Book Review | I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson

I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson
Published by Atria/Keywords Press on March 10, 2015
Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Comedy
Pages: 228
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased (I also received an eARC from NetGalley)
Goodreads: ★★★★

The book that more than 12 million YouTube subscribers have been waiting for! Shane Dawson’s memoir features twenty original essays—uncensored yet surprisingly sweet.

From his first vlog back in 2008 to his full-length film directorial debut Not Cool, Shane Dawson has been an open book when it comes to documenting his life. But behind the music video spoofs, TMI love life details, and outrageous commentary on everything the celebrity and Internet world has the nerve to dish out is a guy who grew up in a financially challenged but loving home in Long Beach, California, and who suffered all the teasing and social limitations that arise when you’re a morbidly obese kid with a pretty face, your mom is your best friend, and you can't get a date to save your life.

In I Hate Myselfie, Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done.

REVIEW

I've been a Shane Dawson viewer for a few years now, and was excited to hear that he was releasing a book. I Hate Myselfie is a unique memoir containing short essays that document events throughout Shane's childhood. It is a very quick read, and I ended up flying through it on the day I purchased it. Shane was holding a book event at Barnes & Noble Union Square, so I jumped at the opportunity to meet him in person and get a signed copy. You can read more about my experience at this event very soon (I'll link it here once my post is live!). 

When it comes to rating and reviewing I Hate Myselfie, I'll admit it's not an easy task. First and foremost, I'm a biased reviewer because I've watched Shane's videos for so long that I understand his comedy style. The average person picking this book up off the shelf might be offended by the crude language and anything-but-policially correct stories. I decided to base my four star rating on the fact that this book will mainly be read by Shane's fans, who I imagine will relate to my reading experience.

The first thing I really enjoyed about I Hate Myselfie is the writing style. Shane's written voice is just like his spoken one, and that made the essays feel extremely genuine. It felt like Shane was writing letters to me, and not like he was writing a book for the public. The essay format was a great choice, as it allowed readers to hear about many different events in Shane's life, and permitted him to jump around in time without the book feeling choppy. I especially liked the sections of dialogue within each essay. They made the stories flow very easily, and added a personal touch. While this writing style might feel very colloquial to some, it was a logical choice for this genre, and helped make Shane even more accessible to his fans. 

I also thought it was great that the book included fan art. Each essay's title page had an illustration by one of Shane's viewers that corresponded with that particular essay. Readers even got to know each artist a bit through a short bio on the back of each illustration, and many of those bios included social media information for the artist. While this may be a small part of I Hate Myselfie, it was such a nice touch to include Shane's audience in the book. I liked the feeling of community these illustrations brought. 

One critique I do have of I Hate Myselfie actually has nothing to do with the writing or content of the book itself. I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the book binding. By this I mean that the publisher chose to release the book in paperback that is not the best quality. I purchased the book brand new at Barnes & Noble, and the edges were damaged and the spine was coming apart as I read it (quite carefully) for the first time. In addition, the title and cover pages are very plain, and I was surprised at the lack of design on the book itself. In fact, I Hate Myselfie feels almost more like an unfinished ARC (advanced reader copy) than a finished work. I wish the publisher put more effort into the book's presentation do to Shane more justice. I know this is somewhat of a petty complaint, but when a paperback book of under 300 pages is $16.00, I expect a good quality product. 

Putting that aside, I really did enjoy I Hate Myselfie. I'm not sure that I would recommend the book to those who don't know who Shane is, but if you are even vaguely interested in learning more about him, or if you enjoy comedic memoirs, I say go ahead and pick up a copy. While I didn't necessarily learn anything surprising about Shane in this book, I do feel readers get to know him more on a personal level, and get a good peek inside some very emotional times in his life. I would love to read more essays from Shane in the future should he get the opportunity to publish another book. 

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Book Review | Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Back in May I attended a Teen Panel at Barnes & Nobel Union Square, and one of the authors on the panel was Sarah Mlynowski. She was there to market her latest release, Don't Even Think About It, and even though I knew nothing about the book I decided to pick it up and get it signed. I'm so glad I did!

