2 out of 5 stars
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All You Have To Do Is Get Up written by Royston Francis is a memoir of Royston as he walks readers through the events of his life, both good and bad. It has one hundred and forty-one pages. It is not divided into chapters.
The book follows the author, Royston, in a retelling of his life: his parents' divorce; his grandfather's death; his grandmother's sickness; his going to school and getting a job. The book starts when he is six months old, with the death of his grandfather. He showed us his father’s relationship with his brother, his uncle Albert; they were staying close to each other, but they did not spend time with each other and had a very strained relationship.
I liked his mother; she was fierce, and she adored her children. She was brave, loving, and independent. I liked Jock, their dog, and I felt really bad when he said they put the dog down. It was confusing from the very first page. The way the author narrated it made it difficult to differentiate or distinguish the characters. It felt like the reader was just thrust through the book, lightning-fast. There were a lot of parts in the book where I was confused. The structure and plot of the book were not clear. It felt fictitious, even though it is a nonfiction book.
One thing I disliked about the book is that it felt like the author was writing in his diary or to someone who already knew his family. The description of anything was not good, and the character development was bad. Just imagine a newborn talking and walking. Well, that’s the feeling I get about the book. As a memoir, it should be written in a way that is relatable and comprehensible. There should be a foundation and a buildup, where we've got to know our characters and get the feel of the situation. I disliked that the book was too fast-paced, rushing through significant moments in the author’s life. For example, it would have been nice to know how his young self felt when his dog died or to hear a dialogue between him and his brother after their parents' divorce. I think the book needs more work to make it relatable and comprehensible to its audience.
I rate this book two out of five stars because the book still needs work. I’m not rating it lower because it’s unique in its way and, once worked on, would be a fabulous memoir. I found a few errors in the book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in light, humor-laced memoirs.
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All you have to do is get up
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