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Obviously: Stories from My Timeline
"A refreshingly funny and blisteringly unsentimental coming-of-age memoir." - John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All The Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars
In Akilah Hughes's world, family--and life--are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes readers along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born--and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate--to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer. Like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York ( for a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers) and exactly how to "make it" once you finally get there.
In Akilah Hughes's world, family--and life--are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes readers along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born--and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate--to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer. Like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York ( for a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers) and exactly how to "make it" once you finally get there.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2019
87 people are currently reading
2688 people want to read
About the author
Akilah Hughes
2 books52 followersAkilah Hughes is a writer, comedian, and YouTuber residing in Brooklyn, NY. She’s been a digital correspondent for MTV, Fusion, Comedy Central, Crooked Media, and more. A Sundance Labs Fellow, Akilah most recently appeared on the HBO series special Pod Save America. Her comedic YouTube channel, “It’s Akilah, Obviously!” has amassed more than 150,000 subscribers.
(source: Penguin Random House)
(source: Penguin Random House)
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March 26, 2015Probably the only YouTuber Star book I'll ever read.
December 23, 2020
fulfilling book riot's 2020 read harder challenge task #1: Read a YA nonfiction book
review to come!
review to come!
August 8, 2020
Always interesting to read about how people grew up!
September 23, 2019
Have you ever read a book that you didn’t realize your soul needed until you finished it? That was this book for me.
Akilah’s story breathes life into the struggles that not only plague the everyday life of teenagers but also the struggles associated with being a woman of color. Each chapter of this book is a different snippet of her life experiences, and we see how each one comes together to tell her life story.
So many of these chapters had me laughing one minute to crying to the next. From the incredibly high expectations of school work to the nuances of black culture, I felt this in my core.
The chapter that still stands out to me is “Racism to a 15 Year Old Girl”. So many tears were shed in this chapter because I experienced all of these things. People assume racism is being called the n word or overt injustice. Nope. Racism is when a guy tells you that he doesn’t normally date black girls, but you’re really pretty even though his parents wouldn’t approve. Racism is when your friends’ parents in college tell you that they’re impressed with how well spoken you are. I needed this validation so much.
This book right here is why #ownvoices novels are necessary and always needed for any race, gender, orientation, disability, etc. As humans, we all face different adversities, and as we readers we need to see that validated in characters.
HUGE thank you to Penguin Teen for gifting me an ARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Akilah’s story breathes life into the struggles that not only plague the everyday life of teenagers but also the struggles associated with being a woman of color. Each chapter of this book is a different snippet of her life experiences, and we see how each one comes together to tell her life story.
So many of these chapters had me laughing one minute to crying to the next. From the incredibly high expectations of school work to the nuances of black culture, I felt this in my core.
The chapter that still stands out to me is “Racism to a 15 Year Old Girl”. So many tears were shed in this chapter because I experienced all of these things. People assume racism is being called the n word or overt injustice. Nope. Racism is when a guy tells you that he doesn’t normally date black girls, but you’re really pretty even though his parents wouldn’t approve. Racism is when your friends’ parents in college tell you that they’re impressed with how well spoken you are. I needed this validation so much.
This book right here is why #ownvoices novels are necessary and always needed for any race, gender, orientation, disability, etc. As humans, we all face different adversities, and as we readers we need to see that validated in characters.
HUGE thank you to Penguin Teen for gifting me an ARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
March 27, 2020
I guess these vignettes were supposed to be comical, but what I read here was a lot of pain and repressed emotions finally being given the space to come to the forefront. It was more humanizing than it was funny.
Obviously by Akilah Hughes discussed the pains of coming of age and the struggle it is to find what you want to do with your life. I loved that aspect of the book because I feel like more black girl stories should be told. Let’s normalize our experiences, get them out there, have people pay attention to them. I loved it for that specific fact. I loved the spelling bee and camping with white folks stories; those were funny. There were a number of sad stories in there as well. I love her confidence as a child, she reminded me of one of my friends talking about things like: am I cool yet? LOL
The things that I did not like about this book is that there was a through-line of hateration and here’s how I’m doing better than the shitty people from my youth, that didn’t sit well with me. I’m not saying that all black folks have to be humble, that’s not what I’m saying at all. But yo, it helps to not shit on folks under the guise of “comedy” - especially when you’re known mostly for being what? A YouTuber? What is that anyway? I think this is the first book that I’ve read by a Youtuber. Hmm that’s lies: I read Franchesca Ramsey great book and part of Lilly Singh’s okay book. Hmm.. anyway.
Full disclosure, before picking up this book, I had no idea who Akilah Hughes was. I literally chose this book by its cover, a fine looking black woman, talmbout: Obviously! Obviously bitch, I was gonna cop you. I thought she’d share more insights of black womanhood in the way only black women can.. but it was only half that and it was pretty run of the mill.
Real talks, the person in her book that I feel like I would have loved to read her story was her mama. What we learned about her mom here... mama got a write a tell-all!
Anyway, this book was alright. Another quarantine/self-isolation read complete.
Obviously by Akilah Hughes discussed the pains of coming of age and the struggle it is to find what you want to do with your life. I loved that aspect of the book because I feel like more black girl stories should be told. Let’s normalize our experiences, get them out there, have people pay attention to them. I loved it for that specific fact. I loved the spelling bee and camping with white folks stories; those were funny. There were a number of sad stories in there as well. I love her confidence as a child, she reminded me of one of my friends talking about things like: am I cool yet? LOL
The things that I did not like about this book is that there was a through-line of hateration and here’s how I’m doing better than the shitty people from my youth, that didn’t sit well with me. I’m not saying that all black folks have to be humble, that’s not what I’m saying at all. But yo, it helps to not shit on folks under the guise of “comedy” - especially when you’re known mostly for being what? A YouTuber? What is that anyway? I think this is the first book that I’ve read by a Youtuber. Hmm that’s lies: I read Franchesca Ramsey great book and part of Lilly Singh’s okay book. Hmm.. anyway.
Full disclosure, before picking up this book, I had no idea who Akilah Hughes was. I literally chose this book by its cover, a fine looking black woman, talmbout: Obviously! Obviously bitch, I was gonna cop you. I thought she’d share more insights of black womanhood in the way only black women can.. but it was only half that and it was pretty run of the mill.
Real talks, the person in her book that I feel like I would have loved to read her story was her mama. What we learned about her mom here... mama got a write a tell-all!
Anyway, this book was alright. Another quarantine/self-isolation read complete.
January 19, 2021
Disclaimer: I didn't know a thing about Akilah Hughes before I read her book, aside from seeing some of her BLM/social justice tweets. I had randomly found her on Twitter over the summer, liked her tweets, and then saw she had a book, so I added a library hold for it. I actually thought that her book was going to be more along the lines of Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race, which I loved.
I didn't actually get around to reading it when it came available though, so now here we are, months later, and I've finally finished. I started reading it, but ended up listening to it, and I do think that the audio added a bit to the experience, hearing her tell these stories in her own voice and style.
This was definitely very different from what I expected though. Only a couple of the stories were overtly about racism or discrimination she faced as a black girl/woman, although obviously that identity is going to shape and affect everything whether its overtly what she writes about the experience or not. It's just how the world is. Still, much more of this was about other random things and stories and experiences than I expected, from my very, VERY limited knowledge of who she was and what she did before I picked up the book. I found her during a very politicized moment, and so her content (tweets) were relevant to that, leading me to assume her book would be, too. I'm not disappointed that it wasn't more race-issue focused, to be clear. I'm just trying to add context to my experience in reading it, and it not being what I expected.
So all that being said... I liked it. The stories were a little bit random and quirky and weird, but they were relatable and enjoyable. They sort of fluctuated between being little vignettes and more stream-of-consciousness things though, which kept me kind of unsure of what I was going to get. So in that way, it felt a bit unfinished. There were a few that just sort of rambled around, and ended with her admitting that she didn't really have a point or lesson or punchline or whatever for the story, but just wanted to tell it anyway. One time I minded that, because I feel like it could have been tied up a bit better, but now I don't even recall what the story was - so I guess did I really mind? I dunno.
