211 replies to this topic

[Jayne]

Julie I wouldn't give him the time of day. He once slagged off the forum and I sent a request via twitter to set the record straight on here and got a load of abuse he really is not worth. I wouldn't be surprised if there's not a story in this for him 'Amy one year on' and no doubt he's got is excuse now for his 'version'.

[Miss Mermaid]

Julie I wouldn't give him the time of day. He once slagged off the forum and I sent a request via twitter to set the record straight on here and got a load of abuse he really is not worth. I wouldn't be surprised if there's not a story in this for him 'Amy one year on' and no doubt he's got is excuse now for his 'version'.

i dont know about amys' friends nor am i interested in them.

Edited by Miss Mermaid, 18 July 2012 - 03:50 PM.

[Birdieava]

I finished the book in 2 days. Could not put it down. Cried twice,,,,,,with the Grammys and when Mitch and Janis said their last goodbye. I.borrowed it. From MandyP,,,,a fellow AWFForumite. I'm ready to pass along to next fan. First come, 1st serve....mailed under the condition you do the same. WOnderful Book . A must read!!!! <3

---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 AM ----------

Big THANK YOU MANDYP!!!!!

[Mrs. Jones]

Julie I wouldn't give him the time of day. He once slagged off the forum and I sent a request via twitter to set the record straight on here and got a load of abuse he really is not worth. I wouldn't be surprised if there's not a story in this for him 'Amy one year on' and no doubt he's got is excuse now for his 'version'.

he slagged the forum off? Because we're keeping her memory alive and love her unconditionally??...

[Birdieava]

The only reviews I read anymore is when I'm buying something online. I wouldn't know how to buy a vacuum cleaner (Hoover?) in a store anymore. If the review on Amazon are 12,000 5 stars and 42 4 stars, that makes my decision pretty easy.

lol!!!

sometimes, pearljo, ..... the ONLY thing i can ever depend on ... IS my Hoover!!! :disgust: yikes!!!

---------- Post added at 09:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 AM ----------

[Winehouse8327]

Warning - Spoiler

I just finished the book and I'm having some trouble putting what I think in words. I will try my best.

About Mitch : First, I admit being surprised by the content of this book. I thought at first, it would be full of denial, perhaps lies and selfishness. Not that I don't like Mitchell, but a grieving father who reveals the life of his deceased daughter in front of millions people, would tend to hide the truth a bit and write what he wants people to know. Contrary to what I thought the book was full of truth, statements and (I think we all needed it) explanation. I think Mitch has finally put some things out and I didn't think he was so aware of the problems of Amy.

The only downside now. I think sometimes, Mitch wrote what he thought, adapting it as truth. As such, when he explains the meetings of Blake and Amy in 2010. He described Amy as frustrated each time she returned from these secret meetings. As he repeats several times in his book, Amy was very smart. I think at some points (mostly regarding Blake - but sometimes with the drugs and alcohol) Amy was not completely honest or manipulated Mitch. That's what addicts do, not worry for the family or to avoid an argument.

He also described some friends of Amy as bad people just because they took drugs with Amy, which I find disrespectful to them. Let me be clear, I understand that this is the normal reaction of a loving father, but the parents of these people could say the same thing about Amy, you know. This is to put it in a book that millions of people will read, that I find unacceptable.

Excluding these two things, I think Mitch has done a great job. I hope that after reading this book, people stop criticizing his qualities as a father. (& of course, Amy) This man has done everything to Amy. A girl who at first did not seem ready to receive assistance, a girl who has always wanted to do everything by herself, a girl who was not telling the truth all the time and sometimes had to be a heavy burden . It is imperative to understand him at this point. Read things from his point of view, made ​​me realize that despite the trials Amy crossed on her own side, her family has suffered tremendously as well. What I tended to forget in the past because I had the same problems of Amy and I understood it.

About the book : My opinion regarding many things changed during my reading. First, I was very shocked and surprised by the change in behavior of Amy. As a fan, I knew that the drugs had probably taken its toll in terms of personality but by reading it in newspapers, or seeing it on stage, it's not like reading it from a member close to her. In the book, I really noticed the change in her attitude and the indifference that the drug brings to a person at first. I was shocked by the relationship that Amy had with the parents of Blake. I always thought (despite some incidents) that the two families (at least Amy) got along well. Learn that she was not going to visit Blake for avoid Georgette made ​​me much trouble for her. The fact that Giles has treated Amy ''bitch'' as well.

