This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare

Miss Sidibe conveys her story with candor, honesty, and humour. I found the book a refreshing read filled with snark, sarcasm, and entertaining depictions of her life. I highly recommend this book. Miss Sidibe continues to be a "friend in my head" as I could completely follow along without feeling sorry for her in any way. She's definitely someone I'd want to hang out with

Reading this book is like hanging out with Gabourey and getting a backstage pass to her incredible life. She writes like she's telling you (and only you) the way it really all went down. Her confidence and humor will uplift you, and she might just teach you a thing or two about transforming pain into something beautiful.

When you devour a book that leaves you hungry for more, you know you've read something special. I read this book while on an Amtrak train to NY, but I felt as if I was sitting at my dining room table while pouring Gabourey some fine wine and sharing pasta. You go deep with this book and come out on the other side feeling as if you've made a new friend. Sidibe's style is casual, frank, intelligent and insightful; her honesty makes her most appealing because she's as unapologetic as it gets about her life. And what's to apologize for? Nothing. It's her life, she shares it with you and you just need to understand that she's far more special than you thought while you were watching her hurl wicked words at Kathy Bates! Sidibe ranks as one of my favorite people--she's more than an actress, more than a fierce black girl, more than a gorgeous icon of beauty--she's just one truly amazing soul who blesses us all! I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and I finished the book wishing that I could jump to the future for her next volume of riches. Thank you, Gabourey--you truly are just divine and anyone who reads this book will fall in love with you all over again!

A woman who does not care about what others think, yet admits her anxiety about mainstream cultural norms. I love her, and teh book lived up to my expectations. We need real, smart, and intelligent role models for our girls- well here is one!
Highly recommended.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, because like I've said before, I like making celebrities tell me their own stories with their actual voices, and I have yet to feel like splurging for the audio of a celebrity memoir was a waste. This book was no exception.

I listened to this audiobook while making a solo trip from my parents house to Colorado Springs to visit my husband and see the house we were hoping to buy (we did, we bought it, we closed on it at the end of February), and I'm glad I did because some of the topics discussed are things I would not have wanted my children around to hear at their current ages. Not that they really pay much attention to my audiobooks in the first place, but when Gabourey starts talking about her work as a phone sex operator (a hilarious bit in the book by the way), I would have had to start listening to something else just to be on the safe side.

I mentioned in my initial Goodreads review of the book that I think Gabourey would be an amazing BFF. After listening to her book, I just can't imagine not having a blast spending time with her. She just seems like the kind of person who uses humor to deal with pretty much everything and I tend to try to do the same, so we'd basically be a match made in heaven.

The part of her story that I found most fascinating was everything that led up to her being cast as Precious, her breakout role. The path to that movie's production was long and somewhat convoluted, but apparently it was just waiting for Gabourey to be ready to play the lead.

Overall I give This is Just My Face 4.999 stars.

I never liked memoirs and found them boring, until last year I stumbled across one of another artist last year, and surprisingly enjoyed it.
I got Gabourey’s book in audio version and boy oh boy, have I enjoyed it!

She is a very likeable and smart person, and the way the book is narrated made me feel like I was hanging out with my bestie who was telling me a story of her life.

Gabourey Sidibe talks about her childhood, her parents’ marriage, her father being a polygamist, her struggles to finish school and find a stable job. She tells a story about her work experience as a sex phone operator, and the coincidences that brought her on the path of becoming an actress as well as movie director.
Last, but not least, Gabourey Sidibe talks about racial remarks and negative comments about her weights and looks, which she has been facing all her life, and still is – even when being a celebrity.

All of this is told in an optimistic, funny and light manner, and shows Gabourey’s positive attitude throughout her struggles.
I absolutely loved it and would recommend this book without hesitations.

I love this young woman. She's wise, sharp, quick-witted, gut-wrenchingly and heart-breakingly honest, courageous and funny as hell. I didn't know what to expect from her book but I couldn't walk past that irresistable face on the cover without picking it up. There's not a woman alive who can't find a part of her soul illuminated by Ms. Sidibe's words. She's a revelation and a force to be be reckoned with. Keep it coming, baby girl...I know you have more to say. :-)

This was a very good book. Her struggles and fears. The daily issues of her family life, I'm sure would have given many a defeatist attitude, but reading how Ms. Sidibe overcame her obstacles to become the success that she is and will continue to be is a blessing for her. This book made me laugh, feel sad, but finally feel joy for Gabourey. May you continue to shine brightly because you are fantabulous!!

