Form Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse.
Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian, actress, writer and producer. She is so incredibly funny that I knew as soon as I saw it on Net Galley, I just had to read this book. Baby Cobra is one of the funniest stand-up specials I’ve ever seen (It’s like Eddie Murphy’s Raw levels of funny – I laugh cried more than once. And sometimes just cried cuz the entire notion of pregnancy/childbirth horrifies me that much). This book is more than just incredibly funny, though (although it definitely is laugh out loud funny). It is also sweet, and honest, and occasionally brutal. In short, it’s all the things that Wong’s fans love about her.
Written as a series of letters to her two young daughters, Dear Girls covers the way their parents met (as well as their grandparents), how to succeed in your chosen career, why to not go into stand-up comedy, and other useful life advice. She covers a surprisingly wide range of topics like what it was like why people who diss on Asian food are dumb (for real), but also how annoying it is to have to be someone’s “dim sum mentor” (I’ve never been in that position, but I can only imagine it’s super annoying). She talks about the perils of dating in general, but particularly in a major city when you’re working insane hours and are fully committed to comedy, and also the general perils/potential personal safety issues of being a travelling comedienne in general.
Dear Girls is a wonderfully intimate look at the life and history of someone who I respect immensely, so I was into it from the start. Once I “cracked” it open (as much as one can crack an e-book), I couldn’t put it down again. It’s sweet, hilarious, touching and insightful, but also occasionally freak-nasty. I loved it.
Five out of five arbitrary items of rating. On 10/15, GO BUY.
