Review by Laila_Hashem -- The Mindset by Ace Bowers

[Laila Hashem]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Mindset" by Ace Bowers.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Mindset by Ace Bowers starts with scenes reflecting the low points of the author’s childhood and adult life, after which Bowers describes the significant role that motivation plays in creating an “overcomer’s mindset” that helped him improve his quality of life. He lists other important lessons that helped him develop that mindset, such as the fact that nothing is a waste of time if something was learned from it.

The book goes on to describe the author’s journey from the bottom to the top of the social ladder, beginning with him as a child living in a paycheck-to-paycheck household and ending with him as a millionaire. Throughout the book, the author highlights the valuable lessons he learned as he overcame multiple obstacles on his road to success.

The way Bowers describes his own emotions and the various scenes that impacted his adult life was very unique. The book often brought me to tears because it was well-written to the point where the emotions seep through the words on the pages. An example is the brilliant and detailed manner with which he wrote the scene where his parents started to fight loudly while his friend, Jordan, was sleeping over. It was like I had felt the author’s horror, embarrassment, and disappointment in his parents as described in the book. Never before had I been that affected by a single scene in a book.

This book sends a lot of important messages about the long-term effect of a dysfunctional household and childhood trauma and not making the same mistakes as your parents, emphasizing that, although hard, one can break out of the vicious cycle of familial destiny. I especially liked that it highlights the importance of distinguishing between when one is digging their own graves and when external forces truly are to blame. This book was very well-edited; I didn’t find a single spelling or grammatical mistake. The only thing I disliked is the absence of trigger warnings for child abuse, mental health issues, and other factors.

Due to all the aforementioned positive aspects, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I believe this book would suit people aged 13 and up since readers who are any younger may not be able to relate to the author or his struggles as much. People who enjoy true stories about others who built themselves up and lived the American dream despite their poor background would especially like The Mindset.

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The Mindset
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