An amazing story, an amazing book * Mark Lanegan *
Deeply personal... unflinching honesty and an eye for detail * LA Weekly *
Schemel gives readers an intimate look into her experience as a member of Hole, one of the most iconic bands of the 90s * Nylon *
Schemel's voice is engaging... honest but not tendentious, often vivid in her sense of exact detail * The Quietus *
An engrossing read which offers an inside glimpse into the world of addiction and the horrific effects it has not only on the addict but on all those around them * Backstage Axxess *
Hit So Hard is the story of Patty's life yes, and the journey into her addiction and her way out of it, yes, but it's also the story of survival-of being a daughter to divorced parents, of being gay, of being in a seminal band and then not being in it. It's a look from the inside of the Seattle rock scene in the early 90s * BARB Magazine *
[A] heartbreaking memoir...Schemel's recounting is bluntly terrifying and provides invaluable insight into the ravages of addiction-and just as importantly, the possibility of recovery...A must-read for any grunge fan. * Publishers Weekly *
[In] Hit So Hard, [Schemel is] a de facto historian of 1990s Seattle, a notably visible gay female musician, and a clear-eyed observer of the hell she's been through * Flood *
[Schemel's] book is the very definition of a cautionary tale...[It] not only affirms [her] as a musician, it also speaks to the healing power of a creative life * The Creative Independent *
[Schemel] was one of the first female drummers to make it onto a major label...Hit So Hard offers a woman's view of a tumultuous era. It's an often harrowing but ultimately triumphant story, and Schemel tells it unflinchingly. * Buffalo News *
A candid story of a life in rock...Schemel writes with wit and easy humour * Bust *
A harrowing account of [Schemel's] rise, fall and ultimate redemption...A cautionary tale, to be sure. But it's one that Schemel relates with a forthright lack of self-pity, even leavening some of the darker moments with humour * Seattle Times *
A smart, clear-eyed look back at the 1990s alt-rock scene...[Schemel] writes with humour and insight * Philadelphia Inquirer *
An intimate, brazen account of [Schemel's] battle with drugs and alcohol, as well as the volatile years she spent drumming for one of the 1990s' most infamous rock bands-and she spared none of the harrowing details * Magnet *
An unflinching look at her life and the role drug and alcohol addiction played in it...Hard to read at times, Schemel's staunchly frank examination of her life, the good and bad...is a fascinating read * Innocent Words *
As much a memoir as it is both a cautionary tale and a work designed to help lift the stigma of being an addict...Engaging and unflinchingly honest...It's also an account of being in a famous band and working in the music business, as well as what Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain were like in private * Spectrum Culture *
Readers will find themselves transfixed by Schemel's tales of life as an addict, but also a working musician during one of the industry's most tumultuous yet exciting times * Billboard.com *
Frank reflections on how being in a band fuels addiction * Pitchfork *
Explores her struggles with addiction, her departure from Hole, being homeless in LA, and her inspiring road to recovery...Schemel's memoir is as jaw-dropping as it is heart-breaking * The Fix *
Hit So Hard is one of the most honest-but moreover, one of the most useful-addiction memoirs in recent history...There simply aren't that many books like this * Pop Matters *
Patty Schemel is a woman who survives to fight and fought to survive, and her memoir is a recommended read for anyone that's ever felt just that little bit different * Inspirer Magazine *
Readers for the first time get the behind the scenes, first-hand account of what made Hole such a great/dysfunctional band...The book is a roller-coaster ride of angst and self-reflection. * Media Mikes *
Revisit the '90s as Schemel recounts the rise and rise of her band, as well as the devastating effects of her drug and alcohol addictions...[and] the music that taught her 'how to feel so much it hurt. * Elle.com *
Schemel writes about life in the limelight and in the shadows with the kind of biting honesty that comes with surviving a period in rock history with an exceptionally high body count...While Hit So Hard is predominantly a story about recovery, it is also a rock memoir, and Schemel is an excellent storyteller. * Stereogum *
Schemel's story is one of dramatic extremes, navigating the world as a queer woman from a family of recovering alcoholics * Out.com *
Understated and affecting anecdotes...make up the brunt of Patty's new memoir, Hit So Hard * Vice.com *