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Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist by Franchesca Ramsey
tiffanywang29's review
4.0
My first time winning one of the Goodreads giveaways, and I'm so happy it's this book because I love the cover and will want to lend this book to other people :)
It's always cool to read stories about accidental activists, or people who didn't always know that they were going to be so-called social justice warriors (look it up - the definition is in the book). To be very honest, I actual had never seen "Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls" before this book, but learning about Ramsey's past before the video and just posting YouTube videos for fun is fascinating. The one thing that bothered me a little about the book was that the first half was very memoir-like, but then it just turned into a handbook for people interested in social justice. I wanted to know more about her story rather than only the things you can do to be more socially aware. I think it's fairly accessible for people who aren't familiar with activism at all, but I wanted to know more about her specifically rather than general activist things. Overall, though, it was very cute and relatable and fun to read.
It's always cool to read stories about accidental activists, or people who didn't always know that they were going to be so-called social justice warriors (look it up - the definition is in the book). To be very honest, I actual had never seen "Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls" before this book, but learning about Ramsey's past before the video and just posting YouTube videos for fun is fascinating. The one thing that bothered me a little about the book was that the first half was very memoir-like, but then it just turned into a handbook for people interested in social justice. I wanted to know more about her story rather than only the things you can do to be more socially aware. I think it's fairly accessible for people who aren't familiar with activism at all, but I wanted to know more about her specifically rather than general activist things. Overall, though, it was very cute and relatable and fun to read.
bestoffates's review
4.0
This book is less memoir and more guide to how to critique and be critiqued, told through her own mistakes and experiences. I have somewhat followed Fran's career (i.e. I followed her on Snapchat and tried to remember to watch The Nightly Show) so was somewhat familiar with lots of the stories she shares but appreciated being reintroduced to them from her current perspective. A really fast, enjoyable read and a good reminder that we can all do better.
shelltrice's review
4.0
This book is less memoir and more guide to how to critique and be critiqued, told through her own mistakes and experiences. I have somewhat followed Fran's career (i.e. I followed her on Snapchat and tried to remember to watch The Nightly Show) so was somewhat familiar with lots of the stories she shares but appreciated being reintroduced to them from her current perspective. A really fast, enjoyable read and a good reminder that we can all do better.
jb4nay's review against another edition
5.0
A really nice book about growth and how learning never ends for anyone. It was funny and genuine while being grounded in a reality that a lot of people could relate to
vanessaxrene's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
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I LOVE THIS DARN BOOK. I’ve never read a book that seems so relatable to my own upbringing and things I face daily.
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Francesca faces what many women of color, and women in general face on a day to bay basis. She talks about the struggles growing up and those lovely awkward years of “early adulthood”, in which we all have to pretend we know what we’re doing, when in reality we are lost.
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She really encapsulates how one viral video does not make a woman, and becoming internet famous is much more difficult that in seems.
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It lost me a bit in the few of the later chapters which became a little monotonous , but over all a great book with tons of hilarious stories that we can all related to.
.
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I LOVE THIS DARN BOOK. I’ve never read a book that seems so relatable to my own upbringing and things I face daily.
.
.
Francesca faces what many women of color, and women in general face on a day to bay basis. She talks about the struggles growing up and those lovely awkward years of “early adulthood”, in which we all have to pretend we know what we’re doing, when in reality we are lost.
.
.
She really encapsulates how one viral video does not make a woman, and becoming internet famous is much more difficult that in seems.
.
.
It lost me a bit in the few of the later chapters which became a little monotonous , but over all a great book with tons of hilarious stories that we can all related to.
amibunk's review against another edition
3.0
As I try to bridge the gap from being not racist to becoming anti racist, I made the goal to read more books by people of color. This book was recommended to me and it was in stock at the library so I took it for a sign to start it.
First impression is that I would have enjoyed this book even more if I had been familiar with the author beforehand. Or if I was more into social networks like Tumblr or YouTube. Or if I had any sort of technological moxie.
