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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I'm writing this almost two weeks after finishing it, but there are many pen notes in the book, which means I cried...a lot. T Kira Madden opens up about her upbringing and the attention she seeks as a result of her parents using. This is a story about a young girl looking for love, subjected to the darkness within others and carrying it quietly for years, the sisterhood of fatherless girls and the sexually mature and explicit things they welcome, toxic and healthy romantic relationships, parental disapproval around her sexuality, the inheritance of family trauma and a decision to move towards healing, and the grief of losing a loved one. I cried for her when she reunited with her sister, but I couldn't help but think about my sibling...what would've been if they had survived. Nonetheless, I appreciated the author's vulnerability and insight into the world of an upper-middle (if not upper completely?) class person. I probably wouldn't reread the entire book, but there are definitely certain parts that I'll think of occasionally and return to.
While I found T’Kira relatable, I didn’t care for the structure of the book. It also didn’t offer much self reflection and just generally left me feeling sad. Didn’t live up to the review hype of a brilliant queer coming of age tale.
This books leaves much to be desired and, actually, makes me angry that I finished it. I kept thinking it would get better, or I'd get to some reason to have read it, but I didn't. The organization--back and forth in time, ending with her mother's family and two children given away for adoption--was clunky and awkward. The writing wasn't bad, which is the only thing that kept me reading, but there are much better narratives.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Non linear memoir and storytelling, very powerful and dark and real. Her loss of her dad, the way she comes into herself... very good memoir
I had to break up reading this over a few days because it was honestly hard to read at parts. God I really feel for little T Kira. I think breaking it up also blunted the impact a little bit but now that I'm done I'm reflecting on it and I'm like damn that was a beautiful memoir. I'm not as good of a writer as she is so it's hard to describe! Raw, unflinching, open, straightforward, exquisitely detailed... ok I can't really describe it. But I recommend it.
This memoir is about a young woman who is the daughter of a Hawaiian Chinese mother and a Jewish father, who grows up in Boca Raton Florida. Her family is well off but dysfunctional. For instance, she has her own horses and competes with them, but her older cousin ends up taking her to one of her competitions when she's still in grade school because our author's parents have been holed up in their room for the last week doing cocaine.
T Kira grows up finding solace with other girls who are about as fucked up as she is. She explores her sexual identity, grieves the loss of her father, and more. There's a bombshell around the 90 percent mark in the book, and another right at the end. I wont' reveal any spoilers, though. I love Madden's writing and the way she describes her flawed mother and father with compassion. Recommended.
T Kira grows up finding solace with other girls who are about as fucked up as she is. She explores her sexual identity, grieves the loss of her father, and more. There's a bombshell around the 90 percent mark in the book, and another right at the end. I wont' reveal any spoilers, though. I love Madden's writing and the way she describes her flawed mother and father with compassion. Recommended.
“At the end of the day, a blonde dreidel of a woman passed around a pack of Salem Lights and told us all to sniff them and let the consequences spill over our hearts.”
Incredibly magnetic book that I devoured within a few reading sessions. Illustrative writing that darted between a lot of different periods in her life. Reminded me a bit of Haruki Murakami’s writing. Highly recommended!
Incredibly magnetic book that I devoured within a few reading sessions. Illustrative writing that darted between a lot of different periods in her life. Reminded me a bit of Haruki Murakami’s writing. Highly recommended!
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
A complicated and intense memoir. While this book had quite a slow start, the way the pieces all fit together showcased an artistic style that really captured my attention. The complex nature of her relationship with her parents, and especially diving into her own mother’s story made this book very worth the read. All in all, it’s an often dark story told in a very hopeful light.