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oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
4.5
The majority of her memoir takes place in her formative, early years - first, as a highly impoverished child who is bullied relentlessly for both being black and poor, then as a teen and young adult who was still both black and poor but learning about her true passion and chasing it fervently.
While parts of this book were incredibly difficult to listen to (please do note the content warnings on this book and take them seriously - it dives deep into some very traumatic topics like sexual abuse, domestic violence, and losing a parent to cancer), it somehow remained hopeful. Davis’s story was woven with expertise as she shared her thoughtful reflections on these different points in her life and how she arrived to where she is now. This book gives a true, honest account that doesn’t turn away from difficult topics like racism in the film and acting industry. It forces the reader (or listener) to confront difficult truths about how even at the height of her career, Davis herself still felt like an outsider, forced to take the “fun best friend” roles and not the leading lady roles, reserved for her lighter skinned counterparts.
I laughed, I cried, and am so grateful to Viola for sharing her life with the world.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism
princesslo's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Abortion, and Death of parent
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
yreluctant's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kristinescorner's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction and Abortion
bethanyt123's review against another edition
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
savyelizabeth's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Bullying
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Cancer
daringdelaney's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
Would I recommend the book:
Absolutely! With trigger warnings (Graphic Domestic abuse, Racism, Physical abuse,
Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction... Possibly more)
And a warning about it's use of profanity but it's mostly direct quotes.
My favorite part was:
How intelligent and articulate Viola Davis is.
And:
“My biggest discovery was that you can literally re-create your life. You can redefine it. You don’t have to live in the past. I found that not only did I have fight in me, I had love.”
"Memories are immortal. They're deathless and precise. They have the power of giving you joy and perspective in hard times. Or, they can strangle you. Define you in a way that's based more in other people's tucked-up perceptions than truth."
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are"
“I now understand that life, and living it, is more about being present. I’m now aware that the not-so-happy memories lie in wait; but the hope and the joy also lie in wait.”
Do i think the book is well written? Why is or isn't it? Was engaging, delightful, or inspiring? Was it staid, boring, or contrived?
She did an amazing job sharing her life stories and her family's stories. The words she chose to portray intense times were eloquent, flowy, and emotion evoking.
I loved her (movie) work before this book but now I'm starting to love Viola Davis.
The immense respect and admiration I have for her is deep. The things she endured as a child and throughout every phase of her life I can honestly say that I've never experienced. I've never missed a meal for days. I've never had to lay in my own urine and go to school the next day reeking. I've never had to fight with huge rats over my bed & pillow. I have never opened the door to my father's mistress completely naked without a care to hide an affair. I've never witnessed my father beat my mother within an inch of her life and I've never experienced racism on the level that Viola has for being too dark or "not pretty enough" She has been through more than any woman ever should have to. What she went through for being dark skinned, what her mom went through...absolutely terrible! She wrote about her awful struggles without comparing them to others which can easily happen when discussing such things. Viola's biggest life defining moments were when she fell to her knees. She's been baptized and has had many moments when all she had was God to rely on. There is a lot to admire in this woman and I hope she maintains her relationship with Jesus Christ.
This book is beautifully written and wonderfully (self) narrated into an audiobook. I'm so so glad I impulsively grabbed this one.
Was it what you expected it to be?
Not at all. It exceeded my expectations.
How I discovered the book:
Searching my library app for a nonfiction autobiography less than 10 hours long (Barbara Streisand's is 45 hours long!)
Format I read it in: Audiobook read by the author 🤩
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
inthemoonforcheese's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism