Cover Image: Underprivileged Overachiever

Underprivileged Overachiever

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Member Reviews

This book broke my heart and made me cry out in joy. What a beautiful, heartbreaking story of overcoming so much adversity. A must read for ALL!

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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list, and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

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Salimu shed light into a world that was familiar to me yet completely foreign. I enjoyed going on this emotional journey although it was taxing at times.

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I absolutely enjoyed this story. It reminded me so much of my own journey in becoming a doctor. What its like to be a high achiever and to have the pressures. I found this to have the added dimension of coming from an underprivileged background which has its own society driven hurdles. Our all it was a great read, inspiring and was very much enjoyed

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Underprivileged Overachiever
Author, Y.A. Salimu
Publisher: Geospatial Q & A Inc.
Pub date: August 31, 2020

Underprivileged Overachiever is a powerful and timely memoir. Although shocking at times, the quick, short, and witty chapters will have you turning the pages and rooting for this brave fourteen- year- old runaway all the way to the last sentence. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart: detailed horrors of living as a homeless teen, poverty, gangs, foul language, sexual themes, and rape. However, these shocking experiences allows Salimu to navigate his path forward one foot in front of the other, and grow to become an honest, self- aware, and strong man. A true fighter and an exceptionally powerful read.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Geospatial Q & A Inc, and to author, Y.A. Salimu for the opportunity to become inspired by this brave memoir and to read and review this e- ARC.

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Quick short chapters make this a true page turner.
An important new title in this genre although some may find it difficult to read.
Heartbreaking but beautiful

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Yohancé grew up doing drugs and being around notorious gangs in LA, but through sports, robotics and a LOT of tough life lessons, he made it out the other side and graduated the United States Air Force Academy.

His story is truly one that I can’t even imagine living. The format of the book itself was a little all over the place, the storytelling feeling jarring more often than not. Though I do understand the courage it must have taken to put those words down on paper and I look up to Yohancé for his courage and strength.

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I think this memoir will be of interest to many teenage students, both those with some of the same experiences and others who have different lives (mirrors and windows). I appreciate the story Salimu tells and I will recommend this to students.

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Another reviewer of this book tells readers everything they need to know: "This story is shocking for its honesty. It might need a warning label before parents allow their teenagers to read. But it's a compelling read and one that provides insights into today's daily struggles for families seeking a path to a better life."
"Underprivileged Overachiever" is indeed a shocking book that contains profanity, sexual content and a full-blown rape scene. Salimu also has quite a bit of ego that comes through on every page. But these factors contributed to Salimu's academic success and have allowed him to become the man he is today who now mentors others.
This memoir isn't for the faint of heart, but it's important. Salimu faced homelessness, food and economic poverty, gangs, drugs, violence. And yet he persevered. His story and the lessons he shares about manhood that he learned from his mentors can inspire us to persevere and overcome our challenges, too.
Salimu tells his story with an honesty that's refreshing. As I read, I felt like he was sitting beside me telling me the story. He also reads every review - this man has integrity and is indeed an underprivileged overachiever.

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A powerful memoir about one young man's journey. From frequently being homeless as a teen, to trying to navigate life, Mr. Salimu, along with some special people that decided to be a better influence in his life, helped this young teenager to become the man he is today. It was an amazing, and hard read, but it's also a powerful and encouraging read. This read will take you on an emotional roller coaster and you will need to have tissue available.

I received a copy of the book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

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Tabia and his family are living very poorly in the hood of Los Angeles. They’re mom is really the only one taking care of them. I find it interesting that the dad is only there when they needed him but where did he go for the time being. The first scene when they are excited to see The Rock is cute. it’s interesting that their family only calls each other by their middle name, if called by first name it’s an insult. The first interaction with the Bloods was very considerate giving him a few dollars to get food for his family. I didn’t expect them to be nice. It makes me sad that the littlest brother finding money in random places was one of the ways they were able to eat that day. Their mom never being around to feed them or take care of them was heartbreaking. Y has a head on his shoulders of graduating high school and getting out of the hood. “I didn’t want to be homeless, broke, dirty, or hungry when everything in this world felt like it could be mine for the taking” such a great memoir about perseverance and courage

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This book was excellent. It's a memoir that shows what it was like for Yohance to grow up in poverty, living in a homeless shelter and working harder than anyone else to ensure that he has the opportunity to change the path that would only be too easy to follow.

