Reviews tagging 'Death'

Finding Me by Viola Davis

59 reviews

laneylo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I'm still in tears. This was incredibly moving and inspiring. Viola Davis is an icon and it didn't happen overnight. She recounts her memories, some heartbreaking and others heartfelt. To know a life and story then see how far they've come is overwhelming and I admire her all the more for it. 

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cadystanton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

3.75


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juliaarcisz's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense

4.75


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oxfordcommas91's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

This memoir blew me away. I listened to it on audiobook and listening to Viola Davis narrate the story of her life was powerful beyond belief. Her story is at once heartbreaking and inspiring - she persevered through nearly impossible odds to be the famous Hollywood A lister she is today. 
The majority of her memoir takes place in her formative, early years - first, as a highly impoverished child who is bullied relentlessly for both being black and poor, then as a teen and young adult who was still both black and poor but learning about her true passion and chasing it fervently.
While parts of this book were incredibly difficult to listen to (please do note the content warnings on this book and take them seriously - it dives deep into some very traumatic topics like sexual abuse, domestic violence, and losing a parent to cancer), it somehow remained hopeful. Davis’s story was woven with expertise as she shared her thoughtful reflections on these different points in her life and how she arrived to where she is now. This book gives a true, honest account that doesn’t turn away from difficult topics like racism in the film and acting industry. It forces the reader (or listener) to confront difficult truths about how even at the height of her career, Davis herself still felt like an outsider, forced to take the “fun best friend” roles and not the leading lady roles, reserved for her lighter skinned counterparts. 
I laughed, I cried, and am so grateful to Viola for sharing her life with the world.

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princesslo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Quite unrelenting in the pain but also inspiring 

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

Davis has lived a life full of good and bad times, torture and fame, love and grief. While reading, I consistently found myself wanting more — details, anecdotes, snapshots of the past. What has been written is engaging, entertaining, and at times even inspiring but I still wished for more. Davis’ role as Annalise Keating is one of my absolute favorite television roles and I would read two more books this length about her life, her time on different sets, and the people she’s worked with who she came to love and respect. 

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yreluctant's review against another edition

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5.0


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kristinescorner's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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bethanyt123's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
Truly worth ten reads. Enlightening, inspiring, devastating, painful, and moving. Viola manages to open the doors to exploring the intricacies of racism in a welcoming, inviting, and honest way. I’m convinced the only way to read this is via audiobook, recorded by Viola herself. The performance is enrapturing. Thank you, Viola Davis, for opening your heart to us.

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savyelizabeth's review against another edition

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4.5


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