Book club met again last week to review Troublemaker by Leah Remini. In all of my years of celebrity stalking, I’ve never read a celebrity tell-all. Although I’m not a big fan of Leah Remini, I was open to reading this selection.
The Book
Remini’s tough talking, Brooklyn voice most definitely came through in the narrative. All I could think about was her annoying accent. The book had a conversational tone, however there were times the ghost writer’s voice spoke more loudly than Remini’s. Words and phrases were used that were simply too formal to be believable coming from Remini. This struck me as disjointed, but overall it was a quick and easy read.
Scientology
I was most intrigued with the story of Scientology. Of course, I’d heard about it countless times on E! News or Entertainment Tonight in reference to Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley and John Travolta, but I had never looked into it well enough to understand how completely crazy a “religion” it actually is. Remini’s telling of her experience from the time she was a young girl certainly put the faith on full blast and confirmed my suspicion that anything that Tom Cruise is involved in is probably not something worth a dime. I’m also not a Tom Cruise fan.
The cult-like behavior of the leaders and members of Scientology, as reported by Remini, was nothing short of criminal. The price Scientologists pay to be a member was outrageous, both literally and figuratively.
Although it is clear that Scientology is a scam, I couldn’t help but think that Remini’s harsh and bratty ways contributed to the problems she experienced and detailed in the book.
While Troublemaker by Leah Remini wasn’t a favorite, it was an interesting look at a belief system that I’d heard much about, but did not fully understand.
Having read this, my stage is set to learn more about Scientology in E! TV’s new drama, “The Arrangement,” which draws close parallels to the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes Scientology experience.
A & E TV also has a show called Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath that I think would be an interesting follow-up to the book.
The Review
At the end of the day and the end of this book, I think Troublemaker by Leah Remini was an interesting read. I would recommend it only if you are curious about the celebrity world of Scientology.
Next up…
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I just finished watching the HBO, seven episode mini-series starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley. It was so good, I can’t wait for the book.