Another time she did it, I very much didn't mind it. That one was about her struggles with the healthcare system and a mystery illness that turned out to be tumors on her liver. The commentary on the healthcare "system" in the US, and how precarious it is, is enough. How do you tie up a story that isn't over with a neat little bow? It's almost disingenuous to vignette-ify that kind of story, because the struggle and the uncertainty and the precariousness IS the story, and it's the exact reason that we need true healthcare reform in this country. I obviously knew that she survived her ordeal - at least up until the point that she was tweeting over the summer - but my stomach was still in knots for her all the same. Knowing that she was essentially a gig-worker trying to do comedy, and had to do a Go Fund Me to pay for her care, it makes me very anxious for her... and for everyone in a similar situation - or worse.
Anyway, overall, I liked the book, and I'm happy that she is doing well now. This was a quick read (for all that I didn't read it quickly, at all!) but I'd definitely recommend it for someone looking for something lightly-memoiry for a weekend or rainy day. :)
I didn't actually get around to reading it when it came available though, so now here we are, months later, and I've finally finished. I started reading it, but ended up listening to it, and I do think that the audio added a bit to the experience, hearing her tell these stories in her own voice and style.
This was definitely very different from what I expected though. Only a couple of the stories were overtly about racism or discrimination she faced as a black girl/woman, although obviously that identity is going to shape and affect everything whether its overtly what she writes about the experience or not. It's just how the world is. Still, much more of this was about other random things and stories and experiences than I expected, from my very, VERY limited knowledge of who she was and what she did before I picked up the book. I found her during a very politicized moment, and so her content (tweets) were relevant to that, leading me to assume her book would be, too. I'm not disappointed that it wasn't more race-issue focused, to be clear. I'm just trying to add context to my experience in reading it, and it not being what I expected.
So all that being said... I liked it. The stories were a little bit random and quirky and weird, but they were relatable and enjoyable. They sort of fluctuated between being little vignettes and more stream-of-consciousness things though, which kept me kind of unsure of what I was going to get. So in that way, it felt a bit unfinished. There were a few that just sort of rambled around, and ended with her admitting that she didn't really have a point or lesson or punchline or whatever for the story, but just wanted to tell it anyway. One time I minded that, because I feel like it could have been tied up a bit better, but now I don't even recall what the story was - so I guess did I really mind? I dunno.
Another time she did it, I very much didn't mind it. That one was about her struggles with the healthcare system and a mystery illness that turned out to be tumors on her liver. The commentary on the healthcare "system" in the US, and how precarious it is, is enough. How do you tie up a story that isn't over with a neat little bow? It's almost disingenuous to vignette-ify that kind of story, because the struggle and the uncertainty and the precariousness IS the story, and it's the exact reason that we need true healthcare reform in this country. I obviously knew that she survived her ordeal - at least up until the point that she was tweeting over the summer - but my stomach was still in knots for her all the same. Knowing that she was essentially a gig-worker trying to do comedy, and had to do a Go Fund Me to pay for her care, it makes me very anxious for her... and for everyone in a similar situation - or worse.
Anyway, overall, I liked the book, and I'm happy that she is doing well now. This was a quick read (for all that I didn't read it quickly, at all!) but I'd definitely recommend it for someone looking for something lightly-memoiry for a weekend or rainy day. :)
February 25, 2021
Book 68 of 2021
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
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July 4, 2020I was expecting this to be a humor essay collection, but it's really more of a coming-of-age memoir in essay form. Akilah Hughes is funny (obviously), but it's more about her life--growing up in predominantly white school and her experiences with racism, trying to break into "the industry," her experiences in university and moving to New York, etc. The essays are all very different topics, and probably would benefit from being read one at a time instead of back-to-back (like I did). Her health struggles at the end of the book really took me by surprise, and I felt sick reading her dealing with a profoundly unjust medical system. The book covers such a range of topics and tones that I don't know how to think about it now that I'm done, honestly. I think I'll have to sit with it for a bit.
September 19, 2019
Hello Again!
Alright, I am going to start out with admitting I have not read a lot of books in this genre however, I was recently approached by Penguin Teen and offered an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now as many of you know I have had much more time to read lately because of my new job and some other major life changes and I have always wanted to read more books in this genre. In the past, I have checked tons out of the library but never found the time to actually read them, so I was all no time like the present let's give this a try!! So I jumped in with both feet agreed to read the book and then got super excited as I learned more about the book while I was waiting for it to arrive! Before the book even arrived I learned that the Akilah was born in Kentucky (where I went to college) so that was exciting! I also learned that Akliah is an active Youtuber! So I immediately hopped on Youtube and spent several days after work watching her videos and I do not regret a single second of the time spent watching those videos (let's just say I am now a subscriber).
SPOILERS AHEAD
So after my binge-watching of the youtube channel and the book had finally arrived I was so excited to be able to sit down and read. I already knew this book would be split into smaller essays and that was exciting for me because it made it easy to read a few essays a night before bed! So diving into the story of Akilah we have lots of essays about her Kentucky and her school times but we also have essays about her life in NYC. I think a lot of the essays not only give you personal insight on her life but we are also afforded her experience and I see that as someone else's advice (because they have already been there). She talks about things like high school, acne, and what it's like trying to live in NYC on a budget which as someone who has dreamed of living in NYC before all the advice is useful advice (even though I will probably never live in NYC I still love stories about people who are doing it, have done it, etc..). One of the other stories I really enjoyed or found a connection with were the ones where Akilah was sharing about her tough relationship with her father. I found this super relatable even if the tough relationship I have in my family is not with my father. Overall, I really enjoyed my first book in this genre and all of Akilah's stories. I am so incredibly glad I read this book and started watching her Youtube channel! I am giving this book five stars on Goodreads!
Alright, I am going to start out with admitting I have not read a lot of books in this genre however, I was recently approached by Penguin Teen and offered an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now as many of you know I have had much more time to read lately because of my new job and some other major life changes and I have always wanted to read more books in this genre. In the past, I have checked tons out of the library but never found the time to actually read them, so I was all no time like the present let's give this a try!! So I jumped in with both feet agreed to read the book and then got super excited as I learned more about the book while I was waiting for it to arrive! Before the book even arrived I learned that the Akilah was born in Kentucky (where I went to college) so that was exciting! I also learned that Akliah is an active Youtuber! So I immediately hopped on Youtube and spent several days after work watching her videos and I do not regret a single second of the time spent watching those videos (let's just say I am now a subscriber).
SPOILERS AHEAD
So after my binge-watching of the youtube channel and the book had finally arrived I was so excited to be able to sit down and read. I already knew this book would be split into smaller essays and that was exciting for me because it made it easy to read a few essays a night before bed! So diving into the story of Akilah we have lots of essays about her Kentucky and her school times but we also have essays about her life in NYC. I think a lot of the essays not only give you personal insight on her life but we are also afforded her experience and I see that as someone else's advice (because they have already been there). She talks about things like high school, acne, and what it's like trying to live in NYC on a budget which as someone who has dreamed of living in NYC before all the advice is useful advice (even though I will probably never live in NYC I still love stories about people who are doing it, have done it, etc..). One of the other stories I really enjoyed or found a connection with were the ones where Akilah was sharing about her tough relationship with her father. I found this super relatable even if the tough relationship I have in my family is not with my father. Overall, I really enjoyed my first book in this genre and all of Akilah's stories. I am so incredibly glad I read this book and started watching her Youtube channel! I am giving this book five stars on Goodreads!
September 2, 2019
I laughed a lot and cried a bit, too. This is a wonderful fast-paced read.
October 3, 2019
This was an absolute joy to read. I loved spending a few hours in Akilah's head, learning more about her life and the things that matter to her. I definitely cried at the chapter about her health, and was enraged at the stories about her fifth-grade teacher, but other than that, I laughed. I laughed so much. I very much enjoyed her stories about arriving in New York, and karaoke, and friendships, and going viral. Akilah's sense of humor is just the best and it really does seem after reading the book like you just gained a new friend. Her warmth as a person comes across on every page, and I didn't want this book to end.
September 18, 2019
I've been following Akilah for many years and I think she is a vital voice in millennial media and culture. I was super excited for this collection, and while I think it will be a great read for any fans of Akilah's, there were so many instances throughout these essays where I felt like her voice had only just begun to peek through... and then the essay would end. I wish she had spent more time diving into some of the heavier hitting topics here (her experiences with racism in her hometown, her relationship with her father, her trouble making friends in New York, her illness and its aftermath) and I think with some stronger editing this collection could have been a 5 star. I'm looking forward, as always, to what Akilah will do next and hopefully another book will be among them.
