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Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir
A smart, funny, and refreshing memoir from Mark Hoppus, the vocalist, bassist, and founding member of pop-punk band blink-182.
This is a story of what happens when an angst-ridden kid who grew up in the desert experiences his parents’ bitter divorce, moves around the country, switches identities from dork to goth to skate punk, and eventually meets his best friend who just so happens to be his musical soulmate.
Bassist, songwriter, and vocalist for renowned pop-punk trailblazers blink-182, Mark Hoppus, tells his story in Fahrenheit-182. A memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to come of age in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock, skateboards, and MTV; Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age and forms one of the biggest bands of his generation. Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Mark’s public battle and triumph over cancer, Fahrenheit-182 is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.
This is a story of what happens when an angst-ridden kid who grew up in the desert experiences his parents’ bitter divorce, moves around the country, switches identities from dork to goth to skate punk, and eventually meets his best friend who just so happens to be his musical soulmate.
Bassist, songwriter, and vocalist for renowned pop-punk trailblazers blink-182, Mark Hoppus, tells his story in Fahrenheit-182. A memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to come of age in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock, skateboards, and MTV; Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age and forms one of the biggest bands of his generation. Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Mark’s public battle and triumph over cancer, Fahrenheit-182 is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2025
1282 people are currently reading
11680 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,294 reviews
April 10, 2025
An easy 5 stars from a guy who’s entire personality was blink 182 in his youth. This book hit everything I hoped it would. The first 3 quarters of the book are all pre-break up which I appreciated so much. Stories from the inception of blink, to them clashing with green day on the pop disaster tour, to them convincing Robert Smith to sing on self titled. I felt like I was there with them during all of this and I’ve never felt so overcome with nostalgia reading a book before.
Loved.
Loved.
June 30, 2025
so here's the thing...
i have joked for years that tom, travis and, mark are my three white dads.
like any san diego punk kid, i literally grew up on blink 182, skate culture, and grimy garage concerts.
my first tattoo was (and still is) my favorite blink 182 lyric. after my disabling accident when i was 14, grunge and punk DIY concert venues like SOMA and che cafe were the only places where i was able to get any life back.
this is a band and culture of music that i defend with my life and have gotten into actual arguments with people who think that it is "sloppy" "shallow" or "unrealistically angsty."
i love mark, i love blink, i love +44, and i can't wait to see him on his book tour.
long live punk rock
i have joked for years that tom, travis and, mark are my three white dads.
like any san diego punk kid, i literally grew up on blink 182, skate culture, and grimy garage concerts.
my first tattoo was (and still is) my favorite blink 182 lyric. after my disabling accident when i was 14, grunge and punk DIY concert venues like SOMA and che cafe were the only places where i was able to get any life back.
this is a band and culture of music that i defend with my life and have gotten into actual arguments with people who think that it is "sloppy" "shallow" or "unrealistically angsty."
i love mark, i love blink, i love +44, and i can't wait to see him on his book tour.
long live punk rock
April 8, 2025
I'd say the plural of "Snorlax" is "Snorlax" as apposed to "Snorlaxes", like the plural of "Sheep" also being "Sheep"
Great Memoir.
For fans of blink-182 I think there's a lot to be enjoyed.
I feel this memoir was everything it needed to be. A look into the life of Mark Hoppus whilst pulling back the curtain on some of the behind the scenes drama of blink-182, their "beef" with Green Day, Marks thoughts on Boxcar Racer & of course his battle with cancer.
Much like a blink-182 song, it's short, sweet & memorable.
Great Memoir.
For fans of blink-182 I think there's a lot to be enjoyed.
I feel this memoir was everything it needed to be. A look into the life of Mark Hoppus whilst pulling back the curtain on some of the behind the scenes drama of blink-182, their "beef" with Green Day, Marks thoughts on Boxcar Racer & of course his battle with cancer.
Much like a blink-182 song, it's short, sweet & memorable.
May 10, 2025
I've never been much of a Blink listener, but "a memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to come of age in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock, skateboards, and MTV" sounded intriguing. And Mark Hoppus sure sounds like a nice, self-aware dude: He does not use his memoir to ventilate grievances, but to ponder his own life, prompted by a cancer diagnosis and his therapist's advice to use writing to get through the emotional turmoil. A large part of the memoir is devoted to Mark's childhood, Blink's career retrospective seems rather rushed in comparison.
But I applaud that Mark dares to write about the band's problems (something Dave Grohl's The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music strictly avoids): The disagreements with their first drummer and with Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker's role as the guy who addresses the elephant in the room. Those dynamics between artists are illuminating and show how fame-related factors interact with personal character elements and relationships. Still, the writing is (although there was a co-author involved) not particularly riveting, and for a punk band, the philosophical and political aspects play a very minor. Then again, Blink has always been on the commercial pop side of things, which, make no mistake, is not an insult, as pop is not a dirty word - what it means though is that a memoir by a member of NOFX or Bad Religion would talk a lot more about the intended societal impact of their art. Mark hardly illuminates the processes behind the creation of Blink's music.
Overall, the memoir is interesting and entertaining, it delivers psychological insights and also spills some tea (have I mentioned the childish feud between Blink and Green Day? WTF, you guys).
