From the time we’re born, a litany of do’s and don’ts are placed on us by our families, our communities, and society. We’re required to fit into boxes based on our race, gender, sexuality, and other parts of our identities, being told by others how we should behave, who we should date, or what we should be interested in. For so many of us, those boxes begin to feel like shackles when we realize they don’t fit our unique shape, yet we keep trying because we crave acceptance and validation. But is “fitting in” worth the time, energy, and suffering? Actor, writer, and activist Brandon Kyle Goodman says, Hell no it ain’t!
As a Black nonbinary, queer person in a dark-skinned 6’1”, 180-pound male body born into a religious immigrant household, Brandon knows the pain of having to hide one’s true self, the work of learning to love that true self, and the freedom of finally being your true self.
In You Gotta Be You , Brandon affectionately challenges you to consider, “Who would I be if society never got its hands on me?” This question set Brandon on a mission to dropkick societal shackles by unlearning all the things he was told he should be in order to step into who he really is. It required him to reexamine messy but ultimately defining moments in his life—his first time being followed in a store, navigating his mother’s born-again Christianity, and regretfully using soap as lube (yes, you read that right!)—to find the lessons that would guide him to his most authentic self.
Compassionate and soulful, funny and revealing, You Gotta Be You is an unapologetic call to self-freedom. It’s about turning rejection (from others and yourself) into a roadmap to self-love. It’s a guide to setting boundaries and fostering self-growth. And most importantly, it’s an affirmation that we are enough exactly as we are.
This was a great book to start off the new year. I first heard Goodman talking about this book on Nicole Byer's podcast. I brought it from the library with no expectations beyond liking their persona. This book is a memoir/self help text about confronting your whole self, and embracing the messiness. (MESSY by the way is an acronym Goodman explains in the book). Definitely recommend.
this book is nothing short of a gift. a love letter.
Brandon Kyle Goodman bares it all in this book. the hurt, the love, the journey. i laughed, cried, and reflected throughout this incredible debut book.
it is so beautifully written. the way they talk about their deepest traumas and the time and effort it took to heal from these experiences, all while wanting to remind the reader to know how much they are loved. and help the reader and offer advice that they would've wanted, no matter how difficult to hear. we learn that no matter what we should always seek Acceptance. Belonging. Validation. they taught us to explore the grey and the M.E.S.S.Y!
For me, this book was incredible. It is a love story to so many individuals and groups of people. I particularly resonated with their relationship with their Grandma. I feel like I know Brandon better and that I know myself better after listening to this book. Highly recommend- especially if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, if you have a challenging family relationship, or if you are still in the process of learning to love yourself.
Read this book! Just trust me! This memoirs exploration of intersectionality is so needed! I’ve followed Brandon on social media for a while now, which is why I picked this book up, but it blew my mind! I’m so thankful for their willingness to share, insightful writing, and the overall community they develop! That final chapter might be one of my all time favorites!
I really took my time reading this and taking in all of Brandon’s wisdom. As a black queer person, I have never felt so seen. Brandon was able to put to words so many experiences and feelings that I have struggles grasping.
I know that this will be a book I lean on when times get hard. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
I loved this book. It's like Brandon is giving us all a giant hug through the book. I listened this on audiobook, which they narrate, and it's glorious. Anyone whose ever questioned who they are or where they belong should read this book.
As someone who tries to stay up on LGBTQIA views this book was really great at explaining some parts that I either didn’t know or didn’t fully understand. It was a nice slice of life from an amazing human
An excellent work of memoir slash advice, so validating, I especially saw pieces of my nonbinary experience reflected in how Goodman talks about their own <3
This was such a good read. Brandon’s style made it so easy to connect to them and their experiences. Really saw myself reflected back in what they wrote, and definitely learned some hard but good lessons for my own personal growth
Brandon shared stories that readers will really appreciate. He’s vulnerable in sharing various events that has happened in his life ranging from love interests to learning different aspects about sexuality and gender. Brandon seems like a positive influence on so many people and his personality is shown very well in these pages.
A truly wonderful book on the impacts of how society makes you feel you have to be a certain way to fit a mold. They make you feel important in the book and how important it is to be who you really are regardless of how others feel.
Wow wow wow! This is such a beautiful, heart wrenching, honest, funny, affirming memoir-ish book! Brandon Kyle Goodman has such a clear and intentional voice that is inspiring. I highly recommend for those who are seeking their own path for well-being and personal growth.
As a straight white female, this may not seem like a book I would relate to, but everyone can find a piece of themselves in You Gotta Be You: How to Embrace This Messy Life and Step Into Who You Really Are. Within this tender, heartbreaking, hilarious, and extremely relatable book, author Brandon Kyle Goodman talks about their specific identity as black, queer, and non-binary and the conflict that combination creates, as well of more general ideologies of self-love and self-acceptance.
As an avid patron of Goodman’s Instagram stories (#MessyMonday #ThottyThursdays) I knew the vibe I would be getting from this book right away, but shocked to find the tender difficulties that they still go through. It’s clear that they’re still in the thick of their journey, and that’s why you will trust and love them right away. Goodman makes their readers feel like friends as they explore topics that even they are still struggling with.
Goodman talks about the complicated and often painful road that led them to discovering their own identity in an extremely raw and authentic manner. Their story is theirs, but the struggle can be felt by everyone who reads it. No matter where you live, on what scale, in what community, with whatever identities you embrace, this book will strengthen your confidence in yourself.
“Take note of the liberating tingle of your own life, because they’re trying to lead you to freedom.”
While Goodman talks about stepping into who they really are, and about the struggle of stepping out of who they used to be – who they thought they should be, and finding their true self. Goodman talks about how as children, we know exactly who we are, but then we wrestle with these identities because we live in a world that only gives us so many options – a few select boxes. It’s like we are full humans at birth, sparkling and glorious, and we go to find our box, and there are only a handful of options, all dull, basis and not our truth.
“Don’t force yourself to be understood by people who are committed to misunderstanding you.”
While Goodman talks about leaning into who they really are and being confident and strong in their identity, they also seem to be saying how important is to be fluid, ever changing, and not label yourself. Creating a strict box of identity for yourself is just as dangerous as the box that society has created for us.
You Gotta Be You is a therapeutic and educational read. It opened my eyes to many complexities relating to gender, identity, race and religion; not just these issues on their own, but also how they bleed into one another. This book will educate anyone who’s overwhelmed and confused about gender identity whether for themselves, those around them, or the pure gift of expanding your mind.
“I marvel at the simplicity of my complexities and bask in the compexibties of my humanity.”
“Who would I be if society never got its hands on me?”
I genuinely don’t know if I’ll ever have accurate words for this. What I do know: this is a MUST read for everyone!
If you’re doing your work learning about the queer community, white supremacy, racism, or Black Lives Matter, you need this book.
If you’re trying to live a more authentic life, you need this book. At the root of this book is the question “who would I be if society never got its hands on me?”
Brandon is a non-binary, gay, Black person and in an interracial marriage. Their story is messy & raw & vulnerable and these pages are filled with struggle, joy, anger, success, love, loss, encouragement, hardship, and wins. This book is Brandon’s heart and soul for everyone to read.
I’ve been following Brandon on social media for three years, so the stoke level was high for this book & it did not disappoint. Brandon has built a messy, honest, vulnerable, and safe community on IG where they regularly talk about sex, racism, & being queer.
Brandon writes like they talk. Having watched their IG stories for three years, I could hear their voice, their tone, and their inflection in every word on the page. I felt like I was sitting across from Brandon over a bomb meal or going on a walk with them, their husband Matthew & their dog Korey, and Brandon was telling me their life story. It’s not something many authors can truly pull off, but they did.
Instead of following a chronological order like memoirs often do, Brandon interweaves different parts of their life throughout. Within the titled chapters (my favorite title: YouOnSomeFuckShitVille), Brandon is connecting different parts of their life to talk about a topic, something they had to reckon with in therapy, and more. The detail & the descriptions are so vivid that you feel like you’re right there walking alongside them.
