Inside Out by Demi Moore

Inside Out by Demi Moore
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: September 24, 2019
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight—or the headlines.

Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years—all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception.  As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress—and, always, if she was simply good enough.

As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life—laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender—a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman’s at once ordinary and iconic life.

I was a huge fan of The Brat Pack back in the 80s and St. Elmo’s Fire and About Last Night were two of my favorite movies back then. I read Tiger Beat religiously. I thought I knew pretty much everything there is to know about the Demi Moore of the 80s and early 90s. After reading Inside Out, I realize I didn’t know much of anything about her.

She had a very rough childhood. Her parents were self-absorbed alcoholic teenagers when she was born and they didn’t mature beyond that point as she got older. My heart broke for her so many times. It’s truly amazing that she became so outwardly successful. Behind the scenes she’s struggled with substance abuse and an eating disorder. You would never know looking at her famous Vanity Fair covers that she had any kind of self-esteem issues but she has been haunted by them most of her life.

She goes deep when she writes about her relationships with ex-husbands Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher. She doesn’t paint them as villains or herself as a victim. She acknowledges that mistakes were made by all parties. She is surprisingly self-aware and introspective throughout the entire book. Ariel Levy (The Rules Do Not Apply) was Moore’s co-author so the book is impressively written for a celebrity memoir – for any memoir really. For that reason, I think Inside Out will appeal to a wide range of readers – not just Demi Moore fans. Recommended.