Hyperbole and a Half - Review

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Source: Library

Description:  So this book is impossible to describe in anyway that makes sense.  It's essentially a series of stories illustrated with wonderfully terrible drawings about Allie Brosh's life, her adventures with animals, and her struggles with depression.

Genre: Nonfiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed a few posts of her that I'd seen and wanted to see how it worked in book form.

My Impression:  My first introduction to Allie Brosh was when a friend sent me a link to a Christmas post of hers with a subject line of You MUST Read this.  And I read it and I laughed until I cried and then forward it on to a few friends who all laughed until they cried.  It took me awhile to realize that the post actually came from a blog but by the time I had put the pieces together and remembered to visit the blog Allie had taken a break from blogging.  So I was thrilled when I discovered that she had a book coming out and I scooped it up when I came across it at the library.
If you enjoyed her blog I think you'll enjoy her book.  The drawings are a charmingly weird mix of incredibly childish and incredibly expressive and fit the tone of all the stories that filled the book.  There were a number that made me laugh out loud - Her story about moving with the two dogs was hilarious and the story of the goose in the kitchen alone is worth the price of the book. She also talks about her struggle with depression in such a way that I came out of the book truly feeling like I understand it a little better.

But with all that amazingness there was a number of stories that just weren't quite as amazing and a number that seemed to stretch too long.  I think the entire book would have been improved if it was just a little shorter.  However, it's a quick read - mostly fun though sometimes poignant - and definitely worth taking the time to pick up.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I have her blog on Bloglovin and stop by periodically in hopes that she's started posting again.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  This isn't exactly a must read but if you see it at the library it's worth picking up.

Challenges Met?  Library Challenge