December 31, 2019
I can begin by saying that if I hadn't received a copy of this at a book event I wouldn't have picked it up. The author was unknown to me, so maybe that's why the book didn't seem to land for me. But that can't be the only reason. While the stories may be interesting to fans, I found nothing about this woman's life especially appealing. The book was readable, but I was moved by very little, and the interesting things that could have been expanded in regards to her life were lacking. They were written about in vague open ended prose, that felt she was recounting a story for the eighth time. Truthfully there wasn't a lot worth reading and this seem to bring nothing to the essay/memoir genre.
September 29, 2019
Thank you to PenguinTeen for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Obviously: Stories from my Timeline by Akilah Hughes 🥰, needless to say I really enjoyed. A collection of essays depicting different moments in her life from cringeworthy, to disheartening, to yaassss, to laugh out loud and many more emotions in between. Most importantly, I took away that, through every situation you encounter “your self-worth can never depend on how much someone else believes in you”...
RATING: 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Obviously: Stories from my Timeline by Akilah Hughes 🥰, needless to say I really enjoyed. A collection of essays depicting different moments in her life from cringeworthy, to disheartening, to yaassss, to laugh out loud and many more emotions in between. Most importantly, I took away that, through every situation you encounter “your self-worth can never depend on how much someone else believes in you”...
RATING: 🥰🥰🥰🥰
August 13, 2020
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free book! | I'd heard about Akilah from my YouTube days, and after listening to her episode on Bad on Paper, I was really curious to check out her book. It's a collection of essays about her experiences growing up as a young, black kid in the south, and also about how she found her career path. I really enjoyed reading this and it's a great book to dip in and out of. I liked hearing her stories and the impression I took away from this is that she seems like she'd be super fun to hang out with (and her mom sounds awesome too)!
June 13, 2019
Snagged this book at BookCon, and as a bonus I got to meet Akilah Hughes! This was an easy read with a window into the triumph and tribulations faced by Hughes throughout her life. It was a memoir meets a collection of essays. She acknowledges at the onset that the book lacks a common thread, and it’s true. However, the book follows her life as she sees it and shares it, much like any of us when we share a story. Definitely a must read!
July 17, 2019
Difficult to rate; ultimately, the book is uneven and could have benefited from a stronger edit. The first half in particular was not great; however, both the content and the writing really kick it up in the second half. The essay about chronic health issues in your twenties when you’re “too young” to have them was particularly affecting, given I’ve had a similar experience. Glad to have read it, but not something I’ll ever reread.
November 18, 2019
I heard this author on NPR and she was really funny, but the book (even with its humorous moments/anecdotes) fell flat (in my opinion).
January 21, 2020
I really enjoyed this audiobook. Hughes narrates it and she is a perfect mix of funny and reflective. Her stories are ranging and you can’t help but fall in love with her. The pacing is great.
April 30, 2021
(3.5, rounded up)
I've followed Akilah online for awhile now and I loved reading more about her life, upbringing, etc. There were some essays that were really hard-hitting, and others that seemed to just scratch the surface. Nevertheless, she's funny and insightful and I'll always be a fan of her work
I've followed Akilah online for awhile now and I loved reading more about her life, upbringing, etc. There were some essays that were really hard-hitting, and others that seemed to just scratch the surface. Nevertheless, she's funny and insightful and I'll always be a fan of her work
July 15, 2020
Akilah has been my favorite podcasters for awhile now and I am absolutely wow'ed by her memoir. The brutal honesty and genuineness in her writing was my favorite part.
July 13, 2024
"Obviously" by Akilah Hughes was my first introduction to this talented writer, despite our closeness in age, her popularity, and her great success as a comedian and YouTube sensation. Akilah narrates her own book, and she does so with an entertaining and engaging style. She speaks quickly, so there’s no need to speed up this audiobook!
