Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up

by Naya Rivera

Funny and deeply personal, Sorry Not Sorry recounts Glee star Naya Rivera's successes and missteps, urging young women to pursue their dreams and to refuse to let past mistakes define them.

Navigating through youth and young adulthood isn't easy, and in Sorry Not Sorry, Naya Rivera shows us that we're not alone in the highs, lows, and in-betweens. Whether it's with love and dating, career and ambition, friends, or gossip, Naya inspires us to follow our own destiny and step over--or plod through--all the crap along the way. After her rise and fall from early childhood stardom, barely eking her way through high school, a brief stint as a Hooters waitress, going through thick and thin with her mom/manager, and resurrecting her acting career as Santana Lopez on Glee, Naya emerged from these experiences with some key life


- All those times I scrawled "I HATE MY MOM" in my journal. So many moms and teenage daughters don't get along--we just have to realize it's nothing personal on either side.
- At-home highlights and DIY hair extensions. Some things are best left to the experts, and hair dye is one of them.
- Falling in love with the idea of a person, instead of the actual person.

Not
- That I don't always get along with everyone. Having people not like you is a risk you have to take to be real, and I'll take that over being fake any day.
- Laughing at the gossip instead of getting upset by it.
- Getting my financial disasters out of the way early--before I was married or had a family--so that the only credit score that I wrecked was my own.

Even with a successful career and a family that she loves more than anything else, Naya says, "There's still a thirteen-year-old girl inside of me making detailed lists of how I can improve, who's never sure of my own self-worth." Sorry Not Sorry is for that thirteen-year-old in all of us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography, Adult, Biography Memoir

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Ms Rivera was raised in Valencia and lived in or around Los Angeles for most of her life. She was of African American, German, and Puerto Rican descent. Her parents married 1986, but divorced in 1996 and her mother Yolanda married Charles Previtire in 1999; Rivera was close to her stepfather.

At 8 or 9 months old, Rivera began to be represented by the same talent agent as her mother, who had moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling.

Rivera appeared in commercials for Kmart as a baby, but her first significant acting job was at the age of four when she appeared as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family in 1991.

As a child and teen actor between 1992 and 2002, Rivera was part of the golden age of black sitcoms, and had roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, The Jersey, Live Shot, Baywatch, Smart Guy, House Blend, Even Stevens and The Master of Disguise.

In 2009, Rivera was cast as Santana Lopez, a high school cheerleader, on Fox's musical comedy series Glee, about a high school glee club. She auditioned for the opportunity "to sing, dance and act all in the same show", and because she was a fan of co-creator Ryan Murphy's previous work on Nip/Tuck. She drew on her own high school experience of unpopularity to prepare for the role, as well as watching films such as Mean Girls to "really get in the zone and feel like a bitchy sophomore". Rivera described her character Santana as "a bit of a bad girl" and "your typical high school cheerleader, for the most part" saying that she enjoyed playing Santana because she "always has these really witty one-liners she throws out there".[ The LA Times wrote that Rivera was "woefully underused for much of Glee's first season", though Santana played a more prominent part in the last nine episodes of it; Rivera said at the time that "Santana's been wreaking havoc with people's boyfriends and people's babies and teachers – she's the high school terror, and she's going to continue to be the villain". Rivera kept her job as a nanny while working on the first three episodes of Glee, not knowing if they would bring her back; Murphy was so impressed by her that he "convinced the network" to contract her at this point.

On July 8, 2020, Rivera was declared a missing person after her four-year-old son, Josey, was found alone in Rivera's rented boat at Lake Piru, a man-made reservoir in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California. On July 13, it was announced that a body had been found by divers in Lake Piru.

Condensed from bio on Wikipedia

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rest In Power Queen.

1987-2020

Praying for her family, friends and fans.

2020 just keeps getting worse.



I didn't expect my first read of the new decade to be a book written by Santana from Glee...

But here we are.

Sorry Not Sorry by Naya Rivera was unexpectedly good. Celebrity memoirs are hit or miss but Sorry Not Sorry was most def a hit.

Naya has lived quite the interesting life. For most celebrity memoirs the most interesting parts are when they hit it big but with Naya's book her Glee years were just as interesting as her pre-Glee life and that's saying something. I mean she did date an actual monster(Google Mark Salling)and rapper Big Sean cheated on her with Ariana Grande and then when caught proposed...and for some reason she said yes.

Naya has had a very fascinating life. She was a child star, her two big roles were 1) a sitcom called The Royal Family starring Red Foxx(who Naya gushes about)
and 2) Family Matters where she played little Richie's girlfriend Gwendolyn. She also dated Tia and Tamara's little brother Taj Mowery(from Smart Guy). And then by the age of 11 she was a has been and had to go back to being a regular kid, something she had no interest in. She worked a bunch of dead end jobs, she was a telemarketer, she worked retail and her most hated job was a waitress at Hooters.
She had pretty much given up on acting when she auditioned for Glee.

Glee obviously changed her life completely but just from reading this book it doesn't seem to me that fame changed her at all(I think her mother would kill her if she went Hollywood). Naya is surprisingly open and honest she talks about her abortion, which was heartbreaking. She talks about never feeling like she fit in as a biracial person. She discusses her pre fame eating disorder.

Overall I liked this book and more importantly I like her as a person. She blunt and in your face and she admits that she isn't for everyone but I think she's great!

I highly recommend this book.

[Tylah Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who knows me knows that Naya Rivera has been my celebrity crush and idol for as long as I can remember. It’s a funny story actually but back in the day when Glee was on - I was obsessed. I lived and breathed Glee and Naya (and Brittana). I had a fan account on Twitter for the show and Naya. And that’s how I met my girlfriend. We both had fan accounts on Twitter for the same show and person and now here we are - still dating 4 years later. Crazy how things happen. I was supposed to get around to reading this when it was first released but I found it almost impossible to find it here in Australia and the price to buy it online was expensive so I was over the moon when I found it out my local library the other day.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. Honest, raw and unapologetic. There was a few things I didn’t know about her and things that I did know but enjoyed learning about it more in depth. The only thing I wanted was more on The Glee Years which is why I bumped it down a star because I just wanted.. more of it.
I am so glad I have read this book and I will always be a fan of Naya and everything she does.

[disco · Rating 3 out of 5]

edit: I've gone back and forth on changing/editing my review since Naya's too early departure, but I stand by what I stated below about this book, so I won't delete it. Although please know: I feel so much more than this about her. I think I expected 'Santana' when I first started reading, and because I didn't get that I was of course: disappointed. What Naya Rivera accomplished on Glee was so far beyond what anyone could have imagined. She gave a strong, badass, voice and presence to a gay character. She showed us how possible it is to be a person of color, wear a cheerleading uniform, take absolutely no shit, walk with swag, sing with passion... and also be queer. I've cried to her singing countless times since I first heard her, and know I will continue to do so. She has inspired so many, and I hope she knew that.

Unfortunately after finishing this book I feel less than great. I feel that she was purposefully ignorant at some of the worst times. She actually put the word "retarded" in this book?? It is pretty difficult for me to read about a "perfect marriage" and a "perfect guy"- when there has been a recent statement from Naya herself announcing a divorce. She also doesn't devote much on her 3 year on again/off again relationship with Mark Salling. He was accused of having thousands of child pornography images on his computer.. and she just says "yeah I regret dating him!"

The sorry not sorry list like reviews at the end of the chapters are AWFUL. It is like CliffsNotes of the book - during the book. This novel was just skimming the surface of Naya and the result is a fake feeling. Do I know her anymore than I did before reading this book? Probs not.

[Igrowastreesgrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible. It was narrated by Naya Rivera.

Like I've said before, I'm not a big fan of audio books. I usually can't really get into them. This one though was well done and very enjoyable. The only complaint I have is that it seems forced at times, which is something I hate and even more so when it's read by the author, but it wasn't often enough to really get on my nerves. I also have to say that I watched Glee. I wasn't a big fan of the show overall but I was a Brittana fan and I followed it closely as I was making headway into my life. So, the topic of her life and what she wanted to share was interesting to me and it allowed me to see the other side of what was happening while I was going about enjoying the show for what it was. I'm glad to have listened to it.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m going to give this book some grace because Naya has passed. I don’t think she talked about anything SUPER interesting in this book like the best parts were from her adult years. there are a few topics she glossed over that would’ve been much more interesting if she had expanded on it.

i think she’s very funny and a lot more like santana lopez than i thought. i had always been a big fan of hers and mourned her when she passed… talk about parasocial relationships.

there were a lot of distasteful comments in this book from a comment about someone looking like michael jackson pre/skin bleaching (feel however you want about michael jackson but he has vitiligo, he never bleached his skin) to the R slur drop and commenting about how she wishes she had “nappy hair”.

what i did enjoy about the book however is how she talked about race. i really liked when she talked about how back in the 90s Hollywood was more diverse than it is now. which is crazy bc this book came out nearly a decade again and it’s still true. she’s so unapologetic with how she talks about race.

[Melanie (TBR and Beyond) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. is about Glee actress Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez on the show. It's really what you would expect from any book of this type, it's not going to change your life or give you any deep insights. Naya starts by talking about being successful at a very early age and then not being able to get a job for years and years after. Her accounts are very honest but very blunt and that's not going to work for some readers. She's not 100% likable because she's abrasive and you'll either likely respect her for it or she'll drive you up the wall.

Her stories were mostly entertaining. She talks about things like everyone should have their "slut years." It was fun enough to listen to and hear about all her crazy exploits. I found her a bit much at times and although I really liked how confident she was, there were times it verged on bragging. Sometimes Naya repeats several times at how good she is at something and it's a bit cringey after awhile. I did really like that when she talked about all the drama she was involved with (and man she was involved in a lot) that she didn't pretend to be innocent or even that it wasn't intentional on her part. She flat-out said she loved the drama and was addicted to it. It's why she was with certain men, including fellow glee actor Mark Salling, who played Puck on the show and was later charged with having child pornography.

My biggest gripe about this book is that she marketed to the media as gossip. She talked a lot about Lea Michele in the media and that we just need to get the book and such. Well, I got the book - I wanted the trashy gossip. Was it there? Not really. The pay-off was really small. I found out that Lea Michelle was professional and didn't go out and party, hardly juicy gossip. I found out that half the cast were sleeping with each other, but do I know who? Nope. Not a clue. I just thought that if you are going to market as gossip then GOSSIP!!! Give me something to work with Naya.

There are some nice stories about Corey in the book, she was close to him so his death hit her pretty hard. It was nice getting a closer look at what happened there as I was a big fan of his and was broken-hearted when he lost his battle with drugs and alcohol. There were also some cute stories about Naya and Diana Argon. That's about it though.

I don't think this is one of those biographies that you can just pick up and enjoy even if you aren't a fan. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's good enough for that. I doubt the average reader would care. However, if you are a fan of Naya like I am then it's worth it - it's a really short read and it supports the actress. Don't go in expecting anything more than it is and you'll have fun with it.

Last note, I did listen to this as an audio book. I honestly prefer to do so when it comes to biographies and the celebrity is reading it themselves. It gives the story more character - I would most certainly recommend doing so on this one. You can tell Naya has fun reading it.

[Savanna G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do admire Naya Rivera for being an all out honest person, but there was a lot of ‘shit’ (as she would say) in this book that annoyed me. Even though I’m not one to judge someone on their mouth considering that I swear probably worse than a sailor, the foul language in this book was just too much, for example when she said things like: “pink and white bitches!” (29) and especially when she talked about being a telemarketer and calling the people she convinced to book a few nights at her golf club dumbasses.

Throughout the book, she keeps mentioning how blunt of a person she is, and I must say, she really was. She literally said that her husband should have ‘damn well been supportive’ of her having his baby, and that was honestly the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard (or in this case read) somebody say. Yes he should support her no matter what because he’s her husband but she did not have to say it as crudely as she did. Another thing that irked my soul while reading this was that she had a whole chapter about how kids used to make fun of her race because they didn’t know if she was black or white and how much it used to hurt her but then she goes and says things like: “this is the whitest shit ever.” (86) and “The signature Hooter’s shade was ‘suntan’ which looked great on anyone who wasn’t white.” (97) and those two lines really got under my skin and almost made me want to chuck this book at the wall. In some cases, she wasn’t even a blunt person, she was (sorry-not sorry) just a complete bitch. She talked about one huge party that she threw and how much of a hit it was, but then said:”The neighbors loved it! Or wait, I’m sure they would have if they’d been invited.” (125) Just invite them, they’re just neighbors, you’re a celebrity Naya, not the fucking President. Also, I’m not sure how she got away with it, but she was so PLEASED with herself about lying big time on her resumes to get jobs that weren’t even that great of jobs. 🤢

Something in this book that didn’t really annoy me, but rather made me uncomfortable was her talking about her abortion. Although I don’t necessarily agree with the idea of abortions, I do understand that things happen and that it’s not my decision to make for other people, but at the end of the day, it’s not something I would ever want somebody to tell me because things like that are personal and really none of my business, but hey, You Go Glen Coco.

There was one chapter in particular that was the most sad, but I have to say was the best one. She was talking about her coworker Cory dying, and it was the best chapter from all ten because it felt like a real story and I could actually feel all her pain and hurt.

There was one sentence in particular throughout the whole book that totally struck my funny bone: “I wore a two piece number, a matching shirt and skirt that almost could have been sexy, or Atleast cute, if my mom hadn’t made me wear a long slip underneath it like a freaking Mormon!” (142) Growing up in a Mormon Church myself and then finding out years later that none of it was real, I found this line to be quite entertaining and probably a bit more funny than I should have.

Although a lot of the concepts in this book annoyed me, I always enjoy reading about other people’s lives, especially from their own point of view. Naya’s story is her own unique one, but even though she’s an adult, I think she’s still got a little more maturing to do.

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Unlike many of the people reading this book, I was not introduced to Naya the actress through Glee. Actually I’ve never watched it even though Glee was a phenomenon when I was in school. I actually remember watching Naya Rivera on reruns of Family Matters and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but didn’t realize it was her when I picked up this book. Audible actually recommended this to me based off of a previous audiobook I listened to. I was in the mood for a fun memoir and wanted to test out if Audible really would give me a good recommendation. I’m happy to say it did. It was great listening along to this book. I really liked the bits of Naya’s life that went with l advice she’d give us at the end of them. The Sorry and Not Sorry lists were cute too. The parts where she talks about the future were nice but bittersweet since she’s passed away. At least she got a few more years after she released this memoir. Her talking about her family and friends especially her son were touching. All in all, this was a surprising read that I’m glad I gave a chance.

(Tis the Damn Readathon: Book #1 completed. Read a memoir so I collected Taylor Swift's self-titled album. Her debut album is so good!)

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
An autobiography where Naya inadvertently shows that there wasn't too much acting involved playing Santana.

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny, intelligent and bullshit-free account of Naya’s life to date. I devoured it in one sitting. This is a fun little read that will take you behind the scenes of Naya Rivera's life. If you weren't a fan of hers before, you sure as hell will be after reading this honest and heartwarming account of a life journey full of mistakes and great triumphs.

[Ebony Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright so, I feel obligated to start this review by saying I went into this with high hopes. Like many others, I was a big fan of Glee when I was younger. I was an even bigger fan of Santana, played by Naya Rivera (alongside Amber Riley, who I still adore.) When Naya passed away, I was devastated. It was tragic, and so so sad that her young son is now left without a mom. All of this made me weary about writing what will mostly be a negative review. But, Naya Rivera was a straight shooter. She was blunt, and honest, and I think she'd want the same from someone reviewing her book if she was still with us.

Okay. Now onto Sorry Not Sorry. This book was a huge let down for me. Huge. I was so disappointed to find out that Naya and Santana are...nearly identical. Santana's overblown mean girl character was funny on television. Naya's real life mean girl persona? Not so much. I can't detail all my issues without being really spoiler-y so, fair warning for what is to come.

Here is an abbreviated list of why I think this memoir is just...not great:

1. Overall, Naya was kind of...awful. The book is filled with catty observations about others, and extremely unkind, ableist, offensive language when referring to others (for example: "Crack baby" "meth head" and "retarded"). I think people who label themselves straight shooters or blunt often use that as an excuse for being downright mean. Naya is one of those people.

2. Anytime Naya talks about situations in the book where she was a bully, or mean, or was in the wrong, there is very little accountability. She has a light, almost snide, tone when discussing some pretty heinous behaviour. She makes light of her wrongs without really atoning for any of it.

3. Naya Rivera is a self proclaimed "other" when it comes to race. She describes herself as "one quarter black, one quarter white, and half Puerto Rican." She talks about how that racial identity allowed her to play a bunch of roles as a kid, often as a black child in an otherwise monoracial black family. While that is not her fault, the book lacks any kind of acknowledgement or nuance when discussing this. She does not acknowledge that this is actually a privilege. She does not acknowledge that her racial ambiguity allowed her to assume roles that darker skinned black actresses would never be considered for despite those families being black to start. I found this really disappointing. She also narrates the audio book (quite well, to be fair) and uses the n-word SEVERAL times (with the hard -er). As a nonblack person, this was so inappropriate and unnecessary.

4. She is just SO catty! While discussing her relationship with Big Sean and what happened with them, she refers to Ariana Grande (who he dated after Naya) as a "little girl." It was just so patronizing and unnecessarily unkind. And it's not clear why she was so disrespectful to Ariana, who it appears did not know Sean was still dating Naya when they met (and even if she did know, I'm not sure calling her a little girl is necessary. She is and was a grown woman when this all went down. I feel like a lot of people infantilize Ariana due to her small frame/size, and it's just so nasty and uncalled for. Being smaller is not a reason to treat someone poorly or refer to someone as a child).

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book. Naya is the kind of person I typically avoid, and as a former fan I am really bummed to learn she was much more like Santana than I ever knew.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I was addicted to the drama."
do i like Glee? no, but i love drama, i got this for a euro and i'm obsessed, finished it in 3 hours. just doing research to be ready for The Price Of Glee ✌🏻.
i knew pretty much nothing about this queen because i'm a Glee hater but damn she is so blunt, we could have been besties. rip queen, u are missed. this has everything i am looking for from a memoir. i want drama, i want honesty, i want someone who is a hot mess to tell me everything they did wrong. like yas queen ruin your credit score slaaayyyy.

"-i've been running this show for six years! he yelled.
-yes. poorly!"
sadly she lost the boss fight and now i have to deal with new Ryan Murphy content *yeah Nip/Tuck was an amazing hot mess but i still hate this man*. If Ryan has 1000 haters, I’m one of them. If Ryan has 1 hater, It’s me. If Ryan has no haters, It means I am dead.

"When it was announced that i was writing a book, everyone expected me to use it to rip Lea a new one, so let me list just a few of the reasons why i'm not going to do that"
come ooonnn bully her, it's not like she was gonna read it

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know who this girl was going into it so I'm not a fan or a hater, but I definitely did NOT like her. She's immoral, arrogant, and haughty. The whole book is her saying things she's sorry and not sorry for. It details all of the terrible things she's done, but not in a self deprecating or more mature way. It's just like- here's what I did- suck it. She name drops and talks about how she's not going to use the book to exploit or trash other people, but then she turns around and does exactly that. She thinks her shit doesn't stink and I was just so annoyed reading this book. I've never watched Glee and I probably never will because I disliked this girl so much. I guess there's a feud between her and the other main girl on the show-- I know whose side I'm on.
I would not recommend wasting your time on this book.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star rating purely based on enjoyment factor. So sad her life was cut short 😔. If there’s anything I’ve learnt from reading Naya’s book it’s that she always tried her best and did not settle for anything less. If she wanted something, she’d work for it rather than sulk and feel sorry for herself when things got rough. What a strong, grateful and true to herself woman she was 👏🏽A lot to learn from her life. RIP.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I never thought I would have given it 5 stars as it seemed a pretty frivolous, fun read. I used to watch Glee for a while. I wondered what it was like behind the scenes. It is so much more than that and a bullshit free zone.

I'm giving it 5 stars because it had me doing what all my favourite books do; carrying it everywhere in case a spare minute presents itself to read more, sneaking away from my colleagues to read uninterrupted at lunch, simultaneously anticipating time to read it and then purposefully delaying reading too much because I didn't want it to end.

Thank you, Naya, for reminding me why I love reading.

[cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'll miss her forever

[alyymaas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

tw: @bortion

i'm not rly sure what to say other than the fact that i gobbled this up tbh. i love how she kept it real and i also found myself relating to certain things such as times where she felt unsure abt her life but also seeking God as a way of guidance. she feels like an older sister giving advice. she talked abt deep topics such as struggles with race (especially in the industry), relationships, grief, and @bortion. the mentions of cory rly hurt me and what hurts more is that i think both cory and naya had sm more to live for. it saddens me how young they both passed away. there's points in the book where she mentioned having a long life and i just wish she was still here. i heard that this book had a lot of drama but honestly, there wasn't much. i get why she didn't go too deep but IDK i wanted to know the TEA!!! bcz i heard this book mentioned glee hookups, drama and stuff but we rly didn't get much. i need someone from the glee cast to SPILL EVERYTHING.

i love how she writes tho. she maintains this honest attitude and keeps things entertaining and also hilarious. also "smariana schmande" 😭 also i LOVE when she exposed big sean bcz i do NOT like that man at all. someone needs to save jhene aiko.

but anyway, this was a good memoir overall.

quotes:
So yeah, being a mom changes things and makes you feel different in a lot of ways, but for me the big one is this: I’m braver. I’ve never been afraid of being an open book and telling it like it is, but now I can say, with 100 percent confidence, that zero fucks are given anymore. I don’t care what other people think, because being a mom puts everything into perspective.

Your life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be proud. In fact, I think it’s the opposite: the more imperfect your life has been, the prouder you should be, because it means you’ve come that much further, and also probably had a lot more fun along the way.

As frustrating as it is not to get what you want right away, success is a lot sweeter when it’s a slow build. You want to always be getting better, and to be moving on to bigger opportunities. You want to be looking forward, not looking back wistfully at how you had everything you’d ever wanted at age six. Who wants to peak as a kid, as a teenager, or even in their early twenties? Then it’s all downhill for the next six decades, and that’s just—well, yikes!

“How do you just start crying?” “I dwell,” I said. “I’m a dweller. Use your shitty experiences. It’s like therapy, and it’s awesome.” “Oh man,” he said. “I can’t do that. I can’t go there. You want to know what I do? I open my mouth for a really long time like I’m gonna yawn, and it makes my eyes water.” It was a sweet moment, but I look back and wonder what kind of pain he was blocking out, even then. aw cory ☹️

I still think that Cory had so much to live for, and for me that’s the worst part about his death—that it was so unnecessary. I miss everything about him. I just miss his life, and I wish that he was here, experiencing in his own life the kind of things that I’m experiencing now in mine. A calm after the storm, if you will. Everything about his death seems unnecessary.

Cory’s gone, and I miss him, and that is what it is. The only consolation I have is that I’ve always trusted that God has a plan for me, and he must have had one for Cory too, even if I don’t understand it.

I guess that’s his MO—flash forward to him on the Grammys’ red carpet with “Smariana.” It was her first time being nominated and now, when she looks back at pictures of that night, he’s going to be in all of them. And they’re not even together anymore. Just stop. If you’re really a supportive man, then you know when to step aside and let your lady be the center of attention. You don’t need to literally stand in front of her to prove you were there. You can just as easily make your point from the sidelines. GAG HIM!!!

Never feel bad about cutting someone out of your life—sometimes that’s the only option. When you hang out with people who are true friends, you come away feeling lighter, more inspired to work hard, give love, and take care of yourself.

I also don’t think you can worry too much about it when someone doesn’t like you. I’m not saying you should never pay attention when people call you on your shit, but if you are committed to being your honest and authentic self, then you are going to piss a few people off here and there. You just have to learn how to not take it too personally, and definitely don’t obsess over it. It comes back to the idea of gratitude and being thankful for what you do have instead of focusing on what you don’t. So instead of worrying about who doesn’t like you, take some time to remember who does. And then go call them. Now.

pre-read:
i don't rly read memoirs and i don't think i've ever actually read one tbh (i don't remember) BUT i've always wanted to read naya rivera's and since today marks 5 yrs since she's passed away, i think it's time for me to read this. ❤️

[Kay ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to say that all these 1 and 2 star reviews are from Big Sean fans or Rachel lovers (I joke). Now, on to my VERY BIAS review. I say bias because I currently have a huge crush on Naya (thanks Step Up)

I read her bio in 2 days. Front to back. Everything. Every little thing. That’s rare because I hate sappy intros, dedications and whatever. Honestly, I would have read it one day if I stayed up a bit and read when I got home from work. Also, yes you read that correctly.... I read this while at work. This book came out in 2016 so I’m a little late to the game. Regardless, it was a good read.

Now, Naya didn’t flat out say this but I felt that her parents (mostly her dad) was toxic and boy so I relate to those with toxic parents. Her father seems very unlikeable, charging your 18 year old kid rent? No bueno. Also her mother did some guilt tripping to get her to audition for shows. I relate on the guilt tripping. Also, I related to her being biracial and always being checked off as “other”. I related to that 150%. Being too Hispanic for the black clique at school and too black for the Hispanic clique. Honey, I felt it to my core.

At the end of this book I was left with 4 things. Naya is cool as heck, I should really finish Glee (on season 1 episode 6... I know I’m late), Big Sean is a d-bag, and Lea Michele isn’t as nice as she seems. When this book came out everyone gave Naya a hard time, they were doubting what she was saying about Lea was true, and now 4 years later it turned out to be nothing but the truth (google Lea Michele tweets).

I would really like a part 2 because this book came out when she was married and now she’s divorced.

This would have got 5 stars from me EASY if the structure was different. A lot of the timelines jump around and I wasn’t a fan of that. I also wish she would have gone a bit more in depth about her home life because I feel like she left some things out.

Naya rocks.

[Marisa Poltrack [book whisperer] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read how she started out and all the troubles she went through. Not only as a child but, as an adult too. She had to face a lot but, never the less was able to overcome everything and power through! Great story and a wonderful and amazing woman!!!

[Ashley Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate celebs who read their own memoirs, regardless of whether they actually wrote them or not. Naya made Glee one of my favorite shows; I was so happy when Santana was featured in songs and got good storylines. Overall this was a solid memoir.

But I also appreciate people who don't beat on other people. I'm not going to pretend like I know your life but I don't care what your issue is -- violence is not the answer unless it's self-defense and someone deserves to get maimed. This book felt very no-bullshit, but I had to read it with a grain of salt thanks to recent events. Get it together, girl. Domestic violence isn't cool whether it's the man or the woman, and if I disapprove of Johnny Depp, I disapprove of you too.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audiobook narrated by the author a great deal. It was so impressive to hear her talk about her career that started so young, yet still sounding so very down to earth. It held my interest all the way through as she talked about growing up, and her family, being broke at times when she didn’t get a lot of acting gigs around her early teens, etc. I went into this not knowing a lot about Naya Rivera, as I’ve not really watched Glee, so this helped me to feel like I know more about her. Since she passed away this month by drowning, I wanted to make a point of reading about her in honor of her as a young mom lost too soon. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, and the publisher.

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew I'd read this quickly as it was short and was hoping to get some insider Glee knowledge, of which she provides some but not much. I appreciated her honesty about some tough issues but still sense she is a little full of herself. Which is fine, she's an actress and that can be expected but it comes off that way in the book. So a quick and fine read but nothing that will stand out.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it through in one evening.
The stories in itself are honest and funny. But i am not entirely convinced how they were put together. (It gets better towards the end, but misses a real conclusion)
Still it made me laugh out loud more than once, and although i do not completly agree with all her views it made me respect her honesty.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a pretty good memoir about Naya's experiences of getting an abortion, being on glee, success, family life, and even her relationship with God. Just taking off a star because some of the things I just found kind of boring, I would definitely recommend this one though, especially if you are a fan of Glee because this had LOTS of tea.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope.

[The Raven King - Feyzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After rewatching glee on Netflix I got this undeniable urge to read this book mostly for behind the scenes TEA and to know the woman behind my favourite character from the show - Santana Lopez, the mean Biatch. And the Queen didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the book.

This book was a quick and fun read. Naya was as funny as her character was in glee but not as mean (Thank God) Her writing style was good, it kept me engaged.

This book is something that i think only glee fans would appreciate. Her story wasn't very moving or motivational, but it was inspiring nonetheless.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up after some internal debate.)

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

well that was a waste of everybody’s time

[Emily Moore | Emily The Book Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

review found on
https://emilythebooknerdxo.blogspot.c...

I have always loved Naya Rivera ever since she was on Glee. I had no idea she had been in show business since childhood. Her quirks and stories were very relatable and I very much enjoyed reading them. The back stories and behind the scene stories from the set of Glee were my favorite. This wasn't surprising to me since it's one of my favorite shows even to this day. I actually met Naya when she was touring for Glee and I was very much surprised how humble and nice of a person she was but after reading her memoir... I can see why she is such a nice person. Naya had a christian upbringing and despite being so successful at a young age she was never overly spoiled. I wish there was more in the book about her being on Glee but everything else was just perfect. Her book was honest and everything that I hoped it would be. This book would be great for any young adult girl trying to find her way in life. She had a bunch of advice about growing up and becoming the woman you are supposed to be. Here's to Naya and one badass book!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this a year ago. A couple weeks later, Naya Rivera died, and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. Naya was such a huge part of my childhood and adolescence. I’ll never forget seeing the Glee cast on tour, and how her delivery of the “so freakin’ charming” line from the Lucky sent vibrations of applause throughout the stadium and she completely killed River Deep Mountain High with Amber Riley. This is a great look into her life, her relationships, and her self growth. She is such an icon of my childhood, and I’m still completely heartbroken over her passing. I listened to the audiobook along with the novel, and I sobbed reading about her conversations with Cory. I hope they found each other again.