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missbaughn's review
4.0
I loved seeing how she grew up and I felt like it became more of a story about her relationship with her grandma. Kind of like a love letter to her.
maddymissimo's review
5.0
I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook because the author does a fantastic job of orating. Dani writes about her difficult childhood with such humor and vulnerability. Her grandmother sounded like an amazing woman.
jencafardi's review
4.0
Really good memoir of Danielle Henderson who had a very difficult childhood/upbringing in the 80’s and 90’s. There are a lot of holes in the ending ... what happened to her brother? Did she ever get any answers from her mother? What was her educational track? I felt like the ending left too many questions and wasn’t wrapped up well from a literary standpoint.
milliebot_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Henderson dives into her childhood and upbringing with wit and sincerity; it felt like a friend was telling me stories. The first 40% or so is more lighthearted (though not without negative experiences, of course), but then Henderson really gets into some serious topics (see content warnings). It's really heartbreaking, what some kids have gone through and survived. It seems like Henderson put in a lot of work to move past some of the events in her childhood and I commend her for opening up to readers the way she did.
This book was funny, depressing, frustrating, and encouraging. I always find it hard to "rate" someone's life experiences, but if you like memoirs definitely read this. The very end is sweet, especially the family acknowledgements.
(Also, it's always astounding to me how much of people's lives they can remember! I don't imagine I'll ever have a reason to write a memoir, but I can hardly remember events from a couple years ago, let alone a semi-complete view of my early childhood or teen years. Bravo to everyone who does it!)
This book was funny, depressing, frustrating, and encouraging. I always find it hard to "rate" someone's life experiences, but if you like memoirs definitely read this. The very end is sweet, especially the family acknowledgements.
(Also, it's always astounding to me how much of people's lives they can remember! I don't imagine I'll ever have a reason to write a memoir, but I can hardly remember events from a couple years ago, let alone a semi-complete view of my early childhood or teen years. Bravo to everyone who does it!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A moving coming of age memoir told with humor and heart about one young Black girl's story of strength and resilience as her mother abandons her and her younger brother to be raised by their grandmother. Excellent on audio read by the author, this story gave me lots of Samantha Irby vibes.
bookedwithannie's review
3.0
Very outside of my typical read - as I am not a memoir reader - but this was my bookclub pick for the month so I went for it, and overall it was enjoyable. Henderson's writing captures you and keeps you engaged. She's very funny and has a way of presenting very difficult topics with levity while not stripping away the heaviness of them.
There are a LOT of triggers in this book (child abuse, sexual assault of a minor, child abandonment, drug use, self harm, the list goes on). While I don't feel that any where graphically depicted, they are triggers nonetheless and it was very difficult at times for this sensitive reader. Tread with caution if you find yourself triggered by any of these.
There are a LOT of triggers in this book (child abuse, sexual assault of a minor, child abandonment, drug use, self harm, the list goes on). While I don't feel that any where graphically depicted, they are triggers nonetheless and it was very difficult at times for this sensitive reader. Tread with caution if you find yourself triggered by any of these.