Review of: Acid for the Children by Flea

So before I even dig into the details of this book, I want to simply say that I found this read to be incredible. I really enjoy hearing other people’s stores and learning about all the different upbringings people have and Flea certainly has a unique one to share.

In case you didn’t already know, Flea is the bassist of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This book doesn’t really talk about his wild touring stories or band secrets like you may expecting, but instead tells the story of his upbringing and his coming of age story. His story is filled with so many wild incidents and things that make you wonder how he is even alive. One thing I really appreciated about this book is that he would add snip-its of his current thoughts or self reflections as a man in his 50s. I think my absolute favorite thing about this novel is how he basically writes how he talks. It makes these stories of his seem more real and genuine and for the most part, I love when people write how they talk. Parts of this book would make you feel like you were in a circle with life long friends just sharing crazy stores. I love how through his book, the readers are able to see his love and passion for music really unfold. We also get to read about how he came to know Anthony Kiedis and see the start of a friendship that would bloom into the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Since I enjoyed this book so much, I hope he decides to put out another one reflecting on the Red Hot Chili Pepper days.

An added bonus is how he has old photos in the middle of the book. Something about seeing someone’s home photos is so raw and humanizing.

Another great thing about this book is that there were so many quotes that really spoke to me that I just had to jot down. Some of my favorites were:

“Not like we talked each other through it or anything, we just silently knew that we were the only ones who understood. We bore witness together.”

This quote immediately stood out to me and made my chest tighten. In this quote he is referring to him and his sister while they were going through everything that came with their parents’ divorce. It really made me think about my brother and all the things we went through together that only he truly understands. This quote hits the nail on the head when it comes to describing that shared bond over unfortunate circumstances.

Three other quotes that I really found the need to write down were:

“There are things in life that you remember with different senses, some by image, some by sound or talk, some by physical sensation. Some memories are so transformative, so laden with guidance, so blissful and/or violent, it feels like God speaking directly.”

“Pain was something to be grateful for, not to be pursued, but inordinately valuable.”

And of course this quote from David Bowie he mentions “Turn and face the strange.”

Whether you are a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan or not, I highly recommend this book.

You are in for a wild ride!