Reviews tagging 'Racism'
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
25 reviews
cinderellasbookshelf's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I haven’t read enough memoirs lately, so I was so happy that I got to buddy read Simu Liu’s WE WERE DREAMERS via the audiobook with a friend on bookstagram. I had been curious about the actor ever since he was first announced as playing Marvel’s Shang-Chi, and listening to him share his life story (so far) made this a personal read that made me see and appreciate him in a new light.
I should start by saying that I am not usually a crier, but throughout the book, I was hit with a wave of empathy and emotions. I practically had to hold back tears as Liu shared his parents’ backstory - and this was only chapters 2 and 3. His mother’s story especially, and then listening to him get choked up thinking back on his grandparents, who helped raise him in Harbin before he embarked on his new life in Canada with his parents.
Liu talking about growing up in Canada - millennial references and all - had me feeling hilariously nostalgic. These lighter moments however, also conflicted with his difficult relationship with his parents, which he openly discusses. It was the hardest to listen to sometimes and I really respected them for sharing it. In my own Asian household, my parents were not as strict on me, but I understand that pressure and weight to succeed because of all the risks and sacrifices they made. It’s something I hadn’t realized until much later and this book had me reflecting on it again as well as about remembering where you come from.
I really enjoyed listening to him talk about how he first got into acting after starting a career in accounting. It wasn’t glamorous, but scrappy yet full of earnestness, hope, humor, and ambition despite the odds. To see how all of it paid off and where his career is now is amazing. I even mentioned to my friend how I was ready to read more after his Marvel audition until I realized that this is only the beginning of whatever he has ahead.
This was a great read and if you get a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend the audiobook to get the full experience of Simu Liu telling his story.
I should start by saying that I am not usually a crier, but throughout the book, I was hit with a wave of empathy and emotions. I practically had to hold back tears as Liu shared his parents’ backstory - and this was only chapters 2 and 3. His mother’s story especially, and then listening to him get choked up thinking back on his grandparents, who helped raise him in Harbin before he embarked on his new life in Canada with his parents.
Liu talking about growing up in Canada - millennial references and all - had me feeling hilariously nostalgic. These lighter moments however, also conflicted with his difficult relationship with his parents, which he openly discusses. It was the hardest to listen to sometimes and I really respected them for sharing it. In my own Asian household, my parents were not as strict on me, but I understand that pressure and weight to succeed because of all the risks and sacrifices they made. It’s something I hadn’t realized until much later and this book had me reflecting on it again as well as about remembering where you come from.
I really enjoyed listening to him talk about how he first got into acting after starting a career in accounting. It wasn’t glamorous, but scrappy yet full of earnestness, hope, humor, and ambition despite the odds. To see how all of it paid off and where his career is now is amazing. I even mentioned to my friend how I was ready to read more after his Marvel audition until I realized that this is only the beginning of whatever he has ahead.
This was a great read and if you get a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend the audiobook to get the full experience of Simu Liu telling his story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racism
giacomomontecristo's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Racism
zee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Simu Liu's tone is highly conversational, however I found the Americanization of a Canadian memoir to be surprisingly grating. "applying to colleges" (when referencing Universities), "freshman" (first year), "first grade" (grade one)... Even his usage of Craigslist I can't help but wonder if he didn't actually use Kijiji.
The book is split into three major parts: his parents' story, and how the Cultural Revolution impacted their behaviour (sorry, "behavior") and their initial immigration to the West; his formative years with his parents and the abuse and expectations encountered; and finally the struggle to succeed as an actor. I found the deliberate decision to end the book as Shang Chi was getting rolling to be a tad disappointing, as I doubt it was entirely sunshine and roses after all his years of struggle with his identity... Though ultimately that was probably based on the timelines of the deal happening before the Marvel announcement. For all that acts 1 and 2 are raw and emotional, act 3 seemed very rushed. He glosses over the struggles and successes with, essentially, "and then I tried harder and this time it worked."
While a worthwhile story to read of the familial struggles and expectations placed on him as the son of immigrants, overall the book doesn't adequately address why we're reading his particular story and not some other schmuck's with a difficult/abusive parental relationship. I guess it would be better aimed at major Liu fans, which isn't what I expect from a Canada Reads longlist selected memoir.