But I applaud that Mark dares to write about the band's problems (something Dave Grohl's The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music strictly avoids): The disagreements with their first drummer and with Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker's role as the guy who addresses the elephant in the room. Those dynamics between artists are illuminating and show how fame-related factors interact with personal character elements and relationships. Still, the writing is (although there was a co-author involved) not particularly riveting, and for a punk band, the philosophical and political aspects play a very minor. Then again, Blink has always been on the commercial pop side of things, which, make no mistake, is not an insult, as pop is not a dirty word - what it means though is that a memoir by a member of NOFX or Bad Religion would talk a lot more about the intended societal impact of their art. Mark hardly illuminates the processes behind the creation of Blink's music.
Overall, the memoir is interesting and entertaining, it delivers psychological insights and also spills some tea (have I mentioned the childish feud between Blink and Green Day? WTF, you guys).
April 14, 2025
I was really looking forward to this book. When I was younger I was obsessed with blink-182. I would spend a lot of time researching them and reading interviews. So I was excited to hear Mark’s perspective on behind the scenes stories, learn more about the music, and dig into different conflicts from over the years. And… unfortunately this felt so surface level and like a lot of things were glossed over or not given the page time they deserved.
The vast majority of the things he wrote about in the early days of the band were things that I’ve heard them discuss a million times before. Obviously there will have to be some overlap with all the background information they’ve given over the years. But I just wasn’t expecting this book to feel so much like a brief overview of the band instead of really going deep with things that haven’t previously been brought up. I also felt like it was lacking in times of Mark acknowledging things he screwed up instead of only discussing times when other people were the bad guys.
For the most part I did enjoy the writing itself. I liked the flourishes of humor and the style used to show the repetitive nature of touring. I also did appreciate how open he was about his anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and cancer battle.
Even though I have a lot of complaints about the book, I still did enjoy my time reading it. I was just expecting to LOVE it and that sadly didn’t happen.
The vast majority of the things he wrote about in the early days of the band were things that I’ve heard them discuss a million times before. Obviously there will have to be some overlap with all the background information they’ve given over the years. But I just wasn’t expecting this book to feel so much like a brief overview of the band instead of really going deep with things that haven’t previously been brought up. I also felt like it was lacking in times of Mark acknowledging things he screwed up instead of only discussing times when other people were the bad guys.
For the most part I did enjoy the writing itself. I liked the flourishes of humor and the style used to show the repetitive nature of touring. I also did appreciate how open he was about his anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and cancer battle.
Even though I have a lot of complaints about the book, I still did enjoy my time reading it. I was just expecting to LOVE it and that sadly didn’t happen.
April 23, 2025
This was okay to fine. The writing is anywhere from real bad to mostly functional, but there are some decent stories and a handful of good jokes. I was pretty shocked by the extreme rah-rah pro military American jingoism and the real blatant homophobia directed at Robert Smith who, as far as I can tell from the story as given, was just being middle-aged and English, but otherwise it was basically just about what I would've expected Hoppus to be capable of and willing to share. It's at its best when it's dealing with the early days of the band and by the end I wished we had spent a lot more time there instead of everywhere else.
August 5, 2025
“I loved Tom from the first day I met him.”
I admit that, as a blink fan for many years, I had high hopes for this memoir. Mark was always my favorite and the band has been through a lot.
This book was a mixed bag. The writing felt a bit like a school essay. (“This happened. Then this happened. Then this happened. Joke.”) And there were no captions on any of the photos. It turned out that there was a big list of them in the back, but there was no way I was going to keep flipping back and forth. What an odd choice.
It was cool to see certain things come up throughout the book and immediately know that these details were the origin stories for certain songs that I really like. He doesn’t always call attention to it, but anyone familiar with the discography will recognize these moments instantly. I finally have an answer for why Mark’s voice sounds so bad on “Dammit.” (Too many cigarettes and sodas.) It's very cool that the first concert he ever went to was They Might Be Giants in 1988! That’s my #1 favorite band. I’ve seen them live 47 times. I’m supposed to be seeing them again in November. But they had only been around in the world for 4 years at that point. I can’t imagine seeing them so early in their career! I also appreciated the honest play-by-play of what life on the road was like when the band first started out. (It sounds like a nightmare.) And the behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it was like to make an appearance on TRL. (It sounds like a nightmare.)
I read an interview with Mark in People Magazine where they asked him about this book, and whether Tom was aware of the content. He said that Tom knew about everything he was going to say. That’s kind of wild, considering how badly Tom comes across in this. (Teenage Tom used to actually throw a dummy into traffic like Macaulay Culkin in “The Good Son” as a prank?! What a psycho.) Then there's all the stuff he actually did to the band. Sometimes Mark didn't come across that great, either. His ego got on my nerves a little bit overall, and a lot of his behavior just made him sound more obnoxious than I was expecting. (Hey, I know he's an immature little punk.) I tend to like his social media posts, though. And I’ve seen Blink live a few times, (back when Tom was still with the band, pre-breakup), and they were very funny and charismatic on stage.
