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Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu
49 reviews
thealyssa_ann's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I definitely have a thing for celebrity memoirs and this is a real standout. You can literally hear the emotion and the heart that went into the telling of Simu’s story as he reads it. I really really appreciate that he didn’t shy away from really difficult topics, including emotional and physical abuse that is often glossed over in this genre. Plus any book that ends with telling me to hug my family and my dog immediately has my heart.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
daniellekat's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Overall I was a little disappointed by this. The first Act of the book was by far my favourite. It was beautifully written and touching, but still maintained a lighthearted humour.
The beginning of Act 2 was incredible and raw. The reader really got insight at how Simu’s formative years and experiences shaped him as a person (for better or worse). But by the end of Act 2, I was disengaged. Simu’s university days were described in so much detail and as a Canadian, I was annoyed by the constant use of words like “freshman, sophomore, etc.” Canadians don’t use that terminology and the “Americanization” of some of the language in the book just left it feeling inauthentic.
I have very mixed feelings about Act 3. I loved reading about Simu’s struggle and ownership of his identity as a minority, and I think that narrative could resonate with many readers (myself included). BUT the entire 3rd Act was just “I worked hard and this thing happened or I worked hard and I failed so I worked even harder.” Honestly it was just boring to get through. I missed reading the rawness of his relationship with his parents and how they worked on healing their relationship.
Ultimately the writing was entertaining (I think it would have been even better in audio format) and if you’re a fan of Simu Liu I would recommend.
The beginning of Act 2 was incredible and raw. The reader really got insight at how Simu’s formative years and experiences shaped him as a person (for better or worse). But by the end of Act 2, I was disengaged. Simu’s university days were described in so much detail and as a Canadian, I was annoyed by the constant use of words like “freshman, sophomore, etc.” Canadians don’t use that terminology and the “Americanization” of some of the language in the book just left it feeling inauthentic.
I have very mixed feelings about Act 3. I loved reading about Simu’s struggle and ownership of his identity as a minority, and I think that narrative could resonate with many readers (myself included). BUT the entire 3rd Act was just “I worked hard and this thing happened or I worked hard and I failed so I worked even harder.” Honestly it was just boring to get through. I missed reading the rawness of his relationship with his parents and how they worked on healing their relationship.
Ultimately the writing was entertaining (I think it would have been even better in audio format) and if you’re a fan of Simu Liu I would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Racial slurs
author2223's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
klc17's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Racism
lit_with_lauren's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
leiannasaur's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
It makes me happy and hopeful about my own future as a first-generation kid. Some of this hit too close to home (especially having the "superpower" of switching tabs from MSN messaging to homework seamlessly). But it helped me celebrate the move towards representation of Asian Americans, and having a story of the kid who broke through fulfilling only his parents' expectations is SO important.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
So Simu and I have the same exact birthday (April 19th) We are both millennials (He is 33, I’m 30) & we both are children of immigrants who came to North America for a better life (He grew up in Canada, I grew up in the United States) Destiny amirite? 😌😉 lol I did the audio of this one because I love listening to writers who were responsible for their own work take charge of the words they penned for the world to read. It takes a lot of guts for anyone to pick and choose what aspects of their life they want to share with us. This memoir in particular was emotionally charged, vulnerable, raw, authentic, a little goofy/silly at times but it captures Simu Liu at his best. The way in which he speaks about his grandparents, his true caretakers from the time he was born to about four years old, made me bawl my eyes out because his voice broke with a lot of emotion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Xenophobia
jessicastephenson's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
As a huge fan of Kim's Convenience and by extension, Simu, I was so excited to read this book. I loved the backstory of his parents he included; it brought better context to his relationship with them and was generally informative of life in China. Perhaps the thing I loved most about this book was the way in which I can relate to Simu's struggle in pursuing a career he himself dreamed of, not one that was dreamed up for him by others. Admittedly I do not face the same challenges in life as Simu considering I am a white woman, but I've gone through a similar journey of self discovery that was stilted at first due to the pressures and expectations of my family. This was an awesome read that I thoroughly enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
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