Don't Even Think About It is a young adult book that is a mix between the contemporary and paranormal genres. It takes place at a New York City high school, when the sophomore class is getting its annual flu shots. Everything is going according to plan, until a few hours after the shots are administered the students start hearing things. It turns out the shots gave the students mind-reading abilities! What follows is a hilarious story told in the first-person plural from the point-of-view of all the students with ESP.

I loved Don't Even Think About It, and finished it in a few hours. Mlynowski's writing is quite easy to read, and I loved how she used the first-person plural to demonstrate how none of the kids have secrets anymore since they can hear each others' thoughts. I also thought it was great that the novel accurately portrayed high school life even with this paranormal spin on the story. There was teenage love, teenage angst, and even though I'm a twenty-something, I still loved the story. I laughed out loud many times, and thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

I gave Don't Even Think About It a full 5 star rating on Goodreads, simply because it was a great read and I can't tell you one thing I didn't like about it. This is also the first book in a new series, and I can't wait for the next one to be released. I highly recommend Don't Even Think About It if you're looking for a fun read. You can buy it on Amazon HERE. I look forward to checking out more books by Sarah Mlynowski in the future!

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Book Review | The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

I'm really loving young adult, contemporary books this summer, and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith is no exception. I picked up this book at a signing at Barnes & Noble Union Square, and when I sat down to read it I couldn't put it down.

The story begins with our main characters Lucy and Owen as they become trapped in their apartment building's elevator when the power goes out in New York City. They are rescued from the elevator, and spend the rest of the blackout together. While they both live in the same building, they come from very different worlds. Lucy's family is quite affluent, and Owen's is struggling. His mother recently passed away, and his father is the building's superintendent. Nonetheless, the two teens wait out the blackout by getting to know one another.

Once the power comes back on, Lucy and Owen go their separate ways – literally. Lucy moves to Europe when her father is transferred, and Owen and his father go on a road trip to the Western US to find a new job after Owen's dad is fired. The two attempt to stay in contact, but never get the chance to really build a friendship due to their geographical situations. The Geography of You and Me chronicles both Lucy and Owen's journeys as they spend time apart wishing they had they had gotten to know one another better when they had the chance.

I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written, and I especially loved Part III. I was glued to the story from the moment it began, and I really appreciated how real the characters are. Unlike many contemporaries, there is no "instalove" in this story, but real character development and relationship building. If you're looking for a great romance that isn't sickeningly sweet, The Geography of You and Me is a perfect choice.

I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be checking out more of Smith's works. Not only was the story great, but I appreciated the beautiful cover and the typography as well. Unsurprisingly, I gave  The Geography of You and Me a full five star rating on Goodreads. You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE. Please let me know in the comments what Jennifer E. Smith book I should pick up next!

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Book Review | We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

One of the most hyped books of this summer is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I picked up a copy at a Barnes & Noble event that I attended back in May, and was able to meet the author and have her sign my book! I really enjoyed meeting her and hearing more about what went into writing We Were Liars. I knew that I needed to read it right away in order to avoid any spoilers, and I'm so very glad I did.

We Were Liars is a contemporary, young adult novel told from the point of view of our main character Cadence. Each summer, Cadence joins her wealthy family on their own private island off the coast of Massachusetts. The book chronicles Cadence's return to the island, and readers learn that two summers ago she suffered an accident that affected her memory. The remainder of the book follows Cadence as she tries to piece together what happened.

If you've heard about We Were Liars, then you'll probably know that there is a great deal of mystery surrounding the book. Despite its short length, the story packs a punch. There is a shocking ending that can't be talked about, so if you've not yet read this book, I highly recommend you pick it up right away.

We Were Liars had a huge impact on me. I'm writing this review over a month after reading the novel, and it is still burned into my memory. The book is truly life-altering. It's written absolutely beautifully, and I'm quite impressed with how carefully crafted it is. Lockhart did an amazing job with We Were Liars, and it's definitely encouraged me to look into her other books.

I apologize for such a vague review, but as I mentioned, it's best to read We Were Liars without much context. I definitely recommend this book, and suggest you pick it up before getting spoiled. It's definitely a summer read, but keep the tissues nearby. You can purchase We Were Liars on Amazon HERE. Of course, I gave the book a full 5 star rating on Goodreads.

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