Towards the end of June, I decided to challenge myself to read for twenty-four hours straight (still not sure if it was a good idea). As someone who simply cannot DNF a book, no matter how bad it is (yes, it’s a problem; I’m saving it for therapy), I thought doing this challenge would help me knock down the stack of books I started but never finished.
I filmed the whole thing for my YouTube channel, Jamilah on Film, but this writing is dedicated to the reviews I would normally write, though a bit of a different format. Both reviews are incredibly brief and without spoilers.
Technically, I finished three books during this challenge, but the first book I finished was the audiobook version of I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, which I’ve already written a review about. It’s one of my favorite books, and the audiobook version became available right before I started filming this video. I simply couldn’t resist.
As for the other two books I finished…
Wildflower
Author: Drew Barrymore
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Genre: Autobiography
Number of Pages: 276
Rating: 2.75 out of 5
From page one, Drew states that this book is not meant to be a memoir but simply a collection of stories. Before we get into the collection of stories, she shares a beautiful poem and a picture from 1978. Actually, there are personal pictures sprinkled throughout, at the start of every chapter.
There were a couple of quotes/sentiments in the book that I related to. Like, when talking about her parents, Drew says, “…they gave me a blueprint through their behavior of what not to do with my own kids.” If I am fortunate enough to have my own family, this is exactly my ideology. Later, when she talked about her romantic life, she said the person “would have to be the human equivalent of an addition and not a subtraction.” Once again, my ideology while in the market for a life partner. I am whole as is; he needs to simply be an addition.
The writing in the book is very… simple. The tone with some sentences feels almost childlike, especially with the use of exclamation points; page 38 has a paragraph where every sentence, with the exception of two, has exclamation points. “Well, I thought, this guy kept his word, how cool!”
Blackout
Authors: Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson
Release Date: June 22, 2021
Genre: Fiction
Main Characters: Low key… I don’t know. Twig?
Number of Pages: 256
Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Looking back, I don’t have many notes regarding Blackout, and the two notes I do have, beyond the mention of Twig, I don’t remember which short stories the characters come from:
The energy of Tam/Tammi and her coping with a breakup is so me. I remember smiling as I read it because it felt like I was reading about myself.
JJ hides SO MUCH, beyond his sexuality. He hides his seasonal depression, which is common to experience during the winter months. He hides his support for women having the right to whip a boob out to feed their children, which is support that needs to be shared (in a non-creepy way).
The moment that had me fighting to get my laughter under control: Comparing Twig to Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Diabolical.
I love love love the interconnectedness of all the stories through the characters. It is truly like the Black version of Valentine’s Day. I really want to know the process these six authors went through to make it happen.
“A stable, loving family is something that should absolutely, fundamentally never ever be taken for granted!”
– Drew Barrymore from Wildflower–
