Book Review: Fahrenheit-182

Release Date: April 8th, 2025

No one expected blink-182 to be one of pop punk’s reigning bands, least of all Mark Hoppus. It was just a way to kill time with his friends. Make silly tunes, play bass, and have a good time. Their earworm songs mixed with immature jokes turned them into unexpected rock stars. Suddenly, they were selling millions of records and touring across the world. Life was good. But behind the scenes, trouble brewed. Arguments, creative differences, and hurt feelings led to them breaking up not once but twice. Outside of that, Hoppus was dealing with mental health issues, and just when things were looking up again, he received a diagnosis that changed his life. Hoppus details his journey with blink-182, dealing with whirlwind success, and surviving cancer in his debut memoir, Fahrenheit-182. While I expected to learn more about Hoppus, I wasn’t prepared for the book’s darkest moment to hit close to home.

For a guy who’s best remembered for running around naked in music videos, Hoppus comes off as just a regular dude. His childhood was happy-go-lucky and normal. He loved music, skateboarding, and playing video games. But things changed after his parents divorced when he was eight years old. Suddenly, he felt like a mediator between his parents, which wore on him as he reached adolescence. The stress of bouncing between his parents brought on anxiety and depression. Adding to the stress was the mental and physical abuse his mother suffered at the hands of her new boyfriend. Surprisingly, a few of these anecdotes are referenced in blink-182 songs, something savvy fans will easily pick up on. But even during the dark times, there were bright spots, including one that would change his life forever.

During a party, his sister introduced him to a young punk named Tom DeLonge. Hoppus recalls how the two clicked instantly over their love of skating, humor, and punk rock. Thus blink-182 was born. He shares stories about recording demos, writing their debut album, Cheshire Cat, and embarking on their first tour. He even opens up about the departure of their original drummer, Scott Raynor, and how they recruited Travis Barker. Fans may know most of these stories, but Hoppus’ candid approach and lighthearted demeanor make it an engaging read.

While the first half of the book covering Hoppus’ childhood and the early days of blink are well detailed, the latter half covering Enema of the State and beyond feels incredibly rushed. One minute you’re reading about the “All the Small Things” video, the next Hoppus is recalling the disdain he felt writing “Rock Show.” Those hoping for insights behind the band’s biggest hits or anecdotes from recording sessions will be disappointed. Hoppus doesn’t take the time to dive into their albums or their songs. Rather, he highlights landmark moments, such as appearing on TRL for the first time, performing on the VMAs, and touring with Green Day. Other moments he skips entirely, like forming Simple Creatures, hosting Fuse’s Hoppus on Music, and their current reunion tour. The stories we get are funny and enjoyable, but will be all too familiar for well-versed fans.

The chapters where Hoppus talks about his cancer diagnosis are incredibly detailed. He doesn’t mince words here. He describes every gruesome moment from his diagnosis to painful chemotherapy treatments to wrestling with dark thoughts. It’s not easy to read, especially if you’ve experienced it. As Hoppus described the long, miserable hours in chemotherapy, I thought of my stepfather. After a four-year battle, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020. And while I knew it was bad, I never saw how bad it got. I wasn’t sitting next to him for hours while poison rushed through his body. I wasn’t there to see him sick as a dog at home. I didn’t hear him cry at night, wondering why it had to be him. My mom saw all of that firsthand. I experienced those moments through her. He put on a brave face for me and never talked about treatment or how he was feeling.

When you’re far removed from it, you don’t know all the gritty, ugly details of a cancer diagnosis. Hoppus puts it right in your face so that you can’t ignore it. He even includes pages from the journal he kept during his treatment. These are especially hard to read. He shares his anger and dark thoughts as he wonders if it’s better to give up because the pain is unbearable. Hearing his struggles drove home how difficult it was for my parents. All the pain, anger, and sadness that my stepfather didn’t want me to see.

One thing becomes clear as you read the book: blink-182 is Hoppus’ life. He even says as much. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else but blink-182, which helps shed light on how things soured between him and DeLonge. Whereas Hoppus was content with focusing on only blink-182, DeLonge wanted to explore beyond the band. Hoppus wanted to keep the momentum going, DeLonge wanted to take breaks and pursue other projects. The breaking point was after their 2005 tour. Suddenly, the band was on “indefinite hiatus.” It seemed to happen overnight. But Hoppus reveals tensions had been high since they entered the studio to record 2004’s Untitled.

Hoppus is blunt when talking about blink’s breakups. Not sparing feelings, he fires shots at DeLonge for his departure, not only putting blink-182 on hold, but their friendship as well. He details how ugly and petty things got from fighting backstage every night on the 2004 tour to cutting off communication with DeLonge entirely. Hoppus reveals how the falling out left him angry, sad, and lost. The first time around, he didn’t know what to do without blink-182. The second time, he was vindictive and wanted to prove that the band didn’t need DeLonge to be successful. He doesn’t reveal any details we didn’t already know about the breakups, but you get a better understanding of the effect it had on Hoppus and why he wanted to move forward without DeLonge.

What’s strange about the book is how Hoppus opens up about some things and remains closed off with others. Even though blink-182’s 2022 reunion was a huge deal, he doesn’t really talk about it. He doesn’t talk about how they reformed, the discussions they had, or how he and DeLonge made amends. The most he offers is recounting when DeLonge reached out to him after four years of silence. The book ends with the band’s triumphant Coachella 2023 performance. And while it makes sense to end on this note, it’s also disappointing. Hoppus doesn’t share his feelings on the current state of blink-182. He never talks about being in the studio with DeLonge writing ONE MORE TIME. He doesn’t discuss how it feels to have DeLonge back in his life or whether he’s worried that he’ll leave again. After experiencing Hoppus’ journey, it’s kind of a letdown for the book to end on such an anticlimactic note. You would think the recent reunion would be a highlight for Hoppus. Yet, he doesn’t seem to have much to say about it. Maybe it’s too early to tell where blink-182 will go from here. Or maybe he’s not ready to share his thoughts just yet.

Fahrenheit-182 isn’t a deep dive on blink-182. Hoppus doesn’t dig into their songs. There aren’t many behind-the-scenes stories from recording sessions. Instead, it’s about Hoppus’ journey from a goofy skater punk making silly songs with his best friend to rock superstardom and facing his mortality. It’s an engaging read, but parts of it leave you disappointed. Hoppus doesn’t shy away from talking about his childhood and his cancer journey, but other areas like recording songs, his projects outside of blink-182, and the current reunion he doesn’t go into much detail.  Despite this, it’s a fun and heartfelt look at Hoppus’ life so far. If you love blink-182, you’ll enjoy Hoppus’ story and may even chuckle at a few dick jokes he tells along the way.

(Jacket design by Joanne O’Neil, photo by Ashley Osborn)

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