The book is split into three major parts: his parents' story, and how the Cultural Revolution impacted their behaviour (sorry, "behavior") and their initial immigration to the West; his formative years with his parents and the abuse and expectations encountered; and finally the struggle to succeed as an actor. I found the deliberate decision to end the book as Shang Chi was getting rolling to be a tad disappointing, as I doubt it was entirely sunshine and roses after all his years of struggle with his identity... Though ultimately that was probably based on the timelines of the deal happening before the Marvel announcement. For all that acts 1 and 2 are raw and emotional, act 3 seemed very rushed. He glosses over the struggles and successes with, essentially, "and then I tried harder and this time it worked."
While a worthwhile story to read of the familial struggles and expectations placed on him as the son of immigrants, overall the book doesn't adequately address why we're reading his particular story and not some other schmuck's with a difficult/abusive parental relationship. I guess it would be better aimed at major Liu fans, which isn't what I expect from a Canada Reads longlist selected memoir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Classism and Sexism
TW: mentions HP multiple timesl1brarygirl's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
Minor: Grief and Abandonment
bitesizedbeet's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Racism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
silentrequiem's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Racism
Minor: Death
mandaraffe's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
Minor: Racism and Grief
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
kelly_e's review
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
3.25
Title: We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
Author: Simu Liu
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 16, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quick • Entertaining • Repetitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
We Were Dreamers details Canadian actor Simu Liu's journey from China to Canada and the bright lights of Hollywood.
Beginning in China, where Simu was left in the care of his grandparents as his parents forged a future in Canada. It is out of the blue that Simu's father shows up, whisking him away from the only home he'd ever known. Life in Canada was a difficult transition for Simu, as he was separated from those around him by culture, language and values.
Growing up, he did everything to appease his parents, but over time it became harder and harder to keep up the charade. When as a young adult, he find himself unemployed and ashamed, it is an ad on Craigslist that will change everything for him.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I will admit to falling victim to the hype when it comes to We Were Dreamers, as I had no clue who Simu Liu was before listening to his memoir, but when it became available from my library as an express loan I decided to give it a try.
I definitely think that because I didn't know who he was, my experience definitely wasn't the same as other readers have had. Divided into three acts, I enjoyed the first section about his childhood, but found myself caring less and less as it progressed.
What I did appreciate is the exploration of parental expectations and cultural stereotypes. Parts were certainly hard to read, but I also had to remind myself that this was Simu's side of the story. I also think the reconciliation between himself and his parents definitely could have been explored more to make for a more seamless transition from one act to the next.
Overall, this memoir was culturally informative and entertaining to listen to, but I'd also have been completely okay having skipped it. If you're a Simu Liu fan you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than I did, and in my opinion this is a book made for audio as opposed to print form, as his expressive voice adds to the story.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• celebrity memoir enthusiasts
• Marvel fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Whether you like it or not, you're getting better at something every day."
Author: Simu Liu
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 16, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quick • Entertaining • Repetitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
We Were Dreamers details Canadian actor Simu Liu's journey from China to Canada and the bright lights of Hollywood.
Beginning in China, where Simu was left in the care of his grandparents as his parents forged a future in Canada. It is out of the blue that Simu's father shows up, whisking him away from the only home he'd ever known. Life in Canada was a difficult transition for Simu, as he was separated from those around him by culture, language and values.
Growing up, he did everything to appease his parents, but over time it became harder and harder to keep up the charade. When as a young adult, he find himself unemployed and ashamed, it is an ad on Craigslist that will change everything for him.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I will admit to falling victim to the hype when it comes to We Were Dreamers, as I had no clue who Simu Liu was before listening to his memoir, but when it became available from my library as an express loan I decided to give it a try.
I definitely think that because I didn't know who he was, my experience definitely wasn't the same as other readers have had. Divided into three acts, I enjoyed the first section about his childhood, but found myself caring less and less as it progressed.
What I did appreciate is the exploration of parental expectations and cultural stereotypes. Parts were certainly hard to read, but I also had to remind myself that this was Simu's side of the story. I also think the reconciliation between himself and his parents definitely could have been explored more to make for a more seamless transition from one act to the next.
Overall, this memoir was culturally informative and entertaining to listen to, but I'd also have been completely okay having skipped it. If you're a Simu Liu fan you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than I did, and in my opinion this is a book made for audio as opposed to print form, as his expressive voice adds to the story.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• celebrity memoir enthusiasts
• Marvel fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Whether you like it or not, you're getting better at something every day."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing and Suicidal thoughts