Audiobook Review: The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: December 5, 2017
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.
Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend.
None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy.
Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others.
By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.
The Last Black Unicorn is Tiffany Haddish’s memoir. I wanted to read it because I saw Tiffany on a talk show telling the host about how she was a former foster child. As a former foster parent myself, I was curious to learn more about her journey from foster care to successful stand-up comedian and actress.
Tiffany had a hard life. Not only did she survive a rough childhood, she endured an abusive marriage. She recounts her life with brutal honesty, even when it makes her look bad. She does temper her stories with humor but even so, I found parts hard to read, or rather listen to. She reads the audiobook herself. I found the part about her relationship with a physically and mentally disabled man uncomfortable to listen to. Not because she dated him but because when she read his dialogue, she used the “accent” f,or lack of a better word, that some mentally challenged people have when they talk. Perhaps I’m oversensitive, but I didn’t care for it.
The Last Black Unicorn is a good memoir – although I think she relies on the word “whatever” as a descriptor far too much. Tiffany has had a pretty crazy life and has worked extremely hard to get to where she is today. However, I wouldn’t say this book is laugh out loud hilarious. It has funny parts but Tiffany’s stand-up and talk show appearances are definitely funnier. Even though I had a few problems with it, I think fans of Tiffany Haddish will enjoy this book.
