Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis

399 reviews

ayandell5's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Such a powerful story.  One that is absolutely heartbreaking and painstakingly beautiful at the same time.  If you can listen to this audiobook, I highly recommend that option.  Viola is, as many know, a magical storyteller.  I shed a few tears throughout, and wept at the end of the last chapter.  I jotted down so many quotes from this book.  I didn’t expect to relate and yet there were moments I did, and she gave me new perspective in those moments.  I have been a fan of Viola’s for some time now, but this just gives me a new level of respect and love for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent

mel_lo77's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

My only scale down with this book is that at times it felt like the writing repeated itself. At times it felt like particular phrases were repeated because the thing mentioned got moved around when edited. Otherwise beautifully told. Super inspiring. Audio book narration of course is 10/5!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment

anarobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.25

Devastating. Powerful. Beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Racial slurs, Rape, and Death of parent

pagesandpixels's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

So poetically written. I listened on audiobook and it was beautiful and engaging. What a life Viola lived and what an honor to listen. Another great book that reminds us why we need to buy/listen to women voices and stories.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Excrement

hellokaley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Viola describes the definition of a hero as someone born into a world where they don't fit in, they are then summoned on a call to an adventure that they are reluctant to take. This is her hero’s journey from poverty, abuse, and trauma to an Oscar-winning actress. 

This story is heavy with content warnings galore. And truthfully, after the first half of the book, I was ready for the second part of the story- the part where she is triumphant. Because that first half is hard and uncomfortable and her circumstances were unimaginable. Her story is truly phenomenal. 

I loved her approach with talking about the Hollywood industry. She not only talks about the work of character development and figuring out how to understand and portray the person on the script, but she spoke about the challenging logistics of working actors. From auditioning, rejections, pay, insurance, traveling, and often not always a place to call home, it’s not all glamorous. She also highlights the challenges that Black actors face in the industry. 

Viola’s performance in the audiobook is powerful. She is honest and raw in her words and her delivery and did a beautiful job. I have learned so much about her through her book and am happy I read it. “The purpose of life is to live it” and Viola Davis is doing just that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Pedophilia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol

aliteraryescape's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use and Sexual assault

clpaige's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Medical content

Moderate: Infertility, Racism, and Toxic relationship

chantellei's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual assault

Minor: Addiction

alizasminilibrary's review against another edition

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

5.0

When it comes to memoirs a big portion of the ones I have read are typically from white authors or men. Those are the ones that typically get praised and uplifted. I do not want to diminish the work of those authors because they cannot change who they are and they deserve to be supported however it is hard to find memoirs of black women that do not get torn down and regarded as them just whining or unlikeable.

Listening to Mrs.Viola Davis explain her life and how she became who she is while struggling to understand herself as an impoverished black woman struggling and in a place where young girls were preyed on and black people were seen as less, ripped out my soul and formulated a mixture of emotions I have no way else to describe than as pain.

As a black woman who was grown up in poverty and who constantly moved around my only reprieve was the black community. This is a wonderful read that I will be recommending to as many people as I can. Especially to black woman, Mrs.Davis breaks the generational barriers of acknowledging issues such as mental illness, and having a differing personality than that expected of a black woman. 

It is also just the funniest thing ever that Mrs.Davis visited The Gambia, which is where my father was born and raised and where my half-siblings all still live.

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Content Warnings

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

francina31's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence