4.5 stars 
 What an excellent book to kick the year off with. I immediately connected with Roxane Gay's narrative voice, and now I think that maybe we should be best friends. She is whip-smart, witty, and has a no-frills-no-nonsense approach to tackling the big issues facing how women and people of color are culturally represented in the US. 
 A lot of her essays tie into recent cultural or political happenings in the US, and are so very relatable to someone who's even the least bit interested in the entertainment or publishing industries. Anyone who's picked up a newspaper in the last 3 years or so will immediately recognize the stories she touches on. She doesn't reach for obscure or lesser-known cultural or political references, but jumps head first into the big issues: Gone Girl, Tyler Perry, reproductive rights, and the Trayvon Martin/Zimmerman case are analyzed with equal fervor and attention to detail. I honor and respect her for her ability to speak (write) her mind. Even though none of her moral or political views are ground-breaking, they are so important and well-pronounced in this collection. 
 I can't wait to read more of Gay's work, and I look forward to reading anything she publishes in the future.