I took issue with a couple of other things, too. The Green Day vs. Blink stuff was pretty dumb, ("We told them they couldn't use pyro because WE were using pyro, and then THEY used pyro!"), and the Robert Smith story didn’t sit well with me. I think maybe Mark just didn't make the BEST choices about which stories would be good ones to include, because sometimes it felt like he was just trying to make other people look bad even when these were supposedly people he liked and admired. Why include these stories at all? They also reflected badly on him. I love that +44 album, but god that chapter was a self-pity party. I know he was broken up about Tom, but all the stuff about making less money and not feeling as famous or successful anymore had me looking for my tiny violin.
Reading this wasn't a BAD experience. It was mostly interesting and nostalgic. I did learn quite a bit about the band and how their albums came together. Some of the stories were fun and it wasn't all doom and gloom. There was a line that made me laugh, where he was talking about a time in the late 90s during an awkward moment: “I stood off to the side, wishing someone would invent an iPhone so I’d have something to look at.” I actually still love that Dogs Eating Dogs EP and I have the holiday Blink hoodie. I don’t remember my bundle getting screwed up, either. I had made a cool bookmark out of some of the blink logo wrapping paper that came with it, and I used that bookmark while reading this.
The chapters about chemo treatment were rough. Both the physical effects and Mark’s state of mind. Kudos to Mark for being so open about that whole experience and what he went through. And that diving story. Holy shit. Both Skye and Mark's mom sound like amazing ladies. I like that the book ended on a positive note, with his health on the mend, the band back together and their friendships in a good place. (I hope everything stays that way!)
I got this from my local Library!
Biggest TW: Domestic Abuse, Drug Use, Depression/Suicidal Ideation, Chronic Illness/Treatment
I admit that, as a blink fan for many years, I had high hopes for this memoir. Mark was always my favorite and the band has been through a lot.
This book was a mixed bag. The writing felt a bit like a school essay. (“This happened. Then this happened. Then this happened. Joke.”) And there were no captions on any of the photos. It turned out that there was a big list of them in the back, but there was no way I was going to keep flipping back and forth. What an odd choice.
It was cool to see certain things come up throughout the book and immediately know that these details were the origin stories for certain songs that I really like. He doesn’t always call attention to it, but anyone familiar with the discography will recognize these moments instantly. I finally have an answer for why Mark’s voice sounds so bad on “Dammit.” (Too many cigarettes and sodas.) It's very cool that the first concert he ever went to was They Might Be Giants in 1988! That’s my #1 favorite band. I’ve seen them live 47 times. I’m supposed to be seeing them again in November. But they had only been around in the world for 4 years at that point. I can’t imagine seeing them so early in their career! I also appreciated the honest play-by-play of what life on the road was like when the band first started out. (It sounds like a nightmare.) And the behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it was like to make an appearance on TRL. (It sounds like a nightmare.)
I read an interview with Mark in People Magazine where they asked him about this book, and whether Tom was aware of the content. He said that Tom knew about everything he was going to say. That’s kind of wild, considering how badly Tom comes across in this. (Teenage Tom used to actually throw a dummy into traffic like Macaulay Culkin in “The Good Son” as a prank?! What a psycho.) Then there's all the stuff he actually did to the band. Sometimes Mark didn't come across that great, either. His ego got on my nerves a little bit overall, and a lot of his behavior just made him sound more obnoxious than I was expecting. (Hey, I know he's an immature little punk.) I tend to like his social media posts, though. And I’ve seen Blink live a few times, (back when Tom was still with the band, pre-breakup), and they were very funny and charismatic on stage.
I took issue with a couple of other things, too. The Green Day vs. Blink stuff was pretty dumb, ("We told them they couldn't use pyro because WE were using pyro, and then THEY used pyro!"), and the Robert Smith story didn’t sit well with me. I think maybe Mark just didn't make the BEST choices about which stories would be good ones to include, because sometimes it felt like he was just trying to make other people look bad even when these were supposedly people he liked and admired. Why include these stories at all? They also reflected badly on him. I love that +44 album, but god that chapter was a self-pity party. I know he was broken up about Tom, but all the stuff about making less money and not feeling as famous or successful anymore had me looking for my tiny violin.
Reading this wasn't a BAD experience. It was mostly interesting and nostalgic. I did learn quite a bit about the band and how their albums came together. Some of the stories were fun and it wasn't all doom and gloom. There was a line that made me laugh, where he was talking about a time in the late 90s during an awkward moment: “I stood off to the side, wishing someone would invent an iPhone so I’d have something to look at.” I actually still love that Dogs Eating Dogs EP and I have the holiday Blink hoodie. I don’t remember my bundle getting screwed up, either. I had made a cool bookmark out of some of the blink logo wrapping paper that came with it, and I used that bookmark while reading this.
The chapters about chemo treatment were rough. Both the physical effects and Mark’s state of mind. Kudos to Mark for being so open about that whole experience and what he went through. And that diving story. Holy shit. Both Skye and Mark's mom sound like amazing ladies. I like that the book ended on a positive note, with his health on the mend, the band back together and their friendships in a good place. (I hope everything stays that way!)
I got this from my local Library!
