Candy Girl

A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper

By: Diablo Cody

Narrated by: Natalie Moore

Decreed by David Letterman (tongue in cheek) on CBS TV's The Late Show to be the pick of "Dave's Book Club 2006," Candy Girl is the story of a young writer who dared to bare it all as a stripper.

At the age of twenty-four, Diablo Cody decided there had to be more to life than typing copy at an ad agency. She soon managed to find inspiration from a most unlikely source--amateur night at the seedy Skyway Lounge. While she doesn't take home the prize that night, Diablo discovers to her surprise the act of stripping is an absolute thrill.This is Diablo's captivating fish-out-of-water story of her year-long walk on the wild side, from quiet gentlemen's clubs to multilevel sex palaces and glassed-in peep shows. In witty prose she gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at this industry through a writer's keen eye, chronicling her descent into the skin trade and the effect it had on her self-image and her relationship with her now-husband.©2006 Diablo Cody; (P)2008 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Good, frothy fun. . . . For those of us who have stared, transfixed, from a distance, wondering how the air is up there, Candy Girl is a bracing lungful. (Los Angeles Times)

Diablo Cody is to stripping what Chuck Klosterman is to pop culture and Sarah Vowell is to American history. . . . Candy Girl is fiendishly funny, muscle-car fast, and frighteningly and I do mean frighteningly accurate. (Lily Burana, author of Strip City: A Stripper s Farewell Journey Across America)

[Cody is] a quick, erudite, and funny writer. . . . One hell of a good story. (Time Out Chicago)

Flat-out funny and refreshingly devoid of moral conclusions. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis)

Not for everyone

The story of a smart girl who is drawn into exotic dancing and her return to life away from it. Self discovery and comic relief make the story interesting.

Candy Girl?

What did you like best about Candy Girl? What did you like least?

The story was a new twist on the stripper/prostitute angle. This girl was not forced into the life or led there by some male taking advantage of her. She went because she tried it and became addicted, according to the story.

I didn't think the reader was as bad as many said. There was not a lot of inflection in the voice, but I guess I overlooked that.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Natalie Moore?

probably

Could you see Candy Girl being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NOPE! I would not be watching it anyway if they made it. Not opposed to sex in movies, nor to some degree, not opposed to movies about sex. I just think this is a poor venue for it. I would get really tired of watching her and her friends do pole dances and masterbation.

Authentic and well written.

Diablo Cody is a very good writer. And this memoir is fearless and authentic. I have spent a lot of time and money in that world, and I've met a few strippers like Diablo. The ones who are just passing through.

If you are curious about this lifestyle or just want to listen to a fun, entertaining true story, I highly reccomend this book.

I was a little put off at first by her clever phrasing and descriptions, but they are good. just roll with it. What do you expect from a showgirl, she is showing off her writing chops. It kind of reminded me of the fake diary from Gone Girl, clever and funny.

For young millennials

I was recommended this book by a friend because I'm into darker nonfiction books but was skeptical after seeing all of the bad reviews. I drive long hours back and forth from college so I listened to this in audible format. I liked it and it kept me entertained on my 8 hour drive. I also thought her offensive witty remarks were funny and think that other millennials will enjoy this book if they have a perverted sense of humor and are interested in darker subject matter. Currently on one of those long drives and about to listen to a pornstar's memoir if that tells you anything about my taste in books!

It's only okay

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, but more as an example: how not to write descriptions.

Has Candy Girl turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. But I would think twice about another Cody book.

Did Natalie Moore do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes. I really liked the performance.

Was Candy Girl worth the listening time?

Yeah, it's short enough to be okay.