Reviews by Category: Biography

Teen Review
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself book cover

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself

By Frederick Douglas
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Sep 20, 2023

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself by Frederick Douglass is a book about personal experience based on being enslaved. He writes this book on how he and other slaves were traded, and how he overcomes his situations. He then works to help other slaves and speak out to abolish slavery. 

Teen Review
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime

By Trevor Noah
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Vaibhav K.
Sep 18, 2023

Trevor Noah recounts his childhood in South Africa after and during apartheid. It focuses on his relationship with his mother and some of his most interesting life stories, which make us feel sad, happy, angry and more. 

Teen Review
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth

Heartland

By Sarah Smarsh
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Aneet K.
Sep 1, 2023

Heartland; a book about a life of poverty in a country of opportunity. Heartland is a nonfiction memoir written by the author Sarah Smarsh. This book resonates with many, as it is set in western Kansas and is told from the perspective of a girl named Sarah Smarsh who is raised by generations of teen mothers. All Sarah wants is to escape the cycle of poverty and teen pregnancy through her education and determination.

Teen Review
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

By Maya Angelou
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Ken
Jul 3, 2023

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing, a novel written by Maya Angelou, accounts her life from age 3 through age 16, narrating an unsettled and traumatic childhood that included rape and racism. Maya Angelou describes her coming of age as an intelligent but insecure Black girl in the American South during the 1930s, and subsequently in California during the 1940s. 

Teen Review
Born a Crime

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

By Trevor Noah
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
VP
Jun 2, 2023

This was such a fun book! Although, not in a very fun situation. Trevor Noah grows up as a mixed child during the apartheid laws in South Africa, so he was quite literally born a crime. This book describes Noah’s childhood, lifestyle, iconic stories, and the challenges he faced with his background. Here’s the most important aspect of the book: it’s funny. It seems contradictory, but Trevor Noah, as an adult comedian today, used humor as a coping mechanism in his life.

Teen Review
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By Rebecca Skloot
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Jun 2, 2023

One of the most groundbreaking discoveries in the past century was a most peculiar phenomenon known as HeLa cells. While other cultured cells shortly died in a traditional lab setting, HeLa cells continued to multiply continuously, earning them the title of the first immortal cells. This gave scientists around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments that would lead to life-changing discoveries such as the polio vaccine and the study of HPV/HIV. However, few are aware of the woman behind the cells: a black tobacco farmer from Virginia named Henrietta Lacks.

Teen Review
Night by Elie Wiesel

Night

By Elie Wiesel
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Basil Park
Jun 1, 2023

Night is such an amazingly vivid, compelling, and tragic story about the Holocaust. It’s a memoir (of a sort) about the author’s experience during the Holocaust. The author Elie Wiesel is the narrator throughout the book and explains his journey with his father as they go through the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust.

Teen Review
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime

By Trevor Noah
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Nihanth D.
May 19, 2023

Born a Crime is a comedic memoir written by Trevor Noah. Trevor Noah is a famous comedian and host of “The Daily Show”, and this collection of stories highlights his experience as a mixed child growing up in apartheid South Africa, a place where it was illegal for races to mix. As a result, Trevor shares the story of a man who lived in a world where he was unwanted, and it results in some amazing life lessons.

Teen Review
Educated by Tara Westover

Educated

By Tara Westover
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Isobel P.
May 13, 2023

This was one of the most inspiring memoirs that I have ever read. We read about Tara Westover’s personal experiences living in a very strict, radical Mormon family. It’s a very empowering book about her journey out of her prison-like life under her radical, abusive father. She talks about all of the challenges she faced as her brainwashed religious side fought against the other side of her that wanted an education and wanted to leave her home. You get to read about her journey to getting an education after not being taught much as a young girl.

Browse by Tag