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littlemissparadox's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Overall this was good. It was interesting. One author made me laugh out loud her essay was so funny, I would read more of her stuff. I even screenshotted a page from my library-borrowed ebook to send to my best friend and boyfriend, who also laughed. I learned some more about hair in other cultures. One author was a friend of Amy Tan and that was pretty neat. Two authors handled chemotherapy and I loved each of their stories for different reasons. One talked about her husband stroking her hair every night, and continued to do so when they were both bald (he for support, she for chemotherapy).
My rating doesn’t reflect any of this essays individually. The essays themselves ranged from 3-5 stars for sure. Twenty-seven essays is a lot. And frankly it got… repetitive. I got really sick of hearing about Joni Mitchell and wedges and “the bubble” and Jackie Kennedy and flat irons. I get that there’s only so many places to go with hair but it got almost a little ridiculous. One reviewer pointed out that this group of authors felt a little homogeneous and I have to agree. By midway it was all really starting to blend and I just wanted to finish the book. While there was some (but really not enough) racial and cultural diversity, it seemed most authors had similar backgrounds and hair journeys and opinions. They were also nearly all the same age, and I really don’t know why. Only one or two were noticeably young. It was also a little frustrating that some authors took it upon themselves to tell the reader What To Do and the Right Way to approach hair. The one about pubic hair came off downright condescending.
Finally I will say that this was interesting to read while working as a receptionist in a salon. My whole day revolves around hair and people needing services and scheduling their services. Around women who need to get their hair cut and dyed in this many weeks or else. While reading this book I watched a stylist friend of mine cut her own bangs again after thinking about it for weeks and almost immediately regretting it because it’s never gone well before but not truly regretting it since they’ll grow back to her regular curtain bangs soon anyways.
Meanwhile in my Snapchat memories my former balayaged red and almost-black hair was popping up. And I thought about how I missed it but didn’t miss the messiness of vivids. And my stylist friends talking me into doing it again since they know how to achieve the look with dye that won’t transfer like vivids do. And I work at a salon with free services for employees so I might as well. And me showing them my former black and blue and red and blonde and brown dye jobs. And my differing haircuts. And my chip from lower back hair to short hair for the first time in about 9 years. And realizing that with my thick wavy and fast growing hair I really have had the chance and privilege to experiment a lot (in a way many clients might be… afraid to). And I just think that’s neat.
This book was good enough just not what I had hoped for. It did help me to reflect on my day to day though.
Overall this was good. It was interesting. One author made me laugh out loud her essay was so funny, I would read more of her stuff. I even screenshotted a page from my library-borrowed ebook to send to my best friend and boyfriend, who also laughed. I learned some more about hair in other cultures. One author was a friend of Amy Tan and that was pretty neat. Two authors handled chemotherapy and I loved each of their stories for different reasons. One talked about her husband stroking her hair every night, and continued to do so when they were both bald (he for support, she for chemotherapy).
My rating doesn’t reflect any of this essays individually. The essays themselves ranged from 3-5 stars for sure. Twenty-seven essays is a lot. And frankly it got… repetitive. I got really sick of hearing about Joni Mitchell and wedges and “the bubble” and Jackie Kennedy and flat irons. I get that there’s only so many places to go with hair but it got almost a little ridiculous. One reviewer pointed out that this group of authors felt a little homogeneous and I have to agree. By midway it was all really starting to blend and I just wanted to finish the book. While there was some (but really not enough) racial and cultural diversity, it seemed most authors had similar backgrounds and hair journeys and opinions. They were also nearly all the same age, and I really don’t know why. Only one or two were noticeably young. It was also a little frustrating that some authors took it upon themselves to tell the reader What To Do and the Right Way to approach hair. The one about pubic hair came off downright condescending.
Finally I will say that this was interesting to read while working as a receptionist in a salon. My whole day revolves around hair and people needing services and scheduling their services. Around women who need to get their hair cut and dyed in this many weeks or else. While reading this book I watched a stylist friend of mine cut her own bangs again after thinking about it for weeks and almost immediately regretting it because it’s never gone well before but not truly regretting it since they’ll grow back to her regular curtain bangs soon anyways.
