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Summary: It's all about family
Review: Engrossing autobiography and quick read about a woman who grows up while raising her son. This well-written book is not only about the author's journey as a mother, but also about her maturing relationship with her strict Italian parents. Donofrio writes candidly about her teenage pregnancy and how it impacted her relationships and life goals (such as pursuing a college education). She does not shy away from her mistakes, recalling freely the impact that her self-indulgent hippie days had on her young son. Yet she allows readers to view her story through their own moral lenses. Interesting account of a rugged individual doing her best with the hand she was dealt.
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Summary: "Riding in Cars With Boys..."
Review: "Riding in Cars With Boys..." is the well versed biography of Beverly Donofrio, a teenaged mother in a time when teen pregnancy was not accepted with open arms. She speaks lovingly of her son and details the many mistakes she made along the way in trying to raise herself as well as a family. She subtitles her book "Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good," and truly it seems that she has. I read this book for the first time while pregnant with my first child, at the age of 16. I was newly married and incredibly scared. While Donofrio's life was not picturesque, it did give me hope.
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Summary: Personal Story
Review: This is a great book for any young mothers. It helps you to realize people make mistakes, exspecially parents. Through all of her selfish behavior Bev managed to survive and raise a world smart child. Jason was aware of the world around him rather then have it hidden from him. Beverly, you did a great job! This book was such a joy to read.
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Summary: Wow
Review: About 3 weeks ago, I saw the a preview for the movie "Riding in Cars With Boys" first time and it sparked my interest. When I found out that the movie was based on the book, I immediately walked over to my computer to ordered a used copy of the book off of amazon.com. Three days later I received the book in the mail and started reading it. From the very first page I was hooked. Donofrio tells you the story of her life so descriptively, that you can see it all happening in your head. There is never a dull moment in this book. She writes about all of the bad times in her life with a fresh, witty humor that is true to the bone. Her story will leave you feeling insprired and a little bit stronger, even if you do not relate to it at the slightest. Read this book, it's definately worth your time.
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Summary: "Riding In Cars With Boys" By Beverly Donofrio
Review: This book was excellent... read it, it will change the way you perceive life as a whole...
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Summary: It grabbed me!
Review: Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. The story made me laugh, it made me wince and some of the parts almost made me cry. Written with brutal honesty, the story of Beverly Donofrio's young life is a glimpse into another world-another life. I don't know if I walked away with any lessons or morals, but I walked away with a smile-content that the story was worth it. The book is split into two parts, the first part is the longest and the second part more of an epilog than anything else Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez
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Summary: Even though it's an autobio-there's some incorrect info.
Review: I liked the book, for the most part and found that it was a good portrayal of a life of a pregnant teen. Although I am a big fan of camaros and found that Beverly Donofrio's description of the "cars that passed by her house" were inaccurate in two ways. the sentence stating the "powder blue camaros," passed by in front of her house. now in fact if it was 1963- the year of which she was telling this story you would have to realize that the camaro wasn't around until 1967. Also then you would have to realize that the camaro most likely wouldn't be powder blue- as a camaro is for the most part seen as a racing car. Now I know that this may seem like a little fact, but it distracted me enough to the point where it made parts of the story unbelievable and it is afterall an autobiography and thus should be factual- or at least somewhat factual. I read it and enjoyed it as a "fun read" but didn't really take it seriously after that point.
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Summary: Three Stars Because It Kept Me Interested
Review: I have a bad habit of giving things good reviews because it can keep my interest until the very end, and I'm doing the exact same thing with "Riding in Cars With Boys." I like books with spunky female heroines especially those who are trapped by circumstances. Beverly, in this book, is a girl in a middle-class Italian family where the most attention is lavished on the only son. Her father is a police officer who won't talk to her but spies on her incessantly, and her mother is a woman who believes that motherhood is the only job worth having. When she is told that there won't be any money for her to attend college, Beverly goes through an adolescent rebellion. However, it doesn't end with her adolescence. Beverly seems to go through her whole life flipping the bird to anything that might represent a conventional life. She's an unpleasant, whining, selfish shrew of a woman. She's a drug user, picks the worst men to be her boyfriends (like drug dealers), and clearly has a hatred of authority and men. Especially men. What makes her behavior especially bad is that she has a son whom she gave birth to at age 17. The whole book she complains about how her son, Jason, is like an albatross around her neck. He's a thing that's holding her back from her life. However, she doesn't realize that the only thing holding her back from her life is herself, her horrible decisions, and her inability to just grow up. This books should be mandatory reading for every teenage girl who thinks she knows more than her mother does. The actress, Christina Moore, does a wonderful job of giving each character their own voice.
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Summary: If you self-pity - read this book
Review: This has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. The writing was tolerable at best - but the self-pity and incessant whining and accusing everybody but herself are what really sink this book. The book is basically a manifesto blaming everything that went wrong in her life on somebody else. And, I know why so many thought the movie was better than the book - there is not near as much self-apathy and self-pity because who would want to see 2 hours of somebody feeling sorry for themself? It makes her look better that she's forced into marrying Ray - rather than the exact oppisite (relayed in the book) that her parents tried to prevent her from marrying Ray because they said it that would ruin her life. I don't understand how Donofrio was a victim - as she would have you believe - when clearly the tragic events in her life were her own doing, nobody elses.
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Summary: Not what I was expecting...
Review: ...by that meaning I was expecting a GOOD read!
I bought this book after seeing the trailers for the movie and thought it would be interesting. I still can't put my finger on what exactly annoyed me so much about this book - possibly that Beverley is simply so unlikeable throughout (though she is the one who wrote it). I don't know.
But I DID, however, enjoy the movie. I think this was because much of it dealt with scenarios and events that would have happened AFTER she penned the book. (ie. dealing with her son Jason's reaction, seeking out Ray after so many years, etc.)
So basically, it's a good story, unfortunately not as told by Beverley D'Onofrio. I hate to pick on authors as such, but her writing just didn't do it for me. (despite her Master's degree in creative writing and all.) There was just a tone to it that hit me the wrong way.
You're better off with the movie.
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