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clarabooksit's review against another edition
3.5
Noah is clever, nerdy and funny and this memoir showcases that. His love of South Africa, where he came from and his mother are apparent on every page, even as he’a cracking jokes about them. I especially enjoyed learning a lot about South Africa.
Where the book let me down is in its lack of emotional resonance. That and it was very obviously written for a U.S. American audience, which felt confining even if I’m a part of that audience.
Noah has lived a fascinating life full of sticky, incredible and awful moments, but his voice remains distant like the person at a party who tells wild and traumatic stories for laughs without registering how deeply personal they are. While there’s a great deal of reflection in the book, it all felt anecdotal to me. The format of the book also makes every story feel like a lesson and that didn’t quite work for me.
To be fair, that may be more of a reflection on me than the book. I did like it: it’s zippy, I learned a lot, it made me laugh and at the very end, it made me cry. But it didn’t thrill me. Would still recommend.
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Excrement, Police brutality, and Slavery
Minor: Animal cruelty and Rape
asen123's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, and Violence
ali_k0's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Classism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, and Alcoholism
kayfab's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Colonisation, Classism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
dalek_caan's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Gun violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Gore
skilletsnail's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Stalking, Sexual violence, Racism, Child abuse, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death
Moderate: Classism, Genocide, Colonisation, and Blood
ladyzbyrd's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Cursing, Violence, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, and Physical abuse
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Bullying, Colonisation, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Confinement
Minor: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
sabrina_d_arcy's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Violence, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Minor: Abandonment, Antisemitism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Addiction, and Excrement
eleonorehilbig's review against another edition
5.0
the flow of the book was amazing and patricia (his mother) absolutely stole the show.
the story is told with insight, care and compassion.
truly amazing.
Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Murder, Racism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexism