Glorious Rock Bottom: 'A shocking story told with heart and hope. You won't be able to put it down.' Dolly Alderton

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This book, warts and all, is a beacon of hope and is a testament to the human ability to persist and endure. I was told that the glitter perhaps showed a person who was keen to hide their true self behind a sparkly front. While simultaneously describing the gregarious life and soul of the party she appears to be, Bryony lets us in on the fact that her interactions with her friend are underlined by the question of when they will have their next drink or line of cocaine. I was struck by the light that reading this account of Bryony’s alcoholism shone on her other novels; while running the marathon she was looking forward to the bottles of prosecco she would have to celebrate and her drunken hijinks in her twenties were followed by a period of crippling anxiety and regret. The term “mental health awareness” is bandied about in such a facile way to the point where it’s lost all meaning, but Bryony genuinely does raise awareness of incredibly debilitating and life changing conditions.

I feel that this book paralleled some of my own struggle, when I suffered depression, I never thought it possible to enjoy the simple things in life, nor that I would find genuine interests, nor find contentment, as I gradually overcame it and started to heal, I discovered the beauty in the ordinary, daily life - I'm so thankful I held on. Being in a relationship with a person with an addiction can feel soul destroying, as the destructive behaviour can erode the trust in a relationship and cause long-lasting damage, I am pleased that Bryony was able to overcome it and turn things around between her and her partner. Support, understanding and compassion are crucial - particularly from people who have also been through it.

First Bryony Gordon faced her demons, then she fought them (and is still fighting-you’re always an addict and she’s thankfully in recovery now), and then she wrote it all down and revealed everything to the public. It's a story of an addict's struggles and triumphs, and how the wins often look like absolutely ordinary moments. Never did I think I’d describe a book about alcoholism as “charming” but Gordon has such a way with words that I often found myself pulled into her life and her story in much the same way I assume booze pulled her in: with drama and a bit of a gamble. Known for her trademark honesty, Bryony re-lives the darkest and most terrifying moments of her addiction, never shying away from the fact that alcoholism robs you of your ability to focus on your family, your work, your health, your children, yourself.

It's not an easy read, and there were times the author's self-doubt really wore on me, but it's SO REAL. Her sober anniversary is my birthday, and later this month when I celebrate, I will raise a glass of non-alcoholic something to her. There are parts that I found insanely difficult to read (there's a bit with her little girl and a hand drier that broke my heart) but, Bryony is very clear early on in the book that she isn't going to sugarcoat anything and my god she doesn't. Bryony is so inspiring and if anyone is at the beginning of their sobriety, pick this up and give it a whirl. Bryony Gordon] has now charted the whole journey through her through alcoholism and subsequent recovery in her no-holds-barred new book.

Having been sober for around ten months, after numerous attempts over the years, I needed something to inspire me, there is a life after alcohol ! There were some real light bulb moments for me and this is powerful reassurance that I am not alone and that everything I am experiencing is normal and part of the process. Reading this searingly honest memoir is hard going— it’s super readable— but hard to digest, especially as I am at the beginning of my own similar journey.

One day we had to lie down on a giant piece of paper and let someone draw an outline around our bodies with a marker.We still judge mothers so harshly and that shame around parenting and addiction hurts far more than it helps. So much of this book resonates with me and I’ve never heard anyone else talk about my experience so closely and so honestly about what it’s really like.