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crybabybea's review against another edition
4.5
I especially found the writing similar to other memoirs such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Dr. Maya Angelou and I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, in the way that Ashley C. Ford is able to capture her own childhood voice and mix it with her reflection as an adult. She painted a full picture of the events that shaped her, as well as the people closest to her.
I appreciated especially the portrayal of her mother, who was imperfect in every way; abusive but loving, joyful but full of fear and stress, neglectful but caring, and overall just a woman trying her best with what she was given. As well, her father, incarcerated for 20+ years for a crime unknown to Ashley for the majority of her life (and unknown to the reader until the memoir reaches that point in Ashley's timeline) is a full figure of doting and adoration, while Ashley has to reconcile with the reality his crime and what it means to herself and her family. I found the exploration of familial relationships relatable and touching.
Definitely a standout memoir.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Rape, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Violence
gygyreadsgygysips's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Rape
lwestfahl's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, and Rape
cartermon4's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Cancer, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming
plantonic_friendships's review against another edition
4.25
I think the lead was buried and once we got to the lead, it never really got into the deeper introspection. Felt like she circled around the main topics and never got to the point.
The middle of the memoir has the most meat to it. The beginning and ending were strangely detached and vague to me - almost too objective.
Even in the interview she had with the other author after the acknowledgement. There are hints that she left details out to protect her family and other people in her life. Which is fair and valid, but it made the narrative kind meander and left holes in aspects of her life - like unfinished thoughts. The memoir ended up being a bit lackluster and in some aspects of trite because there were parts that felt said because it was the safer bet.
Honestly, a pitfall I myself would probably make it I wrote a memoir that could hurt and reflect poorly on those I love.
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Grief, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
hannahcstocks's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Rape, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Cancer, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Stalking, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
lorenag5's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Rape, Cancer, Mental illness, Misogyny, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual assault
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
4.0
“We don’t give up on our people. We don’t stop loving them.” She looked into my face, her eyes watering at the bottoms. “Not even when we’re burning alive.”
There is something about memoirs that are written so beautifully they almost read like magical realism that just does it for me. Ashley C. Ford's voice is one of the most lyrical and emotional I have come across this year - I couldn't stop reading it.
This book is so incredibly crafted, you can feel all the love and hard work Ashley has poured into it. I especially loved following this up with Ford's interview with Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, which touched on so many aspects of the book that I was curious about while reading; it cemented this book as a real masterpiece in my mind.
Considering how short this book is, I do not want to go into a summary of the novel, but I will mention what my favourite aspect - besides the prose - was. This is, of course, a trend for me at this point, but exploring different family dynamics and familial love was the highlight of this book. It's something that never fails to grasp my attention, but the way Ford approached it made me feel like I was experiencing everything she described for myself, particularly when it came to her relationship with her mother and grandmother.
The reason that I cannot give this book the full 5 stars is that I found the beginning to be difficult to get into and I almost put the book down. I am so glad I powered through it, but it was a little bit of a challenge. I also this that certain very important events in Ford's life were glossed over due to the conciseness of this book. I think it would have been very impactful to explore these (no spoilers!) in more detail.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Drug use, Body shaming, and Alcoholism
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Stalking