Songs Only You Know: A Memoir
In his rousing debut memoir, punk-rocker Hoen plunges into the chaotic family life that led him to substance abuse and the aggressive musical style that saved him. A Detroit-area native, Hoen spent most of his teen years in the 1990s trying to come to terms with his anger. And he had plenty to be angry about. His Catholic mother’s determination to protect him only drove him away. His depressive sister’s emotional deterioration and eventual suicide raised questions about hope and goodness. His father neglected his family and a promising job with Ford because of a crack-cocaine addiction, leaving young Sean worried about his own fate. In the hopes of escaping it all, Hoen started a band and hit the road, only to find himself losing control of his mental stability. Astute and intensely self-aware, Hoen writes furious prose with a storyteller’s eye for detail. While some sections about his band’s touring grow a bit tedious, there’s no question that Hoen is a gifted, impassioned writer with a deep understanding of longing and pain. --Jonathan Fullmer