down the drain: a brat summer essential
- paigenherbooks
- Aug 9, 2024
- 3 min read
“Sometimes you have to say fuck it and throw your life down the drain just to see where you’ll come out on the other side."
Down the Drain by Julia Fox was one of the rawest and real books I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Narrated by the author herself, this novel is full of exploration, explanation, and showcasing a world and lifetime within a few hundred pages. Full of moments of shocking discovery, heart wrenching loss, and profound wisdom, Julia Fox will always be an icon in my heart and the heart of other weird girls.
Synopsis: Julia Fox is famous for many things: her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow, and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media, where she entertains and educates her millions of followers. But all these share the trait for which she is most famous: unabashedly and unapologetically being herself.
Going into Down the Drain my knowledge of Julia Fox was that I thought she was simply an icon. Seeing her tik toks and hearing some of her interviews convinced me that I needed to hear this woman’s gospel. Needed her to preach to me about what made her iconic woman she is today? What is her allure, her backstory, what makes Julia Fox “so Julia” (another Charli XCX reference - it’s brat summer okay?) Off the bat Fox drags you into her story and doesn’t let you up for air until the very end. It felt like we were on one long face time, I gasping and asking questions along the way, as she dutifully and emotionally recounted every aspect of her life. With her beginnings of coming to New York, leaving, coming back, Italy, boys, girls, drugs, sex, and rock and roll, Julia Fox has lived.
What hit me profoundly within this novel was her fierceness to be herself. It takes courage to do that on a good day, but to sit and write her life story, even the ugly lows of your life, to have that kind of self reflection is something admirable. Is Julia Fox a perfect person? No, but neither am I or you.
Listening to her recount with such raw honesty the moments that made her and broke her made me sit and reflect on my own. The moments in my life that I try to hide, try to forget because they feel so distant, not a part of me anymore. While that’s good, it shows growth, it’s important to understand that life is a journey,
a messy,
chaotic,
crazy,
unpredictable journey.
It’s not always a pretty one.
Hearing Julia Fox share her truth so loudly and proudly made me sit and realize that maybe I’m not a failure at all.
Maybe I’m simply just human.
What is so iconic about Julia Fox is that she is the IT girl.
Not only when it comes to fashion, being a mother (literally and figuratively), or the poster child for low rise jeans, heels, cigarette smoke perfume and cherry red lip stick, she has one hell of a story.
Hearing how low, how really low she went and knowing where she is today is truly astounding. To hear her story and to feel the emotions that too many of us go through - the lack of love, the neglect, the want to be loved, chasing the next high, and doing anything to feel something, and to know she has come out on top – the very top that is, is inspiring. Listening to her story is one that instilled hope and gratitude for not only the life I’ve worked for and had, but to know that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, there’s always another day. It won't be easy but if you trust in yourself and the universe just enough, you may be surprised where you end up.
Getting to knock around inside Julia Fox’s head was an honor, seeing the rawness that this woman posses and continues to possess inspires me and millions of girls every single day. A vivacious reminder of your worth, of your power, of the story each of us has and can have. Love, heart break, friendships, addiction, found family, reconnecting, long nights, and even longer days - it all matters in the book of life.
Down the Drain is a ride, one that I recommend you buckle up for, but defintenly get on.
Thank you Julia for being you, for staying you, and for sharing your story.
xoxo,
paige
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