expression "You only live once." Or, "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it." No matter how many times we may say these types of things to our friends or to ourselves, there are just as many other times where we brush that "go get 'em" attitude aside in favor of the easy way out because we are too lazy, too afraid, too set in our ways to actually do what it takes to succeed.

In her relentlessly crushing yet ultimately uplifting debut memoir, Cupcake Brown relays the down-and-dirty details of her disaster-prone life with such vigor and frankness that readers will be shocked to realize that she actually made it far enough to work through her problems without giving in to the weight of them, let alone graduate magna cum laude from college (without a high school diploma, I might add), finish law school, pass the bar exam, and publish a bound-to-be bestselling book, all the while remaining completely sober. It is a wonder that one human being could accomplish so much given the circumstances.

When Cupcake was 11 years old, her mother died from an epileptic seizure at the age of 34. Not soon after, Cupcake and her brother Larry were taken from the only father they ever knew and sent to live with their real father, Mr. Burns. Despite the fact that Mr. Burns had never paid child-support or visited his children, he was given legal custody by the state of California. Rather than take care of the kids he never wanted in the first place, he shuffled them off to live in a foster home, run by a violent and viciously manipulative woman who had been accused of "accidentally" killing two of her charges a few years earlier, and whose nephew repeatedly raped Cupcake for his own sick pleasure. Of course, the corrupt "don't see, don't act" child welfare system never stepped in, leaving Cupcake no choice but to run away and try to make it on her own. At 11.

In the coming years, Cupcake would run away from Diane's abusive care a number of times, only to be taken back by the police, a worried neighbor, or a "concerned" social worker. In that time, she became a child prostitute, turning tricks for truck drivers, other foster fathers, and even cops. She smoked pot, drank copious amounts of alcohol and took drugs, from LSD and cocaine to crystal meth. At 13, she was brutally beaten by Diane's daughter and the rest of the foster children living in the house at the time, and consequently lost the baby she was carrying from an unknown father. At 14, she fled to South Central Los Angeles to live with her great-aunt and four male third-cousins, and joined a gang called the Eight-Tray Gangster Crips. Although gang life provided her with the love and support she lacked in the past, it further encouraged her participation in illegal activities (robbing, stealing, dealing), taught her how to use various weapons in drive-by shootings, and deepened her love for and addiction to crack, PCP, and other hard drugs. On her sixteenth birthday, she was shot twice in the back by a rival gang member and was told that she might not ever walk again. But, miraculously, she recovered.

Believe it or not, this all takes place in the first third of the book. Over the next 300 or so pages, Cupcake continues to describe her experiences --- flitting in and out of various 9-to-5 jobs (while still on drugs, mind you), a failed marriage, and dilapidated living arrangements (including, at one point, a dumpster). To say that readers will be amazed that she didn't wind up in jail or dead in an alley from an overdose is a gross understatement.

It is only in the last 100 pages that she actually deals with the logistics of her recovery. With the same strength and determination she used to run her life into the ground, Cupcake embraced the process of recovery. She started going to a 12-step program for recovering addicts and made friends (including her sponsor and surrogate mother) who would change her life for the better. With the support of her unbelievably compassionate boss (she worked as a legal secretary), her family, and her new-and-improved self, she turned her life around to such an extent that anyone familiar with her past (not to mention the reader) would surely find this stable, successful, and sober woman virtually unrecognizable.

To read Cupcake Brown's memoir is to witness the full range of life's possibilities, both positive and negative. In an age where spewing your personal tragedies onto the page and sharing them with billions of scandal-obsessed unknowns has become quite commonplace, it is not surprising that this book will satisfy the likes of Oprah and the primetime media circuit. What makes A PIECE OF CAKE so momentous and different, however, is that Brown's is not a story full of privileged complaints, grandiose generalizations, or race or class inspired clichés. It is a true story told by a woman in her own vernacular who needed to prove to herself that she could beat all the odds to accomplish the virtually impossible. Remarkable.

--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling

I felt this book. We have a foster child (and for those who have never taken in or known a foster child, once you do, your eyes will be open forever). I get this story. I admire this woman, and by the way, her life does happens. it is real. I could not put her book down. Thanks Cupcake Brown for sharing your story. It is inspiring.

It's Saturday night and my evening plans are ruined thanks to this book. I just couldn't put it down. Every teenager, every young adult, heck nearly everyone will get something out of this read. Cupcake Brown tells her story of dropping out of school, running away and living on the streets. Her life of drugs, booze, crime, gangs and sex is told in an honest, unglamorous and emotionally raw style. Ms. Brown writes in a street fashion which young readers will relate to but she also sprinkles in the wisdom and comments of the current day Ms. Brown which I found unique and revealing. The story it true -- and at times disturbing, so be warned -- but stay with it as the payoff is unbelievable. This is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. If you ever thought there was something in your life you just couldn't overcome -- read this book for motivation. Cupcake Brown, a high school drop out, prostitute, gang banger, drug addict and alcoholic, straightens out her very crooked life, goes on to graduate law school and is now a successful lawyer. Her life path was filled punishing obstacles -- yet she overcame. It's a lesson for the rest of us.

It took me a while to get through this book, as it's hard to get used to used to the language at first, and it's a really hard slog of a book. I wouldn't normally complain but it did start to weigh down my bag after a while.

