Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Finding Me by Viola Davis

49 reviews

inthemoonforcheese's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5


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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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alybarnett02's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Absolutely amazing audio book. Violas story of growing up in poverty is heartbreaking yet inspiring. Just wow. Then into her acting career as a black woman. Can’t recommend enough 

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bookish_den's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a stellar memoir, as you would have expected from such an acclaimed actor, ofc it won a Grammy 👏 

I’ve always admired Viola's impressive acting skills, her powerful award speeches, her funny and kind personality in interviews, her IG acc focused on spreading love and positive stories, but I had no idea about her life and where she came from and how she got to where she is.

With a traumatic past rooted in poverty, racism and abuse, in this book she self reflects on her life and makes amends with the child she once was and who endured so much to be where her adult self is today.

Later on the book touches on some industry insights, I loved how passionately she talked about theatre specifically, it also addresses howprivilege and luck are big factors in making it in Hollywood, the struggles for women in the business and specially black women, the impact of colorism and sexism in role casting and payment, the problem of health insurance and affordable housing without fair living wages (reading it in the context of the Sag Aftra strike made it specially impactful), but above all “Finding Me” is a very vulnerable story of pain and forgiveness and finding joy and love and healing generational trauma.

Memoirs are hard to criticize cause who are we to dissect and debate someone else’s life? this one was flawless and Viola being the great actor she is did a masterful voice work, how matter of factly she sounded at times, or how mad or happy or sad, the accents, the different cadences of speech for different people, all excellent.

Im not gonna lie, at times it was too much for me, too sad, too raw, too distressing, but the hope for her kept me going, knowing where she’d eventually end did help me walk alongside her through all the hard places she went through before. 

Im proud of her and the success and acclaim she has achieved but im marveled and wowed at her soul, her unbreakable spirit, her empathy and kindness, her ability to understand and forgive and heal and choose love.

Everyone should read this.

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emily_koopmann's review against another edition

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buud_w0rm's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

This book. This is the most inspiring story. So much respect and admiration for this woman. Everyone should know her story!

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brookey8888's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

This was really good! I honestly knew nothing about her when I picked this up, I just liked her as an actress. I didn’t realize the life she lived and how amazing and inspiring that makes her. This has some really dark topics, but there’s a lot of light as well. I really enjoyed her talking about healing her younger self. This did make me tear up when she was talking about her father dying and how they see the ones that passed before they go. I’m excited to watch more things she’s in because I realize I haven’t seen all that much. 

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anastasia_raf's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

I don't think you can "rate" a person's life, so I'm just rating the pacing, the writing and the overall composition of the book.
I kept reading and reading and often wondered how did she kept on going? I know What kept her going, but still...how was that enough? A lot of her experiences brought me to tears, terrified me, and made me think of how lucky I am and how much protection, opportunity and "luck" White privilege provides.
Viola Davis is an incredible actor and so very talented in so many fields.
There were a lot of quotes from this memoir that stuck with me.
Here's one of them: "stop making love to something that's killing you."

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hannah_and_her_stories's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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miayukino's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25


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