Memoir of a little boy trying to navigate without much parenting

Hollywood Park is quite an emotional read about the author and his brother's childhood. In a similar vein as Educated, this man's childhood was filled with misinformation, neglect, abject poverty, and parents who did not put their children's needs first. This book takes you through his memories of the events in such a raw gut wrenching way, you literally can feel his sadness and confusion as you read it. When he and his brother try to express feelings (like any normal human), their mother squashes them down and explains how hard life is for her instead. I truly disliked their mom despite feeling she really had suffered. Although I was relieved when their dad comes back into the picture, I also felt foreboding as I feared his rough life would not be great for the boys. But at least they could eat when hungry and could express their feelings. I am 3/4 of the way through the book and I can't put it down. I am rooting for the whole family to get healthy. I received an ARC copy to review. It is a great read for anyone who enjoys a very real depiction of life; including drug use, strong language, and some violence. It did not bother me but some people might need to know this before going into the book.