I Don't Belong to You: Quiet the Noise and Find Your Voice

by Keke Palmer

A sometimes serious, often hilarious, and always inspiring guide that encourages young women to live a life full of ownership, confidence, and freedom from singer and popular Scream Queens and Grease Live! actress Keke Palmer, delightfully illustrated in four color with Keke’s favorite inspirational quotes, journal entries, and memes.

As a successful music artist, actress, and talk show host, from inner city Chicago, Keke has always used her social media following and platform for real talk about the issues that matter most to her generation, but now she is speaking out candidly and for the first time about the secrets, struggles, and practices that have guided her to succeed. On the surface, it may appear that Keke has it made, but under the success, she has grappled with the same issues all young women wrestle with—identity, pressure, self-worth, love, sexuality, heartbreak, and family.

With this in mind, she created I Don’t Belong To You —an inspirational guide that encourages young people to change their mindset and live with more freedom, confidence, and love as they navigate the rough terrain of the twenty-first century. Full of revealing stories from Keke’s personal and professional life, this book tackles twelve topics—sexuality, race, anxiety, success, bullying, and body image to name a few—with refreshing honesty.

Within each chapter are quotes, texts, song lyrics, and funny memes that have inspired her; and practices that can help you stay on a path of always growing, never grown. With a voice of empathy, tough love, and determination, Keke speaks about the challenges and triumphs she has experienced on her journey to finding her own voice and creating a beautiful life. I Don’t Belong To You is the motivation you need to move past pain and fear to lead a life full of creativity, spirituality, passion, and unlimited success.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Self Help, Biography, Audiobook, Spirituality, Biography Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I am not exactly the target audience for this book so I won't be making a recommendation, but this would be a good book for teenagers to read. (Yes, I just realised that I gave a recommendation after saying I wouldn't be recommending it)

Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge: Read a Book With Career Advice.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, when I picked this up, I thought I was getting a sassy biography type of book. What I ended up with was a self-help book with personal anecdotes peppered in. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but definitely not what I had expected.

The problem I had with this book mainly was the writing. It was clunky, repetitive, and felt very, very young. The overuse of hashtags and emojis that are shoehorned into nearly every paragraph feels like it was trying to hard to be young and 'relatable.' It hit almost every self-help trope there is, and there isn't really any new advice that hasn't been published over the years. Also, it really, really didn't need to be 300 pages. It could have easily been cut to under 250 by taking out the repetition and constant callbacks to stories.

That said, it wasn't terrible. I did enjoy parts of the book, particularly the entire section on relationships (chapter 7). I appreciate how honest Keke is about her past struggles and where life has taken her. There were moments of real insight into who she is and how she go there, which I found to be really interesting, and it was refreshing to read something by a celebrity that doesn't toss other people under the bus. She owned her mistakes, and she has compassion for the people who did her wrong - and to whom she did wrong.

The book might have dragged on for me, but it definitely made me more of a Keke Palmer fan, so there's that.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is no secret that I am a fan of Keke Palmer, I admire her infectious personality and her strong work ethic. However, this book was not as inspirational as I thought, it had some valid points but for the most part, it went on these long tedious tangents. The writing style was not the best either, the inserted emoji's was really annoying, it was like reading though text messages. I am not sure if that were supposed to be more entertaining and relateable, but it was frustrating to read through. I can understand if it was at a minimum, but it was on every page. Trivial as that might be to some, that was really taking away the beauty of the novel.

Also I am not sure why I felt that this book never had a point. For example, it will talk about one thing such as going after your dreams, then it will talk about something completely irrelevant that had nothing to do with the original topic. Nothing about the book made me a memorable impression, in fact the content was too forgettable for me to gain any insight.

I still love the author but I doubt I will be reading any more 'memoirs' by her, the language alone frustrated the hell out of me.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

I haven't heard much about Keke Palmer since Jump In, but damn this was amazing!

I absolutely loved this memoir. Keke talks about her experiences in Hollywood, dealing with trauma and growing as a person. Keke is such an inspiring and vibrant person. There's so much more that she did that I didn't know about, like host her own talk show!! Brb going to go watch that.

Keke confronts all her problems with an open attitude and the disposition that you can only change what you can control. I loved how this memoir tackles a lot of intersectional identities and discusses topics that are not always acknowledged in mainstream society.

