2.5 rounded up. This was fine. The narrative felt slightly all over the place, and while the author tried to put some analysis on her own story, it felt a bit surface level. While I agree that her ability to become a professor after having dropped out in seventh grade was made easier by her being white, I think her partner (now spouse) was a bit harsh in not letting her enjoy her success. (Also - at one point she mentions wearing a shirt about being 'too cool for binary' or something along those lines, but does not ever say that she is nonbinary? So I am using the pronoun she but I could be wrong). I also felt like there wasn't a lot there about her being intersex, something that she could have a lot to say on. As she is more than allowed privacy, I think putting it into a memoir and then not discussing it further felt a bit of an odd choice.

Her family life and relationships are wild though.

Thank you to NYU Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Davis's story is important and impactful. At times though, the pacing and narrative structure was not as engaging as it could have been.

Georgiann Davis delivers a raw and complex memoir that unapologetically confronts class, gender, and identity through the lens of her unconventional upbringing. From a chaotic childhood shaped by a flashy, struggling mother and unchecked family trauma to an adulthood filled with startling medical revelations and academic triumph, Davis weaves personal experience with social critique in a way that’s bold, thoughtful, and politically charged.

While the storytelling is powerful and necessary, at times the narrative feels disjointed, and some transitions between personal memoir and cultural analysis lack cohesion. Still, Davis' voice is undeniably compelling, and her journey—from dropout to professor—is both inspiring and important for readers seeking nuanced takes on identity, poverty, and resilience in America.

I’m such a fan of gritty memoirs, and this was definitely that. Georgiann’s story of growing up is fascinating and kind of horrifying.
This is the first memoir I’ve read where the author is intersex and I really appreciated how candid Georgiann wrote about her experience.
I find it hard to rate and really give meaningful feedback on someone’s experience in their own words. Objectively I found this very interesting and while I appreciated her raw and blunt storytelling, I found some of the stories really off putting, which is the point, I think, but I don’t always love reading stories that leave me feeling uncomfortable.