Author: Yvonne Orji
Genre: Biography, Autobiography, Humor
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Backstory
Have you seen the show Insecure? If not, stop reading right now and go catch up. Insecure very quickly became a highly discussed television show in the black community. It tackled a lot of common issues and the soundtrack was absolutely dope. This show was where I was first introduced to Yvonne Orji, aka Molly Carter.
Fast forward past the finale of Insecure (thank goodness Molly got her man, FINALLY!) I had been laid off from my job and after hundreds of applications, and countless rejection emails, I was at my wit's end. I was considering giving up. Bills were pilling up while my bank account was getting low. I think at the time I had enough in my account to either buy a sandwich or get some gas, but not both. I remember not even two hours before I started reading this, I was in my car bawling my eyes out for the millionth time, demanding that God give me some kind of answer as to why things weren't working out. My resolve was draining and I felt like I was fighting a losing battle. Not only to keep my head up in times of trouble, but shielding myself from the comments and opinions of others who were not in my situation. I was sitting in the Barnes and Nobles parking lot, since books always made me happy when I‘m sad (don't judge me, judge ya mama) and I had remembered that I had 1credit in my Audible account that I was saving for a rainy day. Decided to download this one and listen to it while I drove home, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Synopsis
Ms. Orji has never shied away from being her absolute authentic self and that includes being outspoken and unashamed about her faith. Her humorous and completely down to earth approach to faith and walking in your true calling makes it almost impossible not to be inspired. Even if you aren't a believer. Let her tell it, Sky Daddy (aka God) is a total prankster. He was out here punking folks before it was even a thing. Sit with Yvonne as she talks candidly about the roadblocks on her journey to success as she realized it is all one big testimony about how God bamboozled her into living a life more beautiful than she could have imagined. This is not a self-help book. This is a Get-Yours book!
My Thoughts
Well first and foremost, books that meet me where I am in life, no matter how low or high are automatically added to my favorites list. So, that makes me a bit biased about this one. But I wasn’t so receptive at first. The "This is not a Self-help book, this is a Get-yours book" made me roll my eyes into the back of my head if I'm being honest. I think I was just bitter at the time. Of course celebrities get famous and then write a book about "If I can do it, so can you and here's how!" for us lowly peasants in the regular 9-5s. On second thought, I was ABSOLUTELY bitter when I started this one, but Bamboozled by Jesus quickly gathered me together. If this book was a person, it would have sat down on the floor with me and hugged me while I cried, then pulled me back up to face the world. It was a warm hug and loving admonishment all in one. Yvonne told me that she understood my struggle, but I also needed to stop making excuses and get out there. This book is a first hand look at how Molly Carter aka Yvonne Orji came to be. She is more than her character on Insecure. Her story is important and I am so glad she decided to tell it! In the audiobook version, it is Yvonne that reads it to you which makes the story that much more authentic. We get to hear about her struggles with disappointing her parents while simultaneously trying to find her place in life.
Sometimes it felt like she was talking directly to me and speaking directly to my situation. She talked about having the courage to chase after your dreams and to push through the ugly part, when it seemed like it would never get better, It was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. The book itself was beautifully written with the perfect mixture of scripture and pop culture. I didn't feel like I was listening to a stuffy sermon in a church where the members looked down on me.
Yvonne was honest and unwavering in her faith throughout the entire book. Reading this book was a wake up call for me. It gave me the courage to chase after my true passion. Writing. That's right babes, you can thank Yvonne and her story for this entire booky babe blog. If I hadn't of stumbled upon it, on a random afternoon, I never would have found the courage to get up and go after what I wanted. It is a living example of how God places things in your path that open up the door and guide you to where you were truly meant to be in life.
So with all of that being said, I absolutely recommend this book. If you're feeling unfulfilled in life, trying to figure out what to do next or if you have a little voice inside of you telling you what you KNOW you need to do but are too scared to do, I suggest you grab a copy of this book. If you want the full experience, get the audiobook. There is nothing like listening to a life story being told by the person it's about. It feels less like reading and more like you're hanging out with an old friend.
I gave this book 5 hearts because it absolutely "gave what it was supposed to gave". I'm not usually a fan of audiobooks (no judgements if you prefer them, I just tend to zone out when I'm listening instead of reading) and I tend to shy away from biographies (I'm more of a fiction girl myself) but I am so glad I decided to take a chance on this one! If you are interested in checking out Bamboozled by Jesus, look no further, click the link below and get to reading (or listening) today! You won't regret it. If you do decide to buy a copy, when you're done, please come back and tell me what you thought of it. Did it help you as much as it helped me? Did it speak to your situation and make you feel as if she was talking directly to you too? Don't be alarmed. Jesus really do be knowin'!
Happy reading babes! <3
I am an Amazon Affiliate so choosing to buy a book through the links I provide on my posts gives me the chance to earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Comments