Book Review
I generally read one non-fiction book a year and when I had the opportunity to read This Is Just My Face, I was intrigued because I’d seen Sidibe on Empire, and wondered what else she was up to post-Precious. If you’re looking for the starry-eyed story of how she went from public housing to the red carpet, this isn’t it. It’s a down to earth and real story of what it’s like growing up in New York City. She touches on being the daughter of a first-generation immigrant, finding roots in her Senegalese heritage, relationships, family and her job in the phone-sex industry. . . which probably sounds scandalous but the whole industry was surprising practical.
I tried to watch Precious after reading this, and even though I was watching the TV version it was still to much of a tough one for me and I didn’t finish, but if people seriously think Precious and Sidibe are anything alike, they couldn’t be more wrong.
Side Note :
This seems to be one in the long line of memoir written by famous thirty something actors (I’m looking at you Lena Dunham, Kevin Hart, Anna Kendrick, Diane Guerrero and Trevor Noah). Has this always been the case or is this a new trend ?
Also, I think the title of this book is a big disservice to the stories Sidibe is trying to tell. For her this is really a personal reflection and her looks aren’t the main focus so why call it that ?
Audiobook Review
Academy Award-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe’s memoir gives listeners an intimate account of her victories and struggles in her own vibrant voice. Using a nonlinear structure, Sidibe dishes on everything listeners will want to know about her unconventional path from working in the phone-sex industry to becoming a Hollywood starlet. Sidibe’s performance is down-to-earth as she reminisces about her childhood growing up in New York City; her mother was a subway singer and her father a Senegalese immigrant. Sidibe’s narration is full of genuine laughter, a dash of sarcasm, and an authentic-sounding Senegalese accent. An entertaining memoir that sounds as reflective and cathartic for Sidibe as it will be for her fans. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2017]
1/2 of the blogging duo at Books and Sensibility, I have been blogging about and reviewing books since 2011. I read any and every genre, here on the blog I mostly review Fantasy, Adult Fiction, and Young Adult with a focus on audiobooks.