Review: People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Title: People I Want to Punch in the Throat: True(ish) Tales of an Overachieving Underachiever
Author: Jen Mann
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 9th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Ballantine Books


★★★★

Four stars.

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People I Want to Punch in the Throat is a collection of essays by the author of the blog by the same name, Jen Mann. These essays are written with an edgy, clever sense of humor and they cover topics that we can all relate to, such as meeting a spouse or dealing with the crazy army of room moms at an elementary school.

I admit, I wasn't too sure how I'd like this book. It's true that the title is hilarious, and honestly who doesn't love a book with a cupcake on the cover? I was nervous about how I would "get" the humor of things I haven't necessarily experienced, like raising children. I am happy to say that I had nothing to worry about. Jen and I have the same snarky, often overlooked type of sense of humor that made me want to buy her a drink so I can hear more of these stories first hand.

Each "chapter" is an essay, so it tells another separate story. Plus, the headings/titles are also hilarious in and of themselves. Mann writes about things that are true to life, and yet somehow seem ridiculous. I think we all have that one friend where we think "wow, that would only happen to you." Mann is that friend, and the results are hilarious. I believe that's part of why this book is so humorous- because it's nonfiction. All of these shenanigans and conversations really happened, and that makes it just so much better. I definitely laughed out loud more than once, and I would have to pause my reading to share a quote with my girlfriend. I was drawn in by the tale of her meeting her husband in an AOL chat room in the good ole dial up days, and I was hooked for the rest of the ride.

A lot of these quotes came from her daughter, who sounds like the cutest little bundle of diva-sass. Jen, in addition to her own personal stories, shares stories involving her daughter, son, and husband. They're each funny in their own little ways. The daughter is a fireball of pink and attitude, the boy is a "big fat liar" (her words, not mine!), and her husband is uptight with finances. They're each quirky and funny, but despite all that you can tell from her writing that this big ole pile of personality is her family, and that she cares for them a lot.

This read is a quick one, and because it's chunked into different essays, it