Review: Here For It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas

I think I might be the only internet user who didn't know R. Eric Thomas. But I certainly know him now. And I really really like him. I found this book through Victoria Schwab’s IGTV video called “TBR Boost — 20 Books by Black Authors You Should Read”, she, as always, gives great recommendations!

Here For It is a collection of essays ruminating on who Thomas is and how he engages with the world, and how the world engages back. They are largely hilarious; I laughed out loud many times (I really should have kept count), which was quite the feat because I was listening to the audiobook while I was packing and running errands in my preparation to move out of London and go back home to Florida. In addition to hilarious, this book is also very thoughtful and has a lovely, hopeful message. It was truly a delight to read.

I am always deeply impressed by people who write about themselves. When it is done well, it feels honest and like you are slipping into the memories of the person writing. This one was done well. I really felt like I knew who R. Eric Thomas was like he was letting me into his head (his very, very funny head) for a short time.

This was an especially poignant time to read this book personally because I was in the process of moving away from London, he has a whole section about people who write about leaving NYC and writes about the unfulfilled feelings that come with moving on from a place before you thought you would, and am currently unsure what is after grad school, Thomas ruminates about the feelings of being lost or directionless a few times throughout the book. I especially love the way he lays out how he seemingly lucked into his success, though he illustrates the many many ways he worked for what he ended up achieving. The way opportunities sometimes present themselves, and you flourish in them if you have put in the work. Thomas illustrated how he was building his writing skills and his online community before he began to make a living off being an internet user.

I am very excited to be able to read his next book, which he coauthors with Helena Andrews-Dyer about Maxine Waters.

I would recommend Here for It to anyone who is an active internet user, or maybe just anyone who has ever used a social media platform of any kind! I also think this book would be an interesting read for anyone wanting to read about adult members of the LGBTQ+ community involved in a church community as well. I am not particularly church-y, but I found Thomas's experiences very interesting. It isn't a huge part of the book, but it is, in part, the focus of one of the essays and comes up in passing a few times.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.