ASK Musings

No matter where you go, there you are.

Sunday

22

November 2020

0

COMMENTS

I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Four Stars

Best for: Fans of Rachel Bloom, fans of comedic but heartfelt autobiographies

In a nutshell: Actor / Singer / Writer Rachel Bloom shares stories from growing up, dealing with bullies, creating her career, and just living her life.

Worth quoting:
Loads, but I listened to the audio version while running, so couldn’t exactly take notes.

Why I chose it:
I loved Crazy-Ex Girlfriend. I thought it was interesting and funny and I was genuinely blown away by the team’s ability to write multiple musical numbers every week. Plus that cover? As someone raised on Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books, that cover spoke to me on a deep level.

Review:
Warning: There isn’t a ton in here about Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, so if you were hoping to get the inside details on how the show worked, you’ll be disappointed. But I think given that her involvement in that show was one of the reasons I considered the book, and I still ended up giving it five stars should speak to how engaging the stories she chooses to tell are.

Bloom’s book is open and vulnerable without it feeling fake or affected. She shared things from her childhood that people who are more concerned about appearances might skip over, but that give the reader a genuine belly laugh. I guffawed multiple times, but I also teared up. It’s a genuinely entertaining read.

I also cannot recommend the audio version highly enough. She includes little updates that aren’t in the printed version to clarify things, she’s great at describing anything that would be a picture or photo in the book. But the best part is there’s a musical in the middle. Like, a 10-minute musical, with songs and music and shit. I’m not sure how that comes across in the print version (maybe there’s a link to it on youtube or something?), but it was an utter delight to experience in audio form. Ah, I’ve missed her bizarre and relatable content.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.