This book could have been 120 pages but with all the lies she make it over 400 pages. If you can get this book from the library or a friend please do so. I had to read it for my bookclub but was very disspointed. She repeated a lot of stuff and it was hard to beleive most of it.

This book is a great read for anyone who likes memoirs. This book is as good as it gets. Cupcake's struggles through her life will make anyone feel for her. She has a way of telling her stories that just completely draws you in. As soon as I received the book, I picked it up to read a chapter and could NOT put it down! I read the whole thing straight. I put the book down for a moment to take my dog outside and my sister picked it up in that brief time period. When I returned to resume my reading, my sister was already on the fifth chapter and did NOT want to put it down either. She let me continue ONLY on the condition that as soon as I am done that I let her finish. Well, that was easy! I had it for her the next day :) Cupcake is an inspiration and her story makes you feel like if the fact that if she has overcome the obstacles that she had been challenged with, anyone can! The best part is that now she is an prominent lawyer as well as a motivational speaker. You can't get a better deal in my mind. A spell-binding memoir read that you can not stop reading that ends up with such a feel good ending that most tales like this cease to have. I think the title is very clever as well. Anyway, as you can tell I can not say enough good things about this book. After reading it, I wished I had bought it right when it came out when she was on tour for her book signing because she is someone that you makes you wish you had the chance to meet and just talk to even if only for a brief moment! 5 stars!

Well, Well, Well, What can I say that other reviews haven't. It's a truly inspirational story and it show that if you have the drive the determination you can get whatever it is you want. I thought the line that was most profound for me " I decided the type of seclusion provided by the dumpster would be an ideal place to get high, especially since no one looks for anyone in the trash" This goes to show you the state of mind she was in but once you get to the end of the book you can see how she brought herself up, and she didn't do it alone... She had so many angels that God sent to watch over her and guide her along the way. Cupcake Brown really got it together, the graduation at the end brought me to tears! It just an amazing story that she lived to tell because it's many places in her life that Cupcake could have died. But, God had a plan for her. If you ever think you can't do anything read this book it will give you hope and guidance.

I read this book over a year ago and highly recommend it.

It is an inspirational story portraying strength, courage and determination.

What irked me throughout this book was how the system failed her and in my opinion was ultimately responsible for the path that she followed. If only she was able to live with her father or uncle even, she may have experienced a normal childhood. After reading about her earlier years and what she endured it is no wonder she followed the path that she did.

Just as she reaches rock bottom she takes a glimpse of her skinny self and realises her life needs to change. Not only does she get clean, she gets an education and is now working as an attorney in a top law firm. She also makes some valuable friendships on the way.

It is good to read stories like this from time to time as it helps to put a different perspective on those living on the streets and not just tar them all with the same brush and assume that they have choices and want to be there.

I read this book and I was absolutely shocked...I'm still reading it but it is really shocking so far..I recommend this book to everyone!!

While reading this book, I found myself fascinated by the obstacles this woman has overcome in her life. By the book's end, I found myself questioning several aspects. I'm not sure how the author was able to recall so vividly the details that this story goes into. With the amount and number of years that the author consumed hard drugs and alcohol, I doubt if these details were actually remembered. However, I am not against a bit of poetic license to ensure the story flows and the meaning gets across.

But...also by the book's end, I found the racial incriminations to be a bit tiresome. It would have been more striking if the author had taken more responsibility for her own actions and behaviors. While those actions are understandable given the circumstances, everyone has choices. To cast blame and set aside personal responsibility in order to play the race card is deplorable. While her race most certainly affected many aspects of her life to some degree, it is still not the main issue. When she shows up late or not at all to work day after day, and when she does show up, she is drunk, high, unbathed, and unable to perform her duties, then that is the reason she is fired, not because of her race.

The book would have been more inspiring if the author had taken complete responsibility instead of elevating minor issues to a priority status. This book only encourages an attitude that we are currently fighting against in the country. That someone else is always to blame.

Most likely, I would not recommend this book. While her achievements are wonderful, there are many other stories that better describe overcoming adversity than this one. By the time I had read 2/3 of this book, it was leaving a bad taste in my eyes!