Secondly, I didn’t realize that it was such a journey for a Black person to become an activist. I ridiculously assumed that because of the systemic racism in society this just automatically happened in elementary school or something for people of color.. Which is absurd and I am grateful to know better now.
My final thought is that Franchesca Ramsey is a fresh breath of air in her openness and willingness to admit mistakes and ignorance in her journey for social justice. I very much want to follow her example.
First impression is that I would have enjoyed this book even more if I had been familiar with the author beforehand. Or if I was more into social networks like Tumblr or YouTube. Or if I had any sort of technological moxie.
Secondly, I didn’t realize that it was such a journey for a Black person to become an activist. I ridiculously assumed that because of the systemic racism in society this just automatically happened in elementary school or something for people of color.. Which is absurd and I am grateful to know better now.
My final thought is that Franchesca Ramsey is a fresh breath of air in her openness and willingness to admit mistakes and ignorance in her journey for social justice. I very much want to follow her example.
mjbirdy's review
4.0
As a (rather passive) fan of Decoded and Last Name Basis, I got this book hoping it would be a fun, easy read and it delivered on exactly that.
The book has some real gems and some really great stories that reminded me on journey to ‘wokeness’
The book has some real gems and some really great stories that reminded me on journey to ‘wokeness’
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a good reminder that none of us are perfect, that all of us mess up, and that we are all capable of doing better.
Sometimes it was uncomfortable to hear about really offensive things Ramsey did or said when she was younger, and at times she could even come off as kind of mean, but honestly, this is probably true about everyone. The important lesson I learned from this is no matter what mistakes I have made, there is hope for me, and I can do the work and be/do better.
Sometimes it was uncomfortable to hear about really offensive things Ramsey did or said when she was younger, and at times she could even come off as kind of mean, but honestly, this is probably true about everyone. The important lesson I learned from this is no matter what mistakes I have made, there is hope for me, and I can do the work and be/do better.
stephanieviolet's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing and enjoyable! I couldn't put it down and read it within a few days! Really made me think and laugh!
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
“But when it comes to basic human rights issues—like trans bathroom laws, affordable health care, or same-sex marriage—agreeing to disagree feels nearly impossible. An opinion stops being “just an opinion” when it supports the mistreatment or oppression of others.”
I know that this was recommended somewhere on the Internet as a funny audiobook. Now I can’t find my source, but I wish I could. Not that this book wasn’t funny, but I need to pay more attention to my sources for reviews. I am almost 65 years old and a book written by a 35-year-old about being a YouTube sensation may not be as funny for me as for a 35-year-old. Mostly this is my fault, I don’t keep up with YouTube and much of social media at all.
I guess I could have stopped listening since this was not exactly what I was looking for, but I just couldn’t let go. One of the reasons I became a librarian was because I like learning. Ramsey taught me a lot. I might not need to know about MTV’s program Decoded or Ramsey’s hairstyling videos, but this is a world I will never be native to. So, learning a few things from a digital native didn’t hurt.
The other thing I learned is to pay more attention to the type of person who is suggesting an audio. I may not understand the context well enough to get all the jokes.
I know that this was recommended somewhere on the Internet as a funny audiobook. Now I can’t find my source, but I wish I could. Not that this book wasn’t funny, but I need to pay more attention to my sources for reviews. I am almost 65 years old and a book written by a 35-year-old about being a YouTube sensation may not be as funny for me as for a 35-year-old. Mostly this is my fault, I don’t keep up with YouTube and much of social media at all.
I guess I could have stopped listening since this was not exactly what I was looking for, but I just couldn’t let go. One of the reasons I became a librarian was because I like learning. Ramsey taught me a lot. I might not need to know about MTV’s program Decoded or Ramsey’s hairstyling videos, but this is a world I will never be native to. So, learning a few things from a digital native didn’t hurt.
The other thing I learned is to pay more attention to the type of person who is suggesting an audio. I may not understand the context well enough to get all the jokes.