Gabourey Sidibe is a force to be reckoned with whether she's acting, or writing. This book was entertaining from start to finish to the point I didn't want to put it down. However, I also didn't want to finish the book in one or two days like I would usually finish a book I'm reading. Instead I gave myself three days to read this book, so I could have something to look forward to after I ate breakfast on the weekend. Some of the things she mentions will leave you shocked, speechless, and omg did she really just say that?

I didn't know much about Gabourey before picking this up, but I'd heard a few people talk about it so I picked it up. I'm also really wary of "hillarious" celebrity books because I never think they are actually funny. Gabourey is HYSTERICAL. I laughed out loud and cried and related to her so much. She's a celebrity who is a very good writer! It's a great combination of light and deep, emotional and funny. Pretty fast read as well which I enjoy.

I loved the book, tho all things weren't relatable to me, a lot was! I wish I could have found the confidence that Gabby had earlier in my own life! But I found it & sometimes it's a struggle to hold on too, I grasp it with both hands! I agree "This is Just my face"! It's want was born with given by the most high! I learned to embrace and lightly enhance with makeup ? Great read! I definitely recommend the read! Some real laugh out loud moments! I could tell Gabby has a Great sense of humor

The moment I saw Gabourey Sidibe was releasing a memoir, and that she would be narrating the audiobook, I knew I wanted to read it. She has such a sassy and funny personality. I loved her performance of This is Just My Face; it's so her. I'm a big reader of print, but this book definitely deserves to be listened to.

Gabourey gives lots of deets into her life that help to understand her personality, work ethic, and life choices. She's a star and I love that she embraced the fame she was fortuned. ?

Gabourey Sidibe is amazing. She's funny, honest, snarky and everything I adore. I'm not into reading books about Hollywood actors... this book is so beyond that! Her challenges and determination are inspirational and I must have laughed out loud 10+ times while reading.

I loved every minute of this audio book. Her writing and voice narration style are so friendly and genuine and funny. She is so honest and vulnerable in the truths she shares. Unexpectedly, I learned about Senegalese culture and marriages, and what it's like to be a phone sex operator. This is not a light read but her voice (both written and vocal performance) make it endlessly entertaining.

Open. Honest. Witty and gritty. You'll learn things. Ms. Sidibe is an excellent storyteller and This Is Just My Face is the story of a young woman who discovers her own beauty in a world that isn't always beautiful and where survival may mean doing not so beautiful things. You thanked us for reading, I thank you for sharing.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. At times it was laugh out loud funny and so entertaining and at the same time very touching. Gabby reminds you to really love yourself no matter what other people think and don't be afraid of saying yes. She really is a Bomb Girl.

I was surprised at how entertaining this book is. That's not meant to be a slight to Sidibe; Being I've never seen her interviewed, I thought this would be merely a cash-in from someone who became famous fairly recently. Instead the book gets far deeper than most celebrity memoirs when discussing issues of race and appearance, and is always riveting and often funny while doing so. Sidibe's writing style makes her come across as the reader's close friend, sharing her stories in a fun, confiding tone. The chapter about the time she worked as a sex phone operator had me laughing out loud several times. A delightful, quick read.

Gabourey Sidibe (Gabby) is an American actress who starred in the film 'Precious', co-starred in several seasons of the television series 'American Horror Story', and co-stars in the musical drama series 'Empire.'

Gabby was a struggling young woman trying to make ends meet when she was offered the starring role in the 2009 movie 'Precious.' And the rest is history! Gabby's talent, drive, and winning personality propelled her into a rewarding show business career and worldwide fame.

In this memoir Gabby talks about her life - and what led up to her success - with humor, candor, and modesty.

Gabby was born and raised in New York City. Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, worked as a professional singer and schoolteacher, and was a devoted mom to Gabby and her older brother Ahmed. Gabby notes that Alice "shines as bright as a diamond because she is a godd*****d STAR."