This woman has risen above some terrible circumstances;I agree to this fact 100%, but with that being said her editor should have really taken a red pen to this horrible writing style. Considering Cupcake is now a lawyer I would think she would be a stronger writer? Also, something about her story feels exaggerated, as if they exploited her life even more. Overall there are a few golden moments in the book but many key characters are never fully developed or simply disappear leaving a lot of unanswered questions.

As a lawyer that had to overcome an impoverished childhood and the absence of a close or, even present biological family (other than my dear mother), I felt compelled to read Cupcake's story.

Lavette "Cupcake" Brown's story is very inspirational and I highly recommend it to teenagers who feel like they can't overcome their backgrounds to succeed.

This review is based upon the audio (which was abridged) so there was no repetitiveness. The audio was very succint, but very sleep inducing at parts. I couldn't imagine reading this in book form.
***************************************************************
Basically, this is the story of Lavette "Cupcake" Brown; a woman who lost her mother at the age of 11. Cupcake's biological father showed up and requested custody thinking he would get insurance proceeds. He didn't get the proceeds and placed Cupcake and her brother in foster care.

While in foster care, Cupcake ended up in prostitution, doing drugs, and drinking hard liquor. At 15, Cupcake was nearly paralyzed when shot by fellow gang members. After being shot, Cupcake hooked up with a guy and ended up pregnant. Cupcake lost the baby when her foster mother, Diane, instructed her sisters to beat her up. At 17, her uncle and "daddy" helped her become emancipated and Cupcake ended up marrying a fellow drug user who became abusive.

After hitting rock bottom (living behind a dumpster for 4 days), Cupcake finally sought help. Cupcake ended up graduating in the top 10% of her law school class and is now a successful lawyer.
*******************************************************
Although I thought the book was inspirational, I have this gut feeling that the truth wasn't completely told in this book. I think this book painted Cupcake's life worser than it actually was so that her success would be seen as even more sweeter.

A lawyer would NEVER leave the gaps and holes that this writer left.
Some holes:

1. Larry, the brother was barely discussed because he and Cupcake were not close, but what happened to him.

2. Cupcake said she dressed in miniskirts and yellow suits for law firm interviews because she didn't know any better. Cupcake had worked at law firms for 10 years and DID know better, so why lie.

3. Cupcake lied on her resume' and in her reference letters and states this is what led to her success with the legal secretary jobs. What law firm would not check references and information on a resume'?

4. Cupcake stated she came to work drunk and stinky and, yet, the clients loved her. What law firm would allow you to come to work drunk and stinky?

5. How much were these insurance proceeds? What did Cupcake and Larry do with them?

6. How could Diane Dobson be allowed to keep custody of Cupcake and Larry when there were abuse allegations against her? Was Diane Dobson the only foster mother in the world?

7. How did "daddy" become "daddy?" Was he married to Cupcake's mother and, if so, when? Did Cupcake's mother not ever try to get child support from the biological father?

8. If a parent dies, their children get the social security benefits via their guardian. In this case, it would have been the biological father. The biological father would not have turned Cupcake and her brother over to foster care knowing they were getting anywhere from $600.00-750.00 in S.S. benefits.
There are just too many holes to list, but there should not have been any glaring holes in a lawyer written book.

Cupcakes' Angels:

1. Her husband - he instructed people to punch Cupcake when she used slang to break her of the habit

2. Cupcake's uncle - he wired her money and helped her get emancipated

3. Cupcake's "daddy" - he provided Cupcake with some emotional support when he wasn't dealing dope or fooling with his hoes

4. V - Cupcake's AA sponsor

5. Law firm supervisors - they let Cupcake make mistakes at work and come to work drunk and stinky

6. Asst US Attorney - he let Cupcake into his Prosecutorial class and mentored her in undergrad

7. Law school advisor - she assisted Cupcake in getting good grades and proper interview clothes

8. Gayle and Maria - acted as substitute mothers for Cupcake and provided her with emotional support

This story shows you that you can do ANYTHING if you have people in your life that support you in a positive way.

Unfortunately, this story also shows you that Cupcake is still hustling. She hustled her way into secretarial jobs. She hustled her way through law school and now she has hustled her way into the publishing world. I think that is the saddest part about this book--the hustle shines through and takes away from the inspirational story.

I loved the way this book connected with a family member. I bought it to refer back to it to keep me drink free.

Oh my days i love this book. i always recommend it to everyone. Its trully sad but with a great ending, such a tragic beginning of life for someone so young.once you start reading you cant put the book down.

THIS WAS A FANTASTIC STORY BY A FANTASTIC LADY. EVEN BETTER SHE GIVES GOD THE HONOR AND PRAISE. OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE YOU CAN DO IT STORIES.

Very likely, you have never read anything like this in your life. You will rejoice for Cupcake Brown. But first, you will cry.

Cupcake Brown had a great little life going on in California: Both her mother and father worked, she had clothes and a bedroom of her own. She was loved and she was happy.

And yes, Cupcake is her real name. There is a little story about that in the beginning of the book, but that is the name her mother wanted to name her.



But at age 11, Cupcake Brown discovers her mother on the couch, dead from a seizure. This is when all hell breaks lose in Cupcake's little life in California in the 1970s.

She is sent to a foster home, supposedly beyond reproach, but it is here that, Diane, the foster mother, beats Cupcake and the other children; Diane's own daughter, Connie, also abuses Cupcake and the other children. To top it off, Cupcake is brutally raped.

She runs away. She finds a white girl who teaches her how to support herself by turning tricks.

She is sent back to the foster home. She runs away. Sent back again.

She finally ends up as a gang member, where she learns how to survive despite drugs, gang rules and living outside the law. She buries many of her homie friends.

So from a life of being an abused foster child, to a gangbanger, hooker, alcoholic and drug addict at 14, Cupcake survived to become sober and an attorney at 41.

How did she accomplish all this?

***

Cupcake tells of life with Diane, her foster mother.

[The language is directly from the book.]

***

EXCERPT

"You ain't never gon'be shit," she [Diane] sneered, ''cause you ain't go not mother."

My mother hadn't been dead three months.

"Damn bitch," I thought. I'm in here minding my own business and here you come fucking wit'me.

"Now Connie, she [Diane] continued, putting emphasis on the name, "She's gon' be something because she's got a mother!"

With that, she popped me on the head again and walked out.

I just sat there thinking about what Diane had said. It got my blood flowing again. It renewed my determination to get the fuck out. Because, hell, if I wasn't going to be shit, I damn sure wasn't going to be it in Lancaster! I decided it was time to try to run again. Only this time, I'd do it right.

END EXCERPT

***



And all this, without a high school diploma or a GED. She did gain entrance first to a Community College, then a four year college, then to law school.

99 percent of what happened to Cupcake Brown was extremely destructive, and would have killed or jailed most who lived through it.

That very large one percent that was NOT destructive came in the personage of Ken Rose, an attorney who gave Cupcake a job as a legal secretary; on her first day, she announced she was addicted to drugs. Rose got her a spot in rehab and told her the job would be waiting for her when she was out of rehab.

From there, Ken encouraged Cupcake to apply to Community College, while working full time.

Yes, she finished Community College then transferred to a four-year college and law school. But all this took Cupcake much longer than it would the next person.

In 2001, at age 39, Cupcake Brown signed with McCutcheon & Doyle, one of the most prestigious law firms in San Francisco, at $125,000 a year.

This past September, she left McCutcheon & Doyle to work on her movie of A Piece of Cake.

Cupcake beat the odds. She had help from Ken Rose, but any amount of help does not go far without a person's own individual strength - someone who is determined to beat the odds. And that is exactly what made Cupcake Brown succeed.

It was her own will to succeed, to beat alcohol and drug addiction, to overcome the life thrust upon her as a child.

***

[...]That Cupcake even lived to tell the tale is amazing.

That she told it with brutal honesty is more amazing still.

Riveting and gripping. Even though it is about something we might not want to hear about, we need to read this story.