I am surprised by the number of times Amy has tried to solve her problem of drug / alcohol then. I thought that 2007 & 2008 were the years when Amy didn't want any help and didn't feel ready to heal. But reading the book, I noticed that Amy was trying to stop almost all of her life and that most times she drank or get high, were in fact, relapse.

And now two questions : First, I read in the other pages that a member was angry against Mitch, for showing a letter from Amy. I don't recall reading a letter. What are we talking about?

Second, Perhaps did I misunderstood part of the book, but why there is a rumor in the forum topic, that Blake would have abused Amy? I don't think Mitch has made such an allusion so ... can someone explain to me?


Sorry my english..

[crol]

I'm not sure what you mean about a letter, I must have missed that as well. As far as the physical abuse goes, nothing was ever said, but it was vaguely implied in a story that Tyler had told Mitch.

One thing that particularly stood out for me was how kind and sweet Blake Wood seems to be. He may look a bit like a vampire (in a good way!) but he's nothing of the sort.

I also didn't realise what a bad way Tyler was in either, especially in St Lucia.

[Winehouse8327]

I'm not sure what you mean about a letter, I must have missed that as well.

I just give my opinion so please respect that. I love Amy a lot, i know all of her since 2007. The letterrs are PRIVATE (we know that. i mean, she could use her facebook or twitter and she didnt). Do u like, if u were famous, that your PERSONAL LETTERS ARE publiched? i dont think so,

This is what a member wrote earlier in the topic. But I have not seen any letter from Amy in the book, except the one written for her school when she was young. Letter, which I insist, was read by several people and published in several documentaries already. About the story with Blake, (that - sorry but - I can not quite believe) I read this part of the book but I didn't understand what was causing some members to believe that, if it's not actually written in the book. So these are just guessing if I understand?

I also didn't realise what a bad way Tyler was in either, especially in St Lucia.

Yes I was surprised too.

[Mrs. Jones]

The letters you mention I think are letters written by Amy to her father, while she was on tour? I think they're meant to be in the book... Someone on the forum got upset with Mitch sharing this, and said they were private and that Amy would've disapporoved (if my memory serves me right).

[LiamSullivan]

Just read what Alex said... What a bastard. Seriously, that just pisses me off.

[masterac]

Jus finished the book, and I'm going to try to keep this short as there's been tons of reviews on the book here already.

The one effect that this book has had on me is that it has changed my view entirely on Amy and her career. That's not to say I'm not a fan or dont respect her anymore or anything like that, I'm sure I'm just as obsessed as ever. But after reading the book I realized that I (probably along with many other young fans) am guilty of having glamorized Amy's drug and alcohol lifestyle. I don't know how exactly I saw it before, but it wasn't the way Mitch describes it in the book--which is basically four years of hell. The sections in the book that stick out to me are how often Amy would promise her dad she was gonna get clean and then he'd find out she'd smoked crack that night. And it was even worse with the alcohol because it was like the whole addict cycle all over again. Like many other posters have commented, the book was almos exhaustin to read, and I too had to put it down and take a break throughout when I was reading it.

Sure, there are things Mitch could have done to make the book better. He could have chosen to write a more entertaining book. I'm sure there are loads more funny stories he has about Amy that he could have put in, but I wonder if he purposely made the book more . . . Gritty? Dirty? What's the right word? I wouldn't be surprised at all if his goal was to discourage young people from going down the path of drugs and alcohol. After all, the proceeds from the book are goin to benefit troubled youths via the Amy Winehouse Foundation. I commend him for giving the truth of what the day to day struggle was like with Amy and her addiction---not just to substances but to Blake too. We've all known people who'v gotten into dangerous relationships and refuse to get out.

So often, when we think of celebrities or great artists who'v struggled with addiction, all we see is the good--the things they've accomplished, the amazing art that some of them admit was only made due to drugs or alcohol. And then we as fans, though it's hardto admit, start to believe that in order to be a great artist you have to be an addict as well, or have loads of problems. I don't know what I thought, maybe with seeing all those pictures of Amy looking happy on the beach, or looking stylish with Blake, or looking so in her element during songs, that the drugs and alcohol were like this minor blip in the radar of her life. Just a nussance, Like the paps, or like 'oh that was a bummer how I got addicted to crack, but oh we'll let's go shopping!'

