Simon and Schuster provided an early galley for review.

The cover of his autobiography is done in the style of so many popular R&B album covers of the 1970's and 1980's, with the white suit itself evoking a direct comparison to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Not surprising that both young men found fame at a very young age.

By the time Family Matters became a huge part of ABC's TGIF line-up, I was married and settled into our first home - plans of starting a family of our own still a few years down the road. Still, the show and White often provided a good laugh after a long week of work.

Right from the introduction, I found this memoir to be very smartly written. Having grown up in the industry, White is very savvy to all its twists and turns, and he walks the reader through it in a very understandable way.

He does bounce around a bit narratively, focusing chapters more thematically rather than strictly chronologically. It is more conversational and personal, and that does work here. He is also more than willing to spill a little tea and name names.

In the end, the book definitely comes across as someone who is working out issues from the past to reposition himself for his future. His outlook and approach lead me to believe he is definitely on that road to a better place.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Perhaps if I were a millennial who grew up watching Family Matters, I would have enjoyed this book more. I was a teenager when the show premiered and was definitely uncool to even think about watching it, but anyone alive during that time would have been familiar with the pop culture icon Steve Urkel.

This book was all over the place, from a nonlinear timeline to the obsessive repetitiveness. I felt myself wishing White would get to the point of a story, and the end result was usually how people did him wrong. He's still clearly conflicted about his role as Urkel and hasn't fully embraced his legacy. Many breakout actors have this problem, and they usually have a bit more grace as they get older. White is not there yet.

What he never admits to in print is that his parents did him no favors other than saving a little more money than what was legally required. They acted as his agents in contract negotiations, and it's clear they left money on the table when it came to White's importance to the show and how they negotiated his raises.

There is more to Jaleel than Steve Urkel. He's an intelligent and hard-working man who doesn't always get the props he deserves. I'm happy he's setting the record straight and sharing his stories in this memoir.

Wow this book blew me away. I had really low expectations going into the book due to family matters not keeping my attention as a child and then my most recent attempt with trying to watch it doing the same. However this book is not that. I enjoyed every story he told, as well as all of his tribulations he overcame. The only thing I would have changed is the time jumps that happen throughout the book but outside of that I remained entertained the entire book. Def recommend.

If you miss the 90s and long for the days of TGIF, then you'll enjoy Growing Up Urkel. Jaleel White opens up about his rise to childhood stardom and the behind the scenes of Family Matters. He also talks about life post Family Matters, trying to get away from the Urkel moniker, personal struggles, and how he found balance in his life. There are moments when he gets brutally honest about his Family Matters co-stars, which was surprising. My biggest complain about the book is how White's narrative is all over the place. One chapter we're in the early days of his fame, the next we're talking about the end of the show, the next we're back to Family Matters, then suddenly we're launched into his life after Family Matters. It's frustrating trying to keep up as White constantly hops between different time periods without warning. Otherwise, I found it to be an enjoyable read if not just for the stories about life on the Family Matters set.

TGIF was my life when I was a kid, and Family Matters/Steve Urkel were a huge part of that. I liked reading the small portions that focused on that aspect, but otherwise Jaleel White came off half whiny and half pompous when talking about all events in his life. Big turnoff either way. I expected much better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the advanced copy of this e-book.

While I initially hoped to connect deeply with this memoir, I found myself struggling to engage with the narrative. Despite the author's relatable experiences as a parent of a child in the entertainment industry, I felt a disconnect on an emotional level.

The book offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of child acting and the steps his parents took to ensure his well-being. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the author stretched out certain events, perhaps due to a lack of substantial material. It's refreshing to read about a successful individual whose life has been largely drama-free, thanks to the excellent guidance of his parents.

That said, the memoir falls short of exploring the author's life beyond his iconic role as Urkel. While the character undoubtedly played a significant part in his journey, it's important to recognize that it's not the sole defining factor. For those seeking a fresh perspective on the entertainment industry and the challenges of raising a child in the spotlight, this memoir may offer a worthwhile read.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Growing Up Urkel tells us pretty much what we already knew about Jaleel White. Urkel was the height of his fame, he had a fairly boring Hollywood life. All fine, but that means that there needed to be filler, and that was lots and lots of talk of Jaleel's high school basketball days. In which he swears he was really good, just wasn't put in to play. I guess that is still a thorn in his side, but I'm not sure it was write-a-book worthy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Ah the memories of gathering around the TV every Friday night to watch Full House and the Family Ties there was nothing like the sitcoms during the late 80s into the 90s. I still watch reruns of Family Ties and they never get old. Jaleel, thank you for sharing your memoir with us and for all the laughs.

I enjoyed this memoir and loved getting a look behind-the-scenes at White’s life. It was nice to hear how his parents saved him from become spoiled and becoming a sad Hollywood story. I hate that he struggled to find another “chance” to be hugely successful, but I liked his ability to appreciate all of his blessings.
At times it was repetitive and seemed a bit too long.

As someone who grew up with Family Matters, I knew I needed to read this one. It was a very interesting back story to the character that we saw on TV each TGIF Friday. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this one!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Jaleel White shares his journey growing up in the entertainment world and eventually trying to live a normal college life and the aftermath of being a child star. It was interesting to learn about the behind the scenes relationships and dynamics of a sitcom. I think he did his best trying to fit in at school while also recognizing his life was different, prime example: the night before a final flying out to a bulls game with Danzel Washington. So many highs and lows for Jaleel, but he has really come out of the child star world well, strongly due to the guidance along the way by his parents.