I was told to read this by the radio and i am glad I listened. I can't remember what station I was listening to but it is not the usual station for me. This book was so real it jerked every tear from my eye. It reminds me a lot of my mothers childhood and the one that her siblings also lived by all in separate homes.

I remember now.....It was Wendy Williams or something I was listening to! It was like their book club or the book read of the month or something

Cup is a remarkable woman, I cried, smiled, and laughed with her during her journey go buy the book!

This book gripped me from the first page. I felt like I was riding a wave (a tsunami most of the time) as I read this book.
Cupcake Brown overcame so much. But this is not just a story of overcoming adversity; she writes so you won't forget those who wronged her (the state, her foster parents, all those detached 'entities' who are supposed to be there for kids but in essence, are not.) Yet she does not write in a blaming tone; it's as if I was in a dream/nightmare living her life through her.
On a simple note, book's cover does the story justice: colorful, chaotic, intricate, intriguing, and, ultimately, tragic--not necessarily in outcomes, but in what many children of color experience in our flawed world.

I just finished this book. Five minutes ago. In spite of various assignments that needed to be done today, I wanted to finished reading this book and get it over with. It started out strong then dragged through various chapters of drug usage and down-right embarrassing moments that a human being can inflict on herself. Then it picked up again and ended strong where I actually ended up with tears on my face at her determination to keep fighting the good fight in staying sober and getting her law school degree. That is impressive.

This book is an emotional one. It is a gritty look at the realities of addiction and how addicts lie to themselves and others about their problems. The scene where I can just vividly imagine to be one of her lowest in her life was described so realistically, that the reader can't help but be standing next to her. She came to while passed out behind a trash dumpter. She happened to see her image in front of that glass window of a department store on the way downtown San Diego and for the first time in years, she saw herself, really saw herself. The image she always had about herself was destroyed in that moment and she just knew that she had to get the help she desperately needed, or she would just die. That scene alone made up for all those pages after pages of drug abuse and stealing everything that wasn't bolted down to pay for her crack addiction.

Cupcake Brown was an orphan young. She found her mother dead one morning and her entire life changed for the worse after that day. Losing her own mother was hellish enough, but to endure sadistic beatings and rape at the hands of her foster mother and her nephew, that could drive anyone over the edge. Cupcake spent years denying that little girl inside her a voice. She drowned her sorrows literally in weed, alcohol and whatever drug she could find. She ran away from the foster home all the time till she finally made a final escape for good. Instead of getting her life together, she continued on a downward spiral into the deepest gutter that one can find in their own soul. And the story didn't end there. It is a gritty and moving story about a woman who fought her way out of the hellish pit into redemption. She proved that she could do it and more importantly, she proved that she could do it to herself, silencing those voices that told her that she would never amount to anything.

So why did I rate this a four star? There are a couple of reasons why I did. This book could have been cut down as there were too many pages dealing with her drug addictions and those hairy days of drug dealing and moving from one apartment to another. It was just redundant in spots. It was mind-numbing too. Maybe that was her (the author's) intention, to prove how mind-numbing the drugs are.

Another reason is, I am not sure that her feelings of remorse came through. What I mean is, she apologized to the people in her life for all the wrongs she had done to them, but what about all those people that she was nasty to over the years? She worked at various places and she was nasty to her coworkers, stealing from them. Then she'll mention that she never saw them again. I never really felt that she was apologetic about her behavior. But I am not a recovering anything, so I can't really answer that question. Maybe she couldn't. Anyhow, it just struck a chord with me.

Another reason why this is a four star is how come she can remember those drug-hazed days so vividly and yet admit that studying in college took every ounce of her will power because she has lost so many brain cells during those drug-hazed days? Did someone else help fill her in on that? It is just a little too contrived for me and while reading it, I kept checking the back of the book to make sure that I was reading a memoir, not a novel, because that whole section felt like it was a novel (though I am not denying that those experiences weren't true). Then after she admitted she needed help, her original voice came back and it was great reading after that.

This book is very engrossing and disturbing and enlightening as well as inspirational. It is a story that is needed to be told and told again. It shows the harrowness of how strong that addiction can be, the lies it tells you while in its grip. It is a story that needs to be shared. It is a story that cannot be forgotten. It will keep haunting you through the entire time you're reading it. You find yourself disgusted at her behavior (even while you can't even begin to imagine the worst of it) and yet rooting for her to change and accept grace when it comes.

