Reviews with content warning for Infertility - You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories

Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories by Gabrielle Union

34 reviews

ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

5.0

A celebrity memoir really hinges on how honest and vulnerable the author is willing to be. Gabrielle Union states that vulnerability doesn’t come easy to her, but you wouldn’t know it from either of her books. Her stories are remarkably forthright and honest.

I adored her first book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, and this one is just as good. (Confession: I harbor a fantasy where she and I are friends). She tells stories about her life that are both funny and heartbreaking, while weaving in commentary about being a Black woman both in the world in general and in Hollywood specifically.

Obviously, the book is at its most emotional and poignant in the more serious stories: the journey of Kaavia James’ birth, navigating Zaya’s journey of gender discovery, and the aftermath of her rape at age 19. But, I also found myself getting choked up at lighter stories, including a dance battle with Bruno Mars. Union finds the heart and meaning behind every story she tells, which makes for an incredibly affecting read.

I listened to this one on audio, and I highly recommend it, as she reads it herself. It truly feels like sitting with a girlfriend and learning what makes her tick. I absolutely loved it.

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zoes_human's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Yet again, I find myself blown away by the introspection and wisdom of this woman. In this more than worthy successor to <u>We're Going to Need More Wine</u>, Gabrielle this time shares her experiences with miscarriage, surrogacy, rape trauma recovery, white supremacy, perimenopause, loving and supporting the women in her life, finding her place as a stepmom, a dance battle with Bruno Mars, and a Thanksgiving dinner wrecked by Lemoncello.

There are triggers in here, but there is also joy and wisdom and a celebration of life and learning. Her vulnerability is a gift to us all.

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jackelz's review against another edition

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challenging reflective fast-paced

I didn’t realize this was her second book until I started reading this. I don’t think you need to read the first one to appreciate this one, but I’ll be going back and reading ‘We’re Going to Need More Wine’ because I enjoyed this one so much.

Gabrielle tells us stories of her infertility struggles and her daughters birth via surrogacy, her rape as a teenager, her step daughters coming out as transgender, her suicide ideation, and racism in this country and abroad. There are also moments of joy in between.

This book makes me look at Bring It On differently. Gabrielle takes a look back on her role as Isis and how the Clovers were treated differently than the Toros. Things I definitely didn’t think about then.

And the last story titled ‘Standards and Practices: A Tragedy in Three Acts’ is 🔥. She’s so vulnerable and honest with all of her stories, and she tells them so well.

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wellreadmegs's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

In her second book, Gabrielle Union picks up right where she left off in her first book. Union shares stories of infertility., friendship, family, race & gender. I appreciate how honest she is in her stories and hearing her narrate them feels like you're having a wine night with a close friend.

Highly recommend listening to both books!

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beckbrl's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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magicalrealem's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

You Got Anything Stronger? by Gabrielle Union was the FBC November pick. This is Union’s second collection of personal essays and it’s a strong collection of vulnerable stories. Union’s writing is frank, honest, and clear. Some essays are humorous and others are more serious, including the first two essays which were brutal, emotional, and powerful. Union revisits her infertility journey and decision to choose a surrogate after receiving a medical diagnosis that previous fertility doctors missed. She writes about the days after her violent rape, a part of herself she had long locked away, watching Team USA Basketball and Gail Devers in the 1992 Olympics and how they showed her she would one day be able to get back up again. She writes a letter to Isis, her Bring It On character, who she created, birthed in her words, and how she failed her; she writes about her step-daughter’s, Zaya, trans journey. She writes about racism, blackface, neo-Nazis, appropriation, systems of oppression, dance-offs, strippers, limoncello, her Matrix audition, and much more.

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aqtbenz's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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sadiereadthat's review

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emotional informative fast-paced

4.5

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killahkayyy_'s review

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slow-paced

3.0

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bookjunkie57's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories

I Picked Up This Book Because: Following up from first book

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: P Public Library
Dates Read: 10/22/21 - 10/24/21
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Gabrielle Union

The Story:

I was excited to see Gabrielle had written another book because I wanted to see how her life has changed and grown in the years since her first book and she did not disappoint. I am glad she shared her journey through infertility, motherhood, step motherhood, the evolving of her children as people and the evolving of herself.

The Random Thoughts:

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