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The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2015)In the bestselling tradition of Sloan Crosley’s I Was Told There’d Be Cake and Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, a collection of humorous essays on what it’s like to be unabashedly awkward in a world that regards introverts as hapless misfits, and black as cool.
My name is “J” and I’m awkward—and black. Someone once told me those were the two worst things anyone could be. That someone was right. Where do I start?
Being an introvert in a world that glorifies cool isn’t easy. But when Issa Rae, the creator of the Shorty Award–winning hit series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” is that introvert—whether she’s navigating love, work, friendships, or “rapping”—it sure is entertaining. Now, in this debut collection of essays written in her witty and self-deprecating voice, Rae covers everything from cybersexing in the early days of the Internet to deflecting unsolicited comments on weight gain, from navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself—natural hair and all.
A reflection on her own unique experiences as a cyber pioneer yet universally appealing, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a book no one—awkward or cool, black, white, or other—will want to miss.
My name is “J” and I’m awkward—and black. Someone once told me those were the two worst things anyone could be. That someone was right. Where do I start?
Being an introvert in a world that glorifies cool isn’t easy. But when Issa Rae, the creator of the Shorty Award–winning hit series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” is that introvert—whether she’s navigating love, work, friendships, or “rapping”—it sure is entertaining. Now, in this debut collection of essays written in her witty and self-deprecating voice, Rae covers everything from cybersexing in the early days of the Internet to deflecting unsolicited comments on weight gain, from navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself—natural hair and all.
A reflection on her own unique experiences as a cyber pioneer yet universally appealing, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a book no one—awkward or cool, black, white, or other—will want to miss.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2015
1759 people are currently reading
22603 people want to read
About the author
Issa Rae
10 books1,158 followersWith her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae’s content has garnered over 20 million views and close to 160,000 subscribers on YouTube. In addition to making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list twice and winning the 2012 Shorty Award for Best Web Show for her hit series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” Issa Rae has worked on web content for Pharrell Williams, Tracey Edmonds and numerous others. She developed a TV series with Shonda Rhimes for ABC and is currently developing a half-hour comedy for HBO with Larry Wilmore. Rae is also slated to release a book of essays with Simon & Schuster in 2015.
Issa Rae is signed with UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Issa Rae is signed with UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,581 reviews
March 31, 2021
*bangs head on desk*
I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. Note to self: stop expecting people who are funny on TV and other mediums to have funny books. Just stop. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl was supposed to be entertaining, but it fell completely flat.
I keep saying this over and over, but you can be a talented, interesting person, but that doesn't translate to a good writer or a good book. It just doesn't. And this book is another example of that fact.
Issa Rae was just not awkward enough for me. If you are billing yourself as super awkward, and teasing your readers about having incredibly zany stories, I expect you to deliver. Instead, having a sort of privileged childhood with a wealthy father and private school upbringing means you have to write one hell of a story to capture readers' attention. Issa Rae didn't. Also, having a whole chapter about weight when you are a conventionally pretty and weigh much less than most women doesn't endear you to readers... just saying. You need to really craft a compelling book if you are going to make those types of things pop.
Also, the way Issa Rae narrated this book was like she was already bored with telling her story. It was so flat. I had a hard time even getting through it, and I debated DNFing at 90%.
While some chapters, like the one about her hair, were compelling, the book made me like Issa Rae a little less than I did before listening to it.
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August 2, 2018
This hilarious, honest, and bold collection of essays introduced me to Issa Rae, and my gratitude is galaxy-sized. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a collection of essays on what it’s like to be unabashedly awkward in a world that regards introverts as hapless misfits, and black as cool.
Let's jump right into discussing my favorite essay, which was one of the first ones (“A/S/L”) where she talked about her early internet days. I mean, it's been almost weeks since I read it, but I still crack up when it pops up into my head.
Just to give you a little taste of Issa Rae's gold humor, here's an excerpt of her talking about an online relationship where Rae was technically catfishing a 19-year-old dude (while she had just turned twelve at the time):
“To him, I was blond-haired, blue-eyed, and petite. Technically, I was petite for an adult person, but definitely oversized for a sixth-grader.”
A/S/L had me in literal tears from laughing so much
And after calming down from that last essay, there were also a really, really relatable piece of writing for food lovers that ended up making my stomach rumble... and I had to get up to fix myself a sandwich.
“If conversation is something I dread, eating is something I look forward to. I wake up excited for breakfast, which is, hands down, my favorite meal of the day. Sometimes, at dinner, I fantasize about what I’m going to eat for breakfast the next morning.”
100% same.
But all jokes aside, this collection also tackled important issues that need to be discussed more often from race, representation, privilege...
“Girls, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls. What do they all have in common? The universal gender classification, “girl,” is white. In all three of these successful series, a default girl (or two) is implied and she is white. That is the norm and that is what is acceptable. Anything else is niche.”
“I immediately thought of my absolute favorite Junot Díaz quote. He said:
You guys know about vampires? . . . You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all. I was like, “Yo is something wrong with me? That the whole society seems to think that people like me don’t exist?” And part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.
Isn’t that the realest shit ever?”
“The discussion of representation is one that has been repeated over and over again, and the solution has always been that it’s up to us to support, promote, and create the images that we want to see.”
I could listen to Issa Rae for hours. And thankfully she created a brilliant tv show called Insecure that I absolutely had to start after loving this collection.