I could talk about this book & why you need to read it for forever. But I’ll leave you with this. Brandon regularly signs off a day on Instagram with the same message & I’m going to borrow it in case you need to hear it: “In case you haven’t heard it yet today, you are so deeply loved.”
I follow Brandon Kyle Goodman on Instagram, so I had a rough idea of what to expect from this memoir, but I wasn't totally prepared for how candid and heart-felt this book actually is. You know that saying that writing is bleeding on the page? This book epitomized that in the best possible way.
I felt all of Goodman's joy and all of their pain; the book made me laugh and cry genuine tears. Some of the stories included I already knew, or knew in part, from Goodman's instagram posts, but I wasn't prepared for the rawness of some of this memoir. The intended takeaway from this memoir is that all of us -- no matter our race or gender identity or sexual orientation -- are worthy of love. That we all deserve to exist. Goodman makes very plain his goal and I do think it succeeds.
But the unintended takeaway may be that Goodman is still a work in progress -- aren't all people? -- and I love getting this snapshot of them now. We're the same age (Goodman was born a few months before me) and looking at how different our paths have been in the same time period is astounding. I really hope that in another thirty-five years we're both still on this planet and that Goodman will write another book about this upcoming era. There's a whole feast of life out there, there are so many people with so many stories and experiences, and I feel so lucky to get a glimpse into the life of this deeply thoughtful, complex, caring, funny, human being.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5⭐️ 𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: I love following Brandon (AKA our messy mom!) on social media, and always find that, even if they are hitting on sillier topics, there are always profound little snippets of wisdom to be found in their words. You get a lot of that in this self-narrated memoir, so I highly recommend the audiobook if you are also a fan.
This memoir explores intersectionality and does a really fantastic job of stepping back and explaining so many terms and aspects of gender identity and sexuality that folks may not be clear on. Brandon’s willingness to be vulnerable and share their journey and exploration of their own gender identity was so eye-opening, and yet his laugh-out-loud humor and sarcasm is still present throughout. Even though I don’t personally identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I felt that I learned a lot about myself through the pages of this memoir. It’s filled with Brandon’s insightful writing, and it feels as though he is extending his perfectly muscular arms to give you a hug as you read it. I wrote down a bunch of quotes throughout, and a few chapters even knocked me flat on my ass.
If you’ve ever been someone who has questioned where you belong in this world, I can’t speak highly enough of the community that Brandon is developing and I definitely recommend their book!
“This book is my love letter to Black Queer folx and anyone fighting to love themselves unconditionally despite not knowing what that looks or feels like or if you’re worthy of it. (Spoiler alert: you are beyond worthy. You are enough as you are. If this is the last thing you read in this book, know that YOU are enough.)” Part memoir, part self-help, in this book Brandon Kyle Goodman will teach you how to love yourself by telling you how they learned to love themself. If you are a patron of their Messy Mondays or Thotty Thursdays on Instagram, you’ll love this book because it contains the same joy, humor, extreme self love, and radical ABVs (Acceptance. Belonging. Validation.) they put into being our Messy Mom. Brandon’s brand of self-love, chosen family, you gotta be you, put a stop to generational trauma, figure out who you are before society got its hands on you, is inspirational and aspirational. It’s also an ongoing process and we can all help each other achieve it.
I was a fan of BKG before this book and this made me love them even more! Brandon’s voice is soothing and comforting (which is my suggested way to receive this book is to listen to the author read it!) like a warm hug of comfort even while navigating tough (but important) topics. I am probably not the targeted demographic as a white cishet woman but I learned and connected with this book VERY much. Even though we are different people with different experiences Brandon’s vulnerability, sense of humor and nurturing presence allows you to connect and understand even if this is something you haven’t or may never experience. BKG is hilarious so I knew I was going to laugh BUT what I did not expect is to cry so much during this book. There is a raw openness about a lot of things that I could relate to such as past relationships or therapy that I appreciated more than I expected. Overall you will learn, laugh and grow with this book! Highly suggest this book and also to definitely follow them on Instagram for the overall fantastic vibe that is BKG and Messy Mondays!
