Reviews

I listened to this on audio (read by the author herself) and had to be careful not to listen in public places, as many parts were snort-out-loud funny. Spot-on observations about pregnancy, labor, parenthood, marriage. A bit racy which was uncomfortable in spots, but then again, this is the comic that became famous for mooning her audiences! Loved "getting to know" the genius behind Always Be My Maybe. The afterword, read by her husband, was also incredibly sweet.

amarettto's review against another edition

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2.0

Ali Wong's humor just isn't my cup of tea. Clearly she is extremely successful, and a role-model in that she represents the Asian community in a space where there really isn't a whole lot of it. That's admirable, but not enough for me to support her unconditionally. Ultimately she is just a bit too foul-mouthed for my comfort, and downright kind of crass. I winced twice or thrice through the book when I remembered that it was actually "letters to [her] daughters". I would be mortified in their place to hear stories like that out of a parent's mouth.

I can see someone appreciating this book if they wildly appreciate her stand up specials/clips etc. But it's not for me, and not a book I recommend since, to me, there's really very little to gain from it, knowledge, or enjoyment-wise.

anjalisudarsan's review against another edition

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3.0

Ali definitely was uninhibited and shares everything with absolutely no filter in this book. It had her signature sense of humour which had my eyes widen a few times, but I think I prefer her stand-ups better. I mean, this is a woman that has mooned her audience. There are a ton of TMIs shared - nailing the 'intimate tales' part of the title. Like a LOT of mentions of poop and post-pregnancy body struggles (the realities of it like incontinence and breastfeeding pains). I don't think there was any advice for me as such - it was just her story to her daughters.
I did like the letter from her husband in the end. Knowing that today, they're divorced, I felt a bit heartbroken thinking of how hard a marriage would be when gender roles are swapped. Although, in theory, it should be easy to be a stay-at-home dad in 2022 and let the woman be the brain winner, putting this into practice can be highly challenging. Especially from an Asian perspective, where men are still the providers. This, I think, was something I could ponder about.

cyamate's review against another edition

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2.0

I love Ali Wong, I think she's hilarious. But this book didn't work for me as much as I thought it would. I felt it was too judgmental, and self-centered (I'm aware this is a memoir, but she was trying too hard to show how cool and free spirited she is...).

I still love her.

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