Gabby's father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a Muslim from Senegal. He worked as a cabdriver and never smiled or laughed. To Gabby, he "seemed like the most boring man in the world" - who brought gloom and darkness into the home. Alice and Ibnou had an unhappy marriage.

In Senegal, men are allowed to have multiple wives, and Ibnou (secretly) followed his native traditions. He married his Senegalese cousin Tola, had a child with her, and inveigled Alice to invite Tola to stay with them. So Ibnou had two wives in the same apartment....for a while. When Alice caught on, she happily left with Gabby and Ahmed (who were about nine and ten at the time).

Money was tight and Alice, Gabby, and Ahmed squeezed into a single room in the home of Alice's sister Dorothy. They stayed for two years before scoring a subsidized studio apartment in a Harlem high rise. Space was still scarce, and the family shared a bunk bed: Alice and Ahmed on the bottom and Gabby on top. The rest of their belongings consisted of a couch, dresser, and table to hold their TV, VCR, and Super Ninendo. They had one chair that Gabby sat on to do homework and look out at the skyline. Five years later the family got a two-bedroom apartment in the building, and Ahbed and Gabby got their own rooms....while Alice slept on a sofa in the living room.

As a child, Gabby didn't realize they were poor but knew they weren't rich because they weren't white. Gabby thought being rich was "only for white people and Michael Jackson." As Gabby got older she started to worry about money, and was floored when Alice quit her school job to sing in the subway. She thought, "Are you f*****g crazy? Quit your job!!!!????"

Ironically, Alice's subway vocals netted about 800 to 900 dollars a week, much more than her teaching job. But Gabby was still uneasy, concerned that Alice might lose her voice. Gabby became very anxious, and this may have contributed to her problems in later life, when she suffered from an eating disorder, panic attacks, and depression.....plus she flunked out of school.

Gabby was never very close to her father, even as a small child. When Ibnou told six-year-old Gabby that he would live with her when he got to be an old man - and she would care for him like a good Muslim woman - she thought 'HELL NO' and decided not to be a Muslim anymore. Gabby's decision was probably reinforced the next year, when Ibnou took young Gabby and Ahmed to Senegal, to see his family.

Gabby writes, "The first two weeks of the trip were magical", with lots of fun and games. Then Ibnou left, and his family "went from being welcoming to being monsters." Grandma became cold and cruel and let the uncles hit Gabby and Ahmed. And the girls called Gabby 'Patapoof', which is Wolof (the Senegalese language) for fat. When Alice sent packages to her kids, the relatives took everything for themselves. Gabby longed to go home and when she finally got back to New York vowed never to set foot in Senegal again (though she's softening that stance now that she's an adult).

When Gabby was 21 and completely unemployable, she saw an ad for a 'phone actress' (phone sex worker) and went for an interview. Gabby expected to see "a dungeon with girls in ripped underwear talking into phone receivers", but found a normal office with phone talkers, a receptionist, and a trainer for the ladies. Gabby notes that the 'phone girls', usually plus-size black women, portrayed themselves as "good ol' American white" - since most callers expected this. Gabby did well at the job, earned promotions, and finally became the person who trains applicants.

Gabby says that she took what she learned on the phone sex job and applied it to the real world. She learned "to talk to people, to flirt with everyone, to lead with her personality, and to deal with rumors"....because her co-workers whispered that she was a lesbian who slept her way up the ladder. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Gabby was 'boy crazy' since junior high school. However - since she's 'fat' (her words) - Gabby thinks most guys she meets are out of her league. Moreover, the issue of men has gotten even more complicated with fame. According to Gabby, before she became an actress she had her league figured out. She was probably going to marry a cabdriver since "her league included cabbies, sanitation workers, security guards, and maybe grocery-story managers."

Now that Gabby's a Hollywood bigwig, her league is all messed up. She doesn't have to marry a cabbie anymore, but she's pretty sure she "can't date the Liam Hemsworths and Michael B. Jordans" either. So she's thinking.....maybe she can date a high school teacher or something? LOL

Gabby has a great sense of humor and makes fun of herself. However, she doesn't like for other people to call her a 'fat b****h' or to stuff pillows in their clothing to 'be Gabby' for Halloween. The actress is offended that people's opnions are based on her body. She says, "It seems as if I cured cancer or won a Nobel Prize someone would say, "Sure that's great but her body is just disgusting." Gabby blows this criticism off, however, and notes "I am dope at any and every size. I am smart. I am funny. I am talented. I am gorgeous, I am black. I am a bad b****h." (You go Gabby!)