Biggest TW: Domestic Abuse, Drug Use, Depression/Suicidal Ideation, Chronic Illness/Treatment
June 17, 2025
Mark Hoppus telling the US government how to get Bin Laden is crazy actually
May 4, 2025
Update after reading: Nothing short of perfect. This is everything I wanted from a book from my favorite musician and my favorite band. I loved everything about it. I laughed and cried and want to read it all over.
blink-182 forever
I’ve been waiting forever for this memoir LET’S GOOOOO
blink-182 forever
I’ve been waiting forever for this memoir LET’S GOOOOO
April 20, 2025
One day, you're a 9-year-old kid begging your mom for Enema of the State. She meets you halfway and buys the "Clean Version"—and cuts the cover to remove the pornstar. You're annoyed as a kid, but in hindsight, it’s a fair compromise.
You're now 11, and you own every single album. You memorize every word—including the Live Album you paid your best friend 7 bucks for because your mom wouldn’t get it for you. Long story. But TOYPAJ comes out, and you get it for Christmas. You don’t think it could get any better.
Time keeps moving. You throw a fit because you’re 12 and not allowed to go to the tour with Green Day. But then 2004 comes, and your dad takes you to see your favorite band. You watch, on stage, three best friends who would never break up—alongside your own best friends.
Its now 2005. Your favorite band breaks up. You resent them. The bond they sold you on is a lie.
2009. Youre in college. You're occupied. They announce theyre back. Your kind of confused by it. These guys hate each other. Youre skeptical. But you go to all of the shows. Every single time they come around in the Summer.
2015. You're now in the working world slaving away. You still escape through this bands music. They do it again. You saw it coming. Its whatever. There was a good solid album in there at least and a cool EP as well.
2016- 2 of the 3 make music with another guy. Its honestly not bad at all. Its pretty good. But its not the same.
2023- You're now engaged. An adult. And yet you still flock to this band every time youre at the gym after work before coming home. After one beats cancer, one survies a plane crash, and the third discovers aliens are actually real theyre back together again.
2025- You sit in the third row at an event where Mark Hoppus releases this book with your buddy you grew up with and your sister. You finish the book in 4 days. And you realize this band is not just a band. Its a part of you. Probably always will be. And you're grateful for it.
You're now 11, and you own every single album. You memorize every word—including the Live Album you paid your best friend 7 bucks for because your mom wouldn’t get it for you. Long story. But TOYPAJ comes out, and you get it for Christmas. You don’t think it could get any better.
Time keeps moving. You throw a fit because you’re 12 and not allowed to go to the tour with Green Day. But then 2004 comes, and your dad takes you to see your favorite band. You watch, on stage, three best friends who would never break up—alongside your own best friends.
Its now 2005. Your favorite band breaks up. You resent them. The bond they sold you on is a lie.
2009. Youre in college. You're occupied. They announce theyre back. Your kind of confused by it. These guys hate each other. Youre skeptical. But you go to all of the shows. Every single time they come around in the Summer.
2015. You're now in the working world slaving away. You still escape through this bands music. They do it again. You saw it coming. Its whatever. There was a good solid album in there at least and a cool EP as well.
2016- 2 of the 3 make music with another guy. Its honestly not bad at all. Its pretty good. But its not the same.
2023- You're now engaged. An adult. And yet you still flock to this band every time youre at the gym after work before coming home. After one beats cancer, one survies a plane crash, and the third discovers aliens are actually real theyre back together again.
2025- You sit in the third row at an event where Mark Hoppus releases this book with your buddy you grew up with and your sister. You finish the book in 4 days. And you realize this band is not just a band. Its a part of you. Probably always will be. And you're grateful for it.
April 26, 2025
I have such a strong love for Blink-182 and the band brings back so many lovely memories and thoughts every time I listen to them. I grew up with Enema of the State, I saw them live in 2012 with my best friend, then as I got more into punk music I began to appreciate their influences and their love for Descendants, Bad Religion and Pennywise which shaped their music. Blink are very dear to my heart.
This was an excellent memoir and I tore through it. Hoppus clearly adores his time with Blink and the memoir spans from his childhood up until his recent cancer diagnosis and Blink’s reunion at Coachella. I loved reading all of the stories about them on tour with Green Day and NOFX and how they wrote all of their albums. Hoppus has such a fresh voice and I truly savoured every moment of reading this.
When I heard Hoppus had being diagnosed with cancer it really shook me. It is sad when someone you’ve had in the background of your entire life is hit with something so awful and it just reminds you of how important these musicians have been to your adolescence, even if you don’t know them at all. Reading this memoir felt like something special and I’m glad he got to share his story and excitement with the world. I really recommend reading it if you are a fan or enjoy music biographies as it’s funny, heartbreaking, and brings the 2000s pop punk scene to life again.
This was an excellent memoir and I tore through it. Hoppus clearly adores his time with Blink and the memoir spans from his childhood up until his recent cancer diagnosis and Blink’s reunion at Coachella. I loved reading all of the stories about them on tour with Green Day and NOFX and how they wrote all of their albums. Hoppus has such a fresh voice and I truly savoured every moment of reading this.
When I heard Hoppus had being diagnosed with cancer it really shook me. It is sad when someone you’ve had in the background of your entire life is hit with something so awful and it just reminds you of how important these musicians have been to your adolescence, even if you don’t know them at all. Reading this memoir felt like something special and I’m glad he got to share his story and excitement with the world. I really recommend reading it if you are a fan or enjoy music biographies as it’s funny, heartbreaking, and brings the 2000s pop punk scene to life again.
