miayukino's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Excrement, Death of parent, Abortion, Terminal illness, Grief, Cancer, Classism, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Medical content, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Blood
Minor: Cursing
karoliiine's review against another edition
5.0
Listen to the audiobook! It is outstanding, and hearing the story told in Viola Davis' own, expressive voice adds a lot to the book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Incest, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Classism, Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, and Abortion
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Slavery, Cancer, Infidelity, and Bullying
sasshq's review
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Violence, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Child abuse
lilybearillini3's review against another edition
5.0
While I'm normally not into celebrity biographies, there are a handful that I loved and this is one of them, so much that I consider this required reading. Ideally, you should listen to the audiobook (again, Grammy-winning audiobook). Viola pulls you in and doesn't let go. Her autobiography is all encompassing from birth to present, all the details from her childhood to working in Hollywood. I don't know what else to say other than to read this book. It is incredible.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Confinement
kennedybullen's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcoholism, Racism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Excrement
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one that I know will stick with me.
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Slavery, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Vomit, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Excrement, Bullying, Cancer, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Body shaming, and Sexual harassment
coreyarch9's review
3.5
I love Annalise MF Keating, but I didn't know too much about Viola Davis. In Finding Me, Viola talks less about her career as an actress and more about the systemic poverty and racism and the coinciding internalized struggles that she had to overcome to be the woman we know today. And she doesn't hold anything back.
She talks a lot about what society deems beautiful, worthy, or correct. During her time at Juiliard, students were discouraged from hosting an MLK Day program or anything that might highlight their differences from their white counterparts. She talks about the typecast roles that she would be cast in or invited to audition for. She talks about what it was like to be called beautiful for the first time. She talks about therapy.
In the end, she talks about finding herself, writing, "I am no longer ashamed of me."
I will never know firsthand what it's like to experience the abject poverty and racism that Viola grew up with. And that's why it's so important to read about. When she talked about being called beautiful for the first time, I started to wonder, when was the last time I told somebody they were pretty? When was the last time I told a woman of color that she was beautiful? When was the last time I supported a black-owned café instead of just picking up a latte at my local Tim Hortons? When did I last show kindness to a stranger?
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Cancer, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Rape, Abortion, and Sexism
Minor: Slavery, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Kidnapping
mariasilva's review against another edition
5.0
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
maemiller_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Bullying, Animal death, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Cancer
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, Drug abuse, Excrement, and Infertility
seullywillikers's review against another edition
5.0
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