CWs: Generational trauma from grandmother's child abuse, alcohol, alcoholism and binge drinking, racism, mental illness (anxiety, depression, PTSD), sexual content, sexual assault--molestation, toxic relationship, emotional and verbal abuse, adult/minor relationship, toxic friendship, suicidal thoughts.

[amber [ cozynaturereads] ☁️🌞💗 · Rating 4 out of 5]

MAY 2018

I really love the audiobook of this book. Keke say the hashtags so funny to me. I knocked down a star on the 4th reread because it is repetitive at times but i still enjoy the story cause it’s Keke 🤷🏽‍♀️

DECEMBER 2017
First opening to read this book I thought I knew all that was Keke Palmer. Boy was I wrong. I learned about her and how she overcame every struggle she faced in her life. From having depression, dealing with sexuality and feeling as if she has to keep to one label.
In this book you learn about self growth, spirituality , how to deal with your own sexuality and many more. There are a lot of informative information, quotes, and guides to teach you how to be a better YOU. A lot resonated with me especially regarding being a people pleaser or not taking care of me. Being in a dark place and not really looking for the light just like staying in a bubble.
I Don't Belong to You is not your average "self-help" book. It's a journey. You learn about the author and she teaches you about yourself.
PLEASE PREORDER OR GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK WHEN IT IS RELEASED ON JANUARY 31, 2017

*I RECEIVED THIS ARC BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER SIMON & SCHUSTER FOR AN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW*

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't take me this long to listen. I started it late and then it was returned to the library so I was on the wait list until I could finish. It was an okay listen. I do enjoy when actors/actresses read their own story. I could have done without the abundance of "hashtags" or maybe I'm just old lol.

[Rian *fire and books* · Rating 1 out of 5]

I *tried* to listen to this. I really did. I even got 50% through it! Here’s the thing though; I went in blind. I didn’t know who Keke Palmer was, I just thought the title would empower me.

I know, quirky. It sounded almost like I was going to get a mindful but kind of bossy personal growth book ya know?

I wish I’d looked her up. I would have know that she says a very specific phrase and she says it often.

“And the gag is” blah blah blah “and the gag is”. I couldn’t handle it.

On top of that, I think this book could be shelved in the Christian section and if that had been the case I would not have picked this up.


I hope someone else who likes her likes this book.

[❄️✨ Kat ✨❄️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!
Keke discusses her life and the trials and tribulations that she has experienced, as well as how she has worked to overcome them. This book has great advice for life, and I love her views on spirituality. She wrote in a way that makes you feel like you are diving into her personal story, and she makes you feel like you can relate to her, even though the struggles are different.
This is one of my new favorites. Great job, Keke.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keke Palmer reminds me of a younger Jenifer Lewis. Her personality is so huge and uninhibited.

I love Keke Palmer, but this book was just okay. First, it’s not a memoir...more of an inspirational/spiritual speech. It starts off pretty strong and we get to see a lot of the wisdom that she for such a young age. But suddenly it’s like you’re backtracking on what you feel because her true age starts to show in the way she relays certain situations. And to me it seemed, the last third of the book was quite repetitive.

It’s not horrible, but it’s definitely not for an adult audience (and it wasn’t marketed for one). Young teenage girls would definitely learn a lot.

[Kishma · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, one of my students told me I just had to read this book though I informed her that I am not a big fan of KeKe Palmer. Either way, the student actually brought the book to my classroom so I "had" to read it. Lol! Well, this student told me I would have a new perspective on KeKe after I read the book but that's not completely true. As a matter of fact, I think I know more about KeKe Palmer than I wanted to. Lol! So, I'm not upset that I read the book but it didn't add anything to my life. I'm a 31 year old woman. This book is geared more toward a 15 year old teenager.

[Ashley G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting and vulnerable stories like sharing if childhood trauma and past romantic relationships, but the constant use of hashtags did make it ring immature which might be fair given her age. Overall it was an okay read, still love Keke Palmer ❤️

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, Keke's book gave great insight in living your truth, finding your inner confidence, growing from your past mistakes and finding your spirituality. My favorite part of the book were the visual pages that were included about halfway through each chapter with an inspirational quote or message (I took pictures of a lot of them so I could look back at them later). However, I think the downfall in the book was the structure. I feel like it might have been more effective if she retold her life in a more chronological way. Instead, she tried to categorize her life experiences in different themes which caused her to repeat the same life event multiple times in the story with different or new details. This made the event/theme uninteresting and confusing to keep up with. I also found myself skimming through her long rants/advice. I feel like she went on too long about a certain message at some points. Despite that, this book helped me get to know Keke better and had me reflect on my own life experiences.