May 17, 2025
Though I’m a proud elder millennial, I was, admittedly, only a mild Blink fan. I like, but don’t love. BUT, music memoirs are so fascinating, and Hoppus seems so open and honest. Blink tea is spilled. And yet, it isn’t always Mark vs Tom. Times were amazing; time were tumultuous. Loved this. Read Travis’s book, too. I doubt Tom will ever write one, but he should.
April 16, 2025
blink, forever and always 🫶🏼
If you know anything about me, you know that music is the blood in my veins. And to have a book written by my favorite band member, describing the very humble beginnings of my favorite band that I’ve now seen live more times than I can remember over the last 3 decades is a feeling I can’t even put into words.
This book was everything I needed. Was there any new, groundbreaking news about blink’s history? No, there wasn’t. But are we surprised?! No, we aren’t.
I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I laughed so hard I cried, and then I cried some more. His cancer journals broke me. But then the final chapter put me back together again.
Thank you, Mark 🫶🏼 I’m so happy you lived.
If you know anything about me, you know that music is the blood in my veins. And to have a book written by my favorite band member, describing the very humble beginnings of my favorite band that I’ve now seen live more times than I can remember over the last 3 decades is a feeling I can’t even put into words.
This book was everything I needed. Was there any new, groundbreaking news about blink’s history? No, there wasn’t. But are we surprised?! No, we aren’t.
I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I laughed so hard I cried, and then I cried some more. His cancer journals broke me. But then the final chapter put me back together again.
Thank you, Mark 🫶🏼 I’m so happy you lived.
April 16, 2025
I spent every spare moment DEVOURING this book! And if you’re a blink-182 fan, chances are you will too! I can’t remember if it was “All The Small Things” or “What’s My Age Again?” that first got me into them, but I do remember hearing them constantly on the radio and catching their videos on MTV non-stop. I remember 10-year-old me thinking who are these three naked dudes streaking through town? And why does this song totally rule?! I was instantly obsessed! 😆
Mark tells his story chronologically, from his childhood and learning bass, to meeting Tom DeLonge and Scott (then Travis Barker), forming blink-182, writing music, making videos and eventually battling cancer. I loved reading about Blink’s slow climb to fame—playing tiny venues, enduring grueling tours, and eventually selling out arenas. Mark’s passion for the band really shines through in this memoir; blink isn’t just his job, it’s his entire identity. He never really imagined a life outside of music and I appreciate the hell out of him.
He also gets into the band’s breakups and his rocky relationship with Tom. It was fascinating to get that behind-the-scenes look at how their creative differences (and Tom’s strong, specific vision for music) caused tension. Now I need a memoir from Tom’s point of view, alien theories and all, just to get the full picture.
Mark’s trademark humor is all over this memoir. It’s sarcastic and hilariously gross in places (because would it even be blink-182 without that?). And if you’re an audiobook person, definitely consider that version—he narrates it himself. The book is also packed with great photos. One that really stood out to me was a funny picture of Mark’s dad with a big grin on his face after getting kissed on the cheek from Richard Simmons—that photo deserves its own tour shirt. 😂
If you love blink-182 and Mark Hoppus, you should absolutely read this. It’s funny, honest, and emotionally raw. The chapters on his cancer diagnosis and treatment were especially heartbreaking but there’s a happy ending (not that kind of ending, you perv). I’ve always loved Mark, Tom, and Travis, and this memoir just made me love them even more. Long live blink-182! And as Mark might say… Take off your pants and read.
Mark tells his story chronologically, from his childhood and learning bass, to meeting Tom DeLonge and Scott (then Travis Barker), forming blink-182, writing music, making videos and eventually battling cancer. I loved reading about Blink’s slow climb to fame—playing tiny venues, enduring grueling tours, and eventually selling out arenas. Mark’s passion for the band really shines through in this memoir; blink isn’t just his job, it’s his entire identity. He never really imagined a life outside of music and I appreciate the hell out of him.
He also gets into the band’s breakups and his rocky relationship with Tom. It was fascinating to get that behind-the-scenes look at how their creative differences (and Tom’s strong, specific vision for music) caused tension. Now I need a memoir from Tom’s point of view, alien theories and all, just to get the full picture.
Mark’s trademark humor is all over this memoir. It’s sarcastic and hilariously gross in places (because would it even be blink-182 without that?). And if you’re an audiobook person, definitely consider that version—he narrates it himself. The book is also packed with great photos. One that really stood out to me was a funny picture of Mark’s dad with a big grin on his face after getting kissed on the cheek from Richard Simmons—that photo deserves its own tour shirt. 😂
If you love blink-182 and Mark Hoppus, you should absolutely read this. It’s funny, honest, and emotionally raw. The chapters on his cancer diagnosis and treatment were especially heartbreaking but there’s a happy ending (not that kind of ending, you perv). I’ve always loved Mark, Tom, and Travis, and this memoir just made me love them even more. Long live blink-182! And as Mark might say… Take off your pants and read.
