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hnagarne's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Minor: Pregnancy
anocturne's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Racism
aweekinthelife's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I think if I were to summarize the book in one word, it would be chaotic. Part of it is that we are just very different people. I appreciate that Constance doesn't try to paint herself as perfect, but she is an extrovert with big feelings and does things because they feel right. I'm an introverted overthinker and her life felt so intense and stressful.
I think the essays/chapters individually are (mostly) solid, but they don't go together well and it ends up feeling more like a series of essays than a single memoir. Some essays are better than others - I think "You Do What I Say" about her time on Fresh off the Boat and "Unfinished Memoirs" about learning to see her parents in a different light are my favorite. The back to back stories of troubled middle school relationships with "Snap and Whistle" followed by "Impeach the President" had me humming Anti-Hero in my head.
I got really into memoirs in 2022 and somehow this one felt like the least relatable memoir I've read, which was unexpected.
I think the essays/chapters individually are (mostly) solid, but they don't go together well and it ends up feeling more like a series of essays than a single memoir. Some essays are better than others - I think "You Do What I Say" about her time on Fresh off the Boat and "Unfinished Memoirs" about learning to see her parents in a different light are my favorite. The back to back stories of troubled middle school relationships with "Snap and Whistle" followed by "Impeach the President" had me humming Anti-Hero in my head.
I got really into memoirs in 2022 and somehow this one felt like the least relatable memoir I've read, which was unexpected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Suicidal thoughts
autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review against another edition
3.5
As with most celebrity memoirs, the audiobook really makes the experience. Constance Wu delivers her memoir-in-essays with an easy humor. It feels like a friend telling the reader stories. She speaks of her childhood--a ruptured relationship with her younger sister, a teacher who wrongfully accuses her of plagiarism--as well as her growing interest in acting and the study of that craft. She details times spent with various lovers, her devotion to her pet rabbit, and an ode to her first cars. In the latter half, she discusses the controversy over her Fresh off the Boat tweets briefly and the reasons for her time away from social media. Because the structure is more essay-like, the timeline is non-linear and certain facts are repeated. I wished it was just a bit more cohesive, but I did enjoy getting to know Constance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Rape
mraible18's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I had downloaded a free ALC through Libro.fm of this audio book and blew through it in a day. Constance narrates the essays in a conversational tone, so listening to the audio book felt like she was telling me stories to get me through my work day. An honest, compelling memoir that gave insight not only into Constance’s past traumas around sexual harassment and assault, but into who she is as “an uncool” person. Definitely recommend picking this one up to read, and recommend the audio book even more strongly!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual harassment
skillwithaquill's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
In a lot of ways, this book shouldn’t be my cup of tea.
There’s so many stories in this book about men and boyfriends and breakups that I rarely if ever seek out in media. I can’t relate to the pressure of “always having a boyfriend since [she] was a teenager” and constantly struggling to make relationships work. That’s never been my experience and sometimes I disconnect with memoirs that are so driven by overwrought romantic entanglements.
But this book deftly weaves poetic themes, imagery, and insight into those relationship stories. They don’t feel trite or boring or too self-indulgent. I did have trouble keeping all the different boyfriends’ names straight by the end of the book, but that’s my fault and not the author’s.
The very uniquely female fear of being labeled and dismissed as “difficult” is interwoven expertly throughout her stories. Even in childhood, girls & AFAB folks are punished for standing up for themselves with ostracism and harsh criticism. It’s a never-ending battle.
I’d rather be a difficult bitch than a push-over or a pick-me any day. But I still have sympathy for those who think they must be push-overs or pick-mes to be accepted and loved. I think this memoir has sympathy for that phenomenon too.
The book gave me more to think about than I expected, which is always a nice surprise.
There’s so many stories in this book about men and boyfriends and breakups that I rarely if ever seek out in media. I can’t relate to the pressure of “always having a boyfriend since [she] was a teenager” and constantly struggling to make relationships work. That’s never been my experience and sometimes I disconnect with memoirs that are so driven by overwrought romantic entanglements.
But this book deftly weaves poetic themes, imagery, and insight into those relationship stories. They don’t feel trite or boring or too self-indulgent. I did have trouble keeping all the different boyfriends’ names straight by the end of the book, but that’s my fault and not the author’s.
The very uniquely female fear of being labeled and dismissed as “difficult” is interwoven expertly throughout her stories. Even in childhood, girls & AFAB folks are punished for standing up for themselves with ostracism and harsh criticism. It’s a never-ending battle.
I’d rather be a difficult bitch than a push-over or a pick-me any day. But I still have sympathy for those who think they must be push-overs or pick-mes to be accepted and loved. I think this memoir has sympathy for that phenomenon too.
The book gave me more to think about than I expected, which is always a nice surprise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Sexual assault
Other possible triggers: descriptions of cyber bullying and internet-specific harassmentserenaasora's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
While I do wish the order of events hadn’t been so jumbled up, I did appreciate the rawness and vulnerability Constance Wu showed us in her memoir. The assault wasn’t skimmed over and it shows us that men, no matter what they look like, in positions of power tens to do what they please and give zero f*cis about who they hurt in the process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
kathshiroma's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
aqtbenz's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment