I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would! The writing came across as sincere and serious despite Drew’s funny online persona. I appreciated learning more about her childhood and upbringing and hearing her thoughts on social dynamics that women struggle with.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley.

Reading this book as a 42 year old married woman I constantly said to myself, where was Drew when I was a teenager or young adult?! The amount of insights and sound advice that Drew provides in this book will set up any young woman for success.

This book isn’t about dating, it isn’t about misogyny but it’s about knowing and finding your self worth. Buy this book for your daughter/child getting near the age of leaving the nest.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sending me an ARC of Loud by Drew Afualo. If I could give this glorious read 10 stars, I would. It is thoughtful, powerful and extremely important. I knew that Drew would write a valuable book but I never expected to have learned so much from reading it, especially being in my 40s. I’m absolutely blown away by her insights and wish that I could have had this when I was younger and searching for answers. Reading this made me feel seen and heard in the most supportive way. It is empowerment and accountability at its finest. If you have the opportunity to read this, please don’t waste it; I’ve preorder copies for all the women in my life because it is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I highly HIGHLY recommend!!!!

I think this will be an impactful read for younger women-- that 16-25 age range-- and comes across a little as Feminism 101. None of the ideas presented in this text are new or groundbreaking, but Afualo presents them in a way that keeps the reader engaged and thinking.

I hope her points come across to those who need them, and there were some lovely bits I highlighted for my own reminders of self-worth. I especially loved her line "I often think that people don't realize how important the words that they say to themselves in their own heads really are. Ask yourself, 'What are the positive things I say to myself when I look in the mirror every day?'"

Some of her repetitive asides (like referring to her attraction to men as "unfortunate" every single time) were distracting, but overall, it was a four-star read for me. I think I'm just more established in my self-love journey than the intended audience.

Drew has an amazing way of discussing the difficulty of being a woman or femme in western society in a relatable and humorous way. She covers things like body neutrality, being a former “pick me” and embracing the possibility of dying alone instead of settling for less than you deserve. While none of this is new ground, I think it’s great that Drew is using her platform to help younger women escape some of the traps we all fall into. Even though I’m older than Drew, it was still a great reminder about how embedded we all are in the patriarchy and how it can be easy to build your life for the male gaze if you’re not careful. A great read to remind women and femmes (especially of color) to stand in their own power.

I’ve been following Drew online for a few years now so when she announced that she was publishing a book I was ecstatic; even more so when I got the opportunity to read it ahead of publication thanks to NetGalley & Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Drew has been crusading against bigotry, misogyny, and the patriarchy for years while trying to get others to build confidence and stand up for themselves. This book is the perfect culmination of her; it builds the reader up while simultaneously pointing out internal biases and misogyny. It is part self help, part memoir, and part manifesto, all laced with her sense of humor and wit.

The book starts with an introduction and first chapter focused primarily on her upbringing and how having such an emotionally intelligent family helped her be able to find and understand herself. I think a lot of parents and/or soon to be parents should take a look at this book. Even if you don’t agree with Drew’s approach online it is clear that she has a sense of self and self worth that many young people lack. Reading this may give insight into a way to raise a child to have these as well.

As the book progresses it moves onto topics that female presenting people know all too well like being a “pick me” and having to be soft to appeal to society. The pick me chapter is something I think many women & girls would greatly benefit from reading. Without giving much away, she talks about how aligning yourself with men will ultimately not keep you from being the punchline or victim, and when you inevitably are the punchline, you won’t have a support system of women around to pick you back up.

This book does a great job of reminding us to be who we are and to advocate for ourselves even if that means being perceived as mean.

My favorite quote from this book, “A bad bitch is still a bad bitch, regardless of how many times she doubts herself.”
This being the first memoir I’ve ever read I was a little scared but I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome, if I thought I was confident and secure about myself before I read this book, I sure as hell am now.
This book gives you an insight to Drew’s upbringing, how she gained the confidence and self love we all know and see on Tiktok and how we can all achieve it as well. The Drew you see on Tiktok is definitely a different Drew than the one you have access to through this book. She is definitely vulnerable in writing this and I LOVED every second.
The goal of this memoir was for Drew to remind Women to Love and Empower themselves and their feelings. An empowered Woman, Empowering Woman.
I do believe this is a very important read for teenage girls, it’s perfect to read as you’re becoming comfortable with yourself, your body, and your feelings.

