Miss Memory Lane

A Memoir

By: Colton Haynes

Narrated by: Colton Haynes

“A brutally honest memoir that socks you in the gut with its candor” (Elton John and David Furnish) about lust, abuse, addiction, stardom, and redemption from Arrow and Teen Wolf actor Colton Haynes.

In 2018, Colton Haynes woke up in a hospital. He’d had two seizures, lost vision in one eye, almost ruptured a kidney, and been put on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Not yet thirty, he knew he had to take stock of his life and make some serious changes if he wanted to see his next birthday.

As he worked towards sobriety, Haynes allowed himself to become vulnerable for the first time and discovered profound self-awareness. He had millions of social media followers who constantly told him they loved him. But what would they think if they knew his true story? If they knew where he came from and the things he had done?

Now, Colton bravely pulls back the curtain on his life and career, revealing the incredible highs and devastating lows. From his unorthodox childhood in a small Kansas town, to coming to terms with his sexuality, he keeps nothing back.

By sixteen, he had been signed by the world’s top modeling agency and his face appeared on billboards. But he was still a broke, lonely, confused teenager, surrounded by people telling him he could be a star as long as he never let anyone see his true self. As Colton’s career in television took off, the stress of wearing so many masks and trying to please so many different people turned his use of drugs and alcohol into full-blown addiction.

“In searing, honest prose, he tells a coming-of-age story that is utterly his own, yet surprisingly universal” (Bill Clegg, New York Times bestselling author)—of dreams deferred and dreams fulfilled; of a family torn apart and rebuilt; and of a man stepping into the light as no one but himself.

Not a Hollywood Memoir

I am not in the habit of reading memoirs by celebrities. I don't think being a celebrity makes your life interesting to read about necessarily. I made an exception to listen to this because I love all things Teen Wolf and with the movie coming out it was on my mind. However, there are maybe a few pages about Teen Wolf, certainly nothing you could call any behind the scenes drama or gossip. There is even less about Colton's time on Arrow. However, some things I do find interesting in a memoir are poverty, complicated childhood family dynamics and alcohol addiction. Lots of that in here. I didn't necessarily like Colton very much at the beginning, but I was won over by his narration. Potential readers should be aware that there is a lot of explicit homosexual content. I have no issue with homosexuality, or even some explicit sex, but would say this is in the cringe-worthy category simply because it's hard to listen to the situations Colton gets in because he doesn't have enough self-love and self-respect, and I wanted better for him. If I knew someone who was interested in trying to be a famous actor or model, I would recommend this book as it highlights the underbelly of Hollywood and of the modeling business much more than it does any positive aspects of fame. If the sex scene acting class scene doesn't turn them off the path, nothing will. Wishing Colton the best and admiring the fierceness it took to share every detail of his own story.

Deeply Personal

I just finished Colton’s book and cried for the last hour of it. I’ve never read/listened to anything so deeply personal from the perspective of a gay man. It’s like he lived my same life and that of most of the gay friends I grew up with. It’s written (and read) so well. You feel as though you’re living his life, while being able to make so many comparisons to your own. Thank you Colton for being so vulnerable in writing this book.

Brave and thoughtful

Haynes has written a fearless, humane, and deeply generous account of his life that is only enhanced by his open-hearted performance reading the memoir. I highly recommend.

Excellent story!!!

Who would have believed that a man younger then myself has been through so much shit??? Very well told story. I enjoyed this very much and would highly recommend this story to anyone else!

Emotional Rollercoaster

This book took me all over the place. Sometimes I was angry at the way he was treated. Sometimes I was irritated by the poor decisions he made. Sometimes I was happy when things came together. All in all it was a good listen. Worth the read. On top of that, Colton Haynes has a excellent voice. Very easy to listen to.