Reviews

Local: A Memoir, by Jessica Machado

literacyedprof's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

3.5

taralorraine's review against another edition

slow-paced

4.0

sguinn13's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Fatphobia, Slavery, Racism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness

candacemae's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

crafalsk264's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

He memoir covers the author’s life from childhood growing from birth through the death of both of her parents. It is primarily a review of her life as a minority Hawaiian ethnicity appears to have a number of subsets for characterize their residents. For example, Kanaka is a full blooded Hawaiian regardless; a native Hawaiian may be less than full blooded; Haole is white people or people from off island and Local describes all other individuals. The title of the memoir, “Local” not only describes the author’s residence but identifies her as a member of a particular socio economic group. This opens up her personal assessment to include racism as one of the influences.

After she finishes school, she makes the decision to relocate to California to get away from this classification. However, she has only limited success in putting her life behind her. Her most successful intervention was her mother’s illness and death followed by her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and death. I admire the author’s honesty and willingness to make her personal assessment public in this way. Recommend to readers of memoirs, autobiographies, adolescence, racism and Hawaii.

dogbuttsandbooks's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Classism, Colonisation, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual assault, Grief, Hate crime, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Drug use, Colonisation, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Racism

Minor: Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Murder, and Bullying

gnandini's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

lana17's review against another edition

reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.0

maethereader's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

I really loved this! I thought the memoir was beautiful. And tying in Hawaain history and indigenous kanaka culture made it so fascinating and reflective. I learned a lot about present day Hawaii and Hawaii’s history and indigenous culture & spirituality.

I appreciated the perspective of an okay but not perfect childhood and the honest portraits of messy but loveable family members. I found it very refreshing. The depiction of the author’s grief and difficulty in handling challenging emotions & situations as a young adult were very honest and I really appreciated those as well. Despite differing circumstances, I found those young adult years very relatable.

Overall I left the book with the impression that it’s all okay. We’re all messy and human and doing our best and making mistakes and having regrets, but we’re here and it’s all okay. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, Colonisation, Racism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Toxic friendship

keeganrb's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Rape

Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, and Alcoholism