Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Finding Me by Viola Davis

93 reviews

juliaarcisz's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual violence

gabi_715's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Medical content, Addiction, Grief, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

darlingmoira's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This is a beautiful book. Viola Davis has been one of my favorite actresses for many years and when I heard about her book and the praise it was getting I knew I had to give it a try. The book is beautiful and sad and moving. Her writing so deeply has her voice behind it. Her life and the stories are so clear you can picture every moment. 
I have so much respect for her and her drive. I would love to just sit with her and continue to hear her life’s stories. She deserves all the praise she is getting and I hope she realizes the power she has brought to women (especially black women) by telling her story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Addiction, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pedophilia

oxfordcommas91's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Excrement, Sexual violence, Grief, Bullying, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Medical content, Physical abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Drug use

imanimckoy's review

inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I listened to the audiobook version, and Viola is an incredible story teller. Her Grammy for her reading of it was absolutely deserved. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Incest, Addiction, Violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Infertility, and Abortion

emma_reards's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

I loved Viola Davis as an actress before reading her memoir, but I now have so much respect and admiration for her as a person. The trauma she endured as a child is something I couldn’t even begin to fathom, and the perseverance and tenacity she had to push through and overcome those traumas to get where she is today is truly inspiring.

This book is about Viola learning to love herself despite never feeling worthy of that love. She learns to recognize her trauma rather than suppress them, and gives herself permission to forgive and grow from it.

Viola’s childhood is heartbreaking, but her evolution as a person is inspiring. I think everyone can learn some important lessons from this book.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Animal death, Abortion, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Mental illness

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Physical abuse, Racism, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Dementia, Excrement, Grief, Bullying, Alcoholism, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

youmns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

Oof. Viola Davis is one tough lady. This whole book should come with a giant trigger warning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pregnancy, Abortion, Body shaming, and Infidelity

Minor: Pedophilia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Infertility, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, and Cancer

yreluctant's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Rape, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Animal death

kristinescorner's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Mental illness, Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction and Abortion