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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I have never felt more seen as someone with generalized anxiety and invasive thoughts for most of my life that made feel like a weirdo. Hayley makes me feel more normal and makes me laugh in the process. Highly recommend to anyone with an anxious, busy brain. :)
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
One of my favorite creators who, it turns out, can also write a funny, heartwarming, and vulnerable book bringing us further into her life and relationship with anxiety. You’d think it would be stressful to read a book about someone’s experience with anxiety, but it was strangely comforting?
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the availability of the audiobook before its release.
Let me preface this review by saying I am not a regular watcher of Hayley's content. I see her videos once in a while, and I picked this book due to the title "An Overthinker's Guide to Life." As someone who is also diagnosed with generalized anxiety, I was expecting something of a mix between memoir and self-help—maybe even squeezing in some psychology in there. However, I would say this book is strictly a collection of anecdotes from the author's life. Half memoir, half comedy skit, it's a mix of those late-night stories you tell with your close friends and tiktok skits written out.
Lately, I have seen so many memoir-esque books with a title akin to "A _____'s Guide to _______." Which causes confusion and many lower ratings due to the confusion, and I do hope that this book does not have the same issues. Though it did not meet my own expectations, I tried to rate it according to what it was trying to accomplish. 3 stars for me is just average—not bad, not fantastic. Hayley's narration was wonderful, and the effects she puts in, the multiple voices, it shows how hard she works on her content itself. In parts where I was dragging due to the written content, her voice was able to keep me engaged. The main reason for my rating is just the actual content. Personally, I am not big on body humor; poop, blood, farts—all of that just isn't my jam. Hayley really does like a good poop joke, from what I have read. I think my chapter is definitely "Brain vs. Puberty" with her "totally real first period" story. I absolutely laughed aloud in a Starbucks for that one. Mainly because I think we have all been there, so badly wanting to fit in that you will do something so cringeworthy it haunts you in your sleep 20 years later. Those are the stories I felt the most invested in when they were truly relatable. I think my least favorite chapter was the "Sex Dream" one. This definitely felt like a tiktok skit written out in much longer form. I don't know how to describe the feelings I had, but all I could think was, "Why are you telling me this?". To use a TikTok audio, "It's funny, but not funny HaHa... funny weird.". Besides those two standout moments, the rest of the audiobook was fine. Story times with a friend, with little bits in between. If I had been a fan of Hayley, I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more (obviously), but coming in knowing basically nothing about her before just makes the experience average for me.
If I were to recommend this book, you would either need to be a fan of hers or like her style of humor. You won't get much self-help, but overthinking is definitely present in this entire book. Like the ranting and ravings of a mad scientist who likes to dress up as a vulva for the internet. It's a quick listen; Hayley does a fantastic narration job, and you might get a good giggle out of it.
Let me preface this review by saying I am not a regular watcher of Hayley's content. I see her videos once in a while, and I picked this book due to the title "An Overthinker's Guide to Life." As someone who is also diagnosed with generalized anxiety, I was expecting something of a mix between memoir and self-help—maybe even squeezing in some psychology in there. However, I would say this book is strictly a collection of anecdotes from the author's life. Half memoir, half comedy skit, it's a mix of those late-night stories you tell with your close friends and tiktok skits written out.
Lately, I have seen so many memoir-esque books with a title akin to "A _____'s Guide to _______." Which causes confusion and many lower ratings due to the confusion, and I do hope that this book does not have the same issues. Though it did not meet my own expectations, I tried to rate it according to what it was trying to accomplish. 3 stars for me is just average—not bad, not fantastic. Hayley's narration was wonderful, and the effects she puts in, the multiple voices, it shows how hard she works on her content itself. In parts where I was dragging due to the written content, her voice was able to keep me engaged. The main reason for my rating is just the actual content. Personally, I am not big on body humor; poop, blood, farts—all of that just isn't my jam. Hayley really does like a good poop joke, from what I have read. I think my chapter is definitely "Brain vs. Puberty" with her "totally real first period" story. I absolutely laughed aloud in a Starbucks for that one. Mainly because I think we have all been there, so badly wanting to fit in that you will do something so cringeworthy it haunts you in your sleep 20 years later. Those are the stories I felt the most invested in when they were truly relatable. I think my least favorite chapter was the "Sex Dream" one. This definitely felt like a tiktok skit written out in much longer form. I don't know how to describe the feelings I had, but all I could think was, "Why are you telling me this?". To use a TikTok audio, "It's funny, but not funny HaHa... funny weird.". Besides those two standout moments, the rest of the audiobook was fine. Story times with a friend, with little bits in between. If I had been a fan of Hayley, I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more (obviously), but coming in knowing basically nothing about her before just makes the experience average for me.
If I were to recommend this book, you would either need to be a fan of hers or like her style of humor. You won't get much self-help, but overthinking is definitely present in this entire book. Like the ranting and ravings of a mad scientist who likes to dress up as a vulva for the internet. It's a quick listen; Hayley does a fantastic narration job, and you might get a good giggle out of it.
I love Hayley Morris comedy sketches but this book felt a little flat comedy wise. And a bit of all over the place so I am not sure...
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
fast-paced
Truthfully I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped sadly. Being prone to overthinking myself, thought I found some parts quite relatable, the whole audio book came across a bit … YA?
As a non-fiction this probably doesn’t make sense, but to me the writing style felt very young and almost more of a coming of age book in various parts.
Though some funny anecdotes in parts, the actual topic of overthinking itself didn’t really have a lot of depth so much as a humour counterpart growing up. Now whether this is her genuine experience or more of a way of dealing with it, it made me feel quite detached from the book.
I will say though the last 10% around losing her dad was very emotional and gave a much more rounded view on how the overthinking actually impacts her behaviour and regrets. I wish we got more insights in the book like that which I felt was sacrificed for the humour sadly.
As a non-fiction this probably doesn’t make sense, but to me the writing style felt very young and almost more of a coming of age book in various parts.
Though some funny anecdotes in parts, the actual topic of overthinking itself didn’t really have a lot of depth so much as a humour counterpart growing up. Now whether this is her genuine experience or more of a way of dealing with it, it made me feel quite detached from the book.
I will say though the last 10% around losing her dad was very emotional and gave a much more rounded view on how the overthinking actually impacts her behaviour and regrets. I wish we got more insights in the book like that which I felt was sacrificed for the humour sadly.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Dementia, Death of parent
I think Hayley is great and enjoyed this just as much as I do her social media bits.
funny
reflective
fast-paced