Book Review: This is Just My Face, Try Not to Stare

TITLE: This is Just My Face, Try Not to Stare
AUTHOR: Gabourey Sidebe
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
PUBLISHED: May 1rst, 2017
GENRE: Memoir
PREMISE: Actor Gabourey Sidebe talks about a variety of topics from the things she encounters as a celebrity to family life.
MY REVIEW: Full disclosure: I adore Gabourey Sidebe. I love pretty much everything she's been in and she's just one of those actors who I find to be a breath of fresh air and would love to just hang with some time. So it was probably going to be a given I was going to really like this book. So I'll give the standard this review has bias warning.
Having read a few memoirs now, I've now gotten some idea about what works for them and what doesn't. For me a good memoir is one that just feels genuine. Like it is actually the person writing the memoir and not some ghost writer speaking for the person and trying to cast them in the best light ever. When you read a few of these, it usually becomes pretty clear who is actually writing the memoir and who is just telling a ghost writer stories and having them interpreting them how they see fit.
This is one that feels genuine. Sidebe does not shy away from some the uglier aspects of Hollywood and the way they treated her because of her weight. She also does not shy away from pointing out some of the bullshit she gets from fans about her weight and race. There are stories about family about her mother and everything in between. It's told with a sharp wit and is just enjoyable even though some of the topics talked about get pretty dark.
Personally, this is one of my favorite memoirs this year. I won't say the best (I am in the middle of Hunger by Roxane Gay and that's shaping up to be one the best this year) but it's definitely in the top ten category.
WHO SHOULD READ: Gabourey Sidebe fans, celebrity memoir fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five awesome people