You'll Grow Out of It

Starred review from May 9, 2016
Comedian Klein, head writer of Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, hilariously navigates the world of 21st-century adulthood, adding levity to the difficult stage of life for millennial women in the thick of it. From mundane topics (lingerie) to more significant ones (childbirth), Klein’s refreshing anecdotes explore the facets of being a modern woman with raw honesty and indelible wit. She proffers sound advice on love lost, fashion, sexism, and careers, mining her own experiences with oddball introspection. Readers journey along with Klein as she shares stories, such as attending her sister’s conservative Jewish wedding ceremony at Disney World, as well as the everyday elements of life, such as an exploration of her recent, somewhat guilt-ridden relationship with internet porn. Never afraid to share insights and reveal the raw truth behind her own stories, Klein makes readers laugh while inspiring them, a feat that calls to mind the work of the late Nora Ephron. This uplifting and uproarious collection of personal essays will be repeatedly shared among friends.

October 3, 2016
Klein draws nicely on her own brand of stand-up comedy in bringing this collection of her autobiographical essays to life. Her delivery style seems akin to a confessional between an honest and approachable woman to a close friend over drinks or coffee, as opposed to a larger-than-life stage monologue. She utilizes a deadpan tone to convey the ironies and complexities of female identity across ages, whether it’s teen obsessions with bra size and hair imperfections, or the self-esteem roller-coaster ride of single life and dating, or the struggles of balancing pregnancy and motherhood as a successful television writer and producer. Klein’s anecdote about having to make special arrangements for her breast pump while walking down the Emmy red carpet captures the book’s essence with particular clarity, as the comic tension builds with angst that connects on an intimate level to her audience. Klein’s approach allows her to take on edgy topics of self-awareness and self-empowerment without coming across as heavy-handed. A Grand Central hardcover.