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heatherjchin's review
3.75
Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Sexual violence, Racism, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
addytunn's review against another edition
4.5
And I loved it! Constance Wu shined with the narration of the book, and I swear I could hear her tear up during a certain part. It felt so authentic and unapologetically her.
The one thing I'd tell anyone before reading is that this book is not put in chronological order, and is quite literally a collection of essays. One moment there's an extremely candid chapter about her time in Hollywood, to bubbly childhood memories. If you do decide to check this out, listen to it! You won't regret it.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Pregnancy
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
That being said, these essays are deeply personal and honest. I didn't know much about Constance Wu, beyond having seen her in Crazy Rich Asians (I haven't watched Fresh Off the Boat...), but this book made me admire her and empathize with her. She doesn't hide her flaws or her strengths. She's funny and humorous but is serious when the topic needs it.
One story that stuck with me was about when she was a kid and she wrote something for a class that she was proud of. Her teacher thought it was so good that there was no way she could have written it and accused her of plagiarism...and then proceeded to embarrass her in front of her other teachers (and no one sticks up for her)...honestly it was so heartbreaking, and how it stayed with her and affected her love of writing...you should read the book for the rest of the story, but I'm very glad that Constance got to write this book.
Anyways, an excellent nonfiction read! The author narrates the audio, so I would definitely recommend that route.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio, and the author for my ALC.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Pregnancy
hnagarne's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Minor: Pregnancy
aweekinthelife's review against another edition
3.0
I think the essays/chapters individually are (mostly) solid, but they don't go together well and it ends up feeling more like a series of essays than a single memoir. Some essays are better than others - I think "You Do What I Say" about her time on Fresh off the Boat and "Unfinished Memoirs" about learning to see her parents in a different light are my favorite. The back to back stories of troubled middle school relationships with "Snap and Whistle" followed by "Impeach the President" had me humming Anti-Hero in my head.
I got really into memoirs in 2022 and somehow this one felt like the least relatable memoir I've read, which was unexpected.
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Suicidal thoughts
skillwithaquill's review against another edition
4.0
There’s so many stories in this book about men and boyfriends and breakups that I rarely if ever seek out in media. I can’t relate to the pressure of “always having a boyfriend since [she] was a teenager” and constantly struggling to make relationships work. That’s never been my experience and sometimes I disconnect with memoirs that are so driven by overwrought romantic entanglements.
But this book deftly weaves poetic themes, imagery, and insight into those relationship stories. They don’t feel trite or boring or too self-indulgent. I did have trouble keeping all the different boyfriends’ names straight by the end of the book, but that’s my fault and not the author’s.
The very uniquely female fear of being labeled and dismissed as “difficult” is interwoven expertly throughout her stories. Even in childhood, girls & AFAB folks are punished for standing up for themselves with ostracism and harsh criticism. It’s a never-ending battle.
I’d rather be a difficult bitch than a push-over or a pick-me any day. But I still have sympathy for those who think they must be push-overs or pick-mes to be accepted and loved. I think this memoir has sympathy for that phenomenon too.
The book gave me more to think about than I expected, which is always a nice surprise.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Sexual assault
Other possible triggers: descriptions of cyber bullying and internet-specific harassmentserenaasora's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
alliebee333's review
5.0
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Cursing, Gaslighting, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Racism