The show looks at the friendship, experiences and tribulations of two black women. And it seriously lived up to the hype I created in my mind and so much more. (More about my never-ending love for it in my November Wrap Up.)
Overall, this collection was a vibrant and brilliant insight on Issa Rae's voice. And I hope with all my heart that she'll never quit writing down her thoughts.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
Let's jump right into discussing my favorite essay, which was one of the first ones (“A/S/L”) where she talked about her early internet days. I mean, it's been almost weeks since I read it, but I still crack up when it pops up into my head.
Just to give you a little taste of Issa Rae's gold humor, here's an excerpt of her talking about an online relationship where Rae was technically catfishing a 19-year-old dude (while she had just turned twelve at the time):
“To him, I was blond-haired, blue-eyed, and petite. Technically, I was petite for an adult person, but definitely oversized for a sixth-grader.”
A/S/L had me in literal tears from laughing so much
And after calming down from that last essay, there were also a really, really relatable piece of writing for food lovers that ended up making my stomach rumble... and I had to get up to fix myself a sandwich.
“If conversation is something I dread, eating is something I look forward to. I wake up excited for breakfast, which is, hands down, my favorite meal of the day. Sometimes, at dinner, I fantasize about what I’m going to eat for breakfast the next morning.”
100% same.
But all jokes aside, this collection also tackled important issues that need to be discussed more often from race, representation, privilege...
“Girls, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls. What do they all have in common? The universal gender classification, “girl,” is white. In all three of these successful series, a default girl (or two) is implied and she is white. That is the norm and that is what is acceptable. Anything else is niche.”
“I immediately thought of my absolute favorite Junot Díaz quote. He said:
You guys know about vampires? . . . You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all. I was like, “Yo is something wrong with me? That the whole society seems to think that people like me don’t exist?” And part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.
Isn’t that the realest shit ever?”
“The discussion of representation is one that has been repeated over and over again, and the solution has always been that it’s up to us to support, promote, and create the images that we want to see.”
I could listen to Issa Rae for hours. And thankfully she created a brilliant tv show called Insecure that I absolutely had to start after loving this collection.
The show looks at the friendship, experiences and tribulations of two black women. And it seriously lived up to the hype I created in my mind and so much more. (More about my never-ending love for it in my November Wrap Up.)
Overall, this collection was a vibrant and brilliant insight on Issa Rae's voice. And I hope with all my heart that she'll never quit writing down her thoughts.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
June 2, 2019
Love, love, LOVE the HBO show "Insecure."
Love, love, LOVE Issa Rae.
This book ... not so much. It was *alright* but extremely scattered and had a lot of pointless stories, ramblings, anecdotes. After reading Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine, and Sally Field's In Pieces — this book isn't really in the same neighborhood.
Reminded me of Abbi Jacobson's I Might Regret This in that I LOVE "Broad City" but the book, not so much.
Mildly entertaining. Can't wait for the next season of "Insecure."
“Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t want to die alone, but spending quality time with myself 60 to 70 percent of the day is my idea of mecca.”
— Same, same.
Love, love, LOVE Issa Rae.
This book ... not so much. It was *alright* but extremely scattered and had a lot of pointless stories, ramblings, anecdotes. After reading Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine, and Sally Field's In Pieces — this book isn't really in the same neighborhood.
Reminded me of Abbi Jacobson's I Might Regret This in that I LOVE "Broad City" but the book, not so much.
Mildly entertaining. Can't wait for the next season of "Insecure."
“Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t want to die alone, but spending quality time with myself 60 to 70 percent of the day is my idea of mecca.”
— Same, same.
December 28, 2018
#mystrangereading The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl ⭐️⭐️ I find Issa Rae so funny and really enjoy her comedic voice, but this book was just so disappointing. I have really enjoyed comedians' memoirs and hoped this one would follow suit, but I feel like it completely lacked direction and she just waffled all over the place. The best story was the first one about her name and the rest of the book just went downhill from there which was a bummer.
Read
March 9, 2017This had been sitting on my Kindle for way too long. Recently, for reasons I’m sure can go unspoken, I’ve felt mostly interested in the experiences of people outside of my racial and socioeconomic circle. But I also knew Rae could provide that along with the comedic relief we all so desperately need right now. After finishing this book, I’m now annoyed that I don’t have HBO to watch Insecure. Because this woman has that enviable combination of qualities that make for great books and television… an insightful mind and an incredible sense-of-humor.
–Elizabeth Allen
from The Best Books We Read In January 2017: http://bookriot.com/2017/02/01/riot-r...
____________________
Celebrity memoirs and autobiographies tend to fall into the trap of leaving out the formative years: a couple of early-childhood stories segway directly into “then I met a producer/director and my career was set!” Rae is much more interested in describing her youth as, well, an awkward black girl. Her parents were protective. Her family moved a lot. She experimented with online dating at age eleven. She fumbled attempts to please her classmates. She could not coordinate an outfit or dance to save her life. These stories make the impact of her adult years and eventual success much more joyful than a dull timeskip (getting an audition request from a former bully and laughing, “B*TCH ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” won my heart).
— Thomas Maluck
from The Best Books We Read In October 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/31/riot-r...
____________________
Rae’s essay collection is a romp of self-deprecating wit relating the anxiety-ridden life experiences of a trilingual, fashion-deficient, Stanford-educated, Halfrican millennial. Rae’s stated intent is to entertain and instruct by sharing the uncomfortable moments that shaped her. But her book’s appeal goes far beyond those modest ambitions. It succeeds most dramatically–and comically–in presenting an appropriately complex representation of black womanhood in all its quirky splendor.
We, as a society, need more authentic representations of black women to push us beyond the usual stereotypes and caricatures. Rae succeeds in sharing a portrait of a well-educated, creative, entrepreneurial woman. Yet she sidesteps the damaging pitfall of presenting a flawless front to bolster respectability and approval. Instead, she jokes about experiences most would edit out of their public profiles, such as of catfishing at eleven and getting blocked on Twitter by a disabled stripper years later. She’s giving us her humanity, warts and all. — Maya Smart
From The Best Books We Read In February: http://bookriot.com/2015/03/02/riot-r...
–Elizabeth Allen
from The Best Books We Read In January 2017: http://bookriot.com/2017/02/01/riot-r...
____________________
Celebrity memoirs and autobiographies tend to fall into the trap of leaving out the formative years: a couple of early-childhood stories segway directly into “then I met a producer/director and my career was set!” Rae is much more interested in describing her youth as, well, an awkward black girl. Her parents were protective. Her family moved a lot. She experimented with online dating at age eleven. She fumbled attempts to please her classmates. She could not coordinate an outfit or dance to save her life. These stories make the impact of her adult years and eventual success much more joyful than a dull timeskip (getting an audition request from a former bully and laughing, “B*TCH ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” won my heart).
— Thomas Maluck
from The Best Books We Read In October 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/31/riot-r...
____________________
Rae’s essay collection is a romp of self-deprecating wit relating the anxiety-ridden life experiences of a trilingual, fashion-deficient, Stanford-educated, Halfrican millennial. Rae’s stated intent is to entertain and instruct by sharing the uncomfortable moments that shaped her. But her book’s appeal goes far beyond those modest ambitions. It succeeds most dramatically–and comically–in presenting an appropriately complex representation of black womanhood in all its quirky splendor.
We, as a society, need more authentic representations of black women to push us beyond the usual stereotypes and caricatures. Rae succeeds in sharing a portrait of a well-educated, creative, entrepreneurial woman. Yet she sidesteps the damaging pitfall of presenting a flawless front to bolster respectability and approval. Instead, she jokes about experiences most would edit out of their public profiles, such as of catfishing at eleven and getting blocked on Twitter by a disabled stripper years later. She’s giving us her humanity, warts and all. — Maya Smart
From The Best Books We Read In February: http://bookriot.com/2015/03/02/riot-r...
April 1, 2015
disappointment. unfortunately, this book made me like her a lot less. it's not that i *dislike* her now, but this book was pretty boring/flat, sometimes annoying, and only occasionally/slightly funny. there just wasn't much of anything interesting in the story, and some of it screamed spoiled millenial hipster-but-i'm-not-really-hipster. i feel like she has better people than ones who would let this go to publish w/o saying, "no...this is not good enough." meh. i'm returning it to the bookstore.
February 24, 2015
"Being an introvert in a world that glorifies cool isn't easy."
I remember sitting in an airport a few months ago while waiting to board a flight to Houston and I decided to start this book and I am so happy that I did. In the past I watched a few episodes of Issa's show on YouTube so I was quite interested in learning more about her as a woman. I will say without a doubt that she is one of the few humans living on this planet that is completely honest with her self-esteem issues and it is all done with humor.
"Food is my destination, my journey, my reward, my friend - if only my metabolism matched that of the skinny, crackhead-bodied girls of my high school. How lucky they were!"
See, what she just did here??? We all love food, but we are brainwashed by the media that we shouldn't admit it. Issa has no problem admitting just how much she loved to eat but she infused some humor in there as well. This is pretty much the tone of the book.
While most of the book has humorous undertones, there are sections that are quite serious. As a black woman, here is my favorite passage from the book:
"I love being black; that's not a problem. The problem is that I don't want to always talk about it because honestly, talking about being "black" is extremely tiring. I don't know how Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do it. I know why Cornel West and Tavis Smiley do it. They love the attention and the groupies. But the rest of these people who talk, think and breathe race every single day - how? Just how? Aren't they exhausted?"
I swear it is like Issa knows some of my innermost thoughts! And, with her not being afraid to share her perspective on things such as food, lotion, hair, and black leaders it allows some of us to know we aren't alone in what goes through our brain. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is nothing short of brilliant. It will make you laugh out loud, it will make you think, and it will help make you feel more comfortable sharing your innermost thoughts because you now know you are not alone!
I remember sitting in an airport a few months ago while waiting to board a flight to Houston and I decided to start this book and I am so happy that I did. In the past I watched a few episodes of Issa's show on YouTube so I was quite interested in learning more about her as a woman. I will say without a doubt that she is one of the few humans living on this planet that is completely honest with her self-esteem issues and it is all done with humor.
"Food is my destination, my journey, my reward, my friend - if only my metabolism matched that of the skinny, crackhead-bodied girls of my high school. How lucky they were!"
See, what she just did here??? We all love food, but we are brainwashed by the media that we shouldn't admit it. Issa has no problem admitting just how much she loved to eat but she infused some humor in there as well. This is pretty much the tone of the book.
While most of the book has humorous undertones, there are sections that are quite serious. As a black woman, here is my favorite passage from the book:
"I love being black; that's not a problem. The problem is that I don't want to always talk about it because honestly, talking about being "black" is extremely tiring. I don't know how Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do it. I know why Cornel West and Tavis Smiley do it. They love the attention and the groupies. But the rest of these people who talk, think and breathe race every single day - how? Just how? Aren't they exhausted?"
I swear it is like Issa knows some of my innermost thoughts! And, with her not being afraid to share her perspective on things such as food, lotion, hair, and black leaders it allows some of us to know we aren't alone in what goes through our brain. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is nothing short of brilliant. It will make you laugh out loud, it will make you think, and it will help make you feel more comfortable sharing your innermost thoughts because you now know you are not alone!
August 6, 2016
I fluked into the Awkward Black Girl YouTube series about five months after it began. For the most part I found Issa Rae and the cast to be comical and entertaining. It was refreshing to see a black production free of stereotypical themes. Where things took a nose dive for me was in the final webisode. Issa was left with the tricky task of choosing between two potential suitors, a black male and a white male. She eventually settled for the white suitor.
Now, there’s no crime in a black female choosing a white male love interest in a real or fictional context. The problem lies in the fact that the alternative happened to be a black male. There’s already enough “white is better” conditioning in popular culture. We as black people don’t need to be contributing any further. I would have no issue had there been two males of the same race vying for Issa’s affections. But how dramatic would that be? It’s all about the rating/views.
Even with the bad taste left in my mouth following the conclusion of the first season of ABG, the prospect of reading a memoir by Issa Rae piqued my curiosity. “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” is equal parts comedy and personal reflection. The chapter entitled “ABG Guide: Connecting with Other Blacks” is one of the boldest sections of the book. Here, Issa challenges the notion of blacks being a monolith, by creating her own list of the various types of blacks she’s encountered within the race. The chapter’s tongue-in-cheek, meets reality tone, gives it a hit and miss feel.
The following chapter “When You Can’t Dance” raises the level of humor exponentially. I commend any black person who nakedly confesses their inability to dance. That takes courage. Without giving away any details from the story, I’ll just say that I had a very visceral reaction to this chapter. I empathized with Issa’s plight and simultaneously felt a pain in my stomach from laughter. Seriously funny.
This was certainly not the type of memoir I envisioned from Issa Rae. It was far more intimate than I’d imagined. She divulges some very personal information about herself and her family. Based on Issa’s YouTube antics, I simply expected something lighter with a greater slant on jokes. After reading this book I truly feel that I know her as a person. It takes a particular vulnerability to achieve this result as an author.
February 3, 2016
Issa Rae knows what it is to be that awkward and black and she's extremely clear on letting people know that's a-okay. This book spoke to me in ways that I haven't felt since reading The Blacker The Berry by Wallace Thurman. Full review to come.
September 17, 2020
3.5 stars
November 1, 2017
This book was just OK. Like I do with everything Issa Rae produces, I came away feeling like she is either not very good or she is phoning it in because people are letting her. I am on the fence as to whether she is truly talented or if she is just reliable and easy to work with. That said, it is surely at the same level of writing as that Mindy Kaling book and the Tina Fey book. So if you like them, you may like this. I did not like them.
February 7, 2017
Somewhere between a three and a four. It's okay, well-written and very smart, but I feel like I've read this same collection of essays fifty times already. Maybe this would have stood out more if I hadn't just read Phoebe Robinson's phenomenal You Can't Touch My Hair? Or maybe it was because as someone who regularly refers to herself as an awkward turtle, Issa Rae's awkwardness didn't feel particularly awkward to me? I recommend it for any Issa Rae fans, anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about the experience of being a black woman, or anyone who's looking for a good laugh. It just didn't resonate with me, personally, as much as I wanted it to.
June 20, 2015
This was good. Different from what I initially expected but good. There were some particularly insightful parts and humorous as well. I'm glad I listened to this.
To anyone intending to read this: don't go in expecting the same funniness fron the Internet episodes. This is a glimpse into the woman behind the web series.
To anyone intending to read this: don't go in expecting the same funniness fron the Internet episodes. This is a glimpse into the woman behind the web series.
February 16, 2016
I'll keep this short and sweet. If you don't know who Issa Rae is (and don't know what she is famous for) then you probably shouldn't read this novel.
February 21, 2018
To be honest I have never heard of Issa Rae and I mostly wanted to read this book because of the title and the cover.
Judge me, I know I deserve it.
HOWEVER, I'm freaking in love with her and now that I know she has a webseries I NEED to start watching it.
Yes, I do live under a rock apparently. I'm looking into moving out.
Now this is like my 6th or 7th memoir book and so far I've loved every one of them. I really liked how The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl took me throughout her life. This probably made me a hell of a lot happier since I had no idea who she was. It was like falling in love with a character and then finding out they are real! God, I'm such a disappointment - right?
Well Issa Rae is basically just like you and me. She struggle throughout her life trying to find out her identity. Shit - I still don't think I found mine..
I laughed so much throughout this book. Issa just seemed so funny through her writing and that's probably why I really want to watch her webseries. Oh and the YAAASS GIRLLL YASSS moments. Omg, yes! I love that saying, the gifs, and everything else about it. And yes.. I did say the YAAS GIRL YASSS while typing.
Now in some ways I could totally connect with her. I mean, hello, my parents were so freaking overprotective of me. I had a 6pm curfew until high school. Then I had a 9pm curfew until College (and that's when I got my first job!). After that I had a midnight curfew. MY WHOLE LIFE I HAD CURFEWS! I don't even live with my parents anymore and I'm pretty sure I still have a freaking curfew! I get daily phone calls at 6pm every day asking if I'm at work or if I'm home - just laugh because that's all I do at this point.
Overall, I really liked this book. I could totally see myself rereading this one over and over again whenever I need a good laugh or to cry over my overprotectiveness. Also, I could totally see myself reading more of her books (whether she already has some out or whenever she plans to write new ones!)
Judge me, I know I deserve it.
HOWEVER, I'm freaking in love with her and now that I know she has a webseries I NEED to start watching it.
Yes, I do live under a rock apparently. I'm looking into moving out.
Now this is like my 6th or 7th memoir book and so far I've loved every one of them. I really liked how The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl took me throughout her life. This probably made me a hell of a lot happier since I had no idea who she was. It was like falling in love with a character and then finding out they are real! God, I'm such a disappointment - right?
Well Issa Rae is basically just like you and me. She struggle throughout her life trying to find out her identity. Shit - I still don't think I found mine..
I laughed so much throughout this book. Issa just seemed so funny through her writing and that's probably why I really want to watch her webseries. Oh and the YAAASS GIRLLL YASSS moments. Omg, yes! I love that saying, the gifs, and everything else about it. And yes.. I did say the YAAS GIRL YASSS while typing.
Now in some ways I could totally connect with her. I mean, hello, my parents were so freaking overprotective of me. I had a 6pm curfew until high school. Then I had a 9pm curfew until College (and that's when I got my first job!). After that I had a midnight curfew. MY WHOLE LIFE I HAD CURFEWS! I don't even live with my parents anymore and I'm pretty sure I still have a freaking curfew! I get daily phone calls at 6pm every day asking if I'm at work or if I'm home - just laugh because that's all I do at this point.
Overall, I really liked this book. I could totally see myself rereading this one over and over again whenever I need a good laugh or to cry over my overprotectiveness. Also, I could totally see myself reading more of her books (whether she already has some out or whenever she plans to write new ones!)
September 29, 2014
(I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair, post-reading review.)
"Call it maturation or denial or self-hatred— I give no f%^&s. And it feels great. I’ve decided to focus only on the positivity of being black, and especially of being a black woman. Am I supposed to feel oppressed? Because I don’t. Is racism supposed to hurt me? That’s so 1950s."
This passage comes up about 80% through Issa Rae's debut memoir and it sums up her approach to race analysis and race-related humor throughout the work.
As many chapters/essays in the book reveal, Rae's approach to race has a lot to do with growing up upper-middle-class with an elite private school pedigree and a mixed-culture ethnicity (her mom is American-born black and her father is Senegalese). There's a sort of above-the-US-race-struggle air that tinges her essays and rubs me the wrong way.
But when Rae backs off explicit discussion of race and recounts her most awkward adolescent moments or reveals deeply personal, painful family memories, her writing is at its best. Indeed, the best essays are the closest to her life experiences. She talks about her relationship with her many siblings, cross continental travel, an evolving relationship with her prominent doctor dad, and her recollections of middle school and college life. If you're looking for a lot of behind-the-scenes writing about he Awkward Black Girl series or a "Here's How I Made It" guide to web series success, adjust your expectations.
On occasion, between personal essays, Rae includes an "Awkward Black Girl Guide" (there's one in different types of black people and another of different kinds of coworkers, for instance). I started to skim those after awhile, eager to get back to the humor inherent in Rae's recounting of her own situations.
Anyway, it's worth a read -- especially for readers in their early 20s, I think. I'm looking forward to other texts by Rae.
"Call it maturation or denial or self-hatred— I give no f%^&s. And it feels great. I’ve decided to focus only on the positivity of being black, and especially of being a black woman. Am I supposed to feel oppressed? Because I don’t. Is racism supposed to hurt me? That’s so 1950s."
This passage comes up about 80% through Issa Rae's debut memoir and it sums up her approach to race analysis and race-related humor throughout the work.
As many chapters/essays in the book reveal, Rae's approach to race has a lot to do with growing up upper-middle-class with an elite private school pedigree and a mixed-culture ethnicity (her mom is American-born black and her father is Senegalese). There's a sort of above-the-US-race-struggle air that tinges her essays and rubs me the wrong way.
But when Rae backs off explicit discussion of race and recounts her most awkward adolescent moments or reveals deeply personal, painful family memories, her writing is at its best. Indeed, the best essays are the closest to her life experiences. She talks about her relationship with her many siblings, cross continental travel, an evolving relationship with her prominent doctor dad, and her recollections of middle school and college life. If you're looking for a lot of behind-the-scenes writing about he Awkward Black Girl series or a "Here's How I Made It" guide to web series success, adjust your expectations.
On occasion, between personal essays, Rae includes an "Awkward Black Girl Guide" (there's one in different types of black people and another of different kinds of coworkers, for instance). I started to skim those after awhile, eager to get back to the humor inherent in Rae's recounting of her own situations.
Anyway, it's worth a read -- especially for readers in their early 20s, I think. I'm looking forward to other texts by Rae.
May 3, 2024
!! Book blog review: http://africanbookaddict.com/2015/08/...
I love Jo-Issa even more after reading this book! I wouldn't call this a memoir... its more of a collection of essays where Issa Rae talks about her life happenings. My favorite chapter is 'Halfrican' where Issa Rae talks about her (half) Senegalese culture and upbringing (in the US and frequently in Senegal). If you aren't familiar with Issa Rae, please google her and watch her YouTube series - 'Awkward Black Girl'! She's an amazing inspiration. This was a great kick-starter to my summer reading. Very enjoyable and of course, some bits were hilarious - duh, its Issa Rae!
I love Jo-Issa even more after reading this book! I wouldn't call this a memoir... its more of a collection of essays where Issa Rae talks about her life happenings. My favorite chapter is 'Halfrican' where Issa Rae talks about her (half) Senegalese culture and upbringing (in the US and frequently in Senegal). If you aren't familiar with Issa Rae, please google her and watch her YouTube series - 'Awkward Black Girl'! She's an amazing inspiration. This was a great kick-starter to my summer reading. Very enjoyable and of course, some bits were hilarious - duh, its Issa Rae!
June 30, 2016
Pleasant essays from an interesting perspective. Minus one star for describing a person's eyes as "chinky." I kept hoping that the audiobook narrator had said janky or hinky, but I looked it up on Google Books, and there it is.
May 31, 2016
Issa Rae writes about her life in an upwardly mobile immigrant family & her painful attempts to be cool. While I didn't identify with any of her experiences. I found them hilarious never the less. You don't have to be awkward or black to enjoy this book.
April 23, 2019
4 stars. So basically this book is my life story right down to the title. Awesome. But seriously this was the perfect way to start off the new year. I read this while doing my fourth (fifth? I've lost count honestly) rewatch of Issa's youtube mini series Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and the whole experience was just fantastic. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard while reading a book.
Issa is such a hilarious person, I love that she embraces who she is and the fact that she's just an awkward person. I related to so much of this book that it's not even funny (especially the whole section on being natural...she described my struggle so perfectly) and I loved how open and real she was about everything. Sure, there were some things I didn't necessarily agree with (Issa, girl, I love you but the whole AMBW section was SO out of place and random) but that didn't damper my enjoyment in any way. I loved reading about her culture and her family because it's a culture I'm not familiar with so that was very interesting to me.
Also, the guide on how to interact with different types of black people was so hilarious and one of the highlights for me. It was so true, every single last detail and I was extremely amused because I'm definitely a Nerdy/Awkward/Ratchet blend and reading the descriptions just really gave me a good laugh.
Overall, I'm so glad I finally got to read this. I'm so happy of Issa and all of her accomplishments (she now has a hit show on HBO!) and I look forward to seeing where she goes from here. Along with continued success with her show I hope she has more books planned for the future. I would definitely read them.
Issa is such a hilarious person, I love that she embraces who she is and the fact that she's just an awkward person. I related to so much of this book that it's not even funny (especially the whole section on being natural...she described my struggle so perfectly) and I loved how open and real she was about everything. Sure, there were some things I didn't necessarily agree with (Issa, girl, I love you but the whole AMBW section was SO out of place and random) but that didn't damper my enjoyment in any way. I loved reading about her culture and her family because it's a culture I'm not familiar with so that was very interesting to me.
Also, the guide on how to interact with different types of black people was so hilarious and one of the highlights for me. It was so true, every single last detail and I was extremely amused because I'm definitely a Nerdy/Awkward/Ratchet blend and reading the descriptions just really gave me a good laugh.
Overall, I'm so glad I finally got to read this. I'm so happy of Issa and all of her accomplishments (she now has a hit show on HBO!) and I look forward to seeing where she goes from here. Along with continued success with her show I hope she has more books planned for the future. I would definitely read them.
April 1, 2015
I went in thinking this book would be drop dead funny. It wasn't. However, I found that wasn't a bad thing. It's still quite humorous in spots, but there is so much that rings true in this book, even if you aren't an awkward black girl of Senegalese heritage. I understood the struggle, even those that I had never named or realized. Very poignant, and I look for great things in the future from Issa Rae.
June 1, 2015
This was a fun book. There were so many experiences and thoughts that she had that I could totally relate to. It always feel great when you can empathize with the narrator and wish you could say to them, "Me too, girl!" I'm glad I decided to listen to this rather than read it. I find I always appreciate comedic memoirs such as this one much better when narrated by the author.
Read
February 13, 2024Embarrassment humor and fatphobia. This just isn’t for me.
February 10, 2015
I'd probably give this 3 1/2 stars. I was excited to check out this book, as I've become increasingly aware of Issa Rae's online star power and have enjoyed a few comedic memoirs by awesome women in the past (Bossypants and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me being two obvious ones.) And while this collection was okay, there was some of the fire and the relatability missing from this one for me.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know at least one thing about Issa Rae—she’s the internet’s most famous Awkward Black Girl. Known by some as the Queen of Web Series, Rae was one of the pioneering voices of web television with her celebrated series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which she created, produces and stars in.
But, how did Rae evolve from said awkward black girl to a woman who writes, “For the majority of my life I cared too much about how my blackness was perceived, but now? I couldn’t care less. Call it maturation or denial or self-hatred—I give no f%^&s”? You’re about to find out.
The book takes readers behind the scenes and into the life of Jo-Issa Diop, now more commonly known as Issa Rae, from her childhood to her…awkward…adolescence, into college and beyond.
And while Rae covers everything from her trepidation at dancing at parties (“To this day, I’ve never been to a party where the room turns into a circle and select attendees get in the middle to perform freestyle dance moves… And yet all of my dancing fantasies revolve around this essential party group formation.”) to dieting as an adult (“As of late, I can last six days maximum before I wild the fuck out. There’s always a social gathering, an event, a Red Lobster commercial to expose my thinly veiled self-promises for what they really are: pathetic lies.”) the book often has a much more serious tone than expected, in particular, throughout the many essays in which Rae writes about her family.
In fact, the book is mostly told from Rae’s childhood and pre-teen years, through which she navigates an early obsession to internet chat rooms, inability to “freak dance” on par with her school friends and generally fit in with her black peers (the chapters on Rae’s struggle to listen to the right music, and wear the right clothes are things that everyone who’s ever been in middle school can probably understand), and frequent visits from her father’s family friends, among other hilarious exploits.
But where the book, and Rae’s writing, comes through most powerfully is in the chapter in which she details her parents’ painful divorce and her still-evolving relationship with her father. The emotion jumps off the page as Rae relives the moment her parents told her and her siblings that they were separating, her discovery that her father was the cause of the split, and how it felt to help her mother through the ordeal, as well as watch her father move on much more quickly than she could have imagined—and hiding it from her. Her decision to focus mostly on family becomes clear through this chapter—this is where the heart of her story truly lies.
Of course, It’s no secret that Rae is a good writer, but it is a pleasure to see that she can take the smarts from her scripts to book pages and it will be interesting to see where else Rae can take the form (a comedic novel perhaps?)
The timeline employed here, jumping back and forth from Maryland to Los Angeles to New York as Rae grows up and moves around, can become disorienting despite the author disclaimer at the opening of the book, and while whispers of the development of the web series for which she is most well-known do appear here, some readers may be disappointed to see how little time Rae spends on discussing her college life, early adulthood and the work she has done on her web series.
And though she does begin a passionate discussion of diversity in online and new media (“With ever-evolving, new accessible technologies, there are many opportunities to reclaim our images, There’s no excuse not to, and I’ve never felt more purposeful in my quest to change the landscape of television.”) Rae leaves the impression that she has much more to say on her work, creativity, and media representation. It’s not hard to imagine Rae releasing her own #GIRLBOSS-esque book in the very near future.
Overall I would suggest this book more for someone who is already more familiar with Issa Rae's work, rather than someone looking for a memoir that will mirror and/or inspire their own lives.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know at least one thing about Issa Rae—she’s the internet’s most famous Awkward Black Girl. Known by some as the Queen of Web Series, Rae was one of the pioneering voices of web television with her celebrated series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which she created, produces and stars in.
But, how did Rae evolve from said awkward black girl to a woman who writes, “For the majority of my life I cared too much about how my blackness was perceived, but now? I couldn’t care less. Call it maturation or denial or self-hatred—I give no f%^&s”? You’re about to find out.
The book takes readers behind the scenes and into the life of Jo-Issa Diop, now more commonly known as Issa Rae, from her childhood to her…awkward…adolescence, into college and beyond.
And while Rae covers everything from her trepidation at dancing at parties (“To this day, I’ve never been to a party where the room turns into a circle and select attendees get in the middle to perform freestyle dance moves… And yet all of my dancing fantasies revolve around this essential party group formation.”) to dieting as an adult (“As of late, I can last six days maximum before I wild the fuck out. There’s always a social gathering, an event, a Red Lobster commercial to expose my thinly veiled self-promises for what they really are: pathetic lies.”) the book often has a much more serious tone than expected, in particular, throughout the many essays in which Rae writes about her family.
In fact, the book is mostly told from Rae’s childhood and pre-teen years, through which she navigates an early obsession to internet chat rooms, inability to “freak dance” on par with her school friends and generally fit in with her black peers (the chapters on Rae’s struggle to listen to the right music, and wear the right clothes are things that everyone who’s ever been in middle school can probably understand), and frequent visits from her father’s family friends, among other hilarious exploits.
But where the book, and Rae’s writing, comes through most powerfully is in the chapter in which she details her parents’ painful divorce and her still-evolving relationship with her father. The emotion jumps off the page as Rae relives the moment her parents told her and her siblings that they were separating, her discovery that her father was the cause of the split, and how it felt to help her mother through the ordeal, as well as watch her father move on much more quickly than she could have imagined—and hiding it from her. Her decision to focus mostly on family becomes clear through this chapter—this is where the heart of her story truly lies.
Of course, It’s no secret that Rae is a good writer, but it is a pleasure to see that she can take the smarts from her scripts to book pages and it will be interesting to see where else Rae can take the form (a comedic novel perhaps?)
The timeline employed here, jumping back and forth from Maryland to Los Angeles to New York as Rae grows up and moves around, can become disorienting despite the author disclaimer at the opening of the book, and while whispers of the development of the web series for which she is most well-known do appear here, some readers may be disappointed to see how little time Rae spends on discussing her college life, early adulthood and the work she has done on her web series.