[Emily Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if I could say I'm a huge Keke Palmer fan, I have seen her work and never had any bad thoughts of her - just haven't followed her career intently. Reading her book however, left me feeling inspired and especially in the last chapter I had tears in my eyes. She is a great writer, stemming from her years of writing in her journals probably. I encourage anyone at any stage of life to read her words, because she hits home for a lot of different aspects in life. You can truly relate to this young woman. At first I did notice she used the words "the gag is" or "that's the gag" a lot, and was a little annoyed with the repetition of the phrase - but that's how she talks and like she says - you cannot change someone else, just yourself. I feel a little more empowered from her words.

[Book Reviews by Tara aka Queen of Memoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I found out about this book by watching Keke Palmer on the Wendy Williams Show. I have always liked Keke's work as an actress. I think she is very talented. So I was looking forward to reading this book. And I was not disappointed! I thought this was a great book! Keke gave a lot of good advice for young women. She touched on many different real life issues. While candidly expressing her own struggles and triumphs. Her personality really came through in this book. She even used emojis throughout the book which added a personal touch. This book was a cross between self help/motivation and autobiography. Keke has a very inspiring story of rags-to-riches and I enjoyed reading every moment of it.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen I love Keke. She has truly been one of my favorites since Akeelah and True Jackson. The sentences in this book had my head dazed though. Lots of run on sentences, the whole book could have been shortened by about 50 pages with more precise language. It's less of a memoir and more of a stream of consciousness.

[Char Brown-Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTLEY LOVED THIS BOOK! Keke really gave you life, she opened up her world to you from the time she was a child to the adult she is now. She gave you her struggles and her lessons. I felt like I REALLY got to know her and "the gag is" you legit won't want to put it down!

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just "ok" for me. Kind of the same old same old for me personally.

I won a copy on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be but there were moments of enlightening life advice

[Nova Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much!!! She really surprised me with how spiritual she was!! A great listen!!

[Jacquelyn Chin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I read this as an ebook or physical book instead of listening as an audiobook, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. Like its cover, the book is very indicative of the time and Keke’s age at the time. Lots of “hashtag this” and “hashtag that” which didn’t age well. I think it’s also hard to write a memoir at such a young age (she started writing this in 2014 at 21 years old), there’s only so much to reflect on. I’m also in my early 20s and I don’t think Keke gives her younger self enough grace or credit for her maturity with how people treated her since a young age. Her sentiments are insightful and inspirations even if presented a bit generically. She repeats some stories but then again, there are only so many significant people and events in two decades of life. Overall, listening to this boon felt like listening to an older sister give advice and reflection to a younger sibling on things she wishes she knew at their age.

[Che · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book overall. But the excessive use of hashtags got very annoying to me. (I know, I know it's a millennial thing.) And I really wish that she stuck to a timeline. Because she jumped around so much in her storytelling, she covered the same issues/events over and over and over again. If you're a fan, you already know if you want to read this or not. It's not one I'll mention as a "must read", but I do admire KeKe for the type of woman she's shaped herself into.

[Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been a big memior or nonfiction reader. But for some reason, I'm on a kick right now. My favorites have been the ones where the author narrates the audiobook themselves. Keke Palmer does a fantastic job. There were so many passages I liked that I posted them to Twitter. I definitely recommend this one.

[Janay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be quite transparent and heartfelt. I appreciate keke for telling her story, and showing that everyone has challenges, but there are also resources out there to help us overcome them.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her so much. I enjoyed reading about her life up until this book.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept behind this book, and after watching Scream Queens Keke Palmer was on my radar -- her hilarious Zayday Williams Kappa Kappa Tau sorority sister really stole the show!
Keke writes these little essays with a sassy, conversational voice, and liberal amounts of chatspeak and emojis. It's like chatting with one of your best girlfriends. There's a decent range of the subjects Keke covers and all with a very thoughtful and mature angle that doesn't sound preachy or overly self-important. Keke owns up to her flaws, but she also TOTALLY celebrates herself. With energy, enthusiasm and her heart on full display she writes about her experiences with her nontraditional childhood as an actress (and breadwinner at aged 14), the dynamic between her very emotional self and her more closed off parents, and the crippling anxiety that occasionally reared its ugly head in her life. But it's not all about the dark spaces Keke has been through, instead she also celebrates many things, such as embracing her passion for music and theatre, and how mindfulness and being kind and loving to herself really transformed her self image and her relationship with others. It's pretty darn incredible of her to be so open and honest and you really get the sense that she genuinely loves life and people. There's no negativity or complaining here.