This coming-of-age memoir is perfect for a road trip, as it’s filled with humor and entertainment, yet also gets real at times, reminding you that this is her life story, not fiction. Akilah's storytelling captures your attention and keeps you laughing while also offering poignant moments that make you think. She discusses some difficult topics including racism, bullying, eating disorders, and health complications.
One of the coolest aspects of this book for me is that Akilah and I are so close in age, which made many of her experiences feel relatable. She talks about the early days of the internet, when uploading or downloading images and videos took over an hour, and the rise of YouTube over our lifetimes as well as the fashion and music during the 90's-20's. These shared experiences made me feel like I was listening to a friend reminisce.
"Obviously" is a great audiobook that combines humor, authenticity, and relatability. Akilah Hughes’ energetic narration and engaging life stories make it a must-listen, especially for those of us who grew up during the same era. 100% encourage you to add this short listen to your next road trip.
I didn't give it 5 stars simply because it just felt so short. I feel like there's so much more to her lived experience and although these essays were funny, engaging, and real, it didn't feel like enough to really have me out here shouting about it from the rooftops.
This coming-of-age memoir is perfect for a road trip, as it’s filled with humor and entertainment, yet also gets real at times, reminding you that this is her life story, not fiction. Akilah's storytelling captures your attention and keeps you laughing while also offering poignant moments that make you think. She discusses some difficult topics including racism, bullying, eating disorders, and health complications.
One of the coolest aspects of this book for me is that Akilah and I are so close in age, which made many of her experiences feel relatable. She talks about the early days of the internet, when uploading or downloading images and videos took over an hour, and the rise of YouTube over our lifetimes as well as the fashion and music during the 90's-20's. These shared experiences made me feel like I was listening to a friend reminisce.
"Obviously" is a great audiobook that combines humor, authenticity, and relatability. Akilah Hughes’ energetic narration and engaging life stories make it a must-listen, especially for those of us who grew up during the same era. 100% encourage you to add this short listen to your next road trip.
I didn't give it 5 stars simply because it just felt so short. I feel like there's so much more to her lived experience and although these essays were funny, engaging, and real, it didn't feel like enough to really have me out here shouting about it from the rooftops.
September 18, 2019
A fun read. I appreciated being able to learn more about Akilah in her own words. I had multiple laugh out loud moments in this book, so if you're looking for a funny memoir this is it. My only negative thought was that I wished the last essay had been.. a little bit stronger? I was surprised that's how they chose to end the book.
July 4, 2020
My first reading of an YouTuber's memoir. It was one of the book's recommended on a celebrity's book list. I thought I'll read a few pages and decide but the book kept me engaged with her refreshingly funnies through the ups and downs of her life.
August 20, 2019
This is a funny and entertaining collection of personal essays by public figure Akilah Hughes. She is a Writer, Comedian and YouTube Star. In this collection of personal essays Hughes shares fragments from throughout her life so far. Drawing from her childhood, elementary school days to college and into adulthood. She touches on big issues like racism, bodyweight, family, illness, friendship, celebrities, the internet and more!
I particularly enjoyed the parts about her childhood and where she hit on tougher subject matter.
Reading her writing felt very casual, as if we were old friends.
She's funny and fresh and I'm looking forward to reading more from her. This collection is out September 24th!!
•
Thank You to the publisher for #gifting me this #ARC opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
I particularly enjoyed the parts about her childhood and where she hit on tougher subject matter.
Reading her writing felt very casual, as if we were old friends.
She's funny and fresh and I'm looking forward to reading more from her. This collection is out September 24th!!
•
Thank You to the publisher for #gifting me this #ARC opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
June 3, 2022
I’ve been following Hughes for years and years on the j Ferber for years. As soon as I heard about her book I was jazzed to finally be able to read it. It eventually faded from my mind but I remembered it today and hopped to it immediately.
I do sort of think some parts of this book might be better for people who are less familiar with Akilah. Many of these stories I had already heard in various forms on the internet elsewhere, which is always the case with memoirs by internet people. Despite this Hughes is hilarious and charming through out the book. I laughed really really hard once, and particularly enjoyed the way Hughes talked about her mother.
This is an incredibly easy to read conversational book. Which is exactly what I want from memoir. The book is largely funny, with occasional moments of seriousness, and is engaging throughout.