Thank you NetGalley and Drew for an ARC of this wonderful upcoming book.

Part memoir, part self-help, Loud lives up to it's title and describes Drew's growing into her values and her platform. It's a light but reflective read about the patriarchal society and the way we can best cope with it - by standing up for ourselves and realising our worth.

Personally, I can't say I gained much from the self-help aspect of the book, since I have considered myself a feminist (and a misandrist) for a while now, but Drew is truly one of the funniest and wonderful people with a platform. Her tiktoks and podcast makes me so glad to be a part of this colorful, queer world, despite all the hate and violence. I loved her book for giving me a few more pieces of her life, her story, her family. The memoir parts truly felt like talking to an old friend and an inspiration.

I feel so honoured to have had the opportunity to read and review Loud before it's released. It needs to be a part of all the libraries around the world. I believe it's going to change quite a few lives.

”I target awful men who attack marginalized people on the internet for no reason and I never miss.” OK MS DREW

This book was something I didn’t know I wanted or needed. I love Drew’s work online and I think she’s hysterical, which is why I requested the ARC in the first place.

While some might claim this is feminist self help rhetoric, it instead dismantles a lot of what we as women experience throughout our teenage and young adult years and spoon feeds it to you with the right amount of humor and evidence.

I found myself getting emotional during the section “I’d Rather Die Alone” because I felt seen. Seen and heard by another woman I have never met who is living a completely different life than me. Her experience, her growth and her viewpoint were so refreshing and I just adored my time with that section in particular.

It’s really inspiring and validating to read about a woman who asserts herself and puts down men who deserve it. She’s mean! The way we can all be mean! But really, 99% of what Drew details in this book isn’t rude or mean at all, it’s advocating for yourself in ways you’re not used to.

A massive, massive thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc. I enjoyed every second.

This memoir gave me goosebumps. Drew is best known for retorting misogynistic men on the internet. Reading her memoir, I got goosebumps, I cried, I laughed, but most of all I felt SEEN. Being a woman in today’s world isn’t easy and she spoke of everything most women feel today. Reading about her embrace of her Samoan culture and her family made it evident that they’re all so incredibly important, but more than that they are proud. Proud of her, proud of the woman she’s become. I’ve never felt more safe, more heard, or understood than I did reading her memoir. I highly recommend this memoir!

(Wrote on Goodreads first!)

If you wanna feel like a baddie, pick up this book. 💅🏻 If you haven’t seen Drew on TikTok empowering women and destroying men you NEED to. She’s funny, she speaks out on a lot of important topics, and her book is no different. This book was entertaining and interesting. I will definitely be purchasing it for friends when it comes out. 🥰

normally, i wouldn’t go for a self-help book, but i requested an arc for this one because it is drew. i ended up really enjoying it! from what i understand, drew did not use a ghostwriter for this, but her writing was actually pretty good. i also think the length of this book makes it accessible to people that may not consider themselves readers. even so, there were some things i wish she had elaborated on. she often references “the universe” but she doesn’t really go into what that means to her or what she means by it. i also think the body neutrality chapter should have been longer because she talks about the concept of body neutrality but doesnt give examples of how to practice it, which i think would have been helpful. the chapter about being mean also could have used some elaboration, in my opinion. she says that it is okay to be mean, but she doesn’t elucidate why, and i wanted to hear her perspective on that. i did like the chapter titles, though

Drew is a force and brings such a distinct voice to the time that we are in. Her vulnerability, honesty, and intelligence shine. This book will find the hands of those that it should because she is just that good! Well done Drew. Thank you NetGalley and FSG!

This book feels like a loving & honest letter written by your big sister. It was a wonderful mix of humor, memoir, self-help, and feminism 101. As an avid follower of Drew, this book felt like it perfectly encapsulated her personality. Drew takes the time to recognize the importance of her upbringing and how it shaped her identity today. If your childhood lacked empowerment, acceptance, or examples of healthy gender roles, you will surely find an element of catharsis and education to break those cycles for yourself going forward. My only critique is that the sequence of the chapters felt a bit scattered at times, but I don’t like marking authors down for the way that they choose to tell their own stories. The terrible men of the world will most definitely hate this book, which is a sure sign that Drew is doing something right.

