Book Review: "The Making of Mariah Carey" by Mariah Carey
“The Making of Mariah Carey” by Mariah Carey
Bookshop | Kindle
Publisher Synopsis: The global icon, award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, mother, daughter, sister, storyteller, and artist finally tells the unfiltered story of her life in The Meaning of Mariah Carey
It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams, that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it's been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or a ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were filtered through someone else's lens, largely satisfying someone else's assignment to define me.
This book is composed of my memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival and my songs. Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side.
Writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the resilience of the human spirit.
Love,
Mariah
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Trigger Warnings: emotional abuse, domestic violence, physical abuse, Tommy Mottola
Review: Greetings from your SFOL celebrity memoir enthusiast! Yes, I am incredibly delayed on reading and reviewing this wonderful memoir by the icon herself. I finally got sick of waiting for the NYPL to stock an e-copy that I could borrow, and just bought myself the hardcover.
Mariah’s memoir is less a gossipy recounting of her diva past and more an emotional, vulnerable glimpse into her childhood and her tumultuous marriage to Tommy Mottola (…who is trash. Hot take, I know.). I’ve been a casual fan of Mariah’s for years; in no way would I claim to be a “Lamb"—a dedicated Mariah fan who can recite her back catalog with relish. But her memoir offered a look into her troubled childhood, the many instances of racism she faced well into her music career, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her songwriting process. Whether you’re a dedicated Lamb or can only name two Mariah songs, there is no denying that she has a true gift for songwriting.
I was struck by Mariah’s self-awareness; she has clearly done a lot of work with therapists to tackle her childhood and first marriage. Born to an Irish mother and Black father in 1970, she was the true baby of the family, much younger than her older siblings. Her parents divorced when she was quite young, and she was shuttled all over Long Island, often terrorized by her troubled older siblings and her mother’s many partners. She writes of understanding early on that she had a preternatural gift for music (her mother was a classically trained opera singer), and dedicating herself fully to her goal of working in music.
Mariah is clearly in on the joke of her “diva” personality—she’s very upfront about enjoying the finer things in life, but also understands how much of it stems from her sparse childhood. She writes of being told by her Black relatives that her lips were too small, then being told by a white woman at a beauty counter that her lips were too big—just one of many instances that forced her to reckon with her identity.
One of the more affecting incidents in the novel is when she writes of her “breakdown” right before “Glitter” was released. In today’s “Free Britney” environment, it’s clearer than ever that Mariah’s family was trying to 5150 her and gain (even more) access to her fortune.
One person who does come off well in the memoir is Derek Jeter. Mariah writes of their brief relationship, and how he gave her the strength to leave her marriage to Tommy Mottola. Much of the book is dedicated to her childhood and first marriage, and truly, her marriage to Mottola was awful—she nicknamed their house in Westchester “Sing Sing” (a sad play on words considering her musical ability and the house’s proximity to the notorious prison). This is a woman who met a much older man when she was 18, and he controlled not just her professional career, but her personal life as well. The instances of emotional abuse Mariah recounts are heartbreaking.
I’m not in the habit of lionizing celebrities; typically, the more money and fame one has, the less relatable they are. While I won’t claim Mariah comes off wholly relatable in her memoir, her childhood is one many can likely relate to, and her dedication to her fans is beautiful. This is a woman who has been through the fire, and come out the other side, not unscathed, but stronger.
TL;DR: An emotional journey through some of the more tumultuous moments in Mariah Carey’s life. You’ll love the glimpse into her songwriting process no matter your level of fandom. It’s honest, vulnerable, and self-aware—what more could you want from a celebrity memoir?
If you liked this, try:
“Open Book” by Jessica Simpson (Bookshop | Kindle | my review)
“We’re Going to Need More Wine” by Gabrielle Union (Bookshop | Kindle)
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