
SMASHED by Koren Zailckas Category: Non-Fiction Age Recommendation: Grades 9+ Release Date: 1/31/06 Publisher: Penguin Reviewed by: Taylor Rector Rating: 4 Stars SMASHED is a chilling novel of female alcohol addiction. For Koren Zailckas, it started at age fourteen, and from her first drink of Southern Comfort she was addicted. Koren later joins a college sonority, which just gives her more of a reason to get really drunk -- and more people to do it with! The writing isn’t the most brilliant that I have ever read but the story is definitely good. Most alcohol addiction books are about a male, so this is a great book to read if you want to learn about this subject -- or even if you are just a curious reader. There is not a lot that you can say about this book without giving the whole thing away! Even though she drinks excessively, Koren never goes to rehab or actually goes to an AA meeting! And unlike James Frey’s embellished novel of drug and alcohol addiction, this one is the truth. |