Legitimate Kid: A Memoir

by Aida Rodríguez

A poignant and moving memoir-in-essays from stand-up comedian Aida Rodriguez on the power of overcoming hardship and transforming pain into laughter. Aida Rodriguez has, to put it mildly, lived a whirlwind life. Her rags to-riches story is She was kidnapped as a child by her mother in the Dominican Republic and brought to the US. She was later kidnapped again by her grandmother and uncle, and moved from New York to Florida. As an adult, she ended a difficult marriage and endured homelessness with her children in Los Angeles. But through it all she never lost her sense of humor. Born with a wonderful wit and an irrepressible spirit, Aida used her gifts and worked tirelessly, turning tragedy and pain into biting comedy that takes on everything from misogyny and racism to social media and news headlines. She eventually released a hit HBO Max special which led to multiple development deals—success that won her a nationwide audience, opened doors, and helped her expand the way Latinos are represented in comedy. In this, her highly anticipated first book, Aida charts her many ups and downs. From personal setbacks to career highs and everything in between, Legitimate Kid is endearing, shocking, and ultimately life-affirming.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Latinx, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Comedy

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

Reviews

[Emily Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't familiar with Aida's work before reading this book. She seems really smart, brave, inspirational and impressive. That said, I am a little bit confused. The promotional quotes said that this book is funny. It didn't need to be. It's totally fine that it wasn't, but I literally didn't find a single line funny. It was sad, moving, powerful, etc. But not funny. So I'm not sure why it was advertised to be humorous.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn’t 5 stars (there were some parts that felt conspicuously absent like her current relationship with her mom and siblings) but I read it in a day so I guess I still liked it!

[Jane Greenhalgh Weinkrantz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disorganized

This memoir of Rodriguez’s journey from a traumatic, fatherless childhood to success in stand-up and parenting is a compelling story, but very disorganized. Children, a husband and boyfriends appear and disappear and events are hard to track chronologically. I admire Aida Rodriguez as a comic and a survivor, but I would rather watch her on stage than read her life in this way.

[Lory Sakay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A large part of this story was a bit familiar, as I am Hispanic and I was born and raised in South Florida. I was able to identify with much of the cultural norms/behaviors she presents and am very familiar with the poverty and involvement of extended family that infiltrated her childhood. In this memoir, Rodriguez attempts to reconcile the fact of her father's absence throughout her life and addresses several aspects of generational trauma that continues to resonate as she ages and lives. I liked some chapters and loved how she made connections on how these experiences had shaped her as an adult, but found that the book became a bit redundant towards the end. I also struggled at times with the timeline of the chapters, as it often bounced back and forth between her childhood, adolescence, and early 20's. Yes, they all tied in with the overarching them of "paternal" relationships and how they influenced her choices of romantic relationships, and I understand that some times our thoughts/processing works in a "non-timeline" manner, but presenting it this way in a book was confusing to this reader. Despite these criticisms, I found her story interesting and relatable. I was not familiar with Aida Rodriguez prior to reading this book and found her memoir painted her as a fallible, growing human who is still working to find peace with her life, decisions, and emotions (like the majority of us). Her famous, comedian status has not simply resolved that. So, overall, I appreciate her sharing her upbringing and providing inspiration to others that may have experienced similar challenges, in a similar culture and socioeconomic class.

[Ciana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aida Rodriguez tells a good story, a raw explanation of her family, traumas, wins, and challenges. I have started the practice of listening to memoirs, so I can hear the author share their story in their voice. However I’m not sure that was the best decision. I wish there was more animation in her voice, you’re stand comedian…isn’t it all about the delivery? This would be such a good read, but there is no inflection, no intonation, nothing! She is literally reading it in a deadpan manner, but I made it through. And Aida has been through some stuff, here is what stood out:
—When you are in complete service of others you risk depleting yourself. Aida made these acts of service her sole measure of worth
—Trash-ass Beth…lol…I hate mean kids
—Loyalty is everything in the hood
—Cat shit in the glass, her grandmother wasn’t having it…this is why you can’t eat at everyone’s house
—Aida was kidnapped twice, her stepdad on the run for murder, and she and her pregnant mother were begging on the street for food…Damn
—Her 2nd step father was essentially racist white Cuban, the girl couldn’t catch a break with the father figured her mother provided
—It’s so unfortunate how men can live multiple lives and manage multiple relationships, and girlfriend ran into some clowns masquerading as princes that
- Tossed her out of a moving vehicle
- Had other women calling her phone
- Were pretending to be professionals but were really bank robbers
—Literally crazy! It’s amazing how women become comfortable in chaos, make excuses, and turn a blind eye to the hurt
—The build up of 3 decades to find and meet her father turns out to be a bust!
Thank God for her uncles while they were far from perfect, they were father figures that loved her unconditionally
—I love that she learned to celebrate her wins as a single mother
—Finally, why every comedian memoir talks about how they were homeless…do you have to hit rock bottom to be funny or y’all lying like Katt said?

[Sofia The Great · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Aida's story. I was able to relate with some of her stories. I can't wait to see what more she does with her life.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always feel compelled to provide a disclaimer (largely fueled by my own paranoia and sense of misplaced guilt) when reviewing any memoir or autobiography to make clear that I'm reviewing my reading experience as opposed to the text's content or the author.

Now that that's out of the way, my verdict on Legitimate Kid would be more of a 2.5 than a 2, but, alas, as everyone knows, Goodreads ratings are relegated by their frustrating whole-star system.

To begin with things I actually liked, I loved the singularity of Rodriguez's upbringing, particularly the celebration and constant familial reminders of the beauty in her and their cohesive Blackness, since that's unfortunately far from conventional within families hailing from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean: "Everything I knew about me was beautiful according to my people..." (53)

I loved that she named a chapter for each of her uncles as a personal shout-out to each of them individually and as a means of speaking to their lasting impact on her life. I also appreciated that background information was given about her HBO comedy special and how she opted to meet her father for the first time on camera so that now if/when I watch it, I'll have more context and likely absorb it in a different way than if I hadn't read about the bevy of emotions Rodriguez was grappling with leading up to and during that interaction.

And though less so a book element and more so just a beautiful attribute of Rodriguez's story, I loved that she was named for both her grandmothers and that one of those women was her favorite person on earth, resulting in her having such pride in her name:

"My first name had a story. Aside from it being one of the most celebrated operas and musicals about a princess and having a rich history during the Matriarch times in Ethiopia, it was also the name of both of my grandmothers. Isn't that something? Two women from two different countries—Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic—who never met had the same damn name. I didn't know one of those Aidas, my father's mother. I grew up with the other. She was my best friend and I was proud to be her namesake." (11)

My issues with Legitimate Kid were largely structural. If I had to summarize, this text felt more like a draft than a final product. To start with, there were a number of chapters that could've been combined or at least followed each other sequentially because of the fact that they dealt with the same topic and/or series of events:
-"The Draft," "Baby Daddy" and "The Best, Best Man,"
-"You Can't Handle the Truth" and "Odd One Out,"
-"The Village People" and "The Artist Formerly Known As Daddy,"
-"Name Dropping" and "Strike"
In the absence of that, the text felt pretty all over the place, which I at first thought was intentional (i.e., that Rodriguez intended to render a text of random vignettes/snapshots from different moments in her life), but that later proved not to be the case.

In that vein, the order of the chapters sometimes made no sense, and because they were erratically arranged, it involved repetition of events from chapters prior, "refreshers" that wouldn't have been necessary had more forethought been given to actual structure. The result was a memoir that was more anecdotal than sequential, which would have been fine, but as a reader I repeatedly got the impression that Rodriguez wanted or was attempting to make it sequential, which it clearly wasn't. The text essentially didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.

Often throughout, it felt like Rodriguez was working through her feelings on various events in and areas of her life in real time. Though this may seem like a not so big deal (especially considering the complexity and multifaceted nature of feelings in general), this often got to be exhausting as a reader, with Rodriguez stating feelings emphatically in one sentence, only to say the complete opposite mere lines later:

"What he didn't know was that the more he wronged me, the more of me he lost. Suddenly, I started to realize that maybe I was better off in life without him. Maybe him not being there was really a blessing in disguise." (184)
vs.
"I love that man and am grateful for him, he is partially responsible for me being here. I honestly don't know what to do with him. But throwing him away feels petty and vindictive." (184)

While Rodriguez does touch on her comedy career and how she got her start in various chapters, it's nowhere near as detailed or comprehensive as I expected. If anything, it often felt more so like she was sharing particular events in passing though never providing a clear trajectory, so that one moment the text reads as her struggling to provide for her and her children and merely dabbling in comedy, and the next, she'd all of a sudden arrived and was thriving (even after finishing the book, I'd still be hard-pressed to actually relay how it happened if someone were to ask me). Similarly (in terms of things being stated with little to no explanation), at one point, Rodriguez randomly mentions being a Seventh-Day Adventist (142). It would've been interesting to at least learn some of how that entered her life and how it came to be a part of her story she felt was even worth mentioning.

Speaking of Rodriguez's comedy career, the text contained far less jokes than I anticipated (though to Arianna DeBose's credit in the foreword, she does give fair warning of this: "There are surely laughs along the way, it's Aida, after all...but it's not all lighthearted content." (xiv). Not that I wanted or needed her to make a joke or make light of everything in her life, but I was surprised at the limited number of jokes there actually were, and, unfortunately, the few that were made often didn't land. In that vein, I thought "Phone Boning" an odd, pretty cringe title to choose for a chapter about her father (I'm still trying to rack my brain to understand her thought process behind that one).

In general, the book could've really used a good editor, since it suffered from everything from run on sentences, comma misuse, and a complete lack of needed punctuation, to the previously mentioned issues with chapter arrangement. Choppy/clunky language was also an issue:

"He assured me that their relationship was over and that he had put it all to a stop." (117)

"So we continued to move along even if I always felt that I couldn't trust him as far as I could see him." (119)

"...he was trying to catch me up to speed..." (167)

"We drove through the streets of la Zona Colonial as the tigres hung out..." (167)
*instead of "tigueres," unless this was meant to be one of her numerous jokes that didn't land, and she was trying to get the reader to envision actual tigers roaming the streets of Santo Domingo

"He was one of the most affectionate of the people in my life..." (173)

"I was just a woman to him and he was interested in." (206)

There were also several instances of repetitiveness (in quick succession, not even pages later):

"In total we were together on and off for about five or six years." (119)

"There was a lot of breaking up and getting back together. From 2001 to 200, I was in and out of this thing with him." (120)

Each time I read a memoir or autobiographical account, I often have to remind myself that just because someone is a celebrity it doesn't necessarily make them a writer (or an eloquent one at that). Legitimate Kid was no exception. I don't regret reading Rodriguez's story and am glad that she was given a platform to tell it so that others may derive inspiration and strength from all she's experienced and overcome. It just could've used some thorough reworking before being shared with the world.


Noteworthy lines and passages:

"I still don't understand how this could be a an issue, but Latinos' thinking has been colonized as well, so we do dumb shit to one another. We find reasons to dislike one another and attach values to our worth based on what white supremacy dictates. To me it was like a figurative mangú, los tres golpes (the three hits): machismo, colorism, and ignorance. Yeah, I would've preferred the fried cheese." (13)

"My job was to find a white guy who liked me so that I could "adelantar la raza," take the race forward. Stupid shit Latinos say to their children since they associated whiteness with upward mobility." (131)

"She wore her disgust brightly." (131)

"I had been making excuses for the been in my life, starting with my father, for so long that now it was my fault that Baby Daddy didn't want to grow up. I should have raised him better." (208)

[Alena De La Cruz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

I tend to have a hard time rating books that are non-fiction. Although I did enjoy hearing about Aida’s story and her personal journey I thought the book was not cohesive. It was a little confusing going back and forth different segments of her personal journey when it wasn’t expressed in chronological order. Her story itself was 3 stars but the book’s structure is ultimately why I gave it an overall 2.5.

[Mikia | SeeWhatKeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember seeing Aida the first time on IG - it was a clip from one of her shows. Instant fan! I was excited to see she had a book out. It’s a very real thing to question why you don’t have your dad’s last name… if you don’t understand the concept all the way. Most definitely worth the read!

[Just JBK · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the stories, lessons, and overall message of this book and found it very relatable, the order of the stories was distracting. It jumped around frequently and it could have been a much more powerful piece in a chronological or more themed order.

[Indy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! You will laugh and you will cry. Who knew Aida grew up in my hood.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aida Rodriguez took the comedy scene by storm, skyrocketing to fame with her unapologetic humor and refreshing perspective! From cracking up audiences with her stand-up gigs to becoming a fan favorite on shows like Last Comic Standing, she's redefining comedy. Aida fearlessly tackles social issues, shatters stereotypes, and paves the way for underrepresented voices in the industry.

Her upcoming release "Legitimate Kid: A Memoir," set to release this October, is a heartfelt journey that takes us through her life experiences, shedding light on the impact of growing up without her biological father, who faced multiple deportations to the Dominican Republic. 📖💔 But wait, there's more – Aida's unapologetic honesty and witty charm provide a read that's both relatable (especially for Latinx daughters) and inspiring. As a long time fan I couldn't put this book down.

I learned so much about the life experiences that informed who Aida is as an intellectual, mother, comedian, and trailblazer. I loved reading about the impact Richard Pryor had on her comedic style as well. Pryor's candid storytelling, unapologetic honesty, and sharp wit resonated deeply with audiences in the same way Aida's does, allowing us to see our experiences as AfroLatinas reflected on stage. Pryor, like Rodriguez, opened doors for future generations of comedians of color, proving that comedy could be a powerful tool for social commentary and change. Similarly, Aida Rodriguez's legacy continues to inspire comedians to use their craft to challenge norms, shed light on inequality, and bring diverse voices to the forefront of the entertainment industry.

Just as she does on the stage, Aida fearlessly shares her story. She highlights the profound influence and ways the village, in all manifestations of what that means, impacts our lives as developing girls. From shaping our confidence to influencing our aspirations, the bond between family and young impressionable daughters/granddaughters is immeasurable even when and where we have felt disappointed.

This memoir is a powerful reminder that multiple truths can be true- our family trauma deeply impacts us and also makes us more authentic, aware, strong, and appreciative of all the good things in life.

[Carmen S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I am not a long-time follower of Aida Rodriguez, I watched her HBO special and fell in love with her humor, style, spirit, and authenticity. Since then, I have been captured by her vibrant essence and comedic brilliance on social media. When she announced Legitimate Kid I knew I had to pick it up but was devastated by how disappointing my experience reading it was.

While my initial expectation was that the memoir would have the same wit and humor I've come to love from Aida Rodriguez, the root of my disappointment was not in the more serious tone of the book. What did disappoint me was how disjointed the writing was - instead of a cohesive journey, the book meanders without a clear direction, leaving me disoriented and disconnected from Aida's story. While the memoir attempts to navigate themes of cultural and personal identity, the storytelling remains disjointed and fails to delve into the depths required to evoke the connection I was hoping to have. While I appreciate how difficult it must have been for Aida Rodriguez to recount these moments of her life, I ultimately felt that this memoir became a collection of overly curated facts. Rather than providing genuine insights or lessons learned from life experiences, which are in my opinion hallmarks of a compelling memoir, Aida's narrative was a statement of stories that did not offer a new insight, view, or point of connection with a reader unless they shared the exact same experience. Overall, the memoir fails to translate moments of personal transformation into insightful reflections that the reader can connect with or learn from. Despite having a disappointing experience with this memoir, I continue to be a fan of Aida Rodriguez and hope to see another comedy special from her soon.

[Jesica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love it even more --- but I still kinda loved it. Like Aida, my mom is Puerto Rican and like Aida's mom's family, mine also had some serious generational trauma that resulted in lots of poverty and addiction and domestic tumult -- and also disappearing dads. So what I loved was how relatable her story is and her poignant determination to break the cycles and do things differently -- and how human and vulnerable she is about still making some of the old same mistakes anyway (as have I!). I've never read another memoir or story by a Puerto Rican woman that both embraced family, was honest about toxic cultural traditions AND celebrated therapy and self help. If you are a Puerto Rican woman from a dysfunctional family -- you should probably read this book.
However, I only gave it three stars due to some editing issues --- not only could it have been organized better in terms of chronology (it was organized by personal growth stages instead) but it was frequently confusing on a sentence by sentence basis.
Nevertheless, I LOVED Aida Rodriguez before I read her book and I love her EVEN MORE now. I wish she was my friend ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Sarah Aileen Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like to review memoirs because it seems like I'm rating the author's life story but this one warrants a review. I should say that I didn't know of Aida before reading this, and after reading it, I'm looking forward to seeing some of her work. That being said, this book was a hard read because it seemed to really jump around and lacked organization. It was hard to follow, and could have benefited from a chronological order of events.

I also can't imagine what her family thinks of this. It felt like she was spilling a lot of family tea that wasn't hers to spill. I did enjoy the last few chapters but that's all there was on her career progression and it seemed glazed over. While I love hearing personal stories, the lack of understanding for what her family went through and how their trauma played a role in their lives felt a bit icky to me, especially as she was living through some of the same cycles.

[Kibi Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried. I laughed. I said amen. I rooted for the good guys and gals. I felt seen, loved and more free after reading this book. Aida’s beautiful storytelling from the heart made listening to the truth of what she overcame still poignant, precious and light. How she used her comedy to turn deep pain into power is the true gift of this read, and a testament to the unyielding strength of the human spirit. Aida ends her opening section with the line, “now I can really make you laugh,” and given how much she’s already achieved that, I can’t wait to see what she has in store next. Definitely recommend this book!

