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Expectations prior to diving into this book are going to play a huge role in how people may or may not perceive Jada. This isn’t solely about her relationship with Will. It’s about her personal journey. I’ve seen reviews of this posted before release with no ARC release and reviews written by those who didn’t even read the book. It’s truly fascinating. As always, I’m not here to judge Jada’s story whether people believe it to be factual or not. We can’t construct the way in which someone tells their story nor can we determine how much they should and should not reveal. There are definitely content warnings for this one including emotional abuse, substance abuse, parental abandonment, and more.

Worthy, in my opinion, isn’t what the masses are expecting. Because of their openness about their life, I think that quite a few readers are going to anticipate a book filled with juicy details related to the relationship between Will and Jada that haven’t been revealed to the public. There are some things that aren’t common knowledge; however, what most will find is that this book is about Jada and her journey. Yes, Will is a part of that journey, but this is Jada taking the opportunity to center her narrative. To be quite honest, I enjoyed Jada’s authorial tone and it gave me a better perspective of who she is and why she handles things the way that she does. Unlike Will, Jada isn’t as charismatic, she’s quick to react and, to be quite frank, overreact (I’m thinking about the theme park situation), but a lot of that stems from her past trauma. She isn’t always perceived as likeable, but I think that comes from a lifestyle in which she had to maintain a guard for protection. Being in an industry where you are expected to charm the masses wasn’t, in my opinion, ever going to work out for Jada. This book isn’t her aim to make herself seem more likeable, but to give a better understanding of who she is as a human. She acknowledges her faults and the wrongs in her personal life, but she also holds people accountable. I think the danger in living such an open life is that people feel as though you owe them every single detail. While it can make people feel seen, it leads to a level of scrutiny I don’t think I would ever be able to handle. At some point; however, people must understand that the dynamics of Jada and Will’s relationship is a choice of their own. Even if it seems out of traditional roles for the majority of people, it is their life and it is their right to decide how they want to conduct their family. Jada admits that it is flawed, imperfect is so many ways, but it’s what they wanted. In fact, they’re still learning and the two of them have a connection that we, as public viewers, will never be able to understand regardless of how we feel. And there is more to Jada beyond Will. She is constantly viewed only in relationship to him and this was her opportunity to create that separation. There are parts of her thinking that I still don’t quite understand and dynamics of her relationship to Will that I would never choose for myself; however, I appreciate her sharing her story. The same grace that Will was provided in his memoir should, in my opinion, be applied to Jada instead of this rampant attempt to silence her.

I’m going to refrain from rating this because, to be honest, I’m not sure I could rate this even if I tried. My feelings about it are complicated especially about those sections that were “self-help� like in nature. Yet, I still think that Jada deserved a place to share her story and feelings. I don’t follow the couple at all so some of the things covered may have been discussed during Red Table Talks. I only knew minimal things about her relationship with Tupac and nothing about her upbringing. For me, as a reader, it was learning a different side and perspective to her and her life beyond Will. It is my hope that they both find some clarity. They have a love that is unbreakable, yet gut wrenching. It is clear that peace is needed for both. I highly recommend diving into this one without the preconceived notions and judgements of the rest of the world.