Review by Booklist Review
Whether recalling her early years doing stand-up on the college circuit, expounding on the ways TV shows reflect us, or fangirling hard for the musical Hamilton, comedian and actor Retta spins entertaining tales and hilarious phrases. Born Marietta Sirleaf in New Jersey, to parents who emigrated from Liberia, Retta graduated premed from Duke before getting bit by the comedy bug. She's open about where she's from, how hard she's worked, and the people who helped her along the way, and she doesn't think that any of her past success guarantees a successful future. And no, she's not mad that she'll never escape Treat yo self, the Parks and Recreation catchphrase that fans quote back to her endlessly. Appropriately for an author with nearly a million Twitter followers, she includes Tweets and other social-media stories, along with copious footnotes and lists (and footnotes about how she was told lists were obligatory in essay books like this one). As books like this one go, hers is as honest, funny, and fun to read as they come. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Lots of fanfare, including a 100,000-copy print run and a marketing campaign to match, will introduce the first book from the one-named star whose latest show, Good Girls, just debuted.--Bostrom, Annie Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
In her first book, stand-up comedian and actress Retta (best known for her role on the television show Parks and Recreation) invites readers into a breezy and comedic tale of myriad obsessions. Topics covered range from Retta's upbringing, college education, and career, to her love of coffee and hatred of being a bridesmaid. Fans of the memoir genre may be let down by this book, which is actually more of a collection of essays. This is not an exhaustive life story or a tell-all. The author could have focused on the interesting aspects of her life, such as being raised by Liberian immigrants, or drawn more cohesive threads among the starkly varied chapters. Readers may struggle to relate to Retta, as she tells tales of supposedly B-list fame and underwhelming fortune (exemplified in the book's title), then goes on to explain her fixation with startlingly expensive designer handbags. That said, fans of stand-up comedy, celebrity books, and especially fans of Retta's work will likely enjoy this fun, lighthearted read. VERDICT This conversational volume is best suited for fans of the author's acting and stand-up comedy career.-Emily Butler, Deerfield -Academy, MA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A playful romp through the psyche of a funny woman.During the slump for stand-up comedians following 9/11, Retta found herself facing stiff competition for acting roles. "It was hard to stand out in the crowd," she writes. "It felt like I was being lumped in with one groupfunny black femaleand the powers that be were making no effort to discern the difference between us. You've heard the phrase, They all look alike?' Well, apparently we all WERE alike." She has since distinguished herself through her breakthrough role on Parks and Recreation and as queen of an exponentially expanding social media following, and this memoir offers plenty of other details to separate her from the run of the comedic mill. Her family is first-generation immigrants from Liberia. She attended Duke University on a pre-med track, planning to be a neurosurgeon, and left as a pharmaceutical rep who moonlighted at comedy clubs. The predominantly Caucasian Duke campus was where she first felt most black; she bonded with minority students, and when she started with comedy, she felt that she didn't fit the stereotype for black stand-up. She has an addictive personality, and she considers coffee, TV, purses, and social media among her obsessions. She was once invited to live tweet an LA Kings hockey game by someone with the team who loved her on TV and knew she had a strong following, and she quickly embraced the sport and the team she had previously known nothing about. "If you follow me on social media, you may know that I am aKings fan," she writes. "I'm not kuh-ray-zee, but I am definitely enthusiastic. I love me some Kaaannnngggsss. I know that meeting a black woman with a love for hockey is a bit like stumbling upon a unicorn in the woods." Much of the book is written in a similar voice, and some of the chapters are mainly setups for a series of tweets, but the author's life path is unquestionably interesting.A humorous memoir that will please the author's many fans and followers. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
