Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Ohmygosh, read this book.  Seriously, just buy a copy and make Allie Brosh comfortably rich so she can write a thousand more books because WE NEED THEM.  She is so very, very relatable and real and funny as hell.

You probably all have heard of Hyperbole and a Half, since it's zoomed to the bestseller list like a rocket, right?  You know she's a blogger and some of the material is from the Hyperbole and a Half blog, don't you?  You know all that.  Why am I even bothering to write a review? BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST STINKING BOOK, EVER.  

And, I never use all-caps because that's yelling, but I feel like Hyperbole and a Half is worth shouting about.  I've actually only read the author's blog once - just one time when one of her posts went viral.  It was wonderful and I laughed.  It was about depression, but still . . . she made it funny.  I never went back, but not for lack of desire.  I'm just really forgetful that way.  I'd already given up on Google Reader (it was so intimidating to see 1,000 posts turn up overnight) and I never have replaced it with a similar service.  So, yeah, I forgot about Hyperbole and a Half, sorry.  

And, yet, the moment I saw the book mentioned on Chris's blog, I thought, "Oh, yeah!  I remember that one post . . . the one about . . . there was a piece of corn and . . . well, I remember the characters and I know I loved it."  That was enough for me.  I decided I was going to buy that book on the way to Tulsa and, thanks to the fact that it's a bestseller, it had the most prominent placement a bright yellow book can possibly have without knocking you on the head.  

I'm so glad I bought Hyperbole and a Half.  It's a memoir . . . oops, did I forget to mention what it's even about?  Okay, so Hyperbole and a Half is Allie Brosh's memoir, told via text and her oh-so-charming art.  It's more graphic memoir than regular memoir.  Much of the material came directly from the blog but some is new.  The thing you don't realize till you get into the book is that Allie Brosh's artwork is deceptively simple.  She's actually quite a talented illustrator.  Look at that dog's expression.  When she illustrates her dogs, you look at those illustrations and laugh so hard you're looking for the nearest restroom.  They are perfect, just perfect, the expressions on those little doggie faces.

Also, I really think we should all bankroll Allie Brosh because she is the perfect pet owner.  Her two dogs are far from the ideal pets.  One is a shy on brains, the other is a little angry (my favorite chapters tend to be the dog chapters).  But, they're forever pets.  It doesn't matter that they're not everything she dreamed a dog would be; she's in it for their entire lives.  Oh, how I love her for that.  If for no other reason, you should buy Hyperbole and a Half because the author is a super pet owner.  But, buy it because it's funny.  Buy it because she's honest and reminds you that you're not alone in your weirdness.  Buy it because it will remind you of every stupid, embarrassing incident from your childhood and make you laugh about them.  

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SO MUCH I CAN'T TURN OFF THE CAPS. Buy yourself a copy and then buy one for all your friends. Also, hot pink.

You're welcome. The End.

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