Highly recommend this reading for book clubs. There's too much in here to discuss in a review.

1/16/08

One of my all time favorite books. Funny, moving, and amazing. You will not believe it is true nor will you be able to put it down. No matter what time my sweetheart came home, I was reading it. It got to the point I refused to drive when we went out so I could read more!

This book is an amazing read, in that you just can't put it down. It's a total page-turner. That's why I gave it five stars. It's a darn good read, worth every penny. But I'm having trouble seeing how Ms. Brown can remember so much graphic detail of so many events, if she was loaded pretty much every day.

I really hope she is not exaggerating, because it's very inspiring, certainly.

What a great story and an extremely compelling read. My only complaint would be the length of the book: 465 pages. The author certainly had a lot to tell but I think it could have been done in a slightly shorter book. About 2/3 of the way through, I started to get a little tired of reading it but I kept going because I wanted to see how it turned out. All in all though, it was a real page-turner and I enjoyed it very much.

This book started out really good but after awhile I felt like this was my next door neighbor writing it I commend how cupcake got her life together but this book is for someone who never in there life heard about someone who was addicted to drugs.

I absolutely love this book. If you've ever felt that you weren't good enough to do something or that the entire world was against you then this is a wonderful book that tells one woman's journey. She is truly amazing and it makes you feel as though you can do anything. I would recommend this book to anyone and have already let several friends borrow it to read.

Ok this book was really not that bad, it actually started off really good and held my attention for quite some time, But as I continued to read I found myself getting quite bored that i had to skim the last couple of chapters because it was so long and drawn out, plus I got tired of the author repeating the same mistakes over and over again which really digusted me. This book was just a huge roller coaster ride that gave me constant headaches in the end.Good luck trying to get through this one!

This memoir is indeed the best book I've read in years. Cupcake Brown takes us all through a series of emotions starting with sadness due to the horrible loss of her mom when cup was only eleven, and many other emotions in between such as anger, joy, and disappointment. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end. Some of the other reviewers find the book to be unbelievable as if to ask how can one person go through so much, which only begs the question how can people be so ignorant? There were no embellishments in the book, and there is nothing fictitious about this book at all. I can only imagine how difficult it is to survive after being orphaned, and completely stripped of everything you knew to be stable. The best and most impressive part in the book was when Cupcake overcame her demons and later became a successful attorney. Truly inspiring. A must read.

I would like to review this product, but i never received it. your company had to give me a refund, because i never got my product. I will not order again from amazon. Very discouraged.

A PIECE OF CAKE IS A MUST READ BOOK. IT IS A INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF A CUPCAKE BROWN. HER STORY WILL MOVE YOU AND HER HARDSHIP WILL SHOW YOU THAT YOU CAN INDURE ALMOST ANYTHING AND STILL OVER COME. I WOULD RECOMMEMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE. ONE YOU START THIS BOOK ITS HARD TO PUT DOWN!

This book is a definite must read. It's very inspirational and inspiring; Cupcake Brown is definitely a strong person who has inspired me through this book. I must say this is the only book I've read more than once. It's just that good!

How can you not cry at the end of this book? It is truely amazing. After I finished it I went to the authors website and wrote her myself. I am glad that Cup made something of herself. Through her story you know that you yourself can do anything!

this book was riveting- it held your attention and you felt as if you knew the characters. I read 120 pages the first day I received the book. I would recommend it to everyone!

The book started off very interesting, however as I continued to read a lot of the story seemed fabricated. It is obvious by the way the book reads, that the author has made a lot of the details up. If you're looking for a good auto-biography this is not the book for you.

I don't normally read memoir's, but the cover caught my attention first followed by the brief description of the book and the author. The history of Ms. Brown's life was riveting, insightful, and surprisingly inspiring. I feel as if she wrote this so the reader wouldn't feel pity, but rather could really understand what she was living through. I gained so much understanding of drug addiction and I was inspired by her recovery. So much so, I am incorporating some of her 12 step lessons into my own life.

