Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories by Gabrielle Union

17 reviews

zoes_human's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility

Moderate: Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Deadnaming, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

jackelz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

marshmellonie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

magicalrealem's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Racial slurs

torireadswhat's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Gabrielle Union could write a book about watching paint dry and I would probably read it. I loved her first book, We're Going to Need More Wine, and definitely recommend reading it prior to picking up this one. The sheer openness and vulnerability she displays throughout this book is unreal. She talks about everything in her life: relationships, trying to conceive, motherhood, adulthood, the pandemic, parenting, her career - no stone is left unturned. 

With autobiographies/memoirs, I always recommend the audiobooks and this one is no different. Union relayed her words with intent and the perfect tone that made me understand exactly what she meant. 

I do advise the content of some chapters could be triggering as some chapters discuss: sexual assault, trying to conceive/miscarriage, racism.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, and Miscarriage

leighannebfd3b's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Medical content, Pregnancy, and Rape

booksgamesvinyl's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Infertility

Moderate: Rape, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Hate crime