Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

I have been lent Hyperbole and a Half by more than one friend more than once over the last few years and for some very unknown reason, it has taken me this long to finish it. I don’t know why, it is hilarious and resonates with me a great deal, but I am of the belief that, for the most part, the book decides when it’s time to be read, not you, the reader. The right book finds its way to you at the right time.

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Synopsis

“This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative – like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it – but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly.” – Allie Brosh

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Review

First, I really, really hope that Allie Brosh is doing okay. She discusses her depression in a variety of ways throughout the book and, as a fellow human being, I went online to check on the status of her planned sophomore book. When I discovered it had been postponed just short of “indefinitely,” I grew concerned. As someone who has, in the last 48 hours started and finished her book, I immediately had to make sure that she was okay. Allie has not been seen on the internet for about 2 years and while I know the odds of her personally seeing this are slim, I just want to say, I hope that you are doing what you need to do to take care of yourself.

Second, the actual review. Hyperbole and a Half has color coded chapters. This blew my mind for some reason. The entire book is printed in full color, just like a graphic novel, but it is not structured as a graphic novel – it is primarily text with pictures (“hand-drawn” in a version of Microsoft Paint) illustrating a variety of stories from Allie’s life, and also about her depression and sense of self-identity and self-worth.

In short, this is a millennial’s book – a book by a millennial that covers topics that most millennial’s encounter on a regular basis. The audience should, in no way, be limited to those born between 1985 and 1995. Hyperbole and a Half was the #1 Indie Next Pick upon its release, a Goodreads Choice Pick for 2013, and a #1 New York Times and Indie Bestseller. All of these things added together to not always equate to a new favorite book, but when a non-traditionally formatted book receives such accolades, it is, in this rare case, a fair indication of the quality of work I hold in my hands. I laughed so hard I cried, I cried so hard I had to promise my husband that no one had died, and I saw myself in every one of Allie’s pictures.

So Allie, I hope that whatever is going on in your life, you are able to find a way to come back to the creative fold because the world misses you, and the millennials need you.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

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