Debbie Gibson is taking time to reflect. As the pop star from Merrick turns 55, she has decided on this moment to tell her story in a new memoir, "Eternally Electric: The Message in My Music." Gibson will also have a Long Island homecoming on Nov. 21 when she headlines the Patchogue Theatre. .

"I think it’s important that my audience knows I’ve been through the same challenges they have been through or are going through, and that I am thriving," Gibson said in a phone interview with Newsday. "I hope my music and my journey inspires people who feel stuck, counted out or helpless. When they read my story, they can say, ‘If she can come through all of this, I can, too.’ I want it to feel like it’s a friend talking to them."

Gibson is open throughout the book (Gallery Books, $30), which be

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