A review by theveronicareview
Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Whether you're familiar with Kelly's work or not, her story will make you feel everything - happiness, intense sadness, fear, regret, pride, and more. It's a wonderful example of how, regardless of what we might think of the actors and entertainers before us - we know absolutely nothing about their lives or their true selves.

I came into this book after seeing Kelly on Friday Nights as the optimistic, almost too-innocent Lyla Garraty, and it felt so impossible that the person playing Lyla could've gone through as much hardship as is shared in this memoir. At various points throughout this book I realized I'd been holding my breath. After every curveball life threw at her I thought, "Nothing else bad can happen, right?" Wrong.

And yet, despite the adversity Kelly faced time and time again since she was a young child, her outlook and the way she seems to be processing her youth provides an incredibly healthy and uplifting perspective on life.

I think it's important to listen to the audiobook of this title because the content can be difficult to process (imagine how she felt, though!), and hearing Kelly's beautiful, calm voice relaying her own story might make it easier to stomach (again, imagine her experience!). I'd definitely recommend looking at trigger warnings for this book as well. It starts out tough, and it doesn't get easier until... the epilogue.

Also. If you are a fan of FNL, don't go in expecting too much about her time on the show. She does share a little, but not much. I'm not even going to read other reviews because my heart rate will go up if I see anyone complaining that "there wasn't enough" something when her whole life is a way more important story than any acting gig.