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racism, sexism, death, death of a parent, child death, mass/school shootings, police brutality, gun violence, hate crime, chronic illness, cancer, miscarriage, grief

REVIEW

Michelle Obama is the GOAT and that is a fact. So obviously her memoir had been on my wishlist since… well, since I knew it existed. It was recommended to me by a multitude of people who give great recommendations and I feel kind of stupid that I didn’t get around to reading it sooner (although I do think that I read it at the perfect time of my life so I might have been consciously stupid but unconsciously smart :p).

First of all, Michelle (yes, I will call her by her first name because in my mind we’re friends <3) has a hell of a life story so it’s hard not to feel grasped by it. We follow her from childhood to the end of Obama’s presidency, while she grows up through hardness but also happiness and lots of love.

The book is very well written, including historical contextualization as we move through time, something that is especially relevant for someone who is not super familiar with US history/geography (like me). I read the book in audiobook (which I think is definitely a plus) and so it felt like she was right in front of me, just telling me her story, with emotion showing every once in a while and her strength always present.

There is a part of the book in particular where Michelle shares her struggles with finding a purpose. After accomplishing everything she had planned (becoming a good layer with a good job), she feels like maybe being a layer is not what she wants. At 27 she shifts her career and once again finds her path but before that, she goes through a period of insecurity and confusion. This in itself is already something interesting to read about but the thing is: I was/am going through something similar in my own life. So you can imagine how reading how the GOAT dealt with and overcame this was so important to me.

There is also some romance in this memoir and it’s so cute that you almost forget you’re not reading fiction. But it’s also very real and I love how Michelle is not afraid to expose how their relationship wasn’t perfect but it was something they both worked for. It makes me believe that maybe real love does still exist.

The only little thing I can point at this book is that there are some parts that are a bit repetitive, namely when she’s talking about her work as a first lady. It’s nothing too much and it really is such a small thing compared to the greatness of the book but I always like to give some constructive criticism :p (like she’s actually gonna read this :p)

Last but definitely not least, this is a book written by a Black woman so expect (great) notes on feminism and racism marking every step of Michelle’s life. It’s of course, one of the best parts of this memoir, especially because it is non-fiction so it can’t get more real than this…

No decent conclusion: just go read this!

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baysriddles's review against another edition

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funny hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

I knew going into this one that I would love it, since I adore Michelle Obama and the entire Obama family. I listened to this on audio, which I highly recommend doing because Michelle narrates it and she's an AMAZING storyteller. I love how she was able to write her entire life story into one book, and it was done in an entertaining/non-dragging way. I love her relationship with Barack and how protective she is of her daughters. I removed a 1/2 star simply because I didn't love her information regarding BMI and how it's a true indicator of health (in regards to childhood obesity when talking about her Let's Move campaign and changing school lunches). I wish she had done more research on BMI and how it's not actually an indicator of health and is often times used as an oppression tool. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I can't wait to listen to Barack's in the future :)

→ Things I Liked: informing, author narration, humor, real stories

→ Things I Disliked: long chapters, minor misinformation

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elliejo's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

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sarahmcg's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I loved learning about Michelle’s childhood and her perspective of Barack’s journey into politics, the presidency, and the affect it had on their family. I enjoyed both of their books, but get more emotionally connected to Michelle’s stories and loved hearing more about the girls, Malia and Sasha.

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armstrongangela83's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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redroseses's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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ivana's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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