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jenboal's review
3.0
I enjoyed Alaska as a competitor on Ru Paul's Drag Race. Watching her win All Stars was quite a journey to behold. I was curious to read her Memoir to get a behind the scene look at what Drag Race is really like. I felt Alaska gave a good description of how she worked to qualify for the show as well as some first hand experience of being a cast member.
I felt this was a 3.5 star book because I honestly wanted more detail. Alaska was good at talking about wild nights partying with the other queens, but I would have liked even more of a back story on how she developed Alaska. If you are a fan of drag race this is a worthwhile read, if you haven't seen the show the book might leave you with too many unanswered questions.
Thank you Chronicle books and Edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt this was a 3.5 star book because I honestly wanted more detail. Alaska was good at talking about wild nights partying with the other queens, but I would have liked even more of a back story on how she developed Alaska. If you are a fan of drag race this is a worthwhile read, if you haven't seen the show the book might leave you with too many unanswered questions.
Thank you Chronicle books and Edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
snarkytorta's review
5.0
Such a fun book. I felt it was too short. It was a fun chronicle of how a young man who tried to understand his gender identity blossomed to become a famous drag Queen. While skimpy on specific details, Alaska knows how to tell a story. Alaska’s humor and wit makes this book one of the most fun reads I’ve had in a while.
efisher's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
thatsoneforthebooks's review
4.0
Hieeeeeeee!
Sometime during the pandemic, I got hooked on watching Drag Race. It brought levity and joy and color to some of the dark days of COVID. Alaska captured my attention on the show, and reading this and learning more back story was a lot of fun. I've always appreciated Alaska's conceptual take on drag and willingness to play with (and outside) gender, and that comes through in this book.
While certainly far from a literary masterpiece (sometimes transitions are a little few and far between), most of this reads well in Alaska's voice. Providing loads of back story, this book details how Alaska started in drag (including life before drag), auditioning repeatedly for Drag Race, dating Sharon Needles, getting on Drag Race, and how life changed after Drag Race. I also learned a lot about the Pittsburgh drag scene in which Sharon and Alaska grew into their own. I appreciated that throughout the book Alaska owned past mistakes, writing about the bad decisions alongside the good. It's filled with photos, providing glimpses of how Alaska has developed as a queen over her career.
I would have loved more tea on Drag Race, but even as it stands, this was a fun light read that I fully enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC!
Sometime during the pandemic, I got hooked on watching Drag Race. It brought levity and joy and color to some of the dark days of COVID. Alaska captured my attention on the show, and reading this and learning more back story was a lot of fun. I've always appreciated Alaska's conceptual take on drag and willingness to play with (and outside) gender, and that comes through in this book.
While certainly far from a literary masterpiece (sometimes transitions are a little few and far between), most of this reads well in Alaska's voice. Providing loads of back story, this book details how Alaska started in drag (including life before drag), auditioning repeatedly for Drag Race, dating Sharon Needles, getting on Drag Race, and how life changed after Drag Race. I also learned a lot about the Pittsburgh drag scene in which Sharon and Alaska grew into their own. I appreciated that throughout the book Alaska owned past mistakes, writing about the bad decisions alongside the good. It's filled with photos, providing glimpses of how Alaska has developed as a queen over her career.
I would have loved more tea on Drag Race, but even as it stands, this was a fun light read that I fully enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC!