The life story of Queer Eye’s Culture expert!

Much like most of the modern world, I am a HUGE fan of Queer Eye. I remember watching the original as a kid with my parents all the time and adoring it, so when I heard it was being rebooted for a younger generation, I was completely on board.

Karamo Brown is the culture expert of the new, revamped Queer Eye. He explains his role on the show in this book (which was a section I loved) but his general place within the show is that of a life coach of sorts. He spends a lot of time with the “heroes” of the show (each week’s special makeover recipient) to find out who they are and what happened in their life to lead them to their current point. Unlike the culture parts in the old Queer Eye, Karamo cuts to the core of a person, figuring out why they suffer from low self esteem or a lack of self confidence. I honestly think he has the most important part of the show because he teaches the guests about self love and acceptance, which allows them to become more open to the things some of the other hosts are suggesting.

In this book, Karamo really tells his entire life story from birth up through the casting of Queer Eye. He is very honest and upfront in this which was very enjoyable. He speaks about his struggles with being a gay African American man who has a tumultuous relationship with his father, along with his own personal relationship with his sons. He speaks very frankly about domestic violence in his life, as well as his addiction and a suicide attempt. It has a great message about overcoming adversity and staying true to your own dreams and passions.

The only real issue I found with this book is that it feels slightly unorganized. The chapters are set up according to theme and life moments rather than chronologically, which sometimes makes it slightly more confusing to follow. Karamo also isn’t an experienced writer as his style is very simple, but I found it to be a more conversational, having a chat with your friend style, so it didn’t bother me at all. He uses the phrase “we’ll get to that later” a fair few times in this as well, which I think could have been eliminated if the book had been structured slightly differently or more linearly.

If you love Queer Eye, you will like this a lot. It’s a quick and easy read, and the audiobook is read by Karamo which sounds awesome. I eagerly await reading memoirs from the rest of the Fab Five!

Title: Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing and Hope
Author: Karamo Brown
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
ISBN:  9781982111977

Three descriptions: Conversational, Honest, Inspiring

Read-Alikes:
Naturally Tan by Tan France
Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life. 
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper