Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis

45 reviews

koala982's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

- I already liked Viola Davis going into this book, and now I like her even more! The story she tells about her life (her childhood, how she got to where she is, her life now) is spectacular, and the way she frames and processes everything is too. Also her personality really comes through --she seems like a genuine and grounded person.
- What I didn't like about the book was the structure and the writing. The overall structure (going from chapter to chapter) is fine, but the structure of the chapters themselves was sort of weird. I wasn't always sure when  something was happening, the transitions between very different topics was often sudden, and really big things (

like a family with kidnapped children living in their apartment

) would be briefly mentioned and not picked up until much later. The phrasing of things was odd sometimes too (how many times can you use the phrase "the one-two punch of ___"). I feel like the book could've used a closer read from an editor. It could also be the case that it would be more natural/less off-putting listened to than read.
- I love her use of punctuation!!!
- I also appreciated the information she provided about how the theater/film/tv industry works. It helped explain why the media we consume looks the way it does and also showed me how hard being an actor can be/often is.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse

seullywillikers's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I've always admired Ms. Davis as an actor, and this memoir is the catalyst for falling in love with her as a person. Raw, honest, brutal, and beautiful, listening to Ms. Davis tell her story without flinching, pulling punches, or apology, has been an incredible experience. Her compassion and empathy are without compare, and her focus on seeing the humanity in all people is a testament to her strength and inner goddess.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Cancer, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Excrement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

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

5.0

One of the most powerful biographies I’ve ever listened to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Rape, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abortion, Pedophilia, Incest, Infertility, and Pregnancy

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Medical content

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

QUOTE 

"It is a widely held belief that dark-skinned women just don't do it for a lot of Black men. It's a mentality rooted in both racism and misogyny, that you have no value as a woman if you do not turn them on, if you are not desirable to them. It's ingrained thinking, dictated by oppression." 

THINGS I ENJOYED

• Viola Davis' narration in the audiobook: she is a powerhouse!
• What a life story!
• Great insights into the world of acting (theatre, cinema and tv), including the difficulties in “making it” and the prejudice within it
• The way Viola’s dedication to her art is palpable is incredible and inspiring
• It’s a very raw book and it definitely appeals to your emotions

THINGS I DIDN'T ENJOY

• There are sections where the book jumps back and forward in time, without references, and it gets a bit confusing/hard to follow

RECOMMENDED TO

• If you’re into memoirs, you’ll probably like this one!
• Viola Davis fans and appreciators of the art of acting will probably like this one particularly (the second half especially)
• This is a strong one and I found myself selecting almost every item from the TW list, so be aware of that going in!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Animal death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Abortion, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Death of parent, Rape, Infertility, and Vomit

fatkidatheartreads's review against another edition

4.0

"The invisibility of the one-two punch that is Blackness and poverty is brutal."

This book is a one-two punch. Most of her stories will bring tears to your eyes. What a sad, enlightening and empowering read! 

Tw: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

minibean24's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Viola’s story is incredible, and her memoir is beautifully written and painfully raw. I felt like I could feel her hurt. Her narration in the audiobook is fantastic- it made all the important people in her life absolutely come to life. **Please pay attention to the content warnings, as some she discusses in detail and are quite hard to hear about, even if they are not a trigger!**

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Cancer, Abortion, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Incest

Minor: Kidnapping, Infertility, Drug use, Sexism, and Drug abuse

aloy's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Cancer, Addiction, Sexual violence, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Blood, Alcoholism, Racism, Physical abuse, Infertility, and Domestic abuse

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

WOW. I fully expected this book, especially the audiobook, to be completely and totally amazing, and it absolutely was. I had no idea what a rough childhood full of poverty and abuse Viola Davis endured. I cried, I laughed, I was hooked from the very first line (if you've read it, you know 😂🤌).

Update after first reread:
This is just as much a five star read the second time around 🙌 I don't often buy audiobooks or reread them, but this one felt like the perfect way to wrap up a challenge I'm doing on IG. I had forgotten about some of the details of just how rough her childhood was (that cat part like wut 😳)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Grief, Death of parent, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcoholism, and Abortion

Moderate: Toxic relationship

stoleyourfoodinthelibrary's review against another edition

emotional inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Death of parent, Bullying, Grief, Child abuse, Body shaming, Racism, Violence, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Minor: Toxic relationship and Vomit

tgrace95's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Death of parent, and Terminal illness