Something Inside of Me

Okay, all you dirty pervs who got here because of the title, please kindly exit.  No pervy stuff involved.

Something Inside of Me: How to Hang On To Heaven When You're Going Through Hell is a memoir by Chitoka Webb that I was kindly given an ARC copy to review by JKS Communications.  As always, all thoughts, opinions and what not are clearly my own and unpaid for.

Ms. Webb's memoir shares her struggle with not finishing high school on time, becoming a barber, opening her own barbershop, opening not one but two health care facilities, designing her own barbershop from the ground up, health problems and briefly mentions being molested as a child.

It is a very inspirational story, definitely written for those who are looking for inspiring quotes, life lessons and a positive outlook when life has you down.  This book is FULL of positive quotes and cliches.

However, it really disappointed me.  I strongly believe that you need to catch a reader at the beginning and this book failed to do that.  I honestly would have put it down if I hadn't felt obligated to finish it, since I was graciously given a copy.  There were a few chapters in the middle which described her time in Atlanta and her struggles in beginning her businesses that were really good and I thoroughly enjoyed them.  But I spent a lot of time, skimming and skipping over or not caring about what was being said because it didn't move me.

I enjoy hearing/reading about people overcoming obstacles as much as the next person, but Ms. Webb's remarkable struggle and positive outlook just didn't do it for me, but I am sure there are others out there who would love the inspirational tone of the book. 

Also, I am nit picky and I didn't quite understand how she didn't graduate high school until her mid-twenties and yet the date given in the book says she graduated a year after she was supposed to graduate high school.  I also think her family dynamic needed better explaining, because I find it hard to believe her mother never asked or allowed her obvious lie on why she didn't graduate on time to fly. She also mentioned that she was always 'dffierent' but I never really got a true sense of why she was different.  I think the book was a lot of rambling and needed more of a purpose.  There is a great story in her struggles but I don't think this memoir does it justice.

I will say that reading about a woman barber was fascinating.  I don't think I have actually ever heard of a woman barber nor seen one before.

Something Inside of Me: How to Hang on to Heaven When You're Going Through Hell comes out July 1st, 2011.

What is one of the biggest struggles you have overcome so far in your own life?