Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Finding Me by Viola Davis

107 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

googie_puvdan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Viola Davis' words and experiences resonated with me far deeper than I thought when I started this memoir.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual violence, Racism, and Domestic abuse

parmnoodles's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective

5.0

I decided to listen to this book when I realized Viola Davis narrated it herself. I had seen a few movies with her in it, but didn’t know much else about her life. Wow. What an inspiring human being. This can be a truly hard listen at points, this woman has endured a LOT of awful shit. Definitely sparked an interest in listening to/reading more memoirs, I love the knowledge I was able to take away(:

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual violence

oxfordcommas91's review against another edition

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

allisonkhenson's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

“How do I get to the mountaintop without legs”

“It was trying to save someone else while I was drowning”

“Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a different past”

Hearing her narrate her story like this was so captivating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism

danielavasquez's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion

hayleyrosedean's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault

bethanyt123's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Child death, Death of parent, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Infertility, and Bullying

itscassie's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Viola’s storytelling ability coupled with the depths of vulnerability and healing she shares had me in awe throughout each chapter. I felt I saw a distant relative telling me their life lessons and speaking to the young girl, adolescent in me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual violence, Classism, Death of parent, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Bullying, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Cursing, Sexual violence, Abortion, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Medical trauma