Meanwhile in my Snapchat memories my former balayaged red and almost-black hair was popping up. And I thought about how I missed it but didn’t miss the messiness of vivids. And my stylist friends talking me into doing it again since they know how to achieve the look with dye that won’t transfer like vivids do. And I work at a salon with free services for employees so I might as well. And me showing them my former black and blue and red and blonde and brown dye jobs. And my differing haircuts. And my chip from lower back hair to short hair for the first time in about 9 years. And realizing that with my thick wavy and fast growing hair I really have had the chance and privilege to experiment a lot (in a way many clients might be… afraid to). And I just think that’s neat.
This book was good enough just not what I had hoped for. It did help me to reflect on my day to day though.
hollyfromthebigsky's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as a Christmas gift, and really enjoyed reading it over the past few weeks. The collection is well-curated, offering a wide range of perspectives and stories. As someone who has struggled with my hair (says every woman), I laughed in parts and shook my head in others. Great read.
apmreads's review against another edition
3.0
This was thought-provoking, and important. The conversations about identity, race, culture, sexuality are all there, and in the right place. It just felt a little too long.
nutti72's review against another edition
3.0
As with any collection of essays, some I enjoyed more than others. I will say it is interesting regardless of background how much thought & focus goes into hair.
juliahendrickson's review against another edition
Why do so many women hate their hair?
jessreads13's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting concept, poor execution. Very repetitive.
lestatsoul's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
litdrivengirl's review against another edition
4.0
A few years ago when I heard about this book on Book Riot I was really excited and felt a deep sense of comradery...even though I hadn't read the collection yet. My own hair journey has been an up and down 'adventure'. Before I found my own copy of this it gave me pause from time to time to think of my own essay and what I would say. I may eventually embark on that writing venture.
I liked many and loved most (if not all) of the essays in this collection. Some may think an entire collection of essays about hair is ridiculous, but honestly hair is a unique creature all its own. How it captivates our world, how it is a banner of who we are, and how the journey is not fun, but worth finding common ground no matter our origin/background. This read made me grateful and put me at ease about my own life.
I liked many and loved most (if not all) of the essays in this collection. Some may think an entire collection of essays about hair is ridiculous, but honestly hair is a unique creature all its own. How it captivates our world, how it is a banner of who we are, and how the journey is not fun, but worth finding common ground no matter our origin/background. This read made me grateful and put me at ease about my own life.
rea_scott's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
This is a very enjoyable, quick read. Each chapter is a separate contributor telling an anecdote about her hair (her hair journey, relationship to her hair, etc).
As is the nature with a topic as dynamic and universal as hair, it's hard for a book to contain every single view point. While this book does a decent job at including a diverse narrative, there are many voices that are not present (examples: one woman feels most herself when she wears her hair in natural, but there isn't a contribution from a woman who prefers to relax her hair; there are several accounts of women who went against religious norms and wore their hair uncovered, but here isn't a chapter written by a woman who chooses to conceal her hair).
It's not a failure, it just could have been better. More voices would add to the discussion and reinstate the point of the book--which is that everyone has a unique relationship with their hair, and their choice, as long as it is their choice, is always right.
This is a very enjoyable, quick read. Each chapter is a separate contributor telling an anecdote about her hair (her hair journey, relationship to her hair, etc).
As is the nature with a topic as dynamic and universal as hair, it's hard for a book to contain every single view point. While this book does a decent job at including a diverse narrative, there are many voices that are not present (examples: one woman feels most herself when she wears her hair in natural, but there isn't a contribution from a woman who prefers to relax her hair; there are several accounts of women who went against religious norms and wore their hair uncovered, but here isn't a chapter written by a woman who chooses to conceal her hair).
It's not a failure, it just could have been better. More voices would add to the discussion and reinstate the point of the book--which is that everyone has a unique relationship with their hair, and their choice, as long as it is their choice, is always right.