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filipa_maia's review against another edition
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. Is so effortlessly written, almost like a conversation. The story goes back and forth with such grace and detail that the reader feels like its actually a one-on-one talk with Trevor.
Trevor as a very unique way of describing whats around him. Its a very funny, but serious way of telling us what was like to born and live being someone who does not belong. But this book is so much more that just a story about Trevor's life. Is all about a time period that changed an entire country and its people forever. Its very interesting the way this book describes such dark times through the eyes of a child and, later, with the proper interpretation of an adult. More than 30 years after the end of apartheid people still live surrounded by its "ghost"... its not there anymore but its presence is still felt.
Everyone, no matter what your race is, your age, where you are from, should read this book. We all should learn what happened during (and after) apartheid, because when we forget the past we are bound to repeat the same mistakes.
P.S.: I believe there is a quote very similar to this by a philosopher, but this is a saying that I really like.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Police brutality, Grief, Child abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Hate crime, Gun violence, Classism, Violence, Genocide, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Excrement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
jnl00700's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Bullying, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Alcohol, Cursing, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Animal death
diananat's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, and Sexism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Rape
Minor: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use
moiracampbell23's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Animal death, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse
lectrixnoctis's review against another edition
5.0
"Born a Crime" is the tale of a prankish young boy who grows into a wandering young man as he strives to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to live in. Additionally, it is the story of that young man's connection with his fearless, rebellious, and highly religious mother—his teammate, a woman settled to save her son from the circle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would eventually threaten her own life.
The narrative was written in the first-person point of view by the author himself, and it was said in the past in South Africa.
Moreover, the motives of this book, in particular about racism and how apartheid, one of the worst crimes committed in South Africa, has affected the country and its people, although the system never truly worked at all. By casting black people away from white people and having no room for mixed children, who by law did not exist. I am a massive advocate for constantly educating yourself, especially racism, even more, if you are white. For me, a woman who has never lived outside of Germany and is broad, it is important to recognise my privilege and think about the system my ancestors have created and how I stop thinking that favours the system and even breaking out of it.
Not to forget to mention the love of Noah's mother was impeccable, and although I disagreed with her tough love method, I know it came from the heart, and I know she only wanted to do the best for him, which she enviably did. I loved reading about the relationship between the author and his mother throughout his whole childhood and his early 20s. Although I do not know these people personally, I felt connected with them because of the writing style, which hit me very hard and was witty at the same time.
A friend bought this as a gift for my 19th birthday, and I cannot be happier to read this book finally. I did not imagine it to hit that hard but in the best way possible. I laughed out loud because of it, and I cried at the end of the book. I did not think that autobiographies could make you feel something this deep like this one does. I highly recommend this book to anyone. You're probably going to cry, but you will love this book, and it will give you extreme joy.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
kenziewol's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
charvermont's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Grief, and Racism
purplelake's review against another edition
5.0
While novel centers around Noah’s childhood in South Africa, he and his mother are a binary star system, revolving around each other. The amount of respect Noah has for his mother, for all her strengths and weaknesses, charms and faults, is apparent in every word. And Noah’s mother is truly an incredible woman, providing wisdom and opportunity even during apartheid.
The story unfolds through witty vignettes, weaving the timeline back and forth, both non-sequential and somehow the way Noah’s tale is best told. Noah’s candid and irreverent voice is what truly puts this book over the top, guiding his audience through the race struggle of post-apartheid South Africa with grace and humor.
It comes as no surprise that Born a Crime is a comedic masterpiece, but it is the heart of the novel that makes it worth the read.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Cursing, Excrement, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, and Suicide
repunzee's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Minor: Animal cruelty
grei's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know a better way to describe this book, it is absolutely an amazing read that defies categorization, other than to say it is the story of Trevor Noah growing up as the son of a black mother and white father during apartheid, when it was illegal to have such a child.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Medical content, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, and Violence
If you want to skip the part about excrement, once Trevor starts talking about needing to go to the bathroom just skip to the end of the chapter. The last few paragraphs provide enough context and a good punchline for you to skip all the graphic detail and embarrassment of it.