To be clear, I'm white... and this is a book by and about two Black sisters (literal sisters) and the racism they (especially Lacey!) encounter on a regular basis. It's funny, yes, (primary author Amber Ruffin is a writer for Seth Meyers), but it's also fittingly uncomfortable.

The titular Lacey still lives in the sisters' hometown of Omaha, Nebraska where she is often the only black person in the room. Amber is now living the dream in diverse NYC, but Lacey texts Amber all the time with unbelievable (though frustratingly believable) stories of the racism she encounters- on the job, in church, from teachers, at the hands of police/security officers, and yes- even from friends.

This book is exactly what it purports to be... A bunch of stories about Lacey's crazy experiences, along with a few of Amber's. Amber presents the stories and Lacey frequently chimes in as only a sister can. The book does not offer much in the way of advice or answers. Instead it is presented as solidarity for Black folks, and as a generous invitation for white folks to see how their words and behaviors affect the Black people in their lives. I experienced a few moments of shame for my own behavior, and came away with a renewed commitment to be a better ally. Very revealing.

I received an ARC of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. My thanks to author Amber Ruffin and publisher Grand Central Publishing for this opportunity.

What is funny is that this book is not funny at all. Amber is funny, Lacey is funny, there is a very funny scene where Lacey's friends will yell "JCPenney Security!" at her randomly because she keeps getting stopped by JCPenney security guards. But then it turns out she's stopped again, which really isn't that funny. There is a great picture of El Debarge that Lacey drew as a precocious child, which is neither funny or not funny. It's a really good drawing though. The title is really funny, especially if you've heard Amber say it out loud in her Minnie Mouse voice, because she stresses the second syllable in "Believe" in a very emotional but silly way. And hey, this book made me actually change the way I interact with Black ladies at the supermarket, so, you know, the whole thing didn't need to be funny. And Amber and Lacey don't need to know that they changed my behavior, because why should they have to talk to white people about race? But yes, I was being racist by dropping my "g's" and saying "I know that's right" in an effort to get 60 year old church going women to like me. That's racist. I accept that I did bad and that I can do better. I honestly needed that. Thanks book!

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey was an emotional rollercoaster that moved from hysterical laughter to the most painful of cringing. It walks the line between unbelievable and all-too-believable perfectly, leading the reader to be more aware of what they say and/or hear while out in the general public. I think this would be a great introduction to microaggressions for people who are unfamiliar with the idea of them. Recommended.

This book is BONKERS! On behalf of white people I would like to sincerely apologize to Black people for the bananas things people do & say. I'm white, but have only lived in areas with high numbers of minorities (San Diego and Phoenix), so I pride myself on being a bit more enlightened (I hope). Reading these stories makes me weep for this world. And the stories that really got to me weren't the really bad ones-I know there will always be racist people who hate other races. But the seemingly "normal" people, who are decent on the surface, but then casually make a "isn't this what you people like?" kind of comment, those are the heartbreakers. And why are there so many people who want to touch Black people's hair?!?! Mind boggling.
I don't care what race you are, read this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an important and eye-opening read about the micro-aggressions (and, let’s be honest, actual aggressions) that Black people experience on a day to day basis. Somehow the author managed to use humor when describing each event, and the conversational tone was fun to read. I learned a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and the author for the ARC

I laughed, I cried, and overall felt ashamed to be a white woman in middle America not far from Omaha. I feel like I know so many of these people Lacey has encountered. I enjoyed this book so much and would recommend it to anyone.

This was such a funny read even though it talked about serious issues. I definitely recommend this book to everyone because everyone could a) use a laugh right now and b) listen to the stories of racism that people of color combat on a daily basis. I really appreciate Amber and Lacey sharing these stories with us.