Let's pretend this never happened : (a mostly true memoir) (vuoden 2012 painos)

Mostly hilarious. ( )

Mostly hilarious. ( )

This book is advertised as one for fans of Tina Fey and David Sedaris however they are clever and funny, while Lawson is not. The problem is that this book was supposed to be funny but mostly it's just depressing, repetitive and sad (the turkey story and the HR chapter are funny and I kept reading hoping for more but that's it for the funny). This book is an example of why most bloggers shouldn't get book deals, I think she just slapped some of her posts into a cover and called it a book (there are several annoying claims of an editor being involved but I don't believe them). While the writing isn't "Twilight" horrible (I'd give it a 1.5 if I could) it is repetitive to the point of being grating and substitutes threats of stabbing, calling her husband and @$$hole, and simply dropping the f-bomb for trying to be funny or relatable. While I feel kind of bad about such a negative review to a memoir of someone who is writing about mental illness but it's rare for me to feel like a book was wasting my time.
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I've been a fan of The Bloggess for a very short time, having only come across Jenny Lawson's blog a little less than a year ago. Not long after reading a few of her posts, I wanted to read her books. I especially wanted to read Furiously Happy, but being the crazy type of person that has to read things in order, I chose Let's Pretend This Never Happened first. I also decided to go with the audiobook instead of the paperback because Jenny narrates it herself.

I love audiobooks narrated by the author. While sometimes that's the last person who should be narrating a book, most of the time, they're the best option because, hello, they wrote the book. The author knows all their own natural pauses and cadence, and so you find out how the book should sound. Also, there's no way I'm listening to a humorous memoir by a Texan narrated by someone who isn't a Texan. Had Jenny Lawson not narrated her own audiobook, I probably would have just waited to buy the paperback at some point. Instead, I used my Audible credit like it was about to expire or the audiobook was going to be removed or something.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened is for everyone who has had a crazy life or thinks they've had a crazy life. It's also for everyone who suffers or has suffered from Depression, PTSD, anxiety, or rare diseases for which there is no cure. For you, get ready to meet a person who understands just what you're going through and will make you laugh until you're rolling on the floor, crying, and probably peeing your pants. I don't know how I was able to drive to and from work for the week it took me to get through this book, but I didn't have any road rage while I did it. I was too busy laughing. ( )

If you are someone who suffers from a mental health issue and feel like you are alone, I would recommend this book. You will probably find a connection with Jenny Lawson. The writing of this book is very different from most books. Yet again, if you know someone or you your self struggle with mental health, you will find this book easy to read and very enjoyable. ( )