Carolyn Murnick | THE HOT ONE
I just want to preface this review and let everyone know that I have not really read much in the memoir and non-fiction world and gained some interest in the case of the murder of Ashley Ellerin a while back when it was all over the tabloids as just the horrifying murder of Ashton Kutchers girlfriend. While back then, as I do always, I really felt bad for the family and the loved ones of Ashley Ellerin as the tabloids and media really put a focus on Ashton Kutcher and I wondered if this case would even be relevant to the media had Ashley not been dating a celebrity. This memoir from Carolyn Murnick really proved my point and was a gift that answered my question.
Plot:
A gripping memoir of friendship with a tragic twist—two childhood best friends diverge as young adults, one woman is brutally murdered and the other is determined to uncover the truth about her wild and seductive friend.
As girls growing up in rural New Jersey in the late 1980s, Ashley and Carolyn had everything in common: two outsiders who loved spending afternoons exploring the woods. Only when the girls attended different high schools did they begin to grow apart. While Carolyn struggled to fit in, Ashley quickly became a hot girl: popular, extroverted, and sexually precocious.
After high school, Carolyn entered college in New York City and Ashley ended up in Los Angeles, where she quit school to work as a stripper and an escort, dating actors and older men, and experimenting with drugs. The last time Ashley visited New York, Carolyn was shocked by how the two friends had grown apart. One year later, Ashley was stabbed to death at age twenty-two in her Hollywood home.
The man who may have murdered Ashley—an alleged serial killer—now faces trial in Los Angeles. Carolyn Murnick traveled across the country to cover the case and learn more about her magnetic and tragic friend. Part coming-of-age story, part true-crime mystery, The Hot One is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of a trial and the poignancy of searching for the truth about a friend’s truly horrifying murder.
Review:
I'm a thriller and mystery and suspense novel junkie. That's what my blog is all about. Granted, sometimes I enjoy a palate cleanser and dive into something thats outside of my comfort zone. This was both a palate cleanser and also stuck true to the novels I am used to reading.
Written in true thriller form, this novel not only tells the story we all mostly know, but it's told in a honest and brutal way. Carolyn Murnick has a voice and we all need and deserve to hear it. This is a horrifying and honest look into a friend of a murder victim. I think what I really enjoyed the most about this one was that, yes we all enjoy a good mystery and whodunnit novel, but even though the characters are fictional, sometimes we don't focus on the fact that there is a murder victim who was loved by so many people and instead we have blinders on to all of these details just racing to get to the finish line and find out what happened. Murnick doesn't hold back with this one and slows down the pacing of her memoir to paint an honest depiction of who Ashley Ellerin was through her eyes. The beautiful thing about this to me was although this is emotional and heartbreaking, I really enjoyed getting to see not only Carolyn, but also Ashley grow up into the women they became. While Ashley didn't necessarily have the best reputation and her way of living was more unique than most, it's clear that she was a bright light and the fun friend that everyone wanted.
Moronic doesn't hold back with her honesty in the good and the not-so-good aspects of Ashley and really paints a brutally honest picture as to who she was. I found this to be not only one of the strongest parts of this book, but also genius. No one is perfect. No one. Not even Ashley Ellerin. Not even Carolyn Murnick. This isn't a memoir that portrays Ashley to be an angel when she wasn't, or a femme fatale who's decisions lead to her death. Murnick stays on the fence with who she believes Ashley was and it's clear that this girl was an amazing person taken far before her time. Ashley's killer deserves to be brought to justice. The description of the acts of this serial killer who has been arrested and is currently on trial were straight out of an extremely gut-wrenching horror movie. At times, when hearing of the crimes that Michael Gargiulo has allegedly committed, I had to take small breaks to remind myself that this really happened. This is not a work of fiction.
Told in four parts, I really enjoyed getting to know Ashley and Carolyn, getting to see what Carolyn went through when Ashley was murdered, and then the trial and justice aspects when Michael Gargiulo was arrested. This is a really beautiful and painfully heartbreaking memoir that shows you all aspects of losing a loved one. This couldn't have been released at a better time as Gargiulo is currently on trial. Here's to you, Carolyn Murnick. Here's to Ashley Ellerin. May we get all of the answers to our questions and may her killer be brought to justice. I am sorry for the pain that Ashley Ellerin's family and friends have gone through, but I am so thankful Carolyn Murnick has opened up about her experience and let us take a look into a painful aspect of her life. And to the media, this girl was not simply Ashton Kutchers girlfriend, she was so much more. She was a friend and a daughter. She was loved by so many people, not just arm candy to a celebrity. I hope for the sake of the pain Ashley's loved ones have dealt with, they get the peace they deserve.