Jaleel White reflects on his iconic role as Steve Urkel, which transformed him from a twelve-year-old auditioning for a single episode into a cultural phenomenon. As he navigates life post-Family Matters, he shares the challenges and insights that come with fame and identity.

This was an interesting memoir. As someone who grew up with the TGIF lineup on TV, I was intrigued to see that Jaleel wrote a memoir. It is mostly about his time on Family Matters and how that shaped who he is and how he lives his life, but there are some real gems in here. The stories about some entertainers are what you’d expect, and others, not so much. It doesn’t paint the industry in a great light and shows how it really exploits people, especially children.

As a personal preference, I don’t like that it wasn’t told in linear style, but it kept me reading and wanting to know how the memoir ended. I liked that it was hopeful and thoughtful at the end.

*I received a digital copy of this book for review, all thoughts are my own.*

*Growing Up Urkel* by Jaleel White is a fascinating and heartfelt look into the life behind one of the most iconic characters of '90s TV. Jaleel's candid storytelling provides a fresh perspective on the challenges of growing up in the spotlight and being forever associated with Steve Urkel. His insights into the highs and lows of fame are both humorous and reflective, making this memoir an engaging read. While the pacing lags in a few sections, it’s full of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal growth moments that fans will love. A must-read for anyone who grew up with *Family Matters*!

“Oh, Jaleel, please…No one is interested in your memoir.”

Did I read thattttt? Yes, I did. Jaleel White’s memoir “Growing Up Urkel” was a fun read that brought back nostalgic memories of a time watching TGIF shows like Family Matters on Friday nights with my family. Steve Urkel was always a guarantee for a laugh and definitely the star of the show. Like many actors playing such recognizable characters, it is easy to be so typecast that it makes for a difficult career. Jaleel White’s memoir shows that it can be extremely difficult but also how to overcome those challenges in a dog-eat-dog world of show business.

If you are looking for a memoir full of drugs, sex, and rock n roll, then this memoir is definitely not for you. Despite the fame of his Urkel character as a young man, Jaleel’s childhood and adulthood are mostly drama free in large parts to how his family raised him. This was refreshing to see but also felt like he was forcing some stories to make it seem more interesting than they were. But what I did like was how he gave a glimpse into his (and his parents’) naïveté in dealing with show business and the lack of understanding to make even more money and fame than he should have. This is a main theme in the book and one that Jaleel makes sure to explain that he has no regrets and remains proud of staying true to himself.

I liked reading about some of the behind the scenes parts of Family Matters, though it did jump around a lot. I also liked learning about how creativity in coming up with his character as well as some of the storylines of the show as well as post-Family Matters. One thing that got old, though, was how it felt like he had to remind his reading audience like 173 times that he was black. Yes, Jaleel, we know.

All in all, it was a fun read and a nice trip down memory lane of a great time of family friendly shows.

* I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review

It’s something I’ve said before but it bears repeating.
It is very difficult to review a memoir. It feels like you’re judging a person’s life, and determining how worthy or unworthy one’s life is. Sooooo, what I attempt to do in discussing the merits of a memoir is rate it, on the revelation of facts and inside information that may have escaped the media stories that surround celebrities. And there are some of those moments, but not enough to lift this memoir into the rarified area of “unforgettable”

The strength of Jaleel White’s story is conveying his passion and pain in the portrayal of Steve Urkel, which is how much of the world knows him. He offers some wisdom along the way, based on his experience learning the business of movie and TV production. Some of those lessons can be easily applied to life in general. The greatest takeaway is Mr. Jaleel White has hall of fame parents and is genuinely a nice guy, and was never overly concerned with the axiom that nice guys finish last. He has always maintained an integrity about him, that is hard to find in today’s world of clicks, follows and likes.

“Truth is, my entire career has been an absolute miracle, from the moment I signed on to Iris Burton’s agency as a three-year-old child and landed on Family Matters nine years later.” That sentence kind of summarizes how he has moved throughout his celebrity turn. He seems genuinely grateful for all he has experienced, both good and bad. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced DRC. Book arrives in stores November 19, 2024

I expected this book to be more of an autobiography of his personal life. Jaleel White mostly talks about his views and experiences with Hollywood and nothing about his personal life. It was an interesting read though.

I grew up as a big fan of Jaleel White mostly from watching “Family Matters” whenever it was on. So, I was thrilled when I was approved to read an early copy of this book.

This was well-written and interesting, especially if you’re a fan of the individual in the story. Still, it did seem more like a collection of anecdotes and essays about his thoughts on Hollywood in his era. This book gives some backstory of behind-the-scenes Hollywood for Jaleel but doesn’t get much into his personal life, which I would’ve preferred. I also wish it delved more into what he’s been doing since the completion of Family Matters. His character was so iconic, that it made him difficult to break away from that role and move on to other things.

It’s hard to rate an autobiography because it seems unfair to rate the entertainment value of someone’s life story. But I am giving it a rating because I was expecting more of the “life story” of Jaleel White and less of his view on Hollywood. It was still great, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is or was a fan of his.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

Not sure what I was expecting with this one.

I marginally liked the character he played on TV, so was interested in reading this.

Right off the bat, the author goes into diescribing to us, how he got the job, which I found interesting.

But the rest of the book is more geared towards Hollywood and how he sees it.

Not horrible, but not as much of a memoir but rather several essays on one subject,

A really enjoyable read I loved watching him on tv he was a wonderful character ter.It was nice to catch up with him and meet the real person the real Jaleel White,#netgalley #s&s