Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

It’s hard to give a poet anything but five stars on their autobiography. I can’t imagine having such a strong memory of my formative years after going through so many transitions and traumas.

Content Warnings

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

Difficult to read, but in the way that it challenges how you think about things.

In particular this made me consider the times it took place during, the "good ole days" and how shitty they were for a lot people. I make it a habit to not read much about a book before I pick it up to give everything a fair chance and the reason why I picked those one up was because I saw it on a list of commonly banned books. While it contains some mature(-ish) content, it is much tamer than many things I read as a youth and the value of showing other-ing on a personal degree is unmatched.

Content Warnings

shellanor_rigby's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

a_bloom's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

It took a little while for me to get used to the writing and actually interested in the story, but within a hundred pages it REALLY captured my attention. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive and painfully aware of how her younger self perceived the situation of her birth and life. However, the last few chapters come off awkward as it strays from the usual pacing, but considering she had more autobots it makes sense.

Content Warnings

coolfoolmoon's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

One thing that makes it hard to get through nonfiction is that it is often pure and objective fact, nothing but hard statements and the evidence to back it up, but Angelou writes in a way that doesn't just feel the way a memoir / autobiography would, like someone telling their life story, but in a way that is colorful and bright and fluid like fiction usually is. Well, good fiction at least.

And on a personal note a lot of moments hit a little tew close to home. I'm not gonna list them but not me and Miss Dr Angelou living the same life having the same experiences feeling the same feelings!!! I had to put the book down a couple times and cover my face!!!

Content Warnings

julissadantes's review against another edition

Go to review page

inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

The fact that the cage bird still sings is inspiring.

Living in the segregation world through the eyes of a curious and noble soul like hers was a delight. You could see all the F'up things going around and, even affected, she was unstoppable. Reading these kinds of works really makes you appreciate how far we've come and the remains that we still need to work on.

Content Warnings

More...