By Trevor Noah
5 Stars
Born a Crime is a memoir written by famous comedian Trevor Noah about his life as a child in a highly oppressive region of the world. The story is told through the lens of Trevor living as a mixed race during a time of great racial segregation, with hints of humour, joy, anger, and despair spread to display the twists and turns of his life.
The themes of racial separation begin from Trevor's birth, as it was illegal to have interracial children with mixed races. In the case of Trevor, he was born as a mixed child, which meant his birth was illegal in accordance with South African laws during the period. Constant racism was an issue which Trevor experiences commonly, and many other issues of living in South Africa during Apartheid were mentioned. Trevor relies on his single mother to guide him and provide for him during their hardship. As this book is written by comedian Trevor Noah, there are multiple moments of humour which help to reduce the negative emotions felt by the hardships of Trevor's early life.
Overall, this book is a very great read, and I highly recommend giving it a chance as it shows Trevor's journey based on his real-life childhood experience. It is a story which inspired me and shows how even though Trevor was a coloured child during a time of racial segregation, he still found a way to become successful. The racism and struggles of life are displayed in a way which makes the reader sympathetic and emotional but also provides humour as Trevor Noah is known for his comedy. Trevor's mother was another important character who taught me many things, as she was strict but also guided Trevor through multiple life lessons. I would recommend the readers to be of age 12 or older to read this book as there is harsh exposure to racism and similar topics.
Reviewed by Divya
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