Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Finding Me: A Memoir, by Viola Davis

34 reviews

watson_my_shelf's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

This is a very, very deep dive into Viola's story of growing up very poor. Viola overcame many obstacles to get where she is today. She had a dream to be an actress, and she fought so hard to make it come true. This was hard to read at times, but is so good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use, Bullying, Addiction, Medical content, Grief, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty

jaduhluhdabooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Abortion, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Infertility, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Death, Cancer, and Gaslighting

nebraskanwriter's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

5.0

This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read/listened to. Viola Davis is an incredible person. Her strength and all the things she went through is unimaginable. This was a hard book to listen to at times, Viola does not shy away from taking you through memories of her childhood. Her dad’s abuse towards her mom, sibling abuse from her older brother, poverty so intense most of the time they didn’t have electricity, food or a working toilet. How she overcame so many obstacles and horrible things that happened to her growing up to then go on to graduate from Juilliard, then go on to act with Denzel Washington and then Meryl Streep until her big break out in How to Get Away with Murder is truly incredible. She is an amazing individual and a true inspiration.

This book is one that I know will stick with me. 

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Content Warnings

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

hannahbug30's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Abortion, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Grief

Minor: Sexual violence

ireanirean's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Racism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Grief, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Abortion, Infertility, Infidelity, and Death of parent

chitch21's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Abortion, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Racism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Addiction

time4tori2read's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Viola Davis poignantly recounts her story in such a way that makes the reader feel as if they were right alongside her throughout her moments. Listening to Viola Davis read her own story made it incredibly powerful and the reader could hear the pain, elation, and other emotions clearly in her voice. This is not one to miss. I highly recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infertility, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Abortion and Medical content

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

If you are going to read this book I highly recommend checking out the audiobook version which is read by Viola Davis because it adds so much to the experience. I tend to rate autobiographies high on principle because I think it's brave to share parts of one's life with readers and this book certainly deserves that rating. It's heartbreaking in the beginning chapters and brutally honest so be warned that this book deals heavily with the trauma of abuse, neglect, and poverty. There's also hope though and the latter chapters cover a mix of Davis' personal and professional life, her experiences and her thoughts about those experiences now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, and Abortion

kiomarys2000's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Cursing, Misogyny, Drug use, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Abortion, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Racism, Violence, and Alcoholism

herceia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Incredible, inspiring, beautiful, unbelievable, amazing, brutal, heart wrenching, and so much more. A perfectly brutal memoir

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Grief, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Drug use and Pedophilia