Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen)'s Reviews > Yes Please

4 Stars

"It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and seize your real estate."

I don't watch a lot of TV.

Now before you roll your eyes, I'm not trying to earn hipster cred here before waxing poetic about the wonders of the written word... I'm just busy. And at one point my Netflix subscription lapsed and it was a month before I noticed.

So yeah, I don't watch a lot of TV. But, I do own all the 'Parks and Recreation' box sets and I could watch them over and over and over and over. (My friend circle casually refers to me as 'Leslie Knope' and I always laugh good-naturedly and try not to show how absurdly proud this makes me)

SO, even though I never read memoirs and I knew very little about Poehler outside of Parks and Rec, I snagged a download of the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised by how fun and genuine this book is.

First off, I highly recommend the audiobook. Poehler has a knack for storytelling and her laugh is infectious; she'll completely pull you in. She also pulls other big-names on stage as Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, Seth Meyers, Carol Burnett, and Poehler's own parents take turns reading. It's obvious everyone was having fun and that they want the readers to join along.

Instead of a linear narrative of her life so far, Poehler gives us snippets and tells stories like she's sharing coffee with a friend. She doesn't leave out her mistakes, struggles and apologies. And instead remains real Topics included drug usage, divorce, cheap living in NYC and post-partum depression. All were taken seriously while still being discussed with levity.

But my absolute favorite thing is how acutely aware Poehler is of her own privilege. She's very blunt about the opportunities she receives, her loving family, safety and comfort. So instead, she uses her voice to raise up other women. Every single chapter was filled with stories a smart, powerful woman Poehler knows and how proud she was of them. This female friendship was incredibly refreshing to read, and this sort of positive change is reflected in her 'Smart Girls' campaign and work with WWO.

Of course, some chapters are better than others, and there isn't really an ending. The book just sort of... stops? It felt a little abrupt and odd. There's also a few jokes that fall flat-- most notably the ones about how technology is making it more difficult for us to communicate. (Especially since I was using technology to listen?)

Overall:
An authentic and funny memoir; with enough girl-power I'm sure Leslie would be proud.