Pages

November 27, 2014

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl


Awkward Black Girl is a web series I got hooked on in its early webisodes. Now that it is mainstream, the writing and comedy changed a bit. I stopped watching religiously. However, I was uber excited for the opportunity to review an ARC of the book. From YouTube to Galley pages!

"My name is Jo-Issa Rae Diop and I've always wanted a nickname. For the first twelve years of my life, none of my friends were lazy enough to shorten the pronunciation of my name, or affectionately bold enough to replace my name with an entirely new word, like Cocoa or Jollyrancher." ~ FIRST LINES

Jo-Issa Rae Diop (pronounced JO-EEE-SUH RAY JOPE) is the girl who tries to be less awkward, a bit cooler and a little smarter. The purpose of writing her story is to show it is okay to be awkward, learn from her mistakes and laugh at her misgivings. Well, Issa Rae, mission accomplished.

"Black people of all shapes, sizes and personalities value the moisturizing product known as body lotion. Lotioning alleviates ashiness. To be 'ashy' is to be unkempt." ~ pg. 68

There are lots of comedic stories like when Issa Rae was blocked on Twitter by a disabled white stripper. There are also chapters called ABG Guide about eating in public, connecting with other blacks and when co-workers attack. She writes about why edges are so important to the black female community and how being able to dance is seen as an automatic for all blacks. Pure entertainment in literary form!

Even if you are not familiar with ABG, this book of misadventures is a great introduction. So are the videos below. Issa Rae has a unique flair. For those that are already ABG fans, I highly recommend reading this collection of humorous essays when it is released in February 2015. You may pre-order at www.issarae.com/thebook




DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
Author: Issa Rae
Published: February 2015
Pages: 174
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♡

 

No comments:

Post a Comment