The Last Living Slut: Born in Iran, Bred Backstage

Yes, the sex is constant and often quite hot, but the emotional rawness of the tale is what kept me reading. The author first describes her upbringing in Iran, which is presented as a fairly loving and idyillic one, save for the planting of the seeds of her eventual descent into drugs and sex in the UK years later. Her story is not all that different than women with more conventional backgrounds, but she isn't ashamed or telling her story just for shock value or to obtain sympathy. She also isn't a victim or innocent either. Her claiming a boy band as a prize is a good example. Still, this an excellent book written by an extremely intelligent and self-aware woman.

This book is more than just a story of a groupie and her exploits, it a story of woman taking ownership of herself. Roxana Shirazi is easily one of the more unique persons you would encouter on the page this year. In her memoir the reader is introduced to one of the most provacative coming of age stories I have ever read. Her colorful writing style conveys a powerful animalism that underscores much of her story. In the beginning we find a young girl born to Persian family toward the end of the Shah's reign. We find out what it is like to grow up in a family that were politically active, in a region not known for its permissivness. This would form a recurriing theme, a person breaking outside the contraints of modern society to make their own way, on thier own terms. We see life in Iran both before and after the Shah, told not in a warm and personal way, though warm family bonds. We then follow Roxanna to her emigration to England, to start a new life as an adolecent, an exotic young lady thrust into lilly white English society. We feel her pain as she recounts the mocking of her fellow students and how she used her studies to insulate her. The stories of her time spent with various musicians and bands are quite vivid and lurid. Passages that would make the average Harlequin romance tame by comparison. And many might buy the book for just that reason. There is more to her story than that. Roxanna's story has much more depth and charachter than any other book. She captures not only the exploits of the rock world that exchos the memoirs of Cynthia Plastercaster but the tenderness recounted by Cameron Crowe in his movie Almost Famous. If you are looking for a book that will both provide a vicarious escape as well as a touching story of great depth, you should pick up a copy. You will be glad you did.

Far more than a kiss and tell tale of groupie partying, this book beautifully delivers the story of a women coping with childhood sexual abuse and repression. While there are familiar names throughout the book, Roxana's story is compelling without the Hollywood hype. Highly recommended.

Although the title made me wary, I was pleasantly surprised after reading this book. When I heard this was another groupie tell-all, I already envisioned what the story was going to be about, but I decided to give it a shot anyways. The tale is explicit, but has a completely different vibe than other rocker stories. Her story is very dark and emotionally compelling. Actually, the first half has nothing to do with rock and roll. Instead, she talks about her journal to sexual maturity, from her childhood in Iran to escaping to London, and all of the difficulties and heartbreak she experienced. She chronicles her whole life, from childhood to groupie-status, sharing her most explicit stories about her sexcapades with various rockers (all of which she names!). Maybe not a story for the more conservative types, but nevertheless a great read-- actually found myself unable to put it down. Not to mention the language is poetic and flowing, making the story easy to read and follow. Don't be scared off by the title-- give it a chance, you will be pleasantly surprised!

A friend of mine received an advance review copy of this book and passed it to me when she was done. I was curious but wasn't expecting to like this book nearly as much as I did. Be warned - it's not for the faint of heart. Shirazi is explicit and frank about the sexual abuse she endured as a child, and she details her sexual exploits with the bands she's slept with in very vivid detail. Some of it is sexy, some of it is at times too much - but I guarantee you won't be able to look away. Even at the darkest points in the story, this book is impossible to stop reading. It is an honest story by an author who is unafraid to present herself exactly as she is. Her childhood in Iran is described well and that history explains why she went in search of freedom and sexual liberation in the rock and roll world once she was exposed to it. But she found that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She realized that the only freedom she could count on was to be who she is. She doesn't have all of the answers, and the book doesn't offer a nice, simple happy ending - and for that I liked it even more. She has found peace with herself and that's all anyone can want. All in all highly recommended!