April 9, 2025
5/5
Aš visada autobiografijas pirmiausia skirstau į „patikėjau“ ir „nepatikėjau“. O tada jau seka kiti reikalai – ar įdomu, ar pateisino lūkesčius, ar aišku net ne mirtinam fanui ir panašiai. O čia viskas puikiai – patikėjau nuo pat pirmos akimirkos, parašyta labai paprastai, bet įtraukiančiai, Hoppus įgarsinimas smagus ir gyvas, o istorijos tinkamame balanse kaip autobiografijai – ir kažkiek vaikystės, ir visokių svarbių vardų, ir dainų analizės, ir netekčių, ir sveikatos reikalų, ir pletkų. Istorija su Robert Smith, kurios nespoilinsiu, jei patys sugalvotumėte skaityti, tikrai labai verta dėmesio – nuo pat jos pradžių, iki pat galo, vairavau klausydama plačiausiai išsišiepusi. Na, o pasakojimai apie santykį su kitu grupės įkūrėju Tom, nori nenori privertė pasirinkti pusę, bet ir užsimanyti perskaityti Tom autobiografiją, jei jis tokią kada parašys. Nes grožinių tai jis prirašęs be le kiek, pasirodo.
Ir tikrai nereikia būti die hard blink-182 fanu, kad šita knyga pasirodytų įdomi. Manau, kad ji patiktų tiek ieškantiems įdomios kelio į sėkmę (ir daugybę nesėkmių) istorijos, tiek norintiems pasijausti ne vieniems kovojant su sunkia liga. Todėl ar jum aktualu – pasimatuokit patys, bet aš nuostabiai praleidau laiką ir turėdama su kuo palyginti drąsiai sakau, kad muzikos autobiografijų kontekste šioji stovi tikrai solidžiai.
Aš visada autobiografijas pirmiausia skirstau į „patikėjau“ ir „nepatikėjau“. O tada jau seka kiti reikalai – ar įdomu, ar pateisino lūkesčius, ar aišku net ne mirtinam fanui ir panašiai. O čia viskas puikiai – patikėjau nuo pat pirmos akimirkos, parašyta labai paprastai, bet įtraukiančiai, Hoppus įgarsinimas smagus ir gyvas, o istorijos tinkamame balanse kaip autobiografijai – ir kažkiek vaikystės, ir visokių svarbių vardų, ir dainų analizės, ir netekčių, ir sveikatos reikalų, ir pletkų. Istorija su Robert Smith, kurios nespoilinsiu, jei patys sugalvotumėte skaityti, tikrai labai verta dėmesio – nuo pat jos pradžių, iki pat galo, vairavau klausydama plačiausiai išsišiepusi. Na, o pasakojimai apie santykį su kitu grupės įkūrėju Tom, nori nenori privertė pasirinkti pusę, bet ir užsimanyti perskaityti Tom autobiografiją, jei jis tokią kada parašys. Nes grožinių tai jis prirašęs be le kiek, pasirodo.
Ir tikrai nereikia būti die hard blink-182 fanu, kad šita knyga pasirodytų įdomi. Manau, kad ji patiktų tiek ieškantiems įdomios kelio į sėkmę (ir daugybę nesėkmių) istorijos, tiek norintiems pasijausti ne vieniems kovojant su sunkia liga. Todėl ar jum aktualu – pasimatuokit patys, bet aš nuostabiai praleidau laiką ir turėdama su kuo palyginti drąsiai sakau, kad muzikos autobiografijų kontekste šioji stovi tikrai solidžiai.
April 20, 2025
all I wanted was to love this.
I don't want to write bad things about Mr hoppus.....
so I won't.
I don't want to write bad things about Mr hoppus.....
so I won't.
April 18, 2025
They broke up AGAIN???
God i love this man so much🥹🥹
God i love this man so much🥹🥹
April 18, 2025
5 ⭐️ I listened to this book in 1 day! I waited to post this review since it was so personal to me and because it took a while for me to get the library ebook copy. I NEEDED to see the photos included in this book and I was not disappointed. I can’t even begin to write into words the impact Blink had on my life since middle school (1997), it seems silly to say that now since a lot of people only know Blink when they “sold out” and became “pop” but I don’t really care about other people’s opinions. I was there for this band since the beginning (even if Mark bags on Cheshire Cat, which I still love) and through every single time Tom quit and when Matt entered in his place. I will say California is one of my favorite blink albums because Alkaline Trio made an even LARGER impact on my life than Blink, it was like 2 of my loves colliding and finding one another. I can still remember where I was and who I was talking to when I found out about this new collab.
Ok now for the book, Mark is every bit as narcissistic as you’d expect a popular punk band lead singer to be… but he’s also honest, riddled with anxiety/fear and does take some humble responsibility for his failures (be it small ones). There isn’t much in this book that was new to me, as I mentioned, I always closely followed Blink through their ups, downs and tours. What I loved was the personal nostalgia it brought me, I went to Warped Tour, Pop Disaster with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World, then the tour with Weezer. I was there for it all from a fan perspective. I loved hearing it from his point of view. While I didn’t think it was written amazingly well, I am reading another memoir from a comedian right now and it’s making Mark’s book look like a Shakespearean novel, so maybe I can be too harsh. If you were a fan of punk and pop punk in the 90s and 00s, pick this up and prepare yourself for a fun ride down memory lane. You get glimpses of so many other bands and venues, it truly made my heart happy.
