A review by erikachung182
Making a Scene by Constance Wu

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

It’s always odd rating a memoir, but my rating speaks more to the writing and structure of the essays and book, and not solely the content. Overall, this memoir offers insight to Constance Wu’s perspective and lived experience of growing up and building a career in Hollywood, especially at a height of renewed attention on Asian representation. I admire memoirs because it requires the writer to reflect and articulate on their emotions and experiences. Wu’s memoir certainly achieves that. At times, some essays relied more on descriptions, and it’s only until the end the main point revealed. Other essays felt more structured with clear purpose, which was articulated at the beginning. The combination of the two sometime left me uncertain about the overall structure of the book. The central theme of this book is emotions - big emotions - and I think that is not only clear, but will certainly resonate with many. I definitely identified with the experience of having to not only manage my emotions, but sometimes struggling with them outwardly. 

Constance Wu shares quite about her work on on Fresh Off the Boat, and her experience in Hollywood. She is self aware, and critical of herself and the spaces and industries she is in. I don’t think the purpose of this memoir is to make grand statements, but rather share insight to herself and where she comes from. People are not one dimensional, and so the picture we get is a little bit more complicated.