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A review by what_sammy_read
How to Be a Grown-Up by Daisy Buchanan
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I ordered this book a while ago when I was in the mood for memoirs, and after recently reading Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, I wondered if anything would be able to top it. From the contents page and the blurb, I thought I would adore this book because it felt like it would be really relatable to me, but it turned out to be a bit hit and miss. Don't get me wrong, Daisy Buchanan discusses some really important topics of adult life, and there are some great bits of advice to take away from reading this book. A lot of people have complained about the chapter on washing your hair, but frankly I found this chapter to be a godsend because me and my hair need all the help they can get!
The main issue with this book for me was the tone in which it was written. A lot of the time, it felt less like a personal memoir (though Daisy does share her own anecdotes throughout), and more like a patronising self-help manual which, at times, felt like you were being told to do this, and not that purely based on the author's experiences. This was the main different I found between this book and Dolly Alderton's memoir (read: masterpiece) in that Dolly is sharing her experiences, without necessarily telling us that her way is the right way. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting the purpose of How To Be A Grown Up, but that's how it came across to me anyway.
Highlight: this book covers so many relevant topics for people navigating their twenties, and despite my feelings of its being quite patronising at times, I think there are still lessons to be learnt from this book and Daisy's experiences.
The main issue with this book for me was the tone in which it was written. A lot of the time, it felt less like a personal memoir (though Daisy does share her own anecdotes throughout), and more like a patronising self-help manual which, at times, felt like you were being told to do this, and not that purely based on the author's experiences. This was the main different I found between this book and Dolly Alderton's memoir (read: masterpiece) in that Dolly is sharing her experiences, without necessarily telling us that her way is the right way. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting the purpose of How To Be A Grown Up, but that's how it came across to me anyway.
Highlight: this book covers so many relevant topics for people navigating their twenties, and despite my feelings of its being quite patronising at times, I think there are still lessons to be learnt from this book and Daisy's experiences.