Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted

Raw, Honest, and Inspiring

Knowing only that he had been on my favorite show as a kid and had been arrested as an adult, I was not prepared for the rollercoaster of emotion this book provided. Todd lets the reader into the deepest, darkest parts of his mind, thoughts, emotions, confessions, and life: the parts most of us are afraid to look at in ourselves, much less admit to others. The voice is so raw and honest, I felt as if I was snooping in someone's personal diary and that I should not be privileged to the information I was reading. The reality of his story is harsh, and at times I felt as if I were a child who should cover my ears while someone told a story I couldn't handle or shouldn't hear. He lays it all out on the table and holds NOTHING back. As painful as it was to read, I couldn't put it down and read it all in one day!
I cried so much reading this book that I was sick. I felt so terrible for him, and all the kids like him still in these situations, that there were times I had to stop and... read more

Chilling memoir

While reading KILLING WILLIS, especially as I came upon account after account of Todd's experiences with child abuse, drugs, and violence, all I could think was, 'How is this guy going to make it through?' On one hand, his memories of how he got into show business and his success from acting are thrilling to read. It was great to see how much his mother supported his interests; on the other hand, some of the other childhood memories are difficult to stomach. Some of the people he was around during his formative years had a negative impact on his life and he explains all the notorius and famous headlines that were made as he grew older. I must admit: I've never read a book like this before. At times the material took my breath away. It was a tough read. But Todd appears to be so forthcoming that you cannot fault the man for telling the truth. If you enjoy reading celebrity biographies, this one should definitely be included at the top of your list. You'll find yourself rooting for him... read more

Raw, but not in a good way.