A review by savvylit
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Every now and then, a title truly sums up a book's contents. This is one of the heaviest memoirs I have ever read. Laymon writes with a searing honesty that spares no detail, revealing all of his own flaws and traumatic experiences. Beyond Laymon's unparalleled honesty, this book is also a beautiful tribute to the oft-rocky yet incredibly close relationship that he has with his mother. Despite their difficulties, Laymon's love and gratitude for his mother and her teachings is incredibly apparent throughout Heavy.

Heavy is a beautiful and brutal book that deftly covers so much: life, violence, hunger, poverty, unconditional love, self-destructive behavior, second chances, and - most of all - Black abundance.
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