Mitch told the real story. He described the horror her and her family went through. In all actuality, whether he meant to or not, I think he kind of made her look, not so good (to put it nicely). And I'm sure that's hard for a father to do--to tell the truth about your daughter, even when it makes her look selfish or weak or naive. I'm so thankful for him doin this for Amy's fans. In a sense, he almost shattered the glass framing Amy's beautiful portrait, so we could get a better, closer look at the real life of Amy Winehouse.

[Ace of Hearts]

I quite enjoyed the book and i'm thinking about reading it again now just to pick up on things i may have missed.

One thing i find hard to understand is why Mitch put so much energy into blaming Blake and fighting with the Civils, in the press, when at the end, it really did no benefit to anyone. At the end of the day, who cares who introduced who to drugs, the fact of the matter is they needed to focus energy on geting clean, not on blaming. I just found he tended to fixate on this too much, to the detriment to his corageous efforts to support his daughter.

Just one other thing. Looking at the photos there seems to be a lack of photos or mention about Janis. I understand that this is his book and all, but I would have liked to have know what Janis' thoughts were on all of the things he was doing. Also, correct me if i'm wrong but he seem to portray that it was him, solely, that was the foundation to Amy and no one else really got a mention, other than a side mention.

What do you all think?

[LiamSullivan]

Just one other thing. Looking at the photos there seems to be a lack of photos or mention about Janis. I understand that this is his book and all, but I would have liked to have know what Janis' thoughts were on all of the things he was doing. Also, correct me if i'm wrong but he seem to portray that it was him, solely, that was the foundation to Amy and no one else really got a mention, other than a side mention.

What do you all think?

I wish there were more pictures as well. I would've loved to see some more pictures.
As far as the foundation, I guess Mitch essentially was the creator of it, and it was Mitch's book, so I can understand why some people wouldn't get much of a mention.

[ChipsAndPitta]

I have just finished the book having finally bought it a few days ago.

It was very interesting reading about Amy as a youngster and the funny stories that went with it, but also felt perhaps some of those traits she had as a kid were still there as an adult (particularly her stubbornness), you could just just tell she'd have been a handful LOL

I kind of agree with some past comments about Mitch keep referring to what he wrote in his diary as little unusual, but i felt Mitch really wanted to get across the feelings of not knowing what each new day would bring as well as saying what he truly felt at the time. For me, the middle part of the book was very hectic to read, there was a lot of 'the next day', 'the next week' etc etc, at one point i forgot what year i was reading about! However i did sort of like that as it was like a day by day account of how things happened. You get a good understanding of the ups and downs and the stresses and the strains a family and friends go through when a relative has an addiction.

Of course, the end is very sad and knowing how close she was to beating that addiction makes it sadder. The last 2 lines in Mitch's eulogy get to me every time and seeing those words in the book was no different.

Her legacy will always live on through her music as well as through the foundation and long may that be the case.

[suestev07]

Just thought I would share this review from a non-fan(atic)

http://www.goodreads...amy-my-daughter

Ben Ditmars's review Sep 20, 12


Read in September, 2012



I had a lot of preconceptions before buying this book; none of them were true. I thought Mitch Winehouse must have been a neglectful parent, ignorant of his daughter's addiction. I thought Amy Winehouse went on a downward spiral with little if any progress toward recovery. After reading the length to which Mitch Winehouse went, and the dedication he had time and time again to rehabilitate his struggling daughter, I must admit I was very wrong. The media painted a picture of someone that many like me believed. Amy Winehouse was not a doomed Goddess who fell from glory; she was human. Her circumstances could have been anyone's. Yes, she had her problems, but she was at heart a generous woman with enormous talent, giving her money and time to anyone who needed it. I think many stars and celebrities could walk by someone struggling and put it out of their mind, but not Amy. Mitch tells a story of her seeing a sick man on vacation and not just giving him money or food but physically taking him to the hospital and paying his bill. That's something almost unheard of anymore. We fear each other, say we're busy and forget people struggle, but not Amy. This was not even the most incredible part of her journey: she did kick the drug addiction, contrary to popular belief. Amy Winehouse went three years without drugs. It was the alcohol that killed her. But, it is telling. Amy was not weak; she was strong. I only wish she had been strong enough.

On the whole, I find this book very significant. I recommend it highly. If you or someone you know is going through the hell of addiction Mitch Winehouse's story will guide and comfort you. But, more importantly, the proceeds go to Charity. If you did not like Amy, the story is still worth learning from and you will help those struggling through the Amy Winehouse foundation with your purchase.