Gabrielle Union is my new hero.

This book is so much more than I thought it would be. I had a feeling I’d like it a lot, but it was more serious, more feminist, more snarky, and more sociopolitical than I expected it to be, and I loved every second, even when it hurt.

This isn't memoir but more a series of essays about her life and experiences. Gabrielle Union is the actress you see in movies and offering interviews, but this book is more Nickie Union. That was her name in school. Nickie is funnier, a little meaner, more honest and hilarious. I often found myself laughing aloud in public. She is honest about her first marriage, her jealousy about her career and other actresses, and her childhood as one of the few black girls in her suburb to summers in her parents' hometown Omaha, Nebraska and its closeknit black community. Union's writing style is pretty engaging because it is so conversational. She has some wonderful insights on race, colorism, and the unrealistic expectations people have of women and female actors.

It's a very funny book.


This review is based on an ARC won in a Goodreads drawing.

Another deeply moving and incredibly frank memoir, and one of the most contemplative--without becoming too introspective. This one is already staying with me.

I picked this one up on a whim, not being too familiar with the author or her work, and I’m so glad I did. I really appreciated her honesty and humor while telling stories that I’m sure were embarrassing for her, but so important. The last essay dealing with her loss of a best childhood friend to breast cancer really hit hard, and I love that she has made it her mission to remind people to take care of themselves first and foremost. I look forward to listening to her second book soon.

Gabrielle Union had had quite the life thus far, and her storytelling is engrossing and intimate. I'll be paying her more attention from now on.

Interesting in the way that most are, but nothing that special to me.

I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but it exceeded my expectations. Gabrielle Union is really f*king cool, and it was refreshing how vulnerable, down-to-earth, and real she was in each of her essays. She discusses a range of topics, such as sexual assault, racism, Hollywood, gender, and even death. Some of these essays were hilarious and wild, while others were thought-provoking and devastating.

I feel there's a tendency to automatically dismiss celebrity memoirs on the basis that celebrities are so elite that they're completely vacuous and devoid of important things to say. Gabrielle Union proves that's simply not true. I look forward to reading her next book, "Got Anything Stronger?" If it's anything like this book, it won't disappoint.