Book Review: I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart | Neil Strauss

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I CAN'T MAKE THIS UP: LIFE LESSONS
Author: Kevin Hart | Neil Strauss
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Nonfiction
Released: June 6, 2017
Review Source: Atria | Netgalley

Superstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.

The question you’re probably asking yourself right now is: What does Kevin Hart have that a book also has?

According to the three people who have seen Kevin Hart and a book in the same room, the answer is clear:

A book is compact. Kevin Hart is compact.

A book has a spine that holds it together. Kevin Hart has a spine that holds him together.

A book has a beginning. Kevin Hart’s life uniquely qualifies him to write this book by also having a beginning.

It begins in North Philadelphia. He was born an accident, unwanted by his parents. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His brother was a crack dealer and petty thief. And his mother was overwhelmingly strict, beating him with belts, frying pans, and his own toys.

The odds, in short, were stacked against our young hero, just like the odds that are stacked against the release of a new book in this era of social media (where Hart has a following of over 100 million, by the way).

But Kevin Hart, like Ernest Hemingway, JK Rowling, and Chocolate Droppa before him, was able to defy the odds and turn it around. In his literary debut, he takes the reader on a journey through what his life was, what it is today, and how he’s overcome each challenge to become the man he is today.

And that man happens to be the biggest comedian in the world, with tours that sell out football stadiums and films that have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion.

He achieved this not just through hard work, determination, and talent: It was through his unique way of looking at the world. Because just like a book has chapters, Hart sees life as a collection of chapters that each person gets to write for himself or herself.

“Not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter,” he says. “So why not choose the interpretation that serves your life the best?”

OK, so I have always loved Kevin Hart.  He is one of my favorite comedians.  He is so freaking hilarious!!  I don't think I have ever seen him in anything, whether stand up or a movie, where he wasn't amazing.  So when I heard he had a book coming out I jumped at the chance to read and review it.

I knew before even reading the book I would be in for a good experience.  I knew there would be funny parts, and there were.  What I wasn't expecting was how real the entire book felt.  So raw and honest and a completely different light on Kevin Hart.  It was really awesome to get to know about Kevin's life and outlook outside of his comedian persona.

I am leaving my review completely vague without going into any detail because I really think this book should be read with out any preconceived notions.  You will laugh, cringe, be angry, and cheer while reading this book.

I am rating this book 4 stars because I was enthralled reading this book and read it in two days.  There are a lot of good advice and lessons as well as laughs to be had while reading, I definitely recommend it whether you are a Kevin Hart fan or not!

Book Review: Positive: A Memoir by Paige Rawl with Ali Benjamin + Giveaway

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Positive: A Memoir
Author: Paige Rawl with Ali Benjamin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Non-Fiction | Autobiography
Released: August 26th 2014
Review Source: HarperCollins

In this astonishing memoir, Paige tells a story that is both deeply personal and completely universal—one that will resonate deeply with the thousands of children and adults whose lives have been touched by bullying.

Paige Rawl has been HIV positive since birth…but growing up, she never felt like her illness defined her. It never prevented her from entering beauty pageants or playing soccer or making the honor role.

On an unremarkable day in middle school, while attempting to console a friend, Paige disclosed her HIV-positive status—and within hours the bullying began. She was called "PAIDS," first in whispers, then out in the open. Her soccer coach joked that she was an asset because opposing team members would be too afraid to touch her. Her guidance counselor told her to stop all the “drama,” and her principal said she couldn’t protect her. One night, desperate for escape, Paige swallowed fifteen sleeping pills—one for each year of her life to date. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was only the beginning.

The gripping first-person account of Paige’s life will pull in even the most reluctant readers of nonfiction, and her call to action to choose compassion over cruelty will stay with them long after they turn the last page.

Positive was a story that I didn’t expect to affect me as much as it did. The story hurt but it loved as well, and the strength this girl inevitable found was so inspiring. Positive is a memoir about Paige Rawl’s life growing up, you may not have heard of her, but you will or you should definitely take the time out of your day to learn about her story. With the help of Ali Benjamin, the duo wrote an inspiring story that really opened my eyes.

So Positive follows the life of Paige Rawl, a girl who was unfortunately born with the HIV virus. The virus never stopped Paige from being herself, she never wanted to become the virus, and she just wanted to be young and free. When Paige exposed her secret to her best friend within minutes the entire school had heard. Without surprise the tormenting started to begin; they called her PAIDS, wrote nasty letters for her locker, wouldn’t touch anything after her, and were just completely cruel. And it wasn’t just the students, the teachers weren’t the most helpful either, but this is Paige’s story to tell, you need to read it.

This book really made me mad though, and not at the story or the girl but everyone around her. The teachers didn’t do a thing to help make the bullying stop, there was even a teacher that got a little too nosey, in which I wanted to punch that nose. But what I hated the most was all the excuses everyone made, no one manned up and was like “hey I was wrong, sorry about that” at least we could expect that from the adults in her life. I’m so tired for people making excuses for children, “oh they’re just kids what do you expect?” Uhh I expect them to treat anyone with the respect they deserve. Our children are taught hate; it’s not embedded in us to come out in the future, they are taught to be cruel or mean. Why aren’t we teaching kids at a young age that this stuff is horrible, that you can’t just say things like that, you can’t just push someone around and blame it on “just being a kid”? Just because she was born with something doesn’t give you an invitation to be cruel, just because that girl over there is wearing a short skirt she isn’t asking for it. And for the adults in her life to fall so flat and give her no hope just crushed my soul.

This book was something that completely took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to love it so much and be filled with such anger afterwards. I know when I have kids; this will be something they’ll read. They’ll need to know that just because something is different on the inside or the out, they are still a human being and deserved to be treated as one. They’ll know all the horrible ramifications for bullying, they’ll also be taught that being cruel is a weakness in others and if they are at the end of bullying that they’ll overcome it, they won’t have to deal with these people their entire life. I really hope to see this book in schools in the future. I hope her story is taught, because there are so many young children choosing suicide as the answer to end the hurt they are feeling. Please read this book, please have your children read this, give Paige Rawl the support, she deserves it.

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Here at OUaT, you know we love to giveaway the books that impact us. Below you can enter to win a  hardcover copy of POSITIVE: A Memoir of yourself. Make sure to read the terms and conditions.

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Book Review: Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra

Etched in Sand
A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island
Author: Regina Calcaterra

Reading Level: Non-Fiction

Genre: Autobiography | Memoir

Released: August 6th 2013

Review Source: William Morrow

Regina’s Calcaterra memoir, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope.

Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, New York State official, and activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons.

A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all.

Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, Etched in Sand is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.

To write someone else life into a review is very hard to do. Regina Calcaterra is on heck of an amazing person. She is a true survivor. This book is about her life and siblings surviving the foster system.

This is an inspiring story of how Regina overcomes an incredible difficult life growing up. Her mother is an abusive person. She abandons her kids for week, leaving them alone to feed on their own. Gosh, how I hated this lady! With all of the inappropriate name calling, how could someone be so cruel with their own children?

At the age of eleven, Regina had to take the role of mother to take care of her siblings. She had to shoplift to provide them food. She had to go through embarrassing moments throughout school. Indeed, she had a very difficult childhood.

There are many heartbreaking moments. One of these is the part where she explains what foster care means:

“To me, being a foster kid is a little bit like being a dog: You have no control over the kind of family who will take you. Even if you’re treated badly, it’s possible no one will ever find out the truth and come rescue you”.

No one should go through this. No one should ever be treated like this.

Although this is a difficult book to read, this is an inspiring story. We can learn that anyone, even with a difficult childhood, can overcome anything. Regina believed and is now a very successful woman.