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A review by applesaucecreachur
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Not many books have the power to make me grin openly, laugh out loud, or choke/tear up. This one did. Trevor Noah's coming-of-age love letter to his mother jumped from story to story of his youth. Some were amusing, some were absurd, and others were downright tragic. All of them, though, masterfully combined comedy with reflection and made cultural and political South African concepts easy for a foreign reader to understand. The cast of characters is vibrant and made three-dimensional with only a few well-thought-out phrases. I wish it had not taken me so long to read this book; I feel that I am a more learned person now, and appreciate my own family all the more.
Graphic: Racism, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Animal cruelty and Antisemitism