10/10

"It's good to see people opening their eyes to this syndrome that has no name. You tend to close them until it happens to your child. There is no such thing as a child who is not worth saving.”
― Deborah Spungen, And I Don't Want to Live This Life: A Mother's Story of Her Daughter's Murder

I read this, my mom read this, man, everyone read this.

I do not think you have to be a punk rock fan or even know much about Nancy to read this. This is in her mother's words and what a writer Deborah Spungen is. To say I was into this book is putting it mildly.

I really cannot do a long review until I reread though I can rememb er whole paragraphs from this book. I took away a strong sense of sorrow for a girl that, at that time, very few people could understand. It makes me think of, whether, had she been born today, when personality issues and disorders are so much more understood whether things would have been different.

This book will make you angry. Angry at the school system, the world of psychiatry, at pretty much everyone except her family. Nancy was let down by so many people.

My parents both work in the field of Psychology and know this story and my mom, as mentioned read the book. I really so wish that Nancy had received the help she needed THEN. I also hate the caricatures and rushes to judgement that have been made.

I grew to love the whole Spungen family in this book. Incredible writing. Very much recommended. ( )

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12969514


When I picked this up I thought it would be a true-crime story. The story of a murder and its investigation and how it affected the victim's mother, from the mother's point of view. That's not what it is.

I did not recognize the author's name. Deborah Spungen is the mother of Nancy Spungen, half of the famous Sid-and-Nancy couple about which a film was made. Sid was Sid Vicious of the short-lived punk band The Sex Pistols. Sid killed Nancy.

There wasn't much of an investigation, and apparently not much of one was needed. Spungen's story is not so much about Nancy's death as it is about her life.

From its beginning, Nancy's life was plagued with difficulties. She almost didn't survive her birth, and when she came home from the hospital she was very difficult to calm down. She cried continually. From babyhood to toddlerhood and beyond her difficulties only increased. She was unpredictable, easily angered, unable to control that anger. She tended to blame others for ever problem she faced, and perhaps she believed it.

Over the years the Spungens tried to find help for her, but were largely unsuccessful. Her life spiraled out of control, as they say, and the end was almost inevitable.

From the symptoms it seems like Nancy had some kind of neurological damage, probably from birth. Although she was diagnosed schizophrenic later, it seemed to me that this was not the proper diagnosis. I wonder what would have been found if her brain had been examined.

The writing is pretty much what you'd expect from someone who is not a natural writer, who has help shaping her story. It is readable and I did find it interesting. ( )

At the time I read this book, not very long after the deaths of Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious, I was very saddened by the entire story. Every once in a while all these years later I still think of it. ( )

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,
And when she was good she was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

Nancy is a troubled child, but her family wants her to know they love her no matter what. And they try everything to help her,to give her a better life. Though she tries their patience every step of the way.

What a beautiful,beautiful book.
There are many great things about this book but what a stellar writing style the author has. Thoroughly impressed.
How can we 'rate' this book, it's a mother's struggle,in trying to give her daughter a quality life,in coping with the pain of her daughter's premature death. This book is a symbol of a mother's unconditional love for her daughter. I will never forget it & I thank Deborah Spungen for sharing it with us. I cried alot by the way :) couldn't help it,it's that great.

And I don’t want to live this life
If I can’t live for you. ( )