Buy the book, you won't be let down.

I usually don't pick up a book because of the pretty cover but this one had me intrigued and by the time I read the description and a few pages, a book was purchased. Cupcake's story is the journey of a young girl who through no fault of her own was denied the right to live with the man she knew as her father after her mother died. Her biological father whom she had no relationship with thought there was money to be gained by pettioning the court for custody of Cupcake and her brother. Her biological father was soon to learn that there was no monitary gain to be found. Quickly, Cupcake began a life of foster homes that included sexual, physical and verbal abuse and then the discovery of drugs which escalated to a level not experienced by most people (or who lived to tell about it).

Cupcake went through hell but the one point I must make is that you never felt sorry for her. Cupcake through her sense of humor, sheer will to survive and an extaordinary intellect has the stuff of someone who not only survives but does it amazingly well. I loved this book and everyone whom I lent it to has wanted to lend it to others. I told them "buy your own".

I thought this was a riveting story with a great ending. However, some things didn't add up for me. I don't do drugs and I can barely remember what happened 2 weeks ago, let alone 10 or 15 years ago in as much detail as Cupcake. I do wonder how much of it is actual recollection or and how much is her own paraphrasing of her memory. However, the thing that bugged me the most was how or why would any decent law firm hire someone that dressed like a [...] and didn't brush her teeth? That makes no sense. I can't imagine they were that desperate for help. Also was it me or at the end of her book did she not say she didn't charge for speaking gigs, however, on her web site she has fees listed. I don't have the book in my possession so I can't vouch and correct me if I am wrong, but, I just thought it was hypocritical.

This book was a pretty good read and a page turner, but it's a memoir, and should be called "A Piece of Fiction". I did a lot of drugs when I was younger and I can tell you my "a lot" would be about 5% of what she claimed to have done. So how the HECK CAN SHE REMEMBER ALL THESE LITTLE STORIES AND BITS OF INFORMATION?!?! For her to write such a long book describing small details of what went on during the years of crazy drug use and "blackouts", she would have to have one of, wait, THE BEST memory on the planet, even after years of drugs and waking up next to a dumpster.
And sorry, but no law firm would hire a girl that came in dressed like a slut, talking back, and hadn't brushed her hair or teeth in weeks.
Nuff said.

This was an excellent book ! I can't even begin to explain how this book touched my heart...I would encourage people both young and old to read this book...It is sad, yet inspiring...Cupcake Brown tells a life story that will make you cry...This is a must read !!! AMAZING !!!!!!

Just finished reading Cupcake Brown's memoir, "A Piece of Cake." Dizzy mom named her after a favorite crave. After that, it was all downhill.....

Don't get me wrong, it was a scary, funny, mostly tragic story of gangsta hood queen making it into the world. Cupcake's childhood trauma would've rendered the mostly saintly of humans into a train wreck. No child should have EVER went through what she suffered. But first, our protagonist must overcome, drugs, alcohol and her big mouth to get over the hump. Some of it seems like hyperbolic oatmeal with a smidgen of bull, but this lady has lead a pretty hard life. A book like this deserves to be a rather cautionary tale of "Just Say No" and for kids not to get hooked on cough syrup!

Which brings us to the website, which is based upon the aforementioned memoir. But it ends there, there's just a few pictures (the nicer ones) and a few bon mots with an addendum, "I'll give your organization a pep talk for $5,000!" Excuse me for being a bit of a cynic, but Cupcake only wrote ONE BOOK and she's an expert on life??? Again, she has had a hard life. But, I've worked with quite a few folks (an elementary school principal, for one), and a few relatives could give Ms. Cupcake a run for her money, in regards to substance abuse.

What really chapped my britches, was a passage that stated she knows there are schools that are financially challenged. But these fine institutions and fledgling adults could benefit from her wisdom, just by reading her book. Don't get me wrong, I'm not playa hatin', but in her book she practically boasts about rippin' folks off and gives detailed accounts of her time as a gang member! What about the victims??? She was one of the 'finanically challenged', doesn't charity begin at home?

