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A review by luluwoohoo
Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
2.75
Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
☀️☀️🌤️
An informative memoir with a disti ctive voice that was fun to read but likely won't stay with me.
Structurally this memoir was a bit all over the place. I don't mind non-linear timelines but the balance between flashforwards to the modern day and the chapters detailing his past was difficult to grasp.
The confidence Billy displays in real life is so inspiring, but in book form and without significant editing it begins to come across as arrogance. I don't doubt it's true that Porter was always championing himself and knew he'd be a star, but hearing it for the 10th time does start to irritate. There aren't many moments where he acknowledges being wrong or reassessing his perspective, but those were the most impactful of all because they showed his humanity.
My biggest gripe was the lack of depth exploring his personal life. There are absolutely dark and emotional times he explores here, but the vast majority of the book is recounting his professional career and the people who helped him get there, with very little time spent actually exploring his own arc and introspection of those moments beyond the surface level. This book became significantly more educational than motivational, which is a balance I prefer to be 50/50 in memoirs, because of this.
Billy Porter is an effervescent personality whose light shines bright in this book, but the lack of personal exploration left it feeling a bit more like a career summary than a memoir.
☀️☀️🌤️
An informative memoir with a disti ctive voice that was fun to read but likely won't stay with me.
Structurally this memoir was a bit all over the place. I don't mind non-linear timelines but the balance between flashforwards to the modern day and the chapters detailing his past was difficult to grasp.
The confidence Billy displays in real life is so inspiring, but in book form and without significant editing it begins to come across as arrogance. I don't doubt it's true that Porter was always championing himself and knew he'd be a star, but hearing it for the 10th time does start to irritate. There aren't many moments where he acknowledges being wrong or reassessing his perspective, but those were the most impactful of all because they showed his humanity.
My biggest gripe was the lack of depth exploring his personal life. There are absolutely dark and emotional times he explores here, but the vast majority of the book is recounting his professional career and the people who helped him get there, with very little time spent actually exploring his own arc and introspection of those moments beyond the surface level. This book became significantly more educational than motivational, which is a balance I prefer to be 50/50 in memoirs, because of this.
Billy Porter is an effervescent personality whose light shines bright in this book, but the lack of personal exploration left it feeling a bit more like a career summary than a memoir.
"If God loves us, and He made us in His own image, and He knows what we’re going to do before we do it, then why would He create someone He knows isn’t going to choose Him, only to send him to a burning hell for all eternity?"