TITLE: I’M JUDGING YOU
AUTHOR: LUVVIE AJAYI
GENRE: Op-Ed
NUMBER OF PAGES: 256
PUBLISHER: Holt Paperbacks
DATE OF PUBLICATION: September 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1627796064
REVIEWER: Shoola Oyindamola
If more books like Luvvie Ajayi’s ‘I’M JUDGING YOU’ are written and if more platforms are open to criticize certain behaviors in society, maybe this world and our societies would be better.
In I’M JUDGING YOU, Luvvie does verbal justice – an indirect verdict to societal commas, by provoking the reader’s thoughts into actions. She addressed many important, sometimes toxic topics, including, race, feminism, and relationships. She also calls attention to daily realities like the ashiness between our thumb and index finger during the winter or harmattan season.
The book has an epic chapter dedicated to giving purpose and meaning to social media by exposing its misuse. She talked about the use of social media and mentions how annoying it is to #hash #tag #every #single #word #when #making #a #caption #on #a #picture. Luvie also pokes at the false nature of news outlets and the so-called reality TV shows. She intelligently analyzes pop culture and the idea of privacy (on Facebook) concerning relationships.
I’M JUDGING YOU also narrates experiences that affect Nigerians living in America, like the pronunciation of Nigerian names by foreigners. She mentions emotionally provoking events like when a person eats more in a group dinner at a restaurant and asks everyone to split the bill equally.
This book is a full package of opinions and side-eyes that rebuke people and their actions, humorously. It is a honest and interesting debut for her.
Luvvie’s writing technique is brilliant and, because she states what many of us think and so, her writing is ultimately easy to relate with. She invents certain languages that express her humor and passion for good behavior.
In summary, I will say Luvvie’s book is a complete guide to avoid ignorance and misbehavior. It fulfills Maya Angelo’s words; “when you know better, you do better.”
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SHOOLA OYINDAMOLA was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a published poet, a feminist, a mentor, a blogger and Co-founder and Resource manager of Sprinng Literary Movement. She loves to writes poems, essays and her non-classifiable opinions. She uses her writing skills with her feminist drive to discuss the gender injustices that need to be fixed. She published her first collection of poems titled “Heartbeat” in New Yo
