I briefly mentioned in my previous post that I had finished reading Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened. As luck would have it, she is going to be at Brookline Booksmith on Friday for a book reading and signing! So this seems like the perfect time for a book review.
I started reading her blog a few years ago. I really enjoy her dry, sarcastic sense of humor and her complete openness about her struggles with depression and anxiety. Her playful style is well suited to a blog, but I was worried it wouldn't work well in a book format - how well would short funny snippets translate to a format that requires longer, more cohesive chunks?
I am happy to report that Jenny delivered brilliantly. The book is written in the same dry, self-deprecating voice, but instead of sharing snippets of her life, she tells longer stories. This is one of the few books I have actually laughed out loud while reading. Jenny manages to share both funny, light-hearted moments, and serious, painful moments and she does both very well. She shares her anxieties and the stories of some of the most difficult moments in her life, but she doesn't do so in a sad, self-pitying kind of way. She wraps up the book by being thankful for the experiences that shaped her.
In a nutshell, I loved this book. If you have a dry sense of humor and occasionally laugh at situations you probably shouldn't laugh at, you'll enjoy it too. Jenny is vulnerable, incredibly human and extremely funny.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
The fine print: I bought this book with my own money. I was not asked to review it or compensated, and the opinions expressed here are my own.
