Reviews - I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying

434 reviews for:

I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying

my favorite book I’ve read in a long while. I like how youngmi touches on mixed race loneliness within ur own family and not in the representASIAN way bc truly we just all want to feel part of our own families. I also miss the podcast, bc youngmi u are so funny and got me thru covid times.

izzyd321's review

3.75

funny reflective tense fast-paced

Lot of parts I liked but I'm not particularly a fan of this type of humor based on cynicism of human nature. Felt very "this is how the world works and you're stupid if you can't see it" kind of thing, and saying "im also stupid cuz I can't see it" doesnt make that type of thinking valid. Immaturity for immaturity's sake (and to provide shock value when the author actuallt has Sophisticated Opinions) isn't rly my thing. The way she talks reminds me a lot of my sister, speaking to you aggressively and matter of factly in a way that says "I'm right because I've thought about this and if you don't agree then that says more about you so you should think about that"
This feels like someone getting to the middle of the ocean and convincing everyone else who is up on the shallower end that what they've witnessed is the deep sea.
Particularly the part where she reflects on how she acted when she became rich, she talks about connecting with people who arent rich as a reflection of how she sees herself, but then she goes on to talk about how her employee criticised her for just showing up at the restaurant to show off her Chanel bags; how much of yout connection was just internal perception if your workers who you 'identify more with' saw you in that way? Her response to this being laughing and crying because they were right and calling herself a stupid bitch for it: accepting yourself as being in that role and saying 'oh yeah of course I did that because I was money-blind but I see the way now and I'm happier because i'm POOR NOW and money and fame is EVIL AND BAD' -> this type of binary thinking is what got you in this loop in the first place and is the fuel that stokes the fire of the divide between 'rich' vs 'poor'. There's a lack of self awareness here (that masks itself in hyperawareness) that's rooted in the idolisation of radicalism and black/white thinking that I really don't agree with. I think a lot of people will read this book as very 'raw' and 'bold' and 'human' but as someone who has trauma it reads to me as another person with trauma trying to say 'look at all this fucked up shit that happened and tell me im still smart and cool and funny and dont pity me' so I guess it's hard for me to look at that desperation directly

Content Warnings

soybigboi's review

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

highdjo's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

audreylee126's review

5.0

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

mischievous_kat's review

5.0

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

ji_an's review

5.0

emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Well fuck.

As a mixed race kid, this memoir meant a lot to me. Especially one of Korean descent. I never was close with my Korean family members but I feel a bit closer to them now. As a Korean-American, but really, a kid so thoroughly Americanized, it is touching and awe-ins iring to hear aspects of Youngmi's life, explanations of Korean culture and history, and gritty realness. Her unabashed zest for life, the good and bad, makes me feel more attached to my Korean identity than ever. It also makes me feel more human.

There are a lot of hard things to hear in this book. Life is hard, full of many good and bad moments. I'm thankful to have heard this story. I'm thankful to have my messy life. It feels real.