And though she does begin a passionate discussion of diversity in online and new media (“With ever-evolving, new accessible technologies, there are many opportunities to reclaim our images, There’s no excuse not to, and I’ve never felt more purposeful in my quest to change the landscape of television.”) Rae leaves the impression that she has much more to say on her work, creativity, and media representation. It’s not hard to imagine Rae releasing her own #GIRLBOSS-esque book in the very near future.
Overall I would suggest this book more for someone who is already more familiar with Issa Rae's work, rather than someone looking for a memoir that will mirror and/or inspire their own lives.
September 21, 2024
3.75⭐️
Jo-Issa Rae Diop is hilarious!
Jo-Issa Rae Diop is hilarious!
October 18, 2019
Okay, I get that I'm maybe not the target audience for this--mostly because I didn't know who Issa Rae was until I started listening--but it was one of my school's summer read picks last summer, and I like listening to audiobooks of celebrity memoirs (by Mindy, Amy Schumer, etc, etc), even if I didn't know much about them going into it (prime example: Trevor Noah).
But this was the most unremarkable book I've read in a long time. It was ...fine. I'm not particularly glad I read it, but I'm not upset about spending time on it either. (It's a really short audiobook.) She definitely needed an editor. Quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book, I was jostled out of the narrative by a quick age jump or a reference to something she definitely talked about before or definitely hadn't talked about yet. I get what she was doing with the series of essays, but it would have read much more smoothly had it attempted a chronology. And after all the admittedly touching/compelling anecdotes about her family and unconventional upbringing, why did she end the collection with that story? The one about her ugly, annoying coworker. When I suddenly heard the outro music, I thought my phone had skipped ahead. It was such a random (and kind of mean?) ending.
That's the final thing. The meanness seemed purposeful but also kind of undermined her whole awkward ethos. That and the casual discrimination (e.g. She describes a girl as having chinky eyes. She announces that Black women shouldn't try to date Filipino men since they are the black guys of Asia.), particularly when these jarring "jokes" weren't otherwise balanced out by a thoughtful political worldview.
Anyway. I guess I had more to say about this one than I realized. I'm positive that there's a loving audience out there for this. It just wasn't me.
But this was the most unremarkable book I've read in a long time. It was ...fine. I'm not particularly glad I read it, but I'm not upset about spending time on it either. (It's a really short audiobook.) She definitely needed an editor. Quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book, I was jostled out of the narrative by a quick age jump or a reference to something she definitely talked about before or definitely hadn't talked about yet. I get what she was doing with the series of essays, but it would have read much more smoothly had it attempted a chronology. And after all the admittedly touching/compelling anecdotes about her family and unconventional upbringing, why did she end the collection with that story? The one about her ugly, annoying coworker. When I suddenly heard the outro music, I thought my phone had skipped ahead. It was such a random (and kind of mean?) ending.
That's the final thing. The meanness seemed purposeful but also kind of undermined her whole awkward ethos. That and the casual discrimination (e.g. She describes a girl as having chinky eyes. She announces that Black women shouldn't try to date Filipino men since they are the black guys of Asia.), particularly when these jarring "jokes" weren't otherwise balanced out by a thoughtful political worldview.
Anyway. I guess I had more to say about this one than I realized. I'm positive that there's a loving audience out there for this. It just wasn't me.
December 28, 2017
I discovered Issa Ray late, most people were familiar with her work ethic and dry humor. However, it is better than late than never, she is so authentic and funny. Regarding this memoir, it was enlightening to find out about her childhood and how she overcame so many obstacles being awkward. I related to her introversion, curiosity about the world and her desire to be heard. I love the short and concise chapters.
I would not say that this book was hilarious, but it had a lot of funny moments. It was the humor that you have to laugh at later but not funny initially, if that makes sense. I love the chapter about her obsession with food, it was preaching to the choir. There were many highlights in this book, hard to detail it all, it was a fascinating read.
I would not say that this book was hilarious, but it had a lot of funny moments. It was the humor that you have to laugh at later but not funny initially, if that makes sense. I love the chapter about her obsession with food, it was preaching to the choir. There were many highlights in this book, hard to detail it all, it was a fascinating read.
November 30, 2015
Wasn't my favorite but definitely some good nuggets.
February 15, 2022
*Overdrive app *
Narration: (author herself): 4 stars 🌟
Content: 3 stars 🌟
Some essays I didn't care for but overall enjoyed listening to this collection:). The co-worker section was very familiar with some of it and reminded me of many instances with my old job.
Definitely want to check out her work but not sure when I'll get to it (so behind on everything partly due to some mental health issues).
Would recommend 👌 👍
Narration: (author herself): 4 stars 🌟
Content: 3 stars 🌟
Some essays I didn't care for but overall enjoyed listening to this collection:). The co-worker section was very familiar with some of it and reminded me of many instances with my old job.
Definitely want to check out her work but not sure when I'll get to it (so behind on everything partly due to some mental health issues).
Would recommend 👌 👍
January 23, 2024
This is one of the most fun reads ( I listened to Issa Rae read her words in her voice so that may be the reason it was so fun.) I love autobiographical books more now than I ever have and I never really did until I started reading about funny people. I think Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up” was the turning point. Issa Rae’s story is also new to me because she literally creates a space for the awkward and awkwardness and example after example of how that is who she is and the more you read it you relate because we are all awkward until we aren’t. We are all the newborn colt taking the first shaky steps everyday of our lives. Even once you get a routine down it’s still never perfect. I love that for me because that is how my life felt growing up and moving through adulthood.
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