[Zoe Haugen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not familiar with Aida’s work but I loved this book. Being that it is nonfiction / a memoir, it is always harder to rate these types of books highly for me because I don’t find them as fun to read as other genres. But I laughed out loud and cried many times throughout this book and really resonated with a lot of Aida’s life, even though we’ve lived completely different lives. It was like listening to a friend tell you their life story. I recommend for girls and women who grew up with insecurities about race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Also, people who have “unrealistic” dreams of being a performer.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an audio book. I was expecting something funny and about Hollywood, to be really honest, and this was not that. HOWEVER what I got instead was so much better. It is so rare to read about the experience of growing up in poverty, with complicated family dynamics, and it not be overwrought or clearly written by someone with no lived experience. There were some emotions and experiences I know I’ve had that I’ve never seen represented in books before. I am very grateful to Rodríguez for sharing her story as such.

The book is more series of essays and jumps around a bit in the timeline, which made it a little tough to follow at times. Otherwise, a 5 star book.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of Aida's comedy, I was excited to read her memoir and it was a revelation. Her raw honesty about her childhood, family complexities and personal battles, totally resonated with me. But beyond the pain, she offers hope: our circumstances shape us, yes, but they ultimately do not define us. This book beautifully honors both the struggles and the strength, leaving you believing in the power of resilience and forging your own path. Moreover, it serves as a reminder of the value and importance of amplifying diverse voices within our society.

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy reading your book. It delves into experiences I've never personally encountered, yet you bring to light the stories of those who have. It's a powerful exploration of acknowledging feelings that may have been suppressed throughout one's life for the sake of prioritizing others' emotions over one's own. Although I haven't seen Aide perform, I deeply value her honesty. I eagerly anticipate part two and appreciate the depth of your work. Thank you.

[Abdul Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful, touching and entertaining memoir about a smart, tough and resilient Afro Latina living life in America. Not only is this book dramatic, it has very funny and beautiful moments. I truly respect the author and definitely realize the notion that most stand up comedians channel their pain and trauma into humor and laughter.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a memoir from a comedian, I assume it would have humor. This is not that kind of book! I still found the book interesting and with a powerful message of life as a Afro-Latina that is important to hear. The book was not always in a order that made sense to me, but I’m sure there was a reason behind it for the author. If you’re a fan of Aida’s work, I recommend it.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s difficult for me to rate this so low. Rodriquez’s stand up shows are gold. But this memoir fell short. The structure was confusing and it was repetitive at times. I wish it had been infused with some of her funny anecdotes. I’m sure the writing was cathartic for her and I do appreciate her honesty and vulnerability; I just wish it had been packaged differently and highlighted more of her sense of humor.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand that that the lives of comedians are not always funny, but it is a missed opportunity when a comedian's book lacks humor. This is the way the author wanted her story told, and I respect that. Personally, I think other comedians (Ms. Pat is a great example that sticks out in my mind) have done a better job at offering at the very least better storytelling.

[Jane Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book based on a review I came across, and the stories told are missing the meat and potatoes. The artistic language of a seasoned writer- I was expecting that. However, she's a comedian and wrote in her authentic speaking stabd up voice. I had to reprogram my brain to hear her story from that perspective.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never heard of this person before seeing this book, but since it was written by a bipoc individual, I wanted to give it a try and got a copy from the library. It was interesting, and at times pretty sad. I think the going back and forth between time periods might have thrown me off a bit. Not much humor in the book and I was able to get through it, it just took me longer than usual.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was interesting overall, I love learning about peoples lives, but it was really all over the place for me! I really felt like stories kept repeating, and then we were back in time randomly and revisiting something. I thought several times maybe I lost my place and I had already read this part, but I hadn't. Also, it wasn't funny, not anywhere. It was tragic and sad, but not funny.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is no joke. It takes a lot of courage to open your life to yourself, let alone allow others to learn from your experiences. That’s what this writer has done. Hopefully her family will read this book and learn with the rest of us. My thanks to this author.

[Jodi Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, girl! I definitely recommend this book. I love books that tell the story of growth and maturity. Aida did the work to realize she was legitimate all along, the hell with the naysayers! I love when awesome people win.
Read it and congrats Aida!

[Bradgirl5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful listen by the author. I found it to be authentic and respectful to her family. Her sincere voice reminded me of a dear friend talking about their childhood and trials and tribulations as an adult.