Reviews by Tag: memoir

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
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.

Teen Review
The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle

By Jeannette Walls
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Leilani G.
May 9, 2023

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is one of the most unorthodox books you’ll ever
read. Written as an autobiography, it details her life growing up with a dysfunctional family. Her
parents were creative thinkers who preferred to live their lives differently from society. They
constantly moved their kids to new places, and relied on their children’s self-sustenance to keep
the family afloat. Jeannette and her three siblings, Lori, Brian, and Maureen, depended on each

Teen Review
Breaking Clean

Breaking Clean

By Judy Blunt
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
A_Gascich
May 9, 2023

Breaking Clean is a memoir by Judy Blunt. It follows Blunt’s life growing up on a farm in rural
Montana and the challenges involved with that lifestyle. Blunt touches on gender roles, poverty
and coming-of-age.

Teen Review
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Crying in H Mart

By Michelle Zauner
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Isabel P.
Jun 6, 2022

The storytelling in this book about Mrs. Zauner’s life is breathtakingly moving and engrossing. You meet Michelle Zauner who is a Korean American. She talks about the hardships she faced as an Asian American and about the struggles she went through with her relationship with her mother. You also read about the challenges she goes through while finding out what truly makes her happy and the challenges she has throughout her life. This book was very well written as you can feel Zauner’s emotions throughout the book and also through the food she writes about.

Teen Review
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle

By Jeannette Walls
Star Rating
★★

Rated by
Mariam S.
Jun 1, 2022

The Glass Castle is a memoir by journalist Jeannette Walls about her family and childhood. Her parents rejected societal norms, which was often detrimental to the Walls children but also beneficial in its own ways. Jeannett’s father was a genius who helped accelerate the education of his children, but also an alcoholic without any money management skills and constantly on the run from the bill collectors.

Teen Review
Educated by Tara Westover

Educated

By Tara Westover
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Mar 29, 2022

Tara Westover’s autobiography, Educated, details her life growing up with survivalists in rural Idaho. Westover received no formal education until she went to college and was barred from modern society, yet she managed to earn her Ph.D. in History from Cambridge. I found this novel intriguing for the most part, but some moments felt repetitive. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Westover’s display of courage, strength, and individuality; she represents how hard work and a little bit of luck can overcome all odds.

Teen Review
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees

By Helen Jukes
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Zoe D.
Mar 14, 2022

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes Genres: Nonfiction – Memoir, Environment, Nature, Science

Helen Jukes, unsatisfied with her work and home life, receives a colony of bees as a gift from a friend. Recalling how she enjoyed her previous beekeeping experiences, she decides to keep and care for the colony in her backyard. She describes her year of beekeeping, all the while learning more about honey bees and rediscovering passion.

Teen Review
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

By Maya Angelou
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Noor H.
Oct 6, 2021

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is a memoir. Maya talks about her experiences growing up as an African American. She has to face discrimination and family problems, and tries to find her place in society. Finally, she is able to break certain barriers that society has created. Is she truly able to find her place?

Teen Review
How About Never-is Never Good For You by Bob Mankoff

How About Never-is Never Good For You?

By Bob Mankoff
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Delaney M.
Feb 7, 2021

How About Never--is Never Good for You? ​is Bob Mankoff’s engrossing memoir that focuses primarily on his experiences as a cartoonist and editor of The​ New Yorker​ magazine. Wryly funny and a little tongue-in-cheek, this book is a quick and enjoyable tidbit. The story initially focuses on Bob Mankoff’s life, but gradually shifts to his professional experiences and the cartoons of The New Yorker​.

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