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fwarg's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Racism
melissa_cosgrove's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
WOW wow wow wow this was so good.
This book is heavy, for sure. But there’s hope here too. The language is rich and raw and unique, his voice is direct and honest, and there’s a rhythm and cohesiveness to the whole experience.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a memoir written in second person before, and I’m blown away by how well it worked here. It was a really creative, effective way to portray such a complicated maternal relationship.
As someone who also has a very complicated relationship with my mother, I was in awe of his capacity for compassion and empathy, while staying true to himself, his trauma, his very justified anger and pain. It’s a delicate balance I have yet to achieve in my own writing. I underlined so many quotes in this book, and I know I’ll be reading it again.
Really really excited to see him speak in Buffalo next week. Really really excited to read the rest of his work.
This book is powerful and abundant and I was hanging on every word.
This book is heavy, for sure. But there’s hope here too. The language is rich and raw and unique, his voice is direct and honest, and there’s a rhythm and cohesiveness to the whole experience.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a memoir written in second person before, and I’m blown away by how well it worked here. It was a really creative, effective way to portray such a complicated maternal relationship.
As someone who also has a very complicated relationship with my mother, I was in awe of his capacity for compassion and empathy, while staying true to himself, his trauma, his very justified anger and pain. It’s a delicate balance I have yet to achieve in my own writing. I underlined so many quotes in this book, and I know I’ll be reading it again.
Really really excited to see him speak in Buffalo next week. Really really excited to read the rest of his work.
This book is powerful and abundant and I was hanging on every word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Rape
blester042590's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
alison_the_librarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
4.0
I wish I’d read it rather than listened. He’s got a lot of complex ideas I would have liked to have more time to mull over. He also sometimes jumps around through time in a way that was hard for me to follow by ear.
hollydyer328's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Very emotional love letter from Kiese Laymon to his mother. You see the interconnection of his complicated relationship with his mom and surviving racism as a Black man, and how he explores various facets of manipulating his body to cope. It’s a perspective you do to hear as much from a Black man but one that is so important! His writing is very poetic and emotional, which I had a hard time getting into at first but grew to enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
jeffbrimhall's review against another edition
Audiobook: Hard to listen to discussion of abuse and neglect as a child to self destructive behaviors as an adult. He apparently turned out ok but a lot of pain getting there.