Autobiographies about cancer struggles and survival rarely hold upbeat tones. Often they are poignant, emotionally tense reads that chronicle much hardship, pain and suffering as they wind through powerfully debilitating treatment regimens.
 
But readers expecting the same flavor from Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N Roll, and a Tiara: How I Celebrated Kicking Cancer's Ass will be pleased to note a very different approach to the author's experience, because Beverly Diehl's account incorporates not only an upbeat but a defiant attitude that offers a rare tone of positive excitement, warning readers about its unusual perspective from the start: "...wouldn't you like to find out how and why someone would brag that her breast cancer journey was the beginning of the best year of her life? Except I can't truly say that, because going on three years out from diagnosis, the "best" phenomena and sense of delight continues. It hasn't merely been one year."

Competing cancer accounts can hardly be described as 'upbeat'; and rarely incorporate ribald language, experiences of assault and rape, religious abuse, toxic relationships, and more. So readers should be forewarned: this is not your usual 'cancer survival' saga, but a romp through a life that is charged with adversity, attitude, and unusual perspectives.
 
Breast cancer is only one facet affecting the course of Diehl's life, and readers who accept that this autobiography is well-rounded and inclusive of all kinds of topics will find it more satisfying and vivid than many memoirs on the topic.
 
Candid and hard-hitting, it also tackles the topic of polyamory (more than one love relationship, experienced simultaneously) and a vibrant lifestyle that doesn't bow to the ravages of cancer, but defies it. It should thus be mentioned that Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N Roll, and a Tiara is not a read that will be appreciated by the conservative or cautious reader with firmly-held moral and ethical opinions of what a well-lived life should be.
 
Details of cancer treatment cover all the specifics from emotional to physical experiences, leaving nothing murky or unacknowledged. Personal photos by Nick Holmes adds visuals to bring the people in her story to life, adding another extra dimension not usually seen in standard autobiographies. Again: it should be warned that nudity is involved - tasteful, but present. Readers who harbor conservative perspectives will likely not appreciate these candid shots any more than Diehl's frank talk about her sexuality and alternative lifestyle; but those who are not stymied by blunt, frank and open discussions and images will find her approach brave, innovative and revealing on many levels.
 
The result should be not only on the shelves of many cancer survivors, but on the reading lists of those seeking a candid, vivid, pulls-no-punches read about one woman's romp through and commitment to her sexual nature. Without undercutting the serious trials of a breast cancer diagnosis, Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N Roll, and a Tiara neatly details how Diehl moved beyond initial diagnosis and treatment to confront and experience all of life's challenges head-on, with eyes wide open.