In My Skin: A Memoir of Addiction

This book pulls you in from the first page. Kate is an excellent writer.

I bought this book because it said it was an addiction memoir, but I found it to be more about prostitution for a large part of it. This author is undoubtedly good at writing. I liked her story except for the explicit detail of her sexual encounters. I myself am familiar with the life of a sex worker and an addict, so I’m not judging her on that. It’s just that the amount of time she dedicates to explicitly describing the sex acts and gross sweaty men was hard on me. I was nauseated and so repulsed every time she would reminisce about these nasty ass men who would come to the brothels. These sweaty fat hairy bald dudes slobbering all over her- lots of this imagery.Otherwise though her story is really real and touching and relatable. She is a real women that haphazardly fell into heroin addiction. She was a young hipster lit/archeology major trying to fit in when it hooked her. Her boyfriend was doing it etc. after a while her boyfriend got clean but she couldn’t and she was sucked into a hard life. I was proud of her in the end because she really did pull herself out of the mess she was in.

It's one of the most starkly realized books that I've read about addiction and what one must do to continue to live with it, and redemption, what one must do to escape it. Highly recommended.

This is an interesting and well written story. It is much more a tale of her life as a prostitute than the memoir of an addict, but that's ok. There isn't much to talk about the daily routine of an addict, it is by definition boring and repetitive. Her account of her life as a prostitute is much more lively and full of different characters.One of the good things about this book is that she doesn't play the victim. She makes it clear that she made her choices, and that she enjoyed the thrill and experiences of her lifestyle. The book really changed my preconceptions about sex workers. It takes a lot of gusto and physical stamina to be in this activity.She seems to be a person with lots of energy, who might have been successful in sales, or public relations, any kind of activity where ability to interact with people is a must. Unfortunately, the lesson we get is that skills without values and principles are useless.

First, although the author was indeed in the sex trade in Australia and discusses her experiences at length, there is very little salacious detail -- it's mostly about Holden's feelings, her interactions with other sex workers, and at times the type of client service you see on TV's The Client List -- mixed with some harrowing experiences as well.But I was mostly interested in her tale of addiction, the nature of the habit, and the detail involved in satisfying a five year heroin addiction when you are strapped for money and scrambling to find the next hit. Her road to recovery was a long one, and I'm glad she was able to write about it in the end.Holden's a promising writer, self-reflective, and she brings to life a slice of our world that is happening right around us, even if we are completely unaware of it.

I loved this book. Im not gonna say what happens but, ill tell you that this book will show you the most evilest of sides of the human race. She will tell you all the graphic details of her horrific life. I think I love this book so much because i lived it, i know how it feels. but the way she writes it, it all just seems so messed up from the outside, and so PAINFUL. It will make you think about your own life, how much you really have.***EDITED 10/06/10***I can not remember when i first bought this book. But i read it and i fell in love. I had loaned this book to a friend and it had gotten lost in her travels, so i just bought this book again, and it is on its way. I cant wait to receive it in the mail! this was one of my favorite books a while ago, its just to graphic and real it hurts. but its true, and thats why i have always loved it.

This book is described as a "memoir of addiction." However, if you are looking for a thoughtful memoir on the nature of addiction, and the process of overcoming it, this is not the book for you. The author spends little to no time on the psychological experience of addiction, besides occasionally describing the experience of craving. When she does "overcome" her addiction to heroin, she continues to use speed and drink alcohol. Someone who wants to understand addictive behavior will not gain insight from this book, and addicts themselves may find it rather incomplete and shortsighted.That being said, the book is entertaining. As other reviewers have stated, it is mostly about prostitution. Besides being an inherently interesting and "forbidden" topic, the presentation of prostitution in this book particularly is honest, nuanced, and unapologetic. For that reason, I think In My Skin contributes something important - but not to public understanding of addiction.

I was that girl. Anaïs nin like… romantic, hanging out in bookstores, taking a wrong turn. I love The poetry and expression. The way she finds beauty in awfulness Of the pitted road that she travels. Best book about addiction that I’ve read in a long time.

At last a book written about addiction and prostition that is actually well written . It doesnt shout , or go on and on about how terrible the men were and nor does it have that daily mail tone of good girl gone bad and then saved again . I really enjoyed Kates style of writing , it was lyrical , moving but never sentimental or vulgar . I also found an insight into the australian legalised brothels very interesting . Yes this is an intelligent book rather than a titilating memoirs [ ie more waterstones than WHSmiths station ] so it might not be an easy read for some . But I could real feel how such a middle class intelligent girl found the romance of drugs and the lure of sex . This book doesnt preach , they are many books out there that do , this book doesnt moralise or judge nor does it just do a cheap humour of so many blogs . A more literature approach to prostitution . Excellent . And she is an Anais Nin fan .

Found this book very strange she seems to glorify being a prostitute -.-

Well written and thought provoking

An excellent memoir, truthful and shocking in places but tender and sad in others. A brilliant non fiction read. I read this book when it was released some years ago. I've gone back to it a few times since then.

Interesting read about prostitution and reasons from individual point of view.