It is honest and raw and shows how when teachers are supportive and students want to overcome adversity then they can succeed.

I don't really have the words to explain just how much I enjoyed reading this. I think every teacher should read this book. The difference a good teacher or two can have on a struggling young person's life is phenomenal. You never know what your students are surviving and living through unless they tell you so be supportive and encouraging always.

Trigger Warnings:
Sexual Assault (graphic description of rape including police report)
Poverty/Homelessness
Absent Parents
Gangs (brief mentions throughout though no affiliation)

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This book is filled with emotion and pain so have a box of tissues handy as you read this. However, the author didn’t write this so that people would despair because there is also success and humor for the reader to grasp on to. This is a truly inspiring book about one man’s journey from childhood to manhood. Although no-one, no child should have to live through abuse and poverty this author not only survived but he decided to use it to help educate others about the horrors that are occurring in our society. This book is also a testament to the author’s determination to not allow his past determine his future, he refused to become another victim, another statistic, he chose to use his life to inspire anyone and everyone who he could reach.

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This was great. Really personal account of a young boys life. Sad and upsetting yet inspirational. Many young boys would have succumbed to gangs and not have survived as Yohonsay had. I would have liked more details if his family and siblings but know this was about his life. A good read!

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The author shares an honest look at his life of being a homeless teen and how he carried on. He was filled with drive, motivation, determination and dreams that he wasn't willing to give up on. It was so nice to hear his journey and hopefully his story will help inspire others. Thank you to NetGalley and Geospatial Q & A Inc. for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I'm a huge fan of memoirs as I love reading about the success that one can overcome. This story had me hooked as I wanted to see what Yohance was going to do with every step of his life. What an inspiring man he is for his family, friends, and community. I hope this book gets into the hands of all those who need to read his story and strive for success like him.

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This is such an honest memoir of a homeless teen with buckets of drive, determination, and dreams. His humor as he navigates his complex life helps him survive and makes it easier for "us" to access his environment. This is an important book that will stay with me and Yohance is a remarkable man. I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

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3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

Don't get me wrong, this was an interesting story. I just had troubles following some of the details and some of the graphic content was a bit much for me.

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I received an both excerpt of the audio book and Ebook formats from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

If you like Dear Martin, or Dear Justyce by Nic Stone you might like this one. Is similar but with not as well written, a lot more football, hunger, toxic masculinity, but less violence.

Read both audio book and Ebook, and in summary audio is way better. It flows nicely and the right inflections in the voice make it better, as when you read it in a printed format the writing exposes it's flaws then it becomes a little repetitive and clunky.

I started reading the book a couple of days after I finished the audio version.
Unfortunately the written book isn't as good.
The cover, and the layout of the book is very creative as it's told as an American Football game 4 quarters with a break and a bunch of pases, tackles, sprints... I like that.

There are some loose ends through out the story, for example when we met Rachel she is offered a plea deal, but we don't know what deal what's that. When he was sent to hospital for a horrendous pain that brought him to his knees, we don't know the diagnosis, small things like that became frustrating for me.
I enjoyed the book as a whole, I'm not sure if I will read the next two instanlments, maybe in an audio version will do.

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I could not stop reading from chapter to chapter. I was engaged in every minute of the memoir's descriptions of each challenge and obstacle and Yohance's consistent frame of mind during each. Since I personally had the honor of being Efia, Yohance and Kumasi's science teacher at Audubon Middle School, I was especially touched to know that somehow they knew education was the key to success - they were the best students in my classes, despite their hurdles, which they did not share publicly. I also turn to my own upbringing as others who read this should....to remind us all how we truly have no excuses for not achieving our goals. Thank you for this contribution!!!

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