Unsweetined

It was a very open and honest reflection of her downward spiral. It ended in the middle of another hurdle and not giving much closure to that tumultuous time in her life. Yes I can google it. But I wanted to really read about how she fully picked herself back up. So it wasn’t awful and it wasn’t awesome but it was honest and real and I’m so glad she is where she is today.

"How rude!" That catch phrase became a blessing and a curse to young Jodie Sweetin. From the ages of 5 to 13, she starred as middle child Stephanie Tanner on the TGIF sitcom Full House. There's not alot of behind the scenes dish since Jodie was close to all of her co-stars and viewed them as a second family. Once the show ended it's run, it was back to the real world and life as a teenager. Jodie was picked on by jealous classmates so the transition was pretty bumpy. The ghost of Full House kept her from landing other roles as well. She took her first sips of wine while attending a cast member's wedding at 15 and that led her down the road to addiction. She married a cop by the age of 20 and delved further into drugs after becoming bored with being a homemaker. Her husband had no clue. The idea of little Stephanie Tanner scoring meth from an adolescent drug dealer is slightly humorous in a sick way. Mostly it's sad. She eventually divorced her husband and went in and out of rehab. She even hooked up with a guy she was in recovery with. Do you think it worked out? Am I typing this in English? It was especially interesting to read about her biological family's (she's adopted) heavy drug history. Ever heard of addiction being hereditary? Maybe there's some truth to it. It's obvious that Jodie's got a long way to go, but I think she'll make it with the love of her parents and her little girl. I'm pulling for her!

Jodie Sweetin played Danny Tanner's daughter and grow up on TV, for eight years playing the middle child character on Full House. A decade after the show tended the star reveals her recovery from addiction, a dangerous double life she led, and a secret that nearly destroyed her. Any library strong on movie personalities and TV stars will welcome her autobiography.

Jodie Sweetin's memoir "UnSweetined" chronicles her life as Stephanie Tanner on the late eighties early nineties hit show Full House, her troublesome adolescence, and her adult foray into a destructive lifestyle involving frequent partying, drinks, and drugs. Unlike popular perception, as Sweetin shares, her long run on a hit TV show didn't guarantee her an acting future--if anything, being associated with Stephanie only hampered her efforts, as showbiz refused to recognize her as anything but her TV persona. One of the tales Sweetin shares is going to audition for a new role and being asked to reprise her Stephanie Tanner catchphrase from the show, "how rude!" Jodie complies, but still doesn't get the role she auditioned for. Disappointed, she tries to live a regular teenage life and attend high school--only to feel she doesn't fit in. Ultimately, Sweetin craves the stability she had on Full House but fails to achieve it in her real life. While attending her former castmate Candace Cameron's wedding, a year after the show has gone off the air, Sweetin gets drunk and savors the temporary confidence alcohol gives her. Even though Jodie was only fourteen years old at the time, this surprise affection for alcohol eventually leads her down the wrong path--involving heavy drug use, constant partying, and frequent running away from her past. Sweetin barely makes it through college, graduating with a degree in elementary education, before her life spins out of control. Even getting married at twenty to a police officer and attempting the life of a homemaker doesn't help. Sweetin hides her drug use from Shaun, and eventually winds up in rehab. Her second husband Cody and the birth of their daughter Zoie only complicate matters. I found this book entertaining and ultimately heartbreaking. Jodie doesn't run away from her mistakes, and gradually has to pay for them. My favorite part of the book was the first half, when she describes her years on Full House working with her famous co-stars (Bob Saget, John Stamos, and the Olsen twins to name a few), meeting celebrities, and experiencing all the perks that come from starring on a hit TV show. The book also has color photos from Jodie's life, and, in the end, a cute letter to her daughter. Overall, Jodie's raw honesty provides an interesting read.

I've read a few of these celeb memoirs and this ranks up there with the best of them. With the tragedy of Mackenzie Phillips' recent memoir combined with the readability of Tori Spelling's sToritelling, Jodie's humor and frank self awareness grab you from the very first page. Indeed, I picked this up at the bookstore yesterday and opening it up in the afternoon found myself so swept away that by the time I looked up I found myself a third of the way through the book. It's easy to forget how big Full House was (and still is in syndication) and what it could mean to a young girl growing up on set. How that family becomes just as important as the one at home - especially when in Jodie's case, you're adopted. Drugs so often fill the void, but shocking is just how well she hid it from all her loved ones - especially her cop husband. Salvation so often comes in the promise of the future and Jodie was no exception; her daughter became her saving grace. I recommend this book for fans of the show certainly (no other book has gone behind the scenes of Full House that I can recall), but also for mothers wondering about the inner lives of their daughters, young women who may feel awkward around others but also those young women whose popularity has become a burden, wondering where to draw the line. Finally, this is just for people looking for a good read.