Thank you, Carolyn Murnick. I can't imagine this process was easy, but you did a fantastic job of opening up your heart and your friendship with Ashley for the world to see and for that, we should all be grateful.
Rating: 4/5
Plot:
A gripping memoir of friendship with a tragic twist—two childhood best friends diverge as young adults, one woman is brutally murdered and the other is determined to uncover the truth about her wild and seductive friend.
As girls growing up in rural New Jersey in the late 1980s, Ashley and Carolyn had everything in common: two outsiders who loved spending afternoons exploring the woods. Only when the girls attended different high schools did they begin to grow apart. While Carolyn struggled to fit in, Ashley quickly became a hot girl: popular, extroverted, and sexually precocious.
After high school, Carolyn entered college in New York City and Ashley ended up in Los Angeles, where she quit school to work as a stripper and an escort, dating actors and older men, and experimenting with drugs. The last time Ashley visited New York, Carolyn was shocked by how the two friends had grown apart. One year later, Ashley was stabbed to death at age twenty-two in her Hollywood home.
The man who may have murdered Ashley—an alleged serial killer—now faces trial in Los Angeles. Carolyn Murnick traveled across the country to cover the case and learn more about her magnetic and tragic friend. Part coming-of-age story, part true-crime mystery, The Hot One is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of a trial and the poignancy of searching for the truth about a friend’s truly horrifying murder.
Review:
I'm a thriller and mystery and suspense novel junkie. That's what my blog is all about. Granted, sometimes I enjoy a palate cleanser and dive into something thats outside of my comfort zone. This was both a palate cleanser and also stuck true to the novels I am used to reading.
Written in true thriller form, this novel not only tells the story we all mostly know, but it's told in a honest and brutal way. Carolyn Murnick has a voice and we all need and deserve to hear it. This is a horrifying and honest look into a friend of a murder victim. I think what I really enjoyed the most about this one was that, yes we all enjoy a good mystery and whodunnit novel, but even though the characters are fictional, sometimes we don't focus on the fact that there is a murder victim who was loved by so many people and instead we have blinders on to all of these details just racing to get to the finish line and find out what happened. Murnick doesn't hold back with this one and slows down the pacing of her memoir to paint an honest depiction of who Ashley Ellerin was through her eyes. The beautiful thing about this to me was although this is emotional and heartbreaking, I really enjoyed getting to see not only Carolyn, but also Ashley grow up into the women they became. While Ashley didn't necessarily have the best reputation and her way of living was more unique than most, it's clear that she was a bright light and the fun friend that everyone wanted.
Moronic doesn't hold back with her honesty in the good and the not-so-good aspects of Ashley and really paints a brutally honest picture as to who she was. I found this to be not only one of the strongest parts of this book, but also genius. No one is perfect. No one. Not even Ashley Ellerin. Not even Carolyn Murnick. This isn't a memoir that portrays Ashley to be an angel when she wasn't, or a femme fatale who's decisions lead to her death. Murnick stays on the fence with who she believes Ashley was and it's clear that this girl was an amazing person taken far before her time. Ashley's killer deserves to be brought to justice. The description of the acts of this serial killer who has been arrested and is currently on trial were straight out of an extremely gut-wrenching horror movie. At times, when hearing of the crimes that Michael Gargiulo has allegedly committed, I had to take small breaks to remind myself that this really happened. This is not a work of fiction.
Told in four parts, I really enjoyed getting to know Ashley and Carolyn, getting to see what Carolyn went through when Ashley was murdered, and then the trial and justice aspects when Michael Gargiulo was arrested. This is a really beautiful and painfully heartbreaking memoir that shows you all aspects of losing a loved one. This couldn't have been released at a better time as Gargiulo is currently on trial. Here's to you, Carolyn Murnick. Here's to Ashley Ellerin. May we get all of the answers to our questions and may her killer be brought to justice. I am sorry for the pain that Ashley Ellerin's family and friends have gone through, but I am so thankful Carolyn Murnick has opened up about her experience and let us take a look into a painful aspect of her life. And to the media, this girl was not simply Ashton Kutchers girlfriend, she was so much more. She was a friend and a daughter. She was loved by so many people, not just arm candy to a celebrity. I hope for the sake of the pain Ashley's loved ones have dealt with, they get the peace they deserve.
Thank you, Carolyn Murnick. I can't imagine this process was easy, but you did a fantastic job of opening up your heart and your friendship with Ashley for the world to see and for that, we should all be grateful.
Rating: 4/5
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