Book Review: The Tattoo Chronicles

p/c

Kat Von D would likely scoff at my measly two tattoos. Both are smaller than the size of my hand, took about 30 minutes to do and yes, I cursed like a sailor when I got them. Impressive, Kaity. Real impressive.

No matter, though. I still loved watching LA Ink. I could have done without the "shop drama" and I know much of it was fabricated for the sake of good reality TV, but what kept me coming back were the tattoos. I'm one of those people who sees the beauty of tattooing as an art form. I remember watching the show and witnessing Kat Von D penning her second book so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Goodreads describes the book as:

When Kat does a tattoo, she writes an entry about it in her journal, reflecting not only on the significance of the tattoo for the person who is receiving it but also on how the experience of creating this tattoo affects her personally.

In these diary entries—some poignant, some hilarious, some confessional—Kat lays it on the line about how doing these tattoos influences her life and art. Here are the highs and the lows, the good, the bad, and the ugly—including her feelings about her fame, family, love life, friends, and fans.

The Tattoo Chronicles is Kat's personal diary written over the course of the year. It chronicles her relationship with famous musician, Nikki Sixx, her encounters tattooing celebrities and the stories that come from tattooing the not-so-famous. Kat invests a lot of herself into her artwork, almost to a fault. She lays it all on the line with her readers: her happy moments, the sad moments and the loneliness she feels post-fame.

I was impressed with how well-written the book was. Kat's writing surpassed my expectations and I truly appreciated how vulnerable she was with her audience. My only criticism was that the book felt a little stagnant. Because it read like a diary there was no real climax or resolution and it began to feel a little tired toward the end. The book took me a few hours to work through and I'm really looking forward to reading her other books in the future.

I give The Tattoo Chronicles...

THREE out of FIVE stars!

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