jcschildbach's review against another edition
5.0
I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 on this one, because the writing is excellent and Laymon is covering a lot of very personal ground here, as well as some huge political/social territory. And while there are times that I felt his dives into 'poetic' language elevated the impact of what he was conveying, there were other times it felt a bit like he was using it to pull back from giving a more straightforward explanation of one situation or another. For instance, more than once he alludes to being 'abusive' or 'exploitative' of people he is in relationships with, but it wasn't always clear if he just meant that he was lying/withholding from people--and he describes many situations that fit that bill--or if he meant something a bit more 'concrete' in terms of how people typically use those terms. As I'm interpreting it, he is essentially referring to not being wholly loving and open as a person, and letting his 'demons' keep him from living fully as he would hope to. Also, at times, the 'structure' of the book as a 'letter' to his mother somewhat faded, only to come back in a short while later, somewhat throwing off the flow of the narrative. I'm tilting up to the five because of the personal openness and ideas in Laymon's writing, and the skill with which he delivers them.
notoriouszoe's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful and unlike anything else I’ve read, really. Couldn’t put it down.
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this one. It's evocative, moving, and enraging. Laymon's style feels effortless but I'm sure it's not. The bookend bits that frame the primary narrative feel a little over-contrived to me, but it's a really good book in spite of that little hiccup.
katenaylor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
cesspool_princess's review against another edition
4.0
Very very real complex characters where everyone is causing harm and everyone is redeemable and everyone is grey and complicated and nothing is simple. The way this tackled food and size and addiction and how these things intersect with things like race and gender dynamics was v nuanced and well done and didnt ever feel annoying or preachy or eye rolly, just real. I don't have a ton to say beyond that. Memoirs aren't usually my thing but this did not disappoint in the least. Also there's the lil Oberlin cameo lol
unawake0442's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This was so powerful. Laymon artfully takes us through many of his experiences as a black boy and black man growing up in Mississippi and navigating the academic world in and out of the south. Another must read for those who want to deepen their understanding of race in America. Laymon also discusses the intersectionality of black women in a way that is often ignored by anyone who is not themselves a black woman. I also appreciated how those elements were handled with care and did not feel like Laymon was ever trying to insinuate he knew more or was the best most authoritative voice on the matter as opposed to black women themselves.
Even more specifically, the way Laymon speaks about his relationship to his body and his weight is heartbreaking and well done. The careful introspection is a highlight of this book throughout, but the way Laymon look at how his relationship to his body reflects his larger reality is so beautiful. Not because it's particularly happy, of course. But it's written and reflected on impeccably. And it's another subject we don't have enough perspective on.
Overall, this book was a phenomenal and challenging (in the best possible way) read.
Even more specifically, the way Laymon speaks about his relationship to his body and his weight is heartbreaking and well done. The careful introspection is a highlight of this book throughout, but the way Laymon look at how his relationship to his body reflects his larger reality is so beautiful. Not because it's particularly happy, of course. But it's written and reflected on impeccably. And it's another subject we don't have enough perspective on.
Overall, this book was a phenomenal and challenging (in the best possible way) read.
mrstiabee's review against another edition
5.0
The most deep, haunting, powerful, and honest memoir I’ve ever read. You might not be ready to read this but start anyway.
kennedya100's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Thought provoking and unnerving. The events Laymon describes are sometimes truly harrowing and sometimes the deep unsettlement of being Black in a world that hates you. I think this book could have been stronger though if it didn’t read sometimes like Twitter discourse (e.g. extended epistrophes and anaphoras that can get mind numbing).
kellyreadingbooks's review
I'm not in a great place to read this right now with the content warnings, but later in my life I may try to return to it because the writing was so good.