The book doesn’t have an overarching narrative or a strict structure. It very much is a collection of essays connected by little joking vignettes. The vignettes don’t work that well in audiobook because they seem like the start to a new essay and feel like a let down once you realize it is just a quipped one liner. But I assume that is very much not the case in the actual physical novel so I just pushed past that feeling.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking to read a funny memoir, especially for internet people.
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I do sort of think some parts of this book might be better for people who are less familiar with Akilah. Many of these stories I had already heard in various forms on the internet elsewhere, which is always the case with memoirs by internet people. Despite this Hughes is hilarious and charming through out the book. I laughed really really hard once, and particularly enjoyed the way Hughes talked about her mother.
This is an incredibly easy to read conversational book. Which is exactly what I want from memoir. The book is largely funny, with occasional moments of seriousness, and is engaging throughout.
The book doesn’t have an overarching narrative or a strict structure. It very much is a collection of essays connected by little joking vignettes. The vignettes don’t work that well in audiobook because they seem like the start to a new essay and feel like a let down once you realize it is just a quipped one liner. But I assume that is very much not the case in the actual physical novel so I just pushed past that feeling.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking to read a funny memoir, especially for internet people.
My book blog
The StoryGraph
June 21, 2021
It’s Akilah, obviously.
👧🏾
This nonfiction autobiography takes us through the life of Akilah Hughes, former spelling bee champion now YouTube star. Akilah struggled with many things growing up including: racism, weight issues, skin issues, loss, to other less serious issues like not making the cheer team or mishearing a word at the spelling bee tournament. Hughes brings self-deprecating humor to this coming-of-age collection of stories of her life.
👧🏾
I really enjoyed this YA memoir and believe that so many students will be able to see themselves and their own stories reflected in Akilah’s writing. This #ownvoices book is so important to have in our classrooms and #libraries for our students.
I found it be a bit self-indulgent and try hard at times. 3.5 ⭐️
👧🏾
This nonfiction autobiography takes us through the life of Akilah Hughes, former spelling bee champion now YouTube star. Akilah struggled with many things growing up including: racism, weight issues, skin issues, loss, to other less serious issues like not making the cheer team or mishearing a word at the spelling bee tournament. Hughes brings self-deprecating humor to this coming-of-age collection of stories of her life.
👧🏾
I really enjoyed this YA memoir and believe that so many students will be able to see themselves and their own stories reflected in Akilah’s writing. This #ownvoices book is so important to have in our classrooms and #libraries for our students.
I found it be a bit self-indulgent and try hard at times. 3.5 ⭐️
Read
October 25, 2019Akilah Hughes has given us a collection of stories from her life; growing up in Southern USA, school encounters, friends, nemeses, and family relationships.
She takes us through her life after graduating from college and trying to find her way and what she wanted to do; taking crappy jobs in order to gain experience, moving to New York to start a new chapter in her life, struggling to succeed at doing what you love, failed friendships/relationships. It's all here, and told with humour and honesty.
This is a book that many of us can and do relate to in many aspects.
She takes us through her life after graduating from college and trying to find her way and what she wanted to do; taking crappy jobs in order to gain experience, moving to New York to start a new chapter in her life, struggling to succeed at doing what you love, failed friendships/relationships. It's all here, and told with humour and honesty.
This is a book that many of us can and do relate to in many aspects.
October 4, 2020
Hughes’ Book is definitely in the vein of all of those memoirs/books of essays from funny women in show business. So obviously I was pretty into it. I actually did not know who Hughes was before I read this book, but side on a list of recommendations. She did not disappoint. The book is listed as being for young adults, and I’m not sure why? Not to say that teenage girls would not like it, but in my opinion there was nothing in particular that made it specifically seem like YA. In any case, a fun read.
May 2, 2024
3.75 stars. I didn't know Akilah as a "YouTuber" but first became aware of her as a co-host of the What a Day podcast, and then seeing her tweets shared in my timeline. (I still miss her voice on What a Day!). I follow her now on Instagram, so it's a little weird to read a memoir style book by someone you have a para-social relationship with, but I appreciated the insight into her background. Not a book full of humorous essays, not a book about racism or sexism, but has a little bit of all of the above. I wish her well!
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