The story is interesting, but there is no way this book needed to be 470 pages long. I finished it simply because I wanted to know how she ended up in recovery, etc. but it did become somewhat repetitive about half-way through.

A Black person can only be beautiful if they're "mixed" with another race. High cheek bones mean that you have Native Americans somewhere in your genetic make-up. Forget about all those beautiful Black Africans who too have high cheek-bones.

I started to put the book down after I repeatedly read references to skin complexion and the comment about her mother being beautiful because she had "Indian in her family".

My sister told me to give the book a chance (she enjoyed the book and thought I would too)I am still struggling to finish the book but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to do so. A memoir is a writing based on how one remembers their own life is it not? If so how can anyone who has consumed so many different types of drugs and alcohol recall each and every single detail of their life - be able to write about it and call it a memoir??
She even stated a few times in the book that she sometimes couldn't remember the nights before or the days of the week.

Does no one remember that " this is your brain on drugs" commercial?? That commercial was real, drugs fry your brain cells!!! so imagine taking almost every single drug on the planet. Ms Brown should be worse off than an victim of altizmers(thank God she isn't)


Kudos to Cupcake Brown for turning her life around but like James Frey , she should've just said that this was an autobiographical novel.

I will finish the book only because I spent my $10.17 for it.

Wow! My friend was reading this book and told me it was great. I bought it and could not put it down! I cannot believe the life that Cupcake lived and through it all she survived. Wow. It was sad, but also inspiring and some times even funny. I think it was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone.

A PIECE OF CAKE by Cupcake Brown is the tale of Brown's awe-inspiring and motivating journey through life. The first years of Cupcake's life were not that different from other African-American children growing up in the 1970s. Her classmates picked on her because her skin was "too dark", her nose "too big" and her body "too skinny." She lived with her mother and father until their separation, after which she continued to live with her mother. But, Cupcake's life took a drastic change for the worse when she discovered her mother's lifeless body.

It was at this time that Cupcake learned that the man she thought of as daddy, Tim Long, was not her biological father. Greed appeared in Cupcake's life in the form of her natural father, Mr. Burns. He surfaced just long enough to prevent Tim and Cupcake's uncle from getting custody of her and her brother, Larry, in his scheme to collect the proceeds from their mother's life insurance policy. When the scheme failed, Mr. Burns left Cupcake and Larry with Diane Dobson, a foster parent.

Diane was the personification of evil. She presented herself as the ideal foster mother to the outside world, while she privately terrorized the many foster children she took into her home. Cupcake, as well as the other foster children, were mentally, physically and sexually abused while living in Diane's home. Diane had knowledge of, and even orchestrated some of the abuse Cupcake suffered. Cupcake tried time and time again to escape this hell on earth. She unsuccessfully sought assistance from those in the foster care system and in law enforcement to rescue her from Diane's clutches. However, when person after person continued to turn a blind eye to the atrocities she suffered, Cupcake sought to escape from the hand she had been dealt by running away and supporting herself by engaging in the world's oldest profession at the tender age of thirteen. At the same time, she began to use drugs and alcohol and quickly developed a dependency on both.

The despair and depression Cupcake felt led to her increased drug use and participation in more destructive behaviors. She spent time as a gang banger and even engaged in criminal activities to maintain her freedom from Diane and to support her addictions. Then, Cupcake got turned onto the benefits of having a 9 to 5 and was able to convince herself that she was not an addict because of her ability to work. This self-deception and self-denial caused Cupcake's life to spiral more and more out of control.

During the difficult times in her life, times in which she felt there was absolutely no hope, Cupcake sometimes whispered a prayer to God to come to her aid and to her rescue. She didn't profess to be religious or to even have a relationship with God, but because of His faithfulness to her at the times when she asked for His help, she began to trust and depend on Him to be there for her.

When the bottom was truly about to fall out from under her, Cupcake received a wake up call. After years of abuse, she entered a drug and alcohol treatment center and was finally able to officially "kick the habit." She then focused all of her attention on obtaining an education and bettering her life. She surrounded herself with people who provided her with the encouragement she needed in order to remain clean and to keep her eyes on the prize. She successfully obtained an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree and finally a law degree. She is now a corporate attorney in a large law firm.