Thank you NetGalley & Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC

Most of us know her best for her crusade against misogynistic, trash men on the internet. She is a voice with confidence and courage against the patriarchy in order to pave the way to break down some of the oldest and most antiquated ideals bringing women down these days. Her debut book Loud; Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve is the perfect mixture of manual, memoir, and part manifesto making it clear that behind her loud and booming laugh is courage, confidence, supportive women, intelligence, and so much personality.

I had the chance to get my hands on the Ebook version of this book ahead of publication thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in order for an honest review.The moment I knew she was writing a book I put it on my wishlist for pre-ordering before it’s release, then one lovely day I saw her pop up for advance reading and I was tickled pink getting the email that I was approved to read it. I laughed, I cringed (she wanted me to, I swear), and I teared up a bit (in a good way). All the way through her book was completely her through and through.

From the very beginning of the book she captivates the reader with her wit and writing, following up with sharing someone of the people around her that have had a big impact in who she is today, speaking beautifully about her family life and growing up as a proud Samoan woman. It becomes clear pretty quick that having such a strong, loving, and emotionally intelligent family is definitely a big catalyst into what has shaped Drew today.

As she moves further along the book she touches on some of the things that we as women not only do ourselves no favours but actively encourage the patriarchal constructs that have pushed us down and against each other since the beginning (i.e., women who go HARD for terrible men). I found myself actively talking to my kindle as she had me pulling myself right back to my equally (if not more) cringe teen years, but it becomes clear that a lot of times it shapes a lot of who we are when we’re extra cringe in our teen years!

A lot of people see her comments section and can see that even some women stand up for these terrible and sometimes abusive men, we call this the Pick-Me, and we all know at least one. But the thing is we all exhibit pick-me behaviour, some of us do that later in life than others unfortunately but when we finally crack out of it the world is definitely so much better (and so much easier, damn).

To round it out she reminds us that it’s okay to be mean sometimes, often as women we are supposed to be soft, delicate, pliant, agreeable. Fuck that, we are whoever we want to be and if that soft and delicate then fine, but if its loud and honest instead then hell yeah.

I consumed this book as an Ebook (unfortunately an exact page count is not available at this time for this format). It is also going to be available as a physical book and an audiobook! Set to release on July 30th 2024 it is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and many other major retailers!
(Quotes have been removed and will be added upon approval of publisher)

I had really high super expectations for this book, I love Drew and her no b.s attitude that she has. But for me this book just didn't feel like it aligned with her.

Okay, I have seen and loved Drew on TikTok and this book surprised me.I love the flow and the storytelling. I hope that she gets all her flowers for writing such a great book.

If you had a tiktok account during the pandemic then you know Drew Afualo. You know her laughter. You know her advocacy for women and femmes. Drew’s mission is to face bigotry head on and watch it collapse as fast as she dishes it out.

Loud is part self help guide part memoir. Her entire life she has stood up to the bullies and advocated loudly for those she loves. Her adulthood is no different, she is still standing up for those who have been marginalized and put down by society. In Loud Drew takes us on a journey of how to unlearn the harmful ideologies that the cis heteropatriarchy have place upon us. Showing us just how outdated and rooted in colonialism and white supremacy these ideologies are. She shows us how to advocate for ourselves and to stop centering life around terrible men. Reminding us that no matter what our body type, race, gender or sexuality we deserve the very best love there is.

Drew is extremely honest and candid in this book. At times I felt like I wasn’t reading a memoir, but catching up with old college friends. Reminiscing about the men who we’d destroy at bars who thought they had a chance at hitting on us. Or discussing how fiercely we love and protect one another. I found myself tearing up more than once reading this because it houses such powerful messaging that I think is vital to, not just younger generations, but to anyone who considers themselves a feminist.

Loud is out July 29, thank you netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this. The book is written well and comes off like a feminist, self help, call to action book. For her first novel, I was impressed.

"Loud" by Drew Afualo offers a refreshing perspective on contemporary leadership, and I'm delighted that leaders like Drew have a platform to share their insights. Younger readers will benefit greatly from the crucial lessons on human development conveyed by a contemporary leader's voice. As an older reader, I found many truths I already knew, but appreciated the fresh perspective. Drew's consistent voice, reminiscent of her TikToks, adds authenticity to her book.

If I had to nitpick, I'd suggest shorter chapters and some editing to avoid repetition.

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced reader copy.