Book Review: Candy Girl

Have you ever been sitting at work and thought to yourself, “I’d rather be naked”?

Yeah, me neither. But in a 2006 interview with David Letterman, Diablo Cody claimed that that thought is what spurred her to start stripping in sleazy nightclubs in downtown Minneapolis. Her experiences throughout the following year were well-documented, first on her popular city pages blog and eventually, in a book called Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper.

Candy Girl is far from your run-of-the-mill memoir. For starters, Cody was in her mid-twenties when she wrote it. And despite popular belief (in Hollywood, at least), two decades seldom provide enough material to fill an entire book. In Diablo Cody’s case, however, she generated all the substance she needed in less than two years.

The book follows her through her entire stint in the sex trade. From her somewhat Cleaver-like childhood in Chicago, to listening to that first nub of a thought while she was typing copy at an ad agency, to taking off her clothes in front of strangers, giving lap dances, displaying her goods for peep shows, and finally a short stint in phone sex, it’s all there. And it’s all very, very graphic.

But don’t let that frighten you. Cody’s candidness plays a large role in the appeal of this book, because she holds nothing back. When I saw that she described a pair of high heels as being “clit-pink”, I was completely hooked. Reading the next dozen or so pages, I think I laughed out loud as many times. Once or twice I thought I was going to pee myself. But it’s not all humor. There is some emotion sprinkled in this book, mostly having to do with Diablo’s relationship with her boyfriend Jonny (who, by the way, was almost frighteningly supportive of her adventures) and his three year old daughter, who is called Peanut for the purposes of this book.

All in all, this was an entertaining, though sometimes discomforting, read. Highly recommended, but make sure you have a hot shower on hand. Believe me, you’ll feel like you need one at times.

Details:

Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody
ISBN: 978-1592402731
Publisher: Penguin Group, Inc.