Brown's story is very inspirational. It is unbelievable to think that one who was dealt such a difficult hand in life could overcome and become the person she is today. When I first began reading the A PIECE OF CAKE, I could not put it down. The abuse Cupcake suffered was absolutely heartbreaking. Equally disturbing was the lack of response from those with the power to help change her situation. I was also troubled by the lack of help she received from her biological family members. I felt that no one truly fought for Cupcake and to save her from the abuse she suffered. But, despite it all, she prevailed and lived to truly tell the story. Readers will cry, wonder in disbelief at some of the tales and finally rejoice whenever things turn around for her. I am so glad Cupcake's story had a happy ending. She is proof that even one who is dealt an unbelievably difficult hand in life can overcome and make it, against all odds.

Reviewed by Hope Denise Murphy
for The RAWISTAZ Reviewers

This book was unbelieveably great. I read it in only a few days and during those dats I was unable to put it down. Cupcakes life is amazing and inspirational. Everyone must read it and then pass it on to a friend!

This book is truly remarkable. The writing is so realistic and the storyline is such that you can not put it down. This is my favorite memoir to date, and I've read dozens. Cupcake Brown is someone to be admired and applauded for her story of redemption and the message she sends that it is never too late to turn your life around.

i thought this book was great, but i didnt read it all at once because it got boring at some parts. it was amazing how she turned her life around!! i really think that God was watching over her because she was so lucky!! it was amazing how she overcame everything.

When I first started reading this book, I also read some of the reviews on here. There were some reviews that stated the book was boring and I disagreed. In addition, there were eybrows raised as to how in the world Ms. Brown would remember all these details. I disagreed again. To those people, I hereby apologize.

Although I appreciate the struggle of Cupcake Brown, the book got to be a chore to finish.

How could she remember all of those things?

Now, don't get me wrong. I am in recovery too and I truly appreciate where she's been and what she achieved. I am simply stating that the writing wasn't all that great.

This book, set in San Diego =) is my favorite book, or at least up there. I have gone thru many of the situations in this book (I was 14 when I first read this book and I wa sso amazed at the way her writing sucked me in from the beginning). I totally got inside cupcake's mind when I was reading this book. Also, reading descriptions of places in San Diego was weird but really cool! Like the sawaya brothers and Memorial Park. This book had the message that no matter what bad things happen you can turn your life around, and don't use it as a crutch. All the characters were likable except the ones who were obviously evil. Cupcake paints a vivid portrait and it is a feel-good novel about going from zero to a hundred. Go Cupcake, God Bless xx

This was a book that was selected by my book club about a year ago. Needless to say we still refrence this book. It was a great book. Cupcake went through some difficult things that touched our hearts.This is a book to remember.

I received this book in excellent condition. I loved the story. This woman really went though a lot in her life and still she turned her life around to come out on top.

For those who do not know Attorney Cupcake Brown, I encourage you to visit her website, read this book and learn of her. For those who do not believe that there is a GOD who works miracles still, visit her website and read this book. This should be the next "based on a true story" movie. Are you listening Oprah?

One of the best books I have read. This book brought out every emotion. I cried, laughed, and got scared and angry. This book kept me wanting to read more. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end!

Exceptional!!!!!!!!!!!! A must read.

Jonette
Milwaukee, WI

I hate to write a bad review, but after choosing to purchase this book based on all of the excellent reviews I feel I need to warn people. If you do a great deal of reading, and are looking for a quality memoir, you should look elsewhere. While I have no doubt that this woman suffered in foster care and abused drugs and alcohol, there are so many cliches and blatant falsehoods that it felt like a huge waste of time to read this book.

If you want to read a book that you absolutely cannot put down, this is the book to read. From the first page to the last you are going to find it very difficult to put down. This book pulls you in, so you feel like a helpless spectator. In horror, you watch but are helpless to do anything to help. In response, you continue to read, (while you eat breakfast, during your lunch break, in bed and every minute you can) trying to finish the book and hoping for a "happpy ending."