Gabourey Sidibe

Funny, witty, and also tender and insightful. Sidibe wrote a delightful memoir that you should definitely read.

I was a little skeptical of this memoir, coming into it. I mean, Sidibe is younger than me. What life experiences has she had? Turns out, plenty and they are hilarious! And heartbreaking. Sidibe is so honest with her and her family’s story, I was blown away. And she is a talented writer with a strong voice and an even stronger sense of self. I definitely laughed and was definitely show more moved at times. She is willing to really put herself out there, at the some time interrogating her experiences and your perception of them show less

Gabourey Sidibe is a really talented writer. She manages to effortlessly move from comical to serious; she manages to be portray the complex people in her life (including herself) as three dimensional people. There are no villains or heroes, even those people who may occasionally do villainous or heroic things. There are just people. There is so much honesty in this book, and it could be really dark, but her sense of humor keeps the darkness from overwhelming. I am a fan.

Best for: People who like a good memoir.

In a nutshell: Actress / director Gabourey Sidibe share stories from her life, from youth through Precious and beyond.

Line that sticks with me: “I’m struggling to find the healthy balance between food, feelings, and actual hunger while people on social-media sites continue to make fun of me. Meh. Fuck ’em. I’m prettier than they are anyway.”

Why I chose it: I know very little about Ms. Sidibe, and also I love a good memoir.

Review: If you know show more who Ms. Sidibe is, it’s probably because you saw her in Precious, or you watch her in Empire or American Horror Story. She’s fantastic on Twitter, and seems to have a confidence about her that I dream of having. Her book gives us insight into her life, and how she got to where she is now.

A few things stood out to me. One is a bit of a parallel between her life and Anna Kendrik’s in that they both were in movies that were clearly going to be wildly successful and people thought of them as rich and famous when in reality they were still quite broke. Another is how Ms. Sidibe is able to explain, without sounding like an ass, some of the troubles she faces now that she has a successful acting career.

The sections I found to be most interesting, however, were the ones where she talked about her relationships with her family and her attempts to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. The story of her parents’ relationship with each other, her living situation, her attempts to figure out how she could be her healthiest, all let the reader in to knowing this person better. I’ve read some memoirs that seem to linger about an inch below the surface; Ms. Sidibe makes the reader think we’ve gone to the Marianas Trench with her. It’s possible she’s holding back; either way that’s some masterful storytelling.

The book ends a bit abruptly, but near the end, as she talks about why she chose the write the book, I was reminded of how the exercise of autobiographical writing — whether for millions or just yourself — can be illuminating and cathartic. I know some view ‘celebrity’ memoirs as cash grabs or narcissism, and I’m sure some are, but ones like this feel organic and honest, which is what I’m looking for. show less

I picked this up because I love Gabourey Sidibe's Twitter feed, and I thought it might work for some of our teens. Also, the cover is amazing and I love it. It's a great read, with lots of fascinating details about her childhood and jobs before she was an actress, and her voice is incredibly funny and easy to read. The tone reminds me a bit of [a: Mindy Kaling|194416|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1440718587p2/194416.jpg], and it made me immediately want to get my hands on show more a copy of the audiobook since Sidibe reads it.

I'm not totally sure about bringing it on school visits (she spent a few years working as a phone sex operator which was really interesting to read about but probs not school friendly content), but I do think it could be a great choice for teens who are interested in what it's like to go from regular person to movie star or teens who are working through body image stuff. She had bulimia, and I think the way she talks about weight, self care, mental health, family, and bodies is done beautifully and could really be a great resource for teens. show less