10/14/2013 Autobiographical cartoonist Allie Brosh impresses with this confessional collection of essays, adapted in part from her popular blog of the same name. Most pieces deal with Brosh's struggle with depression, an experience rarely expressed so clearly and specifically in other media as it is here. Even those unfamiliar with trials of such a condition will find this humorous depiction enlightening. The writer frequently details her relationship with two dogs, each as dysfunctional as herself, whom she must take care of while tending to her own serious mental issues. Brosh's specificity is what gives her observations universality, and in her inimitable, hilarious style, she arrives at some real truths about human nature, including the inclination to share our lives with dogs in this way. Brosh is an evocative writer who bares her foibles and shortcomings, from childhood to her present life, with a lack of vanity and a sense of catharsis that is palpable. When words are insufficient, her deceptively simple line drawings add additional depth on almost every page, to create a reading experience that adds up to even more than the sum of the parts. (Nov.)

In a culture that encourages people to carry mental illness as a secret burden . . . Brosh's bracing honesty is a gift. Chicago Tribune

"Both singular and familiar—the popularity of Brosh's blog and her absurd, exuberant voice meant that she started a lot of memes you might have come across—Hyperbole and a Half is a very funny reminder that it's normal to not have your shit together, and to know that it's okay to ask for help." GQ

"This is the BOOK OF THE YEAR." Elizabeth Gilbert

"My wife, who rarely reads a book published after 1910 and who is difficult to make laugh, wept with pleasure while reading these comic illustrated essays from Ms. Brosh, who runs a popular web comic and blog. I had to find out what the fuss was about. The subjects run from light (cakes, dogs) to dark (the author’s own severe depression), and they foreground offbeat feeling and real intellect. Ms. Brosh’s inquisitive mind won me over, too. New York Times - Dwight Garner

Get this for the smart people who appreciate humor in your life, and they won't be disappointed." io9.com

"Will make you laugh until you sob, even when Brosh describes her struggle with depression." Entertainment Weekly

"I must have interrupted Melinda a dozen times to read to her passages that made me laugh out loud. . . . The adventures she recounts are mostly inside her head, where we hear and see the kind of inner thoughts most of us are too timid to let out in public. Despite her book’s title, Brosh’s stories feel incredibly—and sometimes brutally—real. . . . It is no hyperbole to say I love her approach—looking, listening, and describing with the observational skills of a scientist, the creativity of an artist, and the wit of a comedian." Bill Gates

Anyone seeking an accessible look at someone suffering from depression or some really delightful dog drawings need search no further. Time Out New York

“The whole blog is inspired.” Andrew Sullivan

"An Internet-era treasure, an unexpected wonder of the 21st century." Cory Doctorow

"This book made me laugh, cry, and leak. It was honest, poignant, and ridiculously silly in all the best ways and I'm better for having read it. Plus, doggies!" Jenny Lawson

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Humor Book of the Year

An NPR Best Book of the Year

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Memoirs .

Brosh captures humanity at its simultaneous worst and best with a razor wit that allows us to laugh at even our darkest of selves. The Advocate (Baton Rouge)

"Imagine if David Sedaris could draw . . . Enchanting." People Pick) People (4 stars

I would gladly pay to sit in a room full of people reading this book, merely to share the laughter. Philadelphia Inquirer

One of the best things I’ve ever read in my life. Marc Maron

In a culture that encourages people to carry mental illness as a secret burden . . . Brosh's bracing honesty is a gift. Chicago Tribune

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Humor Book of the Year

An NPR Best Book of the Year

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Memoirs .

“This site is chock full of childhood stories and random thoughts, all accompanied by hilarious drawings done by MS Paint . . . It’ll cost ya hours of your life as you laugh out loud while reading." Whitney Matheson

“Here’s a rough analogy: David Sedaris sets out to write a graphic memoir, but decides to use the MS Paint application on his computer rather than hire an artist….[Brosh’s] naïve art plays brilliantly against dark comic themes.” Michael Humphrey