After years of trying to get ahead, Gabby went back to college (a few times) and finally got lucky when a friend tipped her off to an audition for a movie called Push (the original title of Precious). Gabby was skeptical, but tried out for the part. The film was a huge success, Gabby was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, and her career took off from there.

One of the proudest moments of Gabby's life was at the White House Correspondents Dinner when President Obama was in office. Gabby got in a line of people waiting to meet POTUS and FLOTUS, carrying a slip of paper with her name....to be given to a woman who would announce her to the first couple. When the woman began to say Gabby's name, President Obama cut her off and said, "I know who she is!" He told Gabby, "You're the BOMB, girl!", and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Gabby writes, "Yeah....the President of the U.S. said I was the bomb! What else do you need to know." Ha ha ha

In addition to the topics I've mentioned above, Gabby writes about many other things, including: Twitter (she's an avid Tweeter); virgins (and not being one); psychics (who predicted her success); hair (her mother spent hours braiding her hair on weekends); dating (not so easy); boyfriends (not so great); award shows (you need nice clothes); death rumors (she supposedly died from an asthma attack); therapy (which helped her); weight-loss surgery (which she's had)....as well as friends, relatives, and more. And it's all entertaining and fun.

Gabby's a natural writer with a unique voice and I very much enjoyed the book. I'd highly recommend it to readers who like celebrity memoirs.

I loved Gabourey's fresh writing. She pulls you into her life and makes you feel like a best friend you're sitting down to have coffee with. Her unapologetic discussions of everything connected with me on so many levels. Bravo!

I read this book in one sitting. It captivates from the start. Gabourey's voice settles into you and you can't help but feel infected (in a good way) by it. Witty, hilarious, honest: one of the best memoirs I've read so far!

Funny, witty, charming, and cute is how I describe Gabourey book and her personality. She is definitely someone that I would hang out with and even be my bestie. I'd imagine that she would keep our friendship interesting.
I bought the audio version of the book and loved it!!! She had me laughing, especially talking about her parents and her sex phone job.

I love the way she shared almost EVERYTHING about her life with us...very open and honest.

Great read and I would highly recommend.

This is a glorious book. Gabourey is a smart, beautiful, talented woman who went through a lot before she became famous. Her style is very open, at times sarcastic and refreshingly honest. Do yourself a favor, and read this book.

I started reading with little to no expectations. I’m not a huge fan of Ms. Sidibe per se, but was intrigued enough to start reading. The writing is refreshing and hilarious without being self-deprecating. Within her personal stories the reader can find universal nuggets of truth. I probably could have done without one or two of the chapters, just for length’s sake - or it could just be my attention span.

Gabby writes honestly about her life experiences. I had enjoyed her performances in Precious and American Horror Story so I figured that her book would be interesting. A nice peak into the world of fame by someone who doesn’t look like the typical actress. I hope she writes more books down the road.

Great, honest, and funny stories about Gabourey's life. They don't seem to be in chronological order and she jumps around a bit from chapter to chapter. If this is an issue for you then you've been warned. Otherwise, it's a quick and easy read. Reads more like a conversation with the author as I found myself commenting and literally laughing out loud to a bunch of her comments and stories.

I just loved it! So funny, emotional, honest. I laughed, cried and shouted aloud “yeah, fam!” several times. If you are looking for a good read that will show you a very interesting and funny person, and the evolution of self realization, read this book! It’s really awesome.

It truly feels that you are sitting and talking with Sidibe as she writes this funny, witty, brilliant memoir. Absolutely would recommend this hilarious, beautiful, and strong testament of her life, career, and lessons along the way. Gabourey Sidibe is truly an incredible and talented person, touchingly illustrated all throughout her page-tuner of an autobiography.

Gabby”s voice is fun, wise and hilariously sarcastic.... almost a little too much some times. There were deeper aspects of her life curriculum and the lessons thereof that were lost in her constant need to have a smart sassy take on everything. It’s almost reflective of a deep insecurity - to be the smartest person in the room at any cost