Is Never Say Die Worth Reading?
by Ke Huy Quan
Ada’s Score
Ke Huy Quan traces the arc from child star of 'Indiana Jones' and 'The Goonies' through decades of near-invisibility behind the camera to his improbable Oscar-winning return. The memoir is warm and gracious, structured around the resilience its title promises. It leans on inspiration where it could dig into the harder specifics of an industry that discarded an Asian child actor. The reflection is genuine but frequently smooths its own edges.
“The account of the wilderness years — auditions that never came — is the honest heart here. When Quan stops inspiring and just remembers, it lands.”
Ada Brief
AI reading intelligence“The account of the wilderness years — auditions that never came — is the honest heart here. When Quan stops inspiring and just remembers, it lands.”
Never Say Die Review
The account of the wilderness years — auditions that never came — is the honest heart here. When Quan stops inspiring and just remembers, it lands.
Rating: 4.0 / 5
Ada’s reservations
The memoir mistakes uplift for candor, gliding over the industry's racism in favor of gratitude. Anyone wanting a reckoning will feel shortchanged; the warmth is real but the excavation is not.
Ada’s score reflects both strengths and reservations.
Book Details
- Language
- English
- ISBN-13
- 9781538776995
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Ada’s Score
4
Ada’s editorial score — not an aggregate of reader reviews.
Common Questions About Never Say Die
- Is Never Say Die worth reading?
- The account of the wilderness years — auditions that never came — is the honest heart here. When Quan stops inspiring and just remembers, it lands. Ada rates it 4.0 out of 5.
- What are the main weaknesses of Never Say Die?
- The memoir mistakes uplift for candor, gliding over the industry's racism in favor of gratitude. Anyone wanting a reckoning will feel shortchanged; the warmth is real but the excavation is not.
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