Reviews tagging Violence

Finding Me: A Memoir, by Viola Davis

29 reviews

curatedsymposium's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

luckyone's review

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Child death, Classism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death

Minor: Racial slurs

mariasilva's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, Racism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Drug abuse, Rape, Excrement, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Child death, Death, Incest, Infertility, and Medical trauma

koala982's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

- I already liked Viola Davis going into this book, and now I like her even more! The story she tells about her life (her childhood, how she got to where she is, her life now) is spectacular, and the way she frames and processes everything is too. Also her personality really comes through --she seems like a genuine and grounded person.
- What I didn't like about the book was the structure and the writing. The overall structure (going from chapter to chapter) is fine, but the structure of the chapters themselves was sort of weird. I wasn't always sure when  something was happening, the transitions between very different topics was often sudden, and really big things (

Spoiler

like a family with kidnapped children living in their apartment

) would be briefly mentioned and not picked up until much later. The phrasing of things was odd sometimes too (how many times can you use the phrase "the one-two punch of ___"). I feel like the book could've used a closer read from an editor. It could also be the case that it would be more natural/less off-putting listened to than read.
- I love her use of punctuation!!!
- I also appreciated the information she provided about how the theater/film/tv industry works. It helped explain why the media we consume looks the way it does and also showed me how hard being an actor can be/often is.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse

seullywillikers's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I've always admired Ms. Davis as an actor, and this memoir is the catalyst for falling in love with her as a person. Raw, honest, brutal, and beautiful, listening to Ms. Davis tell her story without flinching, pulling punches, or apology, has been an incredible experience. Her compassion and empathy are without compare, and her focus on seeing the humanity in all people is a testament to her strength and inner goddess.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Cancer, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Excrement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

One of the most powerful biographies I’ve ever listened to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Rape, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abortion, Pedophilia, Incest, Infertility, and Pregnancy

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Medical content

montgomerypierce's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Violence

anpen's review

dark emotional inspiring

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Racism, Abortion, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Pedophilia

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Injury/injury detail, Racism, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Vomit, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Abortion, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Infertility

librariangeorgia's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This book is exactly what I want from a memoir. I want to know about the nitty gritty of celebrities lives, not the jobs they’re known for or the name-dropping of who’s good/bad in Hollywood. 

 

I found this even more interesting to know more about the racism and bullying that black people experience - as it’s not something I have experience in being a white person. 

 

Before reading this I honestly knew nothing about Viola, other than the fact that she’d stared in HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, THE HELP, WIDOWS, etc. So it was really fascinating for me to found out about her childhood (the amount of trauma she experienced I did not expect) and her long journey in acting to get to the place that she is today. 

 

Honestly, this book has given me a new found respect for this woman for publishing such a raw insight into her life. I really wish I’d listened to the audiobook for this! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Addiction, Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship