The Last Black Unicorn

I just finished The Last Black Unicorn. If you look up the definition of extrovert and optimist in the dictionary, Tiffany Haddish must be there. It seemed like her early childhood was fine though they were somewhat short of money because her father deserted the family when she was 3. Then her mother had a terrible car accident which left her brain damaged. She is later diagnosed with schizophrenia, but it seems that she has a TBI that has altered her personality leaving her violent, especially toward Tiffany. Eventually, the children are taken from her mother and put into foster care. They end up with their grandmother but only as foster children so she can get paid for caring for them. When Tiffany turned 18 and the foster money show more stopped, grandma kicked her out. Then there's bullying; terrible, jealous and user boyfriends; an even more terrible husband; and comedians and promoters who insist she has to put out if she wants a comedy job. This could be a very depressing book, but Haddish is irrepressibly funny. She makes much of her life, except the abuse, sound hilarious. Comedians usually have dark inner lives, and Haddish probably does, but she is such an extrovert and so determined to make her life fun that she just plows through and brings joy to everyone who sees her. She reminds me of Richard Pryor by exposing the deepest, most hurtful parts of her life and using them in her comedy. Her star is rising. I hope it continues to do so. Oh, two things that are especially wonderful about the book. She is the first woman I have read who describes her abortion in a joyful way. It's about time someone did this. None of that "Oh, it was the hardest decision of my life, but I'm glad I did it." Nope, she was happy because she was free. She knew she wasn't ready to be a mother and, as she has done in all areas of her life, she solved the problem. The second delicious morsel is that she says she didn't put out to get ahead, (though she has had lots and lots of sex, it wasn't as a bargaining chip) and the women who did, aren't in comedy anymore. Nice to know, and nice to tell those coming up behind her. show less

Did you love Tiffany in the "Girl's Trip" movie? If not, ignore this (and grow a sense of humor, willya?). If so, this book IS the woman - totally vulgar and hilarious but also with fifty shades of sadness beneath. She was abandoned by her father and went into foster care when her mother was institutionalized after being in a car accident deliberately caused by her stepfather.Tiffany did not learn to read until 9th grade and made her way through school by cheating and by faking it until a teacher finally sussed her out. Miserable enough yet? She also marries a complete turd - TWICE! - and is taken advantage by men of at every turn ("What? You ain't no damn pimp! You're a baggage handler!"). However, a man or two realize how funny and show more entertaining she is, and so in her teens Tiffany makes a living as a "fluffer" at bar mitzvahs - the rowdy girl who gets everyone up on the dance floor. This leads her to standup, TV, and movies - but she retains her essential mistrust of the world. The book was obviously put out on the quick to capitalize on her breakout movie role, but it's a fast yet heartfelt read. If you buy it, you'll contribute towards helping her buy a duplex with half the house for her mom. After all she's achieved, that's all Tiffany really wants. show less

I went back and forth on how I felt about this. On one hand, she can really spin a yarn, and at the beginning, listening to the author read her book, I was imagining sitting down with a friend and listening, spellbound, to story after story of her life. I was really interested in the stories from her childhood and so wowed by what she’s had to overcome.
I appreciated the level of honesty in the book too. Haddish shares extremely personal stories, and they don’t always show her in the best light. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She’s made some truly bad choices with relationships and has been stuck in some scary, frustrating cycles. Those sections were hard to listen to. But I think the hardest part to listen to, and the reason I show more don’t recommend this on audio, was the chapter about Roscoe. I think it was called “Roscoe the handicapped angel,” and she made the ill-advised decision to imitate his voice during this section. Since he had a disability that included a speech impediment, it was very uncomfortable to listen to and offensive, I’m sure, to people with similar problems.
There’s a lot of swearing throughout, like a lot a lot. She’s got a great voice, and there’s a certain rhythm to the profanity, but it’s definitely not for folks who dislike strong language.
There were times I wasn’t sure I wanted to finish, but I’m glad I did. She has a compelling story, and I’m happy for her that she’s overcome so much. show less

Laugh until you cry!


I picked this up because the cover was so interesting. When I realized it was a memoir of Tiffany Haddish I didn’t know much about her but I love celebrity memoirs so I had to give it a chance. I am like many reviewers have a girl crush on her. Tiffany Haddish is the first celebrity memoirs where I feel like the memoir came early in her career not after she has established herself fully. But she is READY and READY NOW. I think it made me want to watch her movies even more. As I read this memoir, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Tiffany is krazy with a "K." The way the book is written it's definitely ADHD status (no pun attended), but it jumps around a lot, but it's PERFECT! Why? Because it works! It fits show more Tiffany's personality! If it were written any other way it would not come across as authentic. I can tell Tiffany meant for it to be funny, but at other times, some things that occurred in her life was no laughing matter. For instance, having an absentee father and a mother with a mental illness is a lonely world for a girl to grow up in. In addition to the emotional and mental neglect was the repeated physical abuse she endured by her mother and husband, and even from the kids in foster homes.
Still, Tiffany is a survivor in every way, with a determination not to ever give up! She fights her way through ridicule, abuse, and a male-dominating industry, in order to make her way to the top. She's a raw talent whose honesty is identifiable by the average person. In life, we can be a "Betty Downer" or a "Winnie Woe is Me" or we can learn from our experiences and use them as a way to learn and heal as Tiffany did. Some of us learn by vicariously living through others and some of us learn from hands-on experience, Tiffany is the latter. She's learning and she is growing from her experiences.

I enjoyed the book for the laughter and fun, but most of all for its honesty and the way it was written like a conversation between two girlfriends. I have suggested it to at least 10 people and it is now officially my favorite book of 2019 so far. I think Kevin Hart’s memoir will be on my list for at some point in 2019. show less

When it comes to memoirs, I almost always try to get the audiobook version narrated by the author. It feels more authentic and immersive to hear directly from the author. And, it’s absolutely the only way to read Tiffany Haddish’s book “The Black Unicorn.” Her memoir is laugh-out-loud hilarious, honest and insightful. Haddish has seen some shit and still manages to remain optimistic despite years of illiteracy, child and domestic abuse, disappointments and obstacles in her comedy career. Stop what you’re doing and pick this up.

Funny as hell. But, as is often the case with comedians, there's problematic stuff too.

Tiffany Haddish had me at Girls Trip -- I mean, when she stole the movie from Regina Hall (who I've loved since she played Brenda in the Scary Movie series) AND Jada (who I've been watching for decades; I rewatched Jason's Lyric on a weekly basis for months when I was 16) AND Queen Latifah (no background necessary, right?!)... well, I knew Tiffany had "it."

So The Last Black Unicorn would've had to be terr-i-ble for me to not enjoy the experience.

Listening to the audio version is for sure the way to "read" this book. Be warned: it's raunchy; it's nasty; yes, it's even offensive. But it's hilarious, heartbreaking, joyful, painful... and did I mention show more hilarious?! show less

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish is part memoir and part uplifting 'anyone can succeed' comedy. It was quite an interesting experience reading this on the heels of I've Got This Round as both are funny slice of life books by hilarious women. The main difference is that I felt more of a connection to Tiffany and honestly I think my own life story would read similarly. Tiffany faced a lot of challenges during her childhood but those challenges are what molded her into the strong adult that she is today. *cue dramatic music* (My story would have a lot less booze and sex for sure.) If you're bothered by books that are heavy on the vernacular combined with coarse language then I'm afraid this isn't the book for you. If you like show more reading about women who made it big despite the odds being stacked against them then it's your lucky day. The Last Black Unicorn has definitely made me want to watch her stand-up routine. In fact, it was her book promo on Trevor Noah's show that enticed me to pick up the book. I'm glad that I did. :-) From sending poorly written love notes to her school crush to pimping out the 'other woman' Tiffany has had a compelling life story that if nothing else will take you out of your own life for the hours you spend reading it. (I bet it's an absolute scream as an audiobook.) 9/10

A/N: It was at the end that I realized this was written by a ghost writer. I know that's common but I felt that it was necessary to make you aware just in case that was a no-no for any of you. This is essentially why it lost a point...and the overuse of vernacular didn't help either. show less