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A review by justinlife
¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
JP Brammer has an advice column called "Hola Papi" and here he uses that trope to discuss his past. He tells his story with such care and empathy that having questions that he can answer to himself gives him the ability to be kind. This is a collection short stories or vignettes of his life. Each chapter is a question that he asks himself. When he answers the questions, he is so gentle and kind that it's refreshing.
I feel like a lot of memoirs have a snarky or an acerbic take, particularly if they are essays. JP Bramer does the opposite. He's kind, understanding, and recognizes his part to play in his life. What I appreciated about this book is that even though he's tackling big issues, he never insults himself. He gives himself grace. We need more of that. The concepts he talks about are internalizes homophobia, bullying, mental help, suicide, sexual assault, assimilation, etc. I never felt uncomfortable for him. That's a hard thing to manage when writing about yourself.
I would recommend this book to people looking for a queer, poor, biracial experience told with love and care.
I feel like a lot of memoirs have a snarky or an acerbic take, particularly if they are essays. JP Bramer does the opposite. He's kind, understanding, and recognizes his part to play in his life. What I appreciated about this book is that even though he's tackling big issues, he never insults himself. He gives himself grace. We need more of that. The concepts he talks about are internalizes homophobia, bullying, mental help, suicide, sexual assault, assimilation, etc. I never felt uncomfortable for him. That's a hard thing to manage when writing about yourself.
I would recommend this book to people looking for a queer, poor, biracial experience told with love and care.