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Brat

Written by: Andrew McCarthy
Narrated by: Andrew McCarthy
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Publisher's Summary

Fans of Patti Smith's Just Kids and Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends will love this beautifully written, entertaining, and emotionally honest memoir by an actor, director, and author who found his start as an '80s Brat-Pack member.

Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his movie roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less Than Zero, and as a charter member of Hollywood's Brat Pack. That iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs included Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore, and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture.

In his memoir Brat: An '80s Story, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in this book, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life.

Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Andrew McCarthy (P)2021 Grand Central Publishing
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What the critics say

"This is not some memoir written by an actor who fancies himself a world traveler. McCarthy really is a world traveler - and a damned fine writer, too.... To readers who think, 'Andrew McCarthy? Really?' the answer is a resounding and emphatic yes. Really." (Booklist)

"Rarely have I seen the male psyche explored with such honesty and vulnerability. This is the story of a son, a father, a brother, a husband, a man who finds the courage not only to face himself, but to reveal himself, and, in so doing, illuminates something about what it is to be human, fully alive, and awake." (Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion)

What listeners say about Brat

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Review of a Brat I've never met

Mr. McCarthy shares a pivotal time in his life and how he's now at peace with it in a way that made me feel compassion, but not pity, and admiration for his journey.

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1 person found this helpful

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Good, but disappointing

This is my first time ever writing a review. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I prefer nonfiction ... even better if the author is the narrator. I listened to Rob Lowe's books and Demi Moore's book and therefore I was really looking forward to this book. Brat was a disappointment. The first half of the book was honestly very blah. I was really hoping that the second half would be better ... which it was, but still not great. As opposed to Rob and Demi, who got very personal and vulnerable, I feel that Andrew just skimmed the surface. Sure, there were some cool behind the scenes stories, but in my opinion, he really just skimmed the surface. I also thought that Andrew would go a little deeper with his experience with addiction. Overall, it was interesting but definitely not my top pick.

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Love knowing this personal story

I appreciate Andrew McCarthy, giving us insight into how he came up in Hollywood, and everything that led to his stardom and celebrity. Now I have to go seek out his travel writing books!

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Loved it!

I have been waiting for this book for some time and it did not disappoint. Andrew McCarthy is a brilliant writer and I loved his story, I would highly recommend this read to any gen x’er and anyone who loved the 80’s ❤️.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Superficial glimpse

Much better as a read than a listen I would imagine. The writing style is more formal than conversational.
Decent glimpse into one perspective of the reality of the Brat Pack.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Book

I loved the stories that Andrew tells but I felt that he was holding back a lot, overall a very good read :)

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Wanted to love it

I really wanted to love this book but I was disappointed. I always thought he was the most interesting of the ‘Brat Pack’. This book felt superficial (although well written) and was very short. I have enjoyed his other books but the subject matter of those is completely different.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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A half story!

Such an incomplete story of his time in the cool movies of the 80's. He held back so what's the point?

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Boring Brat

I grew up during this era so I was looking forward to this, but it was somewhat of a let down. I really wanted more dirt.

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