Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

83 reviews

andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

4.5 stars!

This book was as great as I expected!
Trevor himself narrates it and it truly does add the necessary emotions! I highly recommend listening to this book!

Content Warning: the horrors of apartheid, abuse, rasism (on a whole other level than what I've read before!..both systematic and individual); police brutality, attempted murder, organised crime;etc

As beautiful this book was with it's moments about Trevor's shenanigans as a child, his first crush on a girl, the banter with his mom, Patricia, and his whole family, as heart wrenching it was when he moved to his strained relationship with his dad due to distance, the absolute appalling ways in which apartheid divided people and induced rasism in them towards others; how unfair and completely mindblowing it was to be anything but white in South Africa - from work available to you, education (don't get me started on that one...I find it disgusting how ignorant people usually blame natives or just all black people of Africa for their countries not 'progressing as it used to'...>..>); how all these affected him and how differential that can be based on skin shade and centuries of indoctrination 0_0 .

I also loved his view on what criminality means to people with and without means and how easy lines can be erased based on what options you have. The courage to speak about that...0_0..once again...amazing audiobook!

The only reason this book isn't a 5 star for me...it's the few moments in which the events change without a clear denomination...even with him reading to me, I still had a hard time figuring out that we change subjects/ events.

I highly recommend you to read this book if you want to learn a bit more about South Africa through the eyes of a child, a mixed South African child. You won't regret it!

Trevor acknowledges the small privilege he had growing up as a child of a white man, and gives such a depth and needed context why he is the way he is, why comedy is such an important part of his life and more or less, he gives you, the reader, basis in understanding his material...as you find out so much more than a basic story about some celebrity! 

Enjoy 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Murder, Genocide, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Violence, Slavery, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

navyredrose's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Colonisation

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Suicide

Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, and War

ecster's review

dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Bullying, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Blood

Minor: Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

astridmalmhester's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Racism, Sexism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Xenophobia and Child abuse

mushureads44's review against another edition

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Violence, Racism, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Colonisation, and War

sabrina_d_arcy's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Violence, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

Minor: Abandonment, Antisemitism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Addiction, and Excrement

jht5791's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Blood, Racism, Misogyny, Confinement, Bullying, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

brookey8888's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I went through a lot of emotions reading this. I learned a lot because honestly I had to clue about the partides in South Africa so it was really interesting to learn about that and it made me mad. I also laughed a lot. Trevor. Noah is a wonderful narrator. This also made me cry which I wasn’t expecting. I really liked learning about his mother and what a strong woman she is. That was probably my favorite part. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Racism

rachelle_reads's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Police brutality, Gun violence, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, and Violence