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catbrigand's review against another edition
1.0
This guy is a self-righteous asshole. I'm proud of him that he was able to find his own fire in life and work extremely hard to get where he got. But if I had to read one more time about how he went to Yale, I was going to have to pitch the book out the window. He bemoans the existence of welfare while extolling the supposed virtues of payday loan and check-into-cash businesses. He makes the mistake of conflating his family being from Appalachia with his family being neglectful, abusive, and unbalanced. And I'm honestly horrified that so many people in my life have read this book and walked away feeling like they perfectly understand the south, Appalachia, and "what we're all like." This is a tale of a man who proudly identifies as a hillbilly while spouting stereotypes about them left and right, and to someone who is a proud resident of Appalachia, it's a mess.
As a memoir of a family it's compelling. As a memoir of a culture in crisis it's a biased, classist heap of trash.
As a memoir of a family it's compelling. As a memoir of a culture in crisis it's a biased, classist heap of trash.
eggjen's review against another edition
4.0
I found myself relating to this book a lot more than I expected to. While I think the author was a bit muddled on exactly what book he was writing and why, I still got a lot out of it. It's kind of part memoir / part social commentary but there's definitely something to get out of it and it makes for good conversation fodder and food for thought. It's not perfect but it's interesting and written in a conversational style that makes it easy to read.
jfrie65's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a little disjointed and I was thankful for Vance’s disclaimer to expect that. I’m sure it would be seen as ground breaking for anyone who had never considered that people make choices that are largely influenced by their environments: social, cultural, economic and set in Appalachia, geographical, for sure. The thing I appreciated/hated about how he wrapped this memoir up was his strategies to sort of “raise others up”. It perpetuates a dividing us/them feeling but is also simple, memorable and practical. His grateful struggle to overcome relational baggage felt honest too.
rachelburaczyk's review against another edition
1.0
I’m dumb for reading this, just because it is a memoir, without researching the author first. While his childhood story was interesting, it is a book full of trump loving, racist, conservative propaganda. One of the saddest elements of the United States is how the right wing has used their power to take advantage of low-income white people, while voting in laws that systematically keep them poor. The democrat party is not much better, capitalism is a horrible drain on everyone. Anyway, I do not recommend and it honestly wasn’t even that well written.
jazzreadsbookss's review against another edition
Interesting but not my favorite non fiction. Don’t rate non fiction
dkatreads's review against another edition
3.0
Updated Oct 2021
*Dropped from 3.5 to 3 because JD Vance is unhinged. I stick by what I said. But I do feel a bit validated in my claim that the book felt like an exercise in self-promotion. Having a bestseller and movie made after you definitely helps a future Senate run…
Original review:
I liked this book. Emotionally difficult given the depth of trauma J.D. has had to endure, but a touching window into the resilience and reflections of a kid who had gone through more than any kid should. For most unfamiliar with life outside of suburbia or urban centers, this is an important read. Honest, expository, gripping (if a bit self-aggrandizing).
I empathized with the author’s diagnoses of a culture that has suffered and continues to be beset by its demons today, but I also found myself at times frustrated by his singular lens. Just wished for a bit more nuance, and definitely a deeper look at how race factored into the equation. But I understand that was neither really the point of the book nor necessary for the author’s intentions. My favorite part of the book though was the honesty with which Vance reflected on his childhood trauma and relationship with his mother. There is a lot to unpack there, and I really appreciated the moments he took the time to do that.
The prose could have used some work, and I got a bit bored at times, especially towards the end, but it was a nice break from the ivory tower hullabaloo I’m used to reading.
*Dropped from 3.5 to 3 because JD Vance is unhinged. I stick by what I said. But I do feel a bit validated in my claim that the book felt like an exercise in self-promotion. Having a bestseller and movie made after you definitely helps a future Senate run…
Original review:
I liked this book. Emotionally difficult given the depth of trauma J.D. has had to endure, but a touching window into the resilience and reflections of a kid who had gone through more than any kid should. For most unfamiliar with life outside of suburbia or urban centers, this is an important read. Honest, expository, gripping (if a bit self-aggrandizing).
I empathized with the author’s diagnoses of a culture that has suffered and continues to be beset by its demons today, but I also found myself at times frustrated by his singular lens. Just wished for a bit more nuance, and definitely a deeper look at how race factored into the equation. But I understand that was neither really the point of the book nor necessary for the author’s intentions. My favorite part of the book though was the honesty with which Vance reflected on his childhood trauma and relationship with his mother. There is a lot to unpack there, and I really appreciated the moments he took the time to do that.
The prose could have used some work, and I got a bit bored at times, especially towards the end, but it was a nice break from the ivory tower hullabaloo I’m used to reading.
emrodav's review against another edition
2.0
(Read for my Extreme Book Nerd challenge "Read a book from an opposing political perspective." I picked this one because I know the author has stated that he's a Republican, and I thought this might be the least bad option.)
This book's strength is when Vance focuses on his personal memoir. Its weakness is when it ventures into sociological commentary and completely ignores factors Vance doesn't want to talk about (namely race). You can't have anywhere near a full picture of issues of class and how it affects people and their lives while ignoring race. It just doesn't work, and it's a huge drawback in the book for me.
This book's strength is when Vance focuses on his personal memoir. Its weakness is when it ventures into sociological commentary and completely ignores factors Vance doesn't want to talk about (namely race). You can't have anywhere near a full picture of issues of class and how it affects people and their lives while ignoring race. It just doesn't work, and it's a huge drawback in the book for me.
baby_tiger1's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this view of country life. Reminded me a lot of where I grew up so no real surprises.