JUNE 2017 - AudioFile
"Who does that?" This central question running throughout Luvvie Ajayi's comic memoir is asked again and again in her signature tone of mock horror. Listeners who enjoy pithy humor will laugh out loud as she describes violations of social codes and her version of heaven. Do not drink liquids (hot or cold) while listening to this rumination on all that is wrong with the current state of humanity. Ajayi shares her observations of public shortcomings in a brash, honest manner that gives listeners the feeling we’re on the other end of a long call from a venting best friend. Her spirited explanations and detailed examples will leave you feeling better about your choices. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2017 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
07/04/2016
Ajayi, the voice behind the pop culture blog Awesomely Luvvie and the cofounder of the Red Pump project, an HIV/AIDS awareness nonprofit, writes with humor and intelligence about a range of topics, including personal hygiene, social media etiquette, racism, sex tapes, rape culture, plastic surgery, weight, homophobia, reality television, feminism, and even the Comic Sans font. The book is a light, 21st-century discussion of manners and morals, with Ajayi taking people to task for oversharing on social media or for being casually bigoted. The the book has a strong social message and is funny—Ajayi includes footnotes explaining her made-up words and expressions—but the material is a little too familiar and far reaching. Ajayi is at her best when she delves into her personal experiences as a Nigerian immigrant in the U.S. and combines humor with pathos; this honesty makes the book worth reading. Agent: Michael Harriot, Folio Literary Agency. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"The Internet’s newest comic phenom . . . . She has been hailed by Bono and Shonda Rhimes for her singular voice and stinging political commentary...You may not have heard her name yet. But you probably will, because Luvvie Ajayi, a Nigerian-born "professional shade thrower," as she calls herself, is offering incisive, hilarious commentary on polarizing issues (race and gender in particular), and she has found her audience."
—Judith Newman, The New York Times
"This truth-riot of a book gives us everything from hilarious lectures on the bad behavior all around us to razor sharp essays on media and culture. With I’m Judging You, Luvvie brilliantly puts the world on notice that she is not here for your foolishness — or mine."
—Shonda Rhimes, New York Times bestselling author of Year of Yes and executive producer of Scandal and Grey's Anatomy
"I don't know how Luvvie Ajayi got so smart so young about so many things, from feminism to social media, from the pervasiveness of rape culture to the excellence of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I'm just grateful she has chosen to share her wisdom with the rest of us in this warm and witty book. The world is going to love it!"
—Jennifer Weiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Best Friends Forever
"You will love Luvvie Ajayi's I'm Judging You, and you will argue with it, laugh hysterically at it, shout "AW HELL YES" at it, and carry parts of it in your heart to dissect or inspire...Perfect for starting important and meaty discussions about all of the topics your mama told you never to bring up at polite dinner parties...religion, race, relationships, reality tv. Read the book. Have the discussions. You'll be better for it."
—Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy
“I’m Judging You is whip-smart, take-no-prisoners hilarious.”
—ChicagoTribune
“Humor writing at its best. . . . A truth serum tempered with the bite of laugh.”
—NBCBLK(NBC News)
“Luvvie Ajayi calls out everybody on their bad behavior . . . but she does it with such a light and funny touch that you can’t help but laugh even as you learn.”
—Goodhousekeeping.com
“Hilarious and perceptive.”
—PopSugar
“The ultimate handbook on the dos and don’ts of socially navigating the digital era. Brilliantly witty and heartful.”
—Redbook Magazine
“Reflects Ajayi’s spunky personality and hilarious commentary.”
—The Huffington Post
"A smart, vividly humorous handbook...Overall, [Ajayi's] “do-better” calls for us to reclaim common sense, compassion, and critical thinking, in both personal and online interactions. Astute and timely advice, wittily presented."
—Booklist, starred review
"By exposing the uncool, unwashed underbelly of American society, Ajayi's essays force readers to reconsider their stances on a variety of issues, including social media and the public airing of everything, celebrities, sex tapes, the various types of friendships one might have, feminism, religion. Be prepared for some laughs, but also be prepared to think and confront tougher issues."
—Kirkus
"Ajayi writes with humor and intelligence about a range of topics . . . . Her honesty makes the book worth reading."
—Publishers Weekly
"I could NOT stop laughing. Luvvie has a way of tapping into the universal things that make us all suck at being people. EVERY person needs to keep I'm Judging You on them at all times just to avoid being terrible. I know I will."
—Issa Rae, author of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
"When I heard Luvvie was writing a book, I knew the following things would happen as surely as day follows night: I would read it, and I would love it...Luvvie is correct about more things more often than any single human woman has the right to be, and has the most stylish and deft command of language this side of P.G. Wodehouse. I like her immensely for it, and I wish I could read I'm Judging You for the first time again. I have been chided by the best, and I love it.
—Mallory Ortberg, bestselling author of Texts from Jane Eyre
"I'm Judging You is a brilliant, laugh-out-loud manual for the generation that can configure a wireless router but still hasn't realized social media is not the place for child support issues. It's the tough and tender love letter everyone should be forced to read before they take their first selfie."
—Angela Nissel, author of The Broke Diaries and Mixed
Library Journal
04/01/2016
In her much-read blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Ajayi addresses popular culture with sharpened wit. But she also acts as a professional gadfly to plumb cultural significance, media representation of race, contemporary mores, and more. Look for Ajayi at LJ's upcoming Day of Dialog.
JUNE 2017 - AudioFile
"Who does that?" This central question running throughout Luvvie Ajayi's comic memoir is asked again and again in her signature tone of mock horror. Listeners who enjoy pithy humor will laugh out loud as she describes violations of social codes and her version of heaven. Do not drink liquids (hot or cold) while listening to this rumination on all that is wrong with the current state of humanity. Ajayi shares her observations of public shortcomings in a brash, honest manner that gives listeners the feeling we’re on the other end of a long call from a venting best friend. Her spirited explanations and detailed examples will leave you feeling better about your choices. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2017 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-06-11
A collection of societal criticism tempered with humor.If you combined Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, and Amy Schumer and added a twist of Nigerian slang for that extra bit of tang, you'd come close to deciphering the unusual blend that comprises Ajayi's writing. At first glance, these essays appear to be fluffy, making fun of odd things such as posting pictures of someone's grandma pre-burial or complaining about women who don't wash their bras more than once per year. But if readers push past the forced humor, expletives, and made-up words, they will discover that Ajayi explores real issues. Why is racism still so rampant in the United States? Ditto rape, and why does it take so long for a woman to be heard when she accuses her attacker? Why are people still homophobic? Why do people lighten their skin or undergo cosmetic surgery? "There are seven billion of us on earth, and we are all different," writes the author. "But one thing is clear: humans excel at using our differences as excuses to act like assholes and torment each other….We have created rigid, yet often invisible, systems that keep some people at the top on the backs of others at the bottom, based on their identity markers….I am judging all of us for being shitty humans by being culture vultures, homophobic jackasses, racist trolls, sexist douchebags, and born-again hypocrites." By exposing the uncool, unwashed underbelly of American society, Ajayi's essays force readers to reconsider their stances on a variety of issues, including social media and the public airing of everything, celebrities, sex tapes, the various types of friendships one might have, feminism, religion. Be prepared for some laughs, but also be prepared to think and confront tougher issues. Bits of humor help these occasionally hard-hitting essays go down.
