Most likely, I'm drawn to Anna Kendrick because we're both snarky, smaller girls that don't necessarily follow convention. I always found that being a small, "cute" girl inevitably led people to assume I was a timid, quiet girl too, someone who would easily meld into the background. Not true! To create a more memorable presence for myself, and eventually to get the attention of boys, I got loud. I also developed the habit of saying whatever was most unexpected, so it was often something crude, definitely never anything cute. Seeing a kindred spirit in Kendrick, I had to check her essays out.
Now, that's an important point to make about this book. It's not a memoir, it's a collection of personal essays, which is not for everyone. While they flow in chronological order, they're only a select assortment of stories. Kendrick isn't giving you the whole picture, just bits and pieces from her childhood, her early career, the big move to LA, and her rise to celebrity. And, like the flow of time in her stories, Kendrick's writing matures as the book goes on and Kendrick becomes more insightful and more poignant. (You should really also be a Kendrick fan if you're going to take the time to get "know her.")
A great storyteller, the moments from her life Kendrick shares focus on the unconventional or not often talked about aspects of a common situation like first relationships or living on your own. She gives you insight into her life by avoiding the mundane and the stories we all have. She shares what makes her unique, and in doing so reveals her amazing desire to succeed at having an acting career - celebrity or not.
While a little self-deprecating at times, Kendrick is a wonderfully driven individual who uses humor and her natural lackadaisical approach to certain pieces of her life (like award shows) to entertain through her writing. While I disagree with the Elle quote on the book cover that her wit is "fearsome," I would say it's fearless.
