Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It

By: Nick Carter

Narrated by: Ted Evans

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

This audiobook is Nick Carter's autobiography and self-help hybrid, in which he chronicles his struggles with a dysfunctional family and the unimaginable rigors of becoming an internationally successful pop-star at the age of 12. From his battle with addiction to serious health complications and the pain of his younger sister's tragic death, Nick leaves nothing to the imagination and offers true and heartfelt advice to help listeners overcome obstacles in their own lives.

©2013 Bird Street Books, Inc. (P)2013 Bird Street Books, Inc.

Nick isn’t a writer but I still enjoyed this

So when you start reading/listening to this, I have to urge you to remember that the man who wrote this is not a writer and that this is his autobiography. He is just telling his story and what has helped him to live a healthier lifestyle. He speaks in very plain language, but, honestly, don’t we all need that sometimes? Additionally, the advice he gives are things we have definitely all heard before. But I believe we all need reminders sometimes and I think this book is a good reminder. Personally, I really enjoyed listening about Nick’s life and how he overcame his struggles. When I was younger I remember reading the biography his mother wrote about him. And while I don’t remember a lot of what she wrote, I do remember it having a very different feel to this book. Her book definitely had the rose-coloured glasses vibe to it, whereas Nick’s own autobiography is very real and straightforward. Whether someone who isn’t a fan of Nick and/or BSB would enjoy this? I can’t say. Maybe. There is quite a bit of talk about addiction and I do think this book would most likely be of some help to those struggling with addiction. Also, he speaks a lot about how he processed the emotional and physical abuse brought about by his family, which I believe may also be helpful to survivors of abuse who can relate.
The only things that bothered me are that this book is kind of really disorganized and repetitive. I think it needed to have been edited a couple more times
In terms of narration, I actually really liked the narrator. Personally, I’m really picky about narrators, but this guy had a really nice voice. It would’ve been cool to have Nick read it all himself though

Powerful book

This book is so raw and real about all the struggles that Nick Carter went through with his addiction. I think the only thing that could have made it better is if he had read it considering it was an autobiography. It was hard to get into Mindset that it was about him when it wasn’t his voice.

The narrator nails it.

Would you listen to Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It again? Why?

I'm not that much of a Nick Carter fan but a friend recommended this book to me and I got it, and boy am I glad that I did. Not since hearing Jack Welch: Straight from the Gut narrated by Mike Barnicle have I heard such a good interpretation of the author's own voice and intent. As I really felt Mike Barnicle perfectly channelling Welch, so does Ted Evans channel Nick Carter through his voice. I can't wait to hear Evans' next book - hopefully it's for a more substantive story.

Would you ever listen to anything by Nick Carter again?

Carter lost me at "Chapter 3: Til Death Do We Party."

Have you listened to any of Ted Evans’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first I've heard of Ted Evans's audiobooks but I'm looking forward to hearing more.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It?

I think of all of the biographies I've read or listened to, this one made me feel the most secure with not being a celebrity.

Any additional comments?

Get this on audiobook, not on paperback - it's a great listen.

such a great book very inspiring and helpful

I didnt mind finally the voice of someone else , totally worth it for listening such a motivational book

A Memoir/Self-Help Hybrid

I've always liked Nick Carter, more than the other Backstreet Boys. Maybe part of it was my teenage crush on him. Maybe because we are pretty close in age, and we are both from Tampa. So I was excited to listen to this book. That is probably why I gave it four stars when it's really more like 3½.

This book was partly inspired by the death of a family member, and partly by Nick's own struggles with sobriety and other issues. He means well, trying to use his story as a motivator for people who may be dealing with the same issues.

One of the problems is Nick uses almost every self-help cliché phrase out there. That, along with the book being narrated by someone else, makes a lot of the book fall flat. Since this isn't a traditional memoir, a lot of the positive aspects of his life get left out also, which also makes him clarify ad nauseum "I'm not complaining. I've been very lucky".

The book is easy to get through, although the narrator doesn't pause enough between the sub-chapters to allow you to find smooth stopping points. I suspect, due to the casual tone of the book, that Nick also didn't use a ghost writer.

You won't find too much juicy gossip here, but you will find an earnest and sincere attempt to help others. I hope he decides to write a second memoir, one with more positive stories about life with Backstreet Boys, and life as a husband and father of three.

Great Insight for All

I’m a huge fan of BSB and really found this relatable even though I haven’t gone through the same situations as NC. I recommend to anyone who is a fan but also who struggles with family issues or addiction.

Great book!

Learned a lot about the troubles they had to go through, but I just say it’s very inspiring

insightful

as a huge bsb fan I bought this to learn more about Nick. I feel I got more then that. I feel I relate more to him then ever before. This book most of all is inspiring.

Bravo, Nick Carter! Bravo!

I have been a fan of the Backstreet Boys since I was a young girl. Nick has always had a piece of my heart throughout all of his struggles and, most especially, throughout his recent triumphs. He remains a personal hero of mine for taking his life back and fighting for what he believes in. Go Nick!

inspiring story

I have been a huge fan of BSB since they started. As fan you only know what the tabloids or tv say about them. Hearing it from the artist is an eye opener. I don't have the struggles that Nick had but I am grateful that he is doing better and was able to change his ways. He is now a loving father to his 3 kids. He and Lauren look so happy together. I wish him and his beautiful family nothing but the best in life.