Book Review – "Smashed: growing up as a drunk girl"

Book Review – “Smashed: Growing Up a Drunk Girl” by Koren Zailckas. Published by Ebury Press, UK 2006.

‘Don’t be intimidated by the title,’ my daughter told me as she handed me this book. ‘It’s very good, you’ll enjoy it.’ Normally, I would not have selected this type of book, but as I started to turn the pages, I soon knew exactly what I wanted to say. It is a book that demands to be read. Zailckas expressed himself beautifully, often through poetic prose and in a compelling manner. As each chapter unfolded into the next, I had a real sense of foreboding at finding myself caught up in his destructive lifestyle. I felt like I was one of his drinking buddies. A less capable writer would have fallen victim to repetitive monotony when recalling drunken events, but Zailckas managed to narrate his memories in an engaging and highly thought-provoking manner.

Very little of Zailckas’s family was mentioned, except that her parents were very loving to her as was her sister. She evidently belonged to an upper-middle-class American family, which outwardly portrayed an idyllic childhood and lifestyle. Out of respect for her family, she did not reveal too many details about them, instead the book focused on her drinking lifestyle while she was in college. What becomes apparent is a subculture of young women who enjoy drinking, and while non-alcoholic drugs are avoided, for some reason this ‘elixir of life’ is accepted as a normal part of society. Alcohol is seen as a vital part of the ‘rite of passage’. This book raises some alarming questions about the acceptance of binge drinking, something the author has deliberately set out to do because of her brutally honest recollection of the events. The reader is left wondering, ‘why if she was supposedly from a stable and loving family, did she feel the all-consuming urge to drink?’

Her drinking career began at the age of 14. ‘Southern Comfort’ was her drink of choice as she sneaked a drink at her friend Natalie’s house. By the age of 15, she was drinking considerably more and details events of parties with friends, loss of clothing while she was drunk, and blackouts. A case of alcohol poisoning landed her in the hospital for a stomach pump when she was 16 years old. A night of hard liquor drinking had its inevitable consequence. Not only was she fighting for her life in the ER, but upon discharge, she faced the wrath of her distraught parents. Unfortunately, she didn’t stop her compulsion to drink again.

Her acceptance into Syracuse University saw her join a sorority, ‘Zeta Alpha Sigma’, as a sophomore. Initiation rituals were an integral part of the group. Zailckas alluded to the fact that every campus in the US was drenched in alcohol. She intentionally sought out other drinking partners, and thus the destructive spiral of out-of-control binge drinking reached new highs. In detailing these drinking sessions, she refers to incidents in which she came to her house alone with vomit-stained clothes, and then she woke up naked in bed, wondering if she had lost her virginity and with who. Blackouts became commonplace as she continued to drink herself into oblivion. Blackouts continued to plague her for several years, accompanied by ferocious hangovers that unfortunately did little to deter her from her chosen path. At some point, Zailckas realized that the monotonous drinking along with blackouts, date rape, and suicidal thoughts had to stop. She left the sorority and became a recluse. She finally stopped drinking at 22.

Zailckas felt the need to drink, because she lacked confidence, was very self-conscious, and felt she didn’t “fit in”. The alcohol gave her a false sense of well-being and, under the influence of it, she felt that she could cope. She managed to get a job as a journalist in New York; however, she rejected the idea of ​​accepting outside help to combat her addiction. Zailckas refused to attend ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ because she did not believe that she was an alcoholic. Readers may come to a different conclusion. In any case, her efforts to ‘go solo’ are highly commendable. To this day, Zailckas can’t promise to stay sober, but she’s trying.

This book has captured the adolescence of a quintessential American girl. The author’s insight into the so-called “normal” lifestyle of binge drinking is remarkable. For many years, alcohol defined her and her lifestyle. Zailckas could not cope with social situations without being drunk. She thought that alcohol was the panacea for all her problems, all her doubts. Disturbing statistics were cited in the book from the Harvard School of Public Health Studies. “Most girls have their first drink at age 12 and get drunk by 14; teen girls drink as much as their male peers, but their bodies process it poorly. (They get drunk faster, stay drunk longer, and are more likely to die of alcohol poisoning). Research also suggests that date rape and alcohol go hand in hand.”

Excessive alcohol consumption is a global phenomenon that is increasingly affecting many societies. For many teenagers, it has become a way of life. For this reason alone, Zailckas’s story should feature prominently in all school curricula around the world. Koren Zailckas’ insight and engaging prose will resonate with teen readers and spark thought-provoking questions and introspection. Too many young women succumb to peer pressure, feel the need to meet high social standards, and crave acceptance from their friends. Too often, she turns to alcohol and abuses it in the hope of finding the perfect panacea for her perceived insecurities. The tacit acceptance by our communities of alcohol as an ‘acceptable drug’ aided and abetted by savvy marketing by alcohol purveyors targeting the emerging generation of new consumers, has to be checked. Society can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to this growing problem, which is wreaking havoc among our children. Therefore, I highly recommend this book and commend Zailckas for his honesty, integrity, and insight. This is a story that will resonate with many young people at a crossroads in their lives, as well as their desperate parents. We ignore Zailckas’s message, at our peril!