Official Review: As I Remember It by Jared Isaac Richard

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "As I Remember It" by Jared Isaac Richard.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“This is my life, as I remember it.”

Jared Richard has soldiered through difficult times, and he has made it to the other side, seemingly unscathed. As I Remember It is a labor of love written by Jared Isaac Richard. The refreshingly transparent stories of his life are written with a no-holds-barred approach. The author weaves in and out of different periods to give readers a glimpse into his childhood, angsty teenage years, and adulthood as he grapples with various issues such as poverty, addiction, and life as an aspiring musician. Readers get a front-row seat as he delves into his past using humor and unapologetic honesty to recount his experiences.

As soon as I began reading, I fell into a comfortable pace. The writing was infused with humor and sarcasm, which made me feel like I was having a conversation with a friend. The author had an endearing way of divulging his secrets—with honesty and a hefty serving of self-deprecating hilarity. One of my favorite examples of this was when he was relaying the semantics of his first kiss. He confesses, “My very first kiss was pungently punctuated by flatulence—yeah, I farted.” I thoroughly appreciated his narrative throughout the book; it provided hours of entertainment with interludes of uncontrollable giggling.

While Jared often made me laugh, his emotionally charged writing also brought me to tears, at times, especially regarding matters of the heart. It wasn’t difficult to see that he was desperate to love and have someone reciprocate those feelings. Unfortunately, the struggling musician was an overzealous lover who wore his heart on his sleeve, which led to perpetual heartbreak. He expressed his frustrations by saying, “I have, for reasons unknown, made an absolute art of pairing the right woman with the wrong time, the wrong woman with the right time.”

I admired the author’s unrelenting tenacity to rise above his drug-induced young adult life and strive for more. The author was transparent about his extensive use of narcotics and penchant for criminal mischief, which led to some consequences that would follow him into adulthood. Jared described the plight of attempting to turn his life around with mountains of debt and incorrigibly lousy credit. I commend the author for never losing sight of his dreams of owning a home and making a career out of playing music.

The book had limited errors and was obviously professionally edited. I am delighted to give it a rating of four out of four stars.

For readers that may be offended by profanity or excessive drug use, I would not recommend As I Remember It. Conversely, for readers who love memoirs that are candid and raw, you don’t want to miss this book. The author has a great sense of humor, and he presents his stories with colorful descriptions and laugh-out-loud scenarios. While this book has some swearing, I would recommend it to teens, especially aspiring musicians.

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As I Remember It
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[Chinelookeke]

His first kiss,he farted...oh my goodness. That really got me. I would have to check this out. Thanks for the review.

[Adrianna Melillo]

Laughed, tears, setbacks, perseverance, this sounds like it has all the makings of a great read. Beautiful review.

[Honest-reviewer]

I like reading memoirs, so I might like this book too! Thanks for your review.

[Elvis Best]

I do love it when humor and honesty are added in a book. I wonder how the author weaves all his life stories into this book. Great review!

[Joseph_ngaruiya]

Every memoir I read reminds me of Thomas M. Cirignano's words, “Each of us is a book waiting to be written, and that book, if written, results in a person explained.” Special regards for your wonderfully well-written review.

[Kanda_theGreat]

I enjoyed reading your summary of the book.
Thank you for the review.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

His first kiss,he farted...oh my goodness. That really got me. I would have to check this out. Thanks for the review.

Thank you!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

Laughed, tears, setbacks, perseverance, this sounds like it has all the makings of a great read. Beautiful review.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I like reading memoirs, so I might like this book too! Thanks for your review.

Thanks for your response.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

Every memoir I read reminds me of Thomas M. Cirignano's words, “Each of us is a book waiting to be written, and that book, if written, results in a person explained.” Special regards for your wonderfully well-written review.

That's a great quote; thank you for your insightful comment

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I do love it when humor and honesty are added in a book. I wonder how the author weaves all his life stories into this book. Great review!

Thank you!

[Priyanka2304]

Haha. I really enjoyed reading your review of this book. Memoirs are always amazing and never disappoint the readers if written with utter competence.

[Nwaogazie Goodness]

Memoirs never disappoint. Lol. I'll give this a try

[Kirsi Cultrera]

I just love life stories and this one sounds really touching in every level. Thanks for your heartwarming review, I enjoyed reading it!