This book, for the most part is ok I'd give it a solid 3. At first I was intrigued on the title, when I got it years ago. Thank you netgalley for the ARC. However, at first read, I enjoyed it, until I realized this is more of a memoir type than anything else. We all have our woes in life, and some of us have the ability and fortitude to put this to writing. I myself like it. But not enough .

This was a fantastic read. I loved this window into a world. It draws you in and holds you tightly. I read it in pretty much a single sitting on holiday and immediately turned back to the beginning to reread some sections. Wonderful writing and tiny details come together to skillfully depict a full human existence in such a way as to feel like you actually know. I look forward to reading the succeeding sections of Aceman - and absolutely loved the Detroit setting. Absolutely recommend!

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This is one of the best written autobiographies I've read in recent times. Larry takes the reader through various aspects of his life from growing up in a large family in Detroit, to his parents divorce and fights he had with his siblings.

I felt like I was part of his story from the 70s. He wrote in such a way that you felt every turn of emotion and experience.

In some ways, I related to avoid aspects of his story and it made me realise that no matter where we are and how we grew up, each of us has a story to tell that others can relate to.

Rating: 4.5/5

Favourite Quote: "Sometimes there are things in life that unfold like a dream; moments in time that put us on the path we are destined to follow. No matter what we do, we cannot escape this, and to deny it would be tantamount to turning your back on whom you truly are."

My review is up on Amazon under my name Kimberly-Aisha Hashmi. I loved it, want to know more so I guess I care

The first in a series, “Nobody Cares Who You Are” is an outstanding coming-of-age debut by Larry Acquaviva (1965-). Reflective and philosophical, Acquaviva, from the gritty 6 Mile of east Detroit, was next to the youngest in a large Catholic family of seven children. With an absent father, mischief, mayhem and manhood were learned through his tough rambunctious older brothers.

All of the Acquaviva kids attended the Assumption Grotto Catholic School. Lessons learned from the strict nuns, that never hesitated to crack students with a ruler were well known. A fantastic storyteller, Acquaviva recalled attending Saint Vincent de Paul’s summer camp on the shores of Lake Huron (aged 9-14). Mindful of the ancient tribal spirits of the Pontiac, Tecumseh, and Michipichy Indians, nothing was feared more than the legend of the Thumpdrag--the beast that resided in the wooded areas of Camp Ozanam. Nakawa, the Indian brave and faithful friend who kept Acquaviva company and also scout for enemy soldiers in the backyard and alleys during strategic war games. Among the most worst confusing times occurred when he and his brother suffered at the hands of “Godzilla”-- a priest his mother dated. Real names were given, also the productive adult conversation he had with Godzilla years later.
Working for the Detroit Free Press to contribute to the family income meant getting up at 5:00 am, seven days a week, a real initiation into manhood. Only pansies that were driven by their mommies after school worked for the Detroit News. Later, Acquaviva helped maneuver his very pregnant sister-in-law through a smaller window to a get-away car as his brother beat furiously on the front door of their house.

The Motor City received a tragic economic hit when three major car factories laid-off thousands of autoworkers in the summer of 1980. The mass exodus in population from Detroit began amid the widespread corruption and greed of the corporate elite, politicians, and civic leader mismanagement and fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars. The culture, the hustle and hum of the factories, the pride of the constant Motown sound-- would go silent. Businesses that had served Acquaviva’s neighborhood for decades suddenly closed. The future that had once been so bright and promising had vanished.

Acquaviva’s mother who had once coveted her peace and quiet, remarried, and moved remaining family members to Annapolis, Md. After graduation from his preppy high school where most of the students went on to Ivy League educations, Acquaviva attended Western Maryland College. Dismayed over his college student debt, he learned more from the grounds keeper than the college professors. The survival skills and lessons learned from the streets of Detroit would greatly impact the direction of his young adult life. ~ Many thanks and much appreciation to Deeds Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC for the purpose of review.