Living to Talk About it

Facing the Music by Nick Carter
Published: September 17, 2013 by Bird Street Books
I'll never forget when I heard about Leslie Carter's death. Not necessarily because it made a huge impact on my life, but because of what was happening in my life at the time. In November of 2011, my mom passed away. Two months later, in January 2012, a good friend of mine for college died in a car accident. Then later that month, Leslie Carter died of a prescription drug overdose. I remember thinking how things come in threes, and now with the death of 3 people who were important in my life (obviously of varying degrees), I was finished dealing with death for the time being.

Obviously I don't know what Nick or the Carter family went through during the time, but I have my own experiences to draw on. Reading Nick's book it seems like he feels somewhat guilty for his sister's death. He had spent his early 20s parting, but had started cleaning up his act. Maybe if he had talked to Leslie about where he met success, the past could have been different. I think this book is in some way his way of healing. It's his attempt at telling his friends and family his path to healing in hopes they can join him on his journey.

Except, it almost feels like the publisher went, "Who would want to read a self-help book from a Backstreet Boy?" and so for that reason, it's also part memoir. Each chapter starts with an antidote of a hard time in Nick's life (whether from his childhood, his DUI, his relationship with Paris Hilton, or being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy), and from there explains different strategies that he had success with. My favorite parts were the memoir pieces, and while I wish they had been longer, I understand that they weren't really the point.

As a Backstreet, and more specifically, Nick Carter fan, I loved being able to recount where I was when I read about certain referenced instances. I also thought it was interesting remembering back to his mother's book on him and how they remember certain moments so differently.

As silly as it may sound, my biggest complaint was the childhood pictures used. Not that they weren't cute, but they were the exact same ones in his mom's book. I guess it could be that he didn't want new pictures to surface, or maybe there weren't that many photos of him growing up. But still... I would have loved to see a larger selection.

The is likely a book I probably wouldn't have pick up if I wasn't already a Backstreet fan. But I do think if you're a fan of celebrity memoirs you'd enjoy this as well. I think it's inspiring reading Nick's journey from his lows to where his is now, and I can't wait to see what's to come from him.

4/5

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!