Did any other readers out there notice how damn repetitive the book was? 480 pages, it could have been cut down by a lot, especially the stuff about Cupcake (yes that is her real name - her mother had cravings for cupcakes while she was pregnant) doubting herself, and wondering whether she could give up etc. That's when I started skipping paragraphs.

Cupcake's mother died when she was 11, and she was given to her biological father (but NOT the man who raised her), who didn't want her, and passed her to an abusive foster mother, where she was repeatedly raped and beaten. Cupcake ran away a bunch of times, getting introduced to drugs and prostitution on her travels, sending her into a downward spiral that would last many years. Abusive boyfriends come and go, and so do her repeated problems with drink & drugs.

It takes many years, and many pages before Cupcake sees "light at the end of the tunnel", and is effectively forced into giving up her vices, and she comes through. This section of the book is particularly hard going and I found it very difficult to read. But it picks up and it's amazing to look at the author's photo at the back of the book, and believe all that happened in her life, and she came out of it looking good.

I would highly recommend this book, although I'll tell you now, it will take some reading. And I think some light hearted reading afterwards would do.

So this may not be the most well writen book, but the story of Cupcake Brown is amazing and inspiring. From the depths of hell, she has done a complete 180 and turned her life around. Her life as an eleven year old was turned completely upside down when she finds her mother dead in her bed. From there her life is never the same after being turned over to foster parents who abuse her, followed by a life of drugs on the streets. At her ultimate low, she set a goal to change her life and is now an attorney. Amazing. I found this book to be so gripping, I read over half of it in one day (which for me, says something). It's a fantastic story that teaches us all that we can do better with our lives if the want is enough and when you think you are down and out, there can be good fortune if you make it work for yourself and pick your game up. I highly recommend this book - a great read.

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown is an autobiographical journey. Ms. Brown takes us from her birth to her law career in over four hundred pages. There were times while reading this book I was unsure how to feel. Many times I was incensed at the treatment that she received at the hands of her foster mother, Diane. Other times I was stunned at the lack of action on the part of her biological family. I found it extraordinarily hard to comprehend that no one could do anything to get her out of the horrendous situation she was in. Finally I was angry at how young women are used and manipulated by adults.

At times during the reading of the memoir I was astonished at Ms. Brown's total recall at some of the situations. Her ability to remember conversations and arguments in such detail absolutely amazed me. Especially due to the fact, she was usually under the influence of alcohol and a cocktail of illegal substances. I simply struggled with such attention to detail. However, I found A Piece of Cake a fascinating view of a woman's life, with the underlying message of no matter what our circumstances we can all be over-comers. Also, the people who finally came through Cupcake's life made up for the family neglect she suffered early on.

A Piece of Cake is a recommended read for all readers interested in a story of overcoming the most dire circumstances to achieve success. It could also prove as a wakeup call as to just how young women are treated in foster care and manipulated by some adults, even today.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

I heard about the book about a month before it was set to be released. It seemed interesting, so I kept it on my short list of books to get. I bought it and put it down completely finished a day and half later! I am not a fast reader, but I was completely engrossed in Ms. Brown's tale of hardship and triumph. I literally kept having to remind myself that this was not a work of fiction- her experiences are that 'unreal'. Needless to say, I highly recommend the book for anyone who doubts the power of the human spirit.

I chose this book based on the mostly positive reviews...unfortunately, it did not meet my expections at all.

The beginning of the book was compelling - her recount of losing her family to a broken child welfare system. However, everything falls apart very quickly.

My main criticism is that I thought this was a story about recovery and redemption, but instead the author glorified her life as a gang banger, prostitute, criminal, child abuser, and wanton drug addict. On and on it went about her ghetto existence, it got so repetitious: same drug using, but different John or different scam. I kept wondering at what point was she going to discuss sobering up and dealing with the bad life choices she made? So, I skipped ahead, and I was disappointed to see that would not happen until almost the end of the book. Frustrated and disgusted by what I felt was a self-indulgent tale defending a terrible lifestyle, I ditched the book.

I also questioned the authenticity of her story. If, as she stated, she spent her entire youth, from as early as she could recall, in a drug induced stupor, how could she recall the events of her childhood and early adult years in such vivid detail?

In sum, I thought this was a wasted opportunity for the author inspire, or at the very least caution young people to stay away from engaging in the same activities that created her own downward spiral in her earlier days.

Definitely kept me entertained, yet came across as being fabricated. For example, she talked about how the night before she got married, they partied so hard they didn't go to bed until 7. Huh....anyone that parties know you just stay up. Also, when she was talking about how skinny she was, and how she had to wear 2 pairs of pants and stuff so people wouldn't realize how skinny she was, when she was 5'5" and 120 pounds. Which is definitely thin, but it's still on the healthy side, I bet that's what she just wished she weighed. Plus EVERYONE she comes into contact with is some sort of cliche, there are no normal people anywhere. There is no way ANY employer would let someone get away with the stuff she supposedly did, like take off 15 days in a month. And the whole stuff with God and "god having a special plan for her" was hella annoying.

I think books like this, and "A Million Little Pieces" can be dangerous because people read it and think "oh, well I'm not smoking PCP and crackrocks and taking every single kind of drug known to man" that I'm okay.