Wow. I feel empowered & reflective & appreciative & curious. The way in which Goodman writes (& speaks, the audiobook is perfection) is poetic. Even when talking about his estranged mother, they speak in such high regard for her.
I enjoyed so many aspects of this book: first, I have to acknowledge my thanks & appreciation for the struggles Goodman identifies during their coming out process. As a Black, queer, non-binary human…they had a lot of hoops to jump through. Second, they so perfectly capture the universal human experience & encourage the reader/listener to not only learn about a difference experience than their own but to reflect about their own experiences, no matter how different.
I cannot recommend this enough - I have so many notes & feedback. I feel like I really learned so much about different communities as well as myself. LOVE!
A short, worthwhile read. I couldn't relate to it all, but took a lot of good from it. Just reading, "Give up hope that the past could have been any different", a quote from Oprah that he relays, was worth the price of admission. I saw Brandon on 'Is It Cake' and was struck with what a sweet personality he seemed to have. I think Mikey Day mentioned this book, which is why I looked it up. Did he mention it? Or was BKG just sooo adorable, that I looked him up and then found out he had a book. Now I don't recall. At any rate, although I am definitely not the target audience, I really enjoyed chatting with Brandon (he did all the talking)... it was like sitting and chatting with a friend for me. Time well spent.
I didn’t really know what to expect from this book as I am familiar with the author from Big Mouth and Messy Mondays… what a nice surprise. This book was a journey of self exploration and the author was so vulnerable. It was written with such kindness and felt really empowering as a reader. It was like a more authentic, less commercial version of Untamed. Goodman writes with such kindness for his mother, from whom he is estranged. He writes about his past mistakes in a way that is very honest, and he has compassion towards his past self. Would recommend this book for when you’re going through a tough time and just need a reminder that things can get better.
This book was amazing!! Brandon’s powerful storytelling and personal vulnerability shine through every single chapter. Not only was this memoir a beautiful look into Brandon’s life, it was also a much needed portrayal of what it is to be Black and Queer in our society. This representation is direly needed and Brandon delivers with clear intention. I laughed, I cried, and I also started asking a lot of hard questions I hadn’t asked before. This is a must read for anyone on a journey to love themselves and see others are uniquely beautiful beings.
I heard Ailsa Chang’s brief interview with Brandon Kyle Goodman on NPR a few days ago where they talked about this book and after the interview I immediately went to check if it was available as an audiobook. I am so glad it was.
Talk about what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it! What a gorgeous, inspiring and life affirming experience this listen was.
I am sure that reading this book would be meaningful too but why deny yourself the experience of hearing Brandon Kyle Goodman tell you their story. Their narration was perfection!
Brandon has written a book that lays their soul bare in an incredibly vulnerable and inspiring way. They share stories that made me cry and stories that made me laugh out loud. The overall message of embracing who you truly are instead of seeking the approval and acceptance of people who don’t actually matter is SO important and I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who longs to love themselves more.
Every word shows how much heart Brandon has, and this beautiful soul has written a must read. The authenticity radiates in every page.
I promise you that if you’re feeling down, alone, or unsure about your potential then this is the pep you need your step. You feel Brandon’s innate ability to love, and you leave looking at the back cover wanting to be best friends. And Brandon would certainly love your company. READ THIS NOW!
What a gorgeous, resonant, and utterly refreshing approach to memoir + storytelling. Brandon has such a way with storytelling, with such reliability, humor, humility, and deep care. With every new page, It feels like an absolute privilege to share with someone you absolutely trust. This book reflects the voice we need to hear: Funny, socially connected, and purposeful. So proud, Bravo Brandon, you did something major with this one:)
I don't usually write reviews but while reading Brandon's stories, I found myself with tears of sadness, tears of anger, and tears of happiness. Even though this is the telling of Brandon's stories, there is something that all of us can connect with in this book. And even if for some reason you can not, you can still find a way to feel love and empathy for Brandon and every individual who is living life.