The reason why I opted to give this wonderful book 3 stars instead of 4 is that some of the chapters were just so so so so so lengthy and repetitive. I found myself wanting to skim at certain moments, and I skipped two chapters (one about spirituality, the other about community service) just because I had zero interest in those. Keke is very upfront with her love of God, which is amazing that she found love and encouragement through her faith, but it's just not in line with my own beliefs. I completely respect Keke and think that's AMAZE as I said before, but just doesn't apply to me.

Another little qualm I had was there were moments when Keke just went on and on and on. The content is thorough, and even though it's studded with fun emojis and silly bits, some it felt like it could've been trimmed away. Shorter chapters would've made this easier to digest and made it more of a zippy, punchy, and fun read.

The third little con for me is that much of what Keke explains here, about mindfulness, self-love and being a compassionate soul are things that I already know very extensively. This would have the most impact on someone who's unfamiliar with what it means to be in the present, or struggles with their emotional relationships and sense of self. I'm not trying to imply I'm an expert therapist or anything, hahaha, but from some of the painful experiences I've been through I've come to my own awakening, as Keke did!

Still I do recommend this book. Especially for teen girls and young twenty-something millennials. There's an emphasis on female friendships and what it means to foster healthy relationships with others, and to really nourish your own creativity and let it GLOW!!! :) I felt so much happiness and encouragment just from reading those words! Many of what Keke said is so universal and spoke to me, and I'm sure it will to many other girls and women. However, audience older than those ages may not get the most out of Keke's candid confessions - her slang and emojis (which I LOVED) are a huuuuuge part of her storytelling, and they may not be able to relate to some of what Keke's gone through and currently going after.

[Stephanie Kreiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keke is an amazing person--super intelligent, spiritual, multi-talented and the list goes on. And she is only in her early twenties.

Here are some quotes I loved:

When we learn to let our light from within shine through us on earth, it in turn expands our world and allows us all the space to create many amazing things that we can only imagine in the moment. I feel that it is this awareness that helps keep you fearless and courageous throughout your life so that you can pursue your passion and live your dreams. It inspires you and always reminds you that you are connected to everyone around you, and that their experiences are a part of your experience too.

You gotta say I don't want that program. I don't want the victim program. I want the hero program! It was time to focus on what I had to be grateful for and unleash my powers, my magic, my light, my gifts.

There is NO LUCK. There's preparation meeting destiny, as Oprah would say.

There is life after any trauma. You cannot be stopped if you refuse to quit.

I hear what others have to say, but mostly I follow my heart, my inner GPS that is plugged into my creative core.

Nelson Mandela said there is no passion to be found in playing it small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. You don't get what you are looking for by following the rules and the blueprint created by other people.

When I don't rush things and instead go with the flow and prepare myself to succeed, the ideas, opportunities and direction come to me more naturally.

Your passion is a creative force unique to you. It's a manifesto of your life experiences. You have to let the spirit of passion guide you if you want to become all that you are meant to be.

Meditation is quieting your mind, learning to not try to control it but to respect it as it is...chaotic. Learning to focus on absolutely nothing even when your thoughts are going nuts can be a challenge at first, but the end result is worth it.

The fullness of God is everywhere. God is not a man in the sky, a man away and apart from you. God is an energy, the consciousness that gives breath to all life.

God is always listening, always responding to us in ways we can understand and immediately access. Are you listening too? He could talk to you through the waves of the ocean or through a shooting star, etc.

I'm stronger because I had to be, I'm smarter because of my mistakes, happier because of the sadness I've known, and now wiser because I learned. Curiano.com.

The purpose of a human life is to improve yourself so that those small seeds planted play a part in changing the world. We must honor the gifts that our spirit brings so we can use them to heal the world. The only thing that lives on after we are gone is the way we made people feel, the things we've given them that are eternal and can never be diminished.

[Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who doesn't LOVE this book probably suffers from a low, superficial spiritual IQ. #STAYWOKE
I’ve always been fond of Keke as a celebrity, but now I just might become the president of her fan club! o: I had no idea she was a writer (or in fact a BRILLIANT one) until I was blessed to come across this novel. My sister asked for this on Christmas.I thought to read the introduction, no biggie... Now I haven’t been able to put this down! I seriously crave reading it and can’t wait to get home from an arduous day of work just to pick up where I left off.
. I ADORE how she integrates the book with colorful pages, funny hashtags, and a genuine voice. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy reading, this book will change that! In a generation of teens and children who grew up with Ipads in their hands, this novel is necessary to relate and capture the attention of a large emerging youth who choose not to read. Bookstores will be disappearing before we know it, so gems like this are important.
Keke’s words are exciting and feed your spirit. If you’ve ever struggled with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or similar conflicts, you will find this book to be a lifesaver. She is introducing a light to the world and mentoring with profound, insightful, and wise words that will make you feel amazing!
Palmer is a genius and a leading voice for men and women everywhere. This novel took me by surprise and ended up being a pivotal point in my personal story. The fact that this book is sold at such an inexpensive price is such a blessing. Keke, if you ever read this review, I just want you to know you’ve really touched my life and helped me begin working through a rough upbringing. I will forever be grateful for you making such a difference in my life as well as my little sister’s. I love you and appreciate this--Thank you.

[TyanaNicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like some people, I enjoy watching Keke Palmer. I especially love her interviews. She seems happy, like a person who truly knows who she is. Meaning she accepts herself and is all about the journey in being her best self. This is why I listened to her book entitled, I don’t belong to you: Quiet the Noise and Find your voice.

Keke Palmer is multi-talented; she sings, she acts, and she dances. Luckily, Keke was allowed to explore her creativity as a kid or as she put it “using her gifts”. Keke Palmer sheds light on her life, spirituality, dealing with shame, and insecurities. Often times we forget that Keke Palmer is a regular person who deals with regular problems, the only difference is she just happens to have amazing talent that lead to her having an extraordinary life. Money does not solve every problem. Being rich does not block anxiety or depression. It does not solve bad communication skills, or lack of self-love.

The title of her book should have been, #Hashtag this, #Hashtag that! At times it’s almost like listening to a tweet or an Instagram caption being read out loud. And you know how much we love our captions and hashtags on Instagram.

Overall, I don’t belong to you: Quiet the Noise and Find your voice was pretty interesting to read. I would recommend the audiobook, simply because Palmer is the narrator. It’s all about how Keke was able to learn to quiet the noise and find her voice in the world. The book doesn’t provide steps on how to do it yourself, so you should learn how to do it for yourself, like she did.

[Miss.Always.Reading.Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book gave great advice it kept going in a circle repeating itself. It was a self help/biography book. KeKe gave some great advice on how to push yourself into going out & getting what you want, how to achieve your dreams & how to listen to your own voice & shut out the voices of others who tell you that you can't accomplish anything. She started out telling readers how she grew up & how she got into the acting business, then jumped into when she was fourteen, then back when she was five, then when she was twenty two, then back to when she was eight. She constantly repeated how she filmed the movie Akeelah & the Bee and then said how she filmed Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion and then jumped back into what she did in the set of Akeelah and the Bee. The book was scattered all over the place, and went in every direction. If someone is going to write a biography they'd want to tell the story from the time they were born up until their age. In the book she does tell us how she has feelings and how it hurts when people talk about her on social media, how people need to think before they post because they can't take the mean things that they said back. Over all it was an ok read,she should have sat down with a professional & studied how to write a book so that everything can be in order & not have the reader confused.

[Tally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not actually done with this book but I am very close but I really only picked this book up when I need her encouragement. A chapter whenever I need it. I tried to read it beginning to end at the beginning of the year and I honestly can only do that with fiction books. I may end up getting this book on audio and finishing it later in the year but this book has been on my "Currently Reading" shelf since the beginning of this year and I don't want to put it in my DNF pile either because Keke doesn't deserve that.

Now onto the book. First of all I want to commend Keke for being strong enough to tell her story and her struggles. I always looked up to her and this book continued to do that for me. I annotated so much of this book already and I will continue to do so. She's very inspiring and though there isn't much from this story I didn't already know about her but her words of encouragement and writing definitely is something I need a dose of whenever I really need motivation which is why I chose to read it at the beginning of the year and I continue to read it during the middle of the year as we kinda slow things down.

I really enjoyed this but the only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I couldn't read it all the way through which is a personal problem, not a book problem.