I highly recommend listening but making sure you have a PDF or the book to see the pics. I am so glad I own this because I can see myself going back and listening to this again. While I may not love their new music like I used to, I will always have a special place in my heart for Mark, Tom, Trav and Matt… and even Scott.
This was my 37th book of 2025.
Format: Audible and Libby ebook for the photos.
Ok now for the book, Mark is every bit as narcissistic as you’d expect a popular punk band lead singer to be… but he’s also honest, riddled with anxiety/fear and does take some humble responsibility for his failures (be it small ones). There isn’t much in this book that was new to me, as I mentioned, I always closely followed Blink through their ups, downs and tours. What I loved was the personal nostalgia it brought me, I went to Warped Tour, Pop Disaster with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World, then the tour with Weezer. I was there for it all from a fan perspective. I loved hearing it from his point of view. While I didn’t think it was written amazingly well, I am reading another memoir from a comedian right now and it’s making Mark’s book look like a Shakespearean novel, so maybe I can be too harsh. If you were a fan of punk and pop punk in the 90s and 00s, pick this up and prepare yourself for a fun ride down memory lane. You get glimpses of so many other bands and venues, it truly made my heart happy.
I highly recommend listening but making sure you have a PDF or the book to see the pics. I am so glad I own this because I can see myself going back and listening to this again. While I may not love their new music like I used to, I will always have a special place in my heart for Mark, Tom, Trav and Matt… and even Scott.
This was my 37th book of 2025.
Format: Audible and Libby ebook for the photos.
April 12, 2025
blink-182 were my first favourite band. They meant a lot to me as a kid, so I felt as if I had to read this. Unfortunately, this reads like narrow, a simplified recount of information most fans would already be aware of. There’s barely anything here about craft. I could glean more information about how blink-182’s records were made from a Wikipedia article. Hoppus also comes across as insecure (a charge he’d no doubt admit to) and whiny. His complaining that, in the wake of the band’s first break-up, his spin-off project +44 was not afforded the same crowds, venues and exposure as blink-182 was a low point of the book. Hoppus is at least admirably candid about his struggle with cancer. But there’s not much else here.
May 2, 2025
This book is an absolute must for any Blink-182 fan. It honestly feels like Mark is just sitting down and chatting with you, telling the whole Blink story: the good, the bad, the chaotic. His voice is so natural and engaging, it’s like catching up with an old friend.
It’s a quick read, though I definitely slowed down every time an album was mentioned because I had to stop and listen to it again. Highly recommend doing that: it adds a whole new layer of meaning when you hear the music after learning about what was happening behind the scenes.
Funny, honest, nostalgic, and sometimes unexpectedly emotional. Loved it.
It’s a quick read, though I definitely slowed down every time an album was mentioned because I had to stop and listen to it again. Highly recommend doing that: it adds a whole new layer of meaning when you hear the music after learning about what was happening behind the scenes.
Funny, honest, nostalgic, and sometimes unexpectedly emotional. Loved it.
April 8, 2025
Blink have been my favourite band since forever so maybe my expectations were too high but I think this fell a little short.
There was so much in this book that most Blink fans would already will know, sure there's some extra details here and there but I wish there were more stories of their antics on the road and in the studio rather than being a quick general history.
I'm sure Mark's battle with cancer will be interesting to a lot of people however for me, a cancer patient myself, that part of his story is my everyday life.
Looking forward to a follow up, tell all memoir 🤘🏼
There was so much in this book that most Blink fans would already will know, sure there's some extra details here and there but I wish there were more stories of their antics on the road and in the studio rather than being a quick general history.
I'm sure Mark's battle with cancer will be interesting to a lot of people however for me, a cancer patient myself, that part of his story is my everyday life.
Looking forward to a follow up, tell all memoir 🤘🏼
April 9, 2025
ok so spoiler alert mark is the reason i ever picked up a bass when i was 14, instead of learning drums or guitar like everyone else, and blink-182 were my gateway band to everything i listen to now. my entire music taste started with seeing the video for all the small things when i was 11 years old.
and second spoiler alert i think dan ozzi is one of the best music writers right now.
with all of that in mind, it won't surprise anyone to know i had this book delivered today and i have done nothing but devour it. did i know a lot of the earlier blink stories from "tales from beneath your mom"? yes. did i still love them the same way you love when a friend tells you their funniest stories? absolutely.
did i almost start crying when mark said he loved tom from the moment he met him? hell yes i did, and i'm welling up thinking about it again now.
did the excerpts from mark's cancer diary break my heart? i genuinely don't think i'll ever forget them.
since this was announced it's been my most anticipated read of the year and it has surpassed all my expectations. i love how honest this memoir is, while still finding humour wherever there's an opening (grow up).
and second spoiler alert i think dan ozzi is one of the best music writers right now.
with all of that in mind, it won't surprise anyone to know i had this book delivered today and i have done nothing but devour it. did i know a lot of the earlier blink stories from "tales from beneath your mom"? yes. did i still love them the same way you love when a friend tells you their funniest stories? absolutely.
did i almost start crying when mark said he loved tom from the moment he met him? hell yes i did, and i'm welling up thinking about it again now.
did the excerpts from mark's cancer diary break my heart? i genuinely don't think i'll ever forget them.
since this was announced it's been my most anticipated read of the year and it has surpassed all my expectations. i love how honest this memoir is, while still finding humour wherever there's an opening (grow up).
August 29, 2025
i’ve been a blink fan since middle school and it was so fun learning all the lore. who knew that mark and i both have divorced parents and ocd?? #twins
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June 17, 2025"now you go live the rest of your life, mark."
April 9, 2025
“All the petty bullshit melted away. Tom became my best friend again.”
😭 I became 13 again?
I finished this is one sitting. I had to. This is my band. The reason I survived high school. The reason for so many things I don’t have time to talk about. I’ve been lucky enough to see them live three times, and every single time, it healed something within me. I don’t gatekeep, but this is my band. They can be yours too, I love that for you. However, they’re also mine.
“…mixing the opening track, “Feeling This.” We had to get this one just right. To me, it showcased everyone at their absolute best. If aliens ever came down from outer space and asked what blink-182 sounds like, I’d play them that song.
And then, finally, we were done. Mixed, mastered, and ready to go. We all signed off and patted ourselves on the back. Tom and I got in his car and headed back to the hotel. I was beaming. We just delivered the crown jewel of our catalog, and I was so fucking proud of us.”
This is my save me from Vecna song. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, this would be it. The fact that they love it this much…oh this is so special.
AND A PHOTO OF A CAVALIER? Oh Mark, I love you
“blink-182 will always be Mark, Tom, and Travis.”
😭 yup. Exactly. blink-182, forever.
😭 I became 13 again?
I finished this is one sitting. I had to. This is my band. The reason I survived high school. The reason for so many things I don’t have time to talk about. I’ve been lucky enough to see them live three times, and every single time, it healed something within me. I don’t gatekeep, but this is my band. They can be yours too, I love that for you. However, they’re also mine.
“…mixing the opening track, “Feeling This.” We had to get this one just right. To me, it showcased everyone at their absolute best. If aliens ever came down from outer space and asked what blink-182 sounds like, I’d play them that song.
And then, finally, we were done. Mixed, mastered, and ready to go. We all signed off and patted ourselves on the back. Tom and I got in his car and headed back to the hotel. I was beaming. We just delivered the crown jewel of our catalog, and I was so fucking proud of us.”
This is my save me from Vecna song. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, this would be it. The fact that they love it this much…oh this is so special.
AND A PHOTO OF A CAVALIER? Oh Mark, I love you
“blink-182 will always be Mark, Tom, and Travis.”
😭 yup. Exactly. blink-182, forever.
April 21, 2025
“So read my book, with a boring ending. A short story of a lonely guy.” That’s not this book! It’s so hard to review a memoir, like how do you judge someone talking about their own life experiences. I was on the younger end of Blink fans back in the day, but they were my favorite band during extremely formative years in my life. I have so many personal stories and memories tied to their songs. Reading this was so enjoyable! The amount of times I said “oh I remember that”. And the little insights and background tidbits were fun. I appreciate that a large portion was dedicated to pre-break up Blink. I also loved the honesty, even if it wasn’t always the most pleasant, but it was always cut with humor. I found that to be done very well. I think this book will be a real joy for Blink fans, but could easily be enjoyed by those not as familiar with them as well. Mark Hoppus’s constant battle with anxiety will be real and relatable to many. His triumph over cancer is also poignant and potentially relatable. There are moments, particularly when Tom first left the band, that you can really feel Mark’s pain. (Honestly, Tom comes off as kind of a dick.) If you didn’t already think Travis Barker was the coolest MFer around, you will now. I was hoping to get a little bit more than what we did—more grit, more behind-the-scenes stories, more unknown insights, just more—but that’s ok. This is what he was comfortable with and I did thoroughly enjoy it. Yes, it seems slightly surface level and there aren’t many new revelations to fans. But it’s so fun to hear about it from Mark’s POV and he’s just a real person. Also, as an avid Pokémon fan, I’m fairly certain the plural of Snorlax is Snorlax. It’s singular and plural. Mark, well done. Thanks for writing this book!
April 14, 2025
As a lifelong blink-182 fan, I loved it. 4/5 and not 5/5 for the chapters glorifying the invasion of Iraq.
June 3, 2025
Really fun book. My only gripe is it seemed to quickly gloss over events that would’ve been interesting to hear more details on.
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May 21, 2025Listened to it all in a single day at work. I liked it! Ozzi is as always a great conduit for artists to tell their stories.
bummed that nobody seemed to enjoy the recording of neighborhoods when it's one of my favorite albums
I'm fascinated by how in every single memoir I've ever read, the artist acts like they had no ambition to be famous. Every step blink-182 took towards fame in the beginning Hoppus attributes to Tom DeLonge.
the anecdote about the mediocre date with melissa joan hart needed to be in there
bummed that nobody seemed to enjoy the recording of neighborhoods when it's one of my favorite albums
I'm fascinated by how in every single memoir I've ever read, the artist acts like they had no ambition to be famous. Every step blink-182 took towards fame in the beginning Hoppus attributes to Tom DeLonge.
the anecdote about the mediocre date with melissa joan hart needed to be in there
June 4, 2025
My teenage Warped Tour self came back for the 7 hours I listened to this.
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