Many in my generation better know Dustin Diamond as Samuel "Screech" Powers from the popular Saturday morning comedy Saved by the Bell. He is looking back on his experiences with the show and the other stars in this tell-all book. Sadly, he has less than fond memories of most of his co-stars, who include Lark Voorhies, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, and Tiffani Amber Thiessen.

Like Screech, Dustin was a bit of the outside. He was actually 3 years younger than the rest of the cast, and they were not always interested in including him in their fun. He had very little patience for a lot of their escapades, and he has no trouble sharing tales about what he saw: sex, drugs, steroids, egotism, practical jokes are all covered in the book.

We have all heard stories about what happens to childhood stars so in some ways, much of what he says is probably not a huge surprise, though it is a bit disappointment for someone who grew up with these television "peers." I was actually the same age/grade they were in as the show progressed from year to year.

Unfortunately, the tell-all seems to be less about telling the story of his life and what it was like on the set and more about getting revenge on those around him on the set. His comments are often harsh and full of spite. I don't think that means that the tales are necessarily untrue, but he likes the fact that he is highlighting and "breaking down" the image of his co-stars. The ironic thing is that he talks about doing much of the same things he is harshly critical of his cast-mates doing, such as the pranks and his sexcapades with extras.

The book is put out by a smaller press, which I am guessing is due to the harsh presentation of the story. This is no fan book, it is a slasher tell-all. As a result of being a small press, there are a number of layout and editing errors that include things from incorrect returns and duplicating paragraphs/sentences to just plain old bad proofreading. (I know ... that is ironic coming from me!).

So, in some ways it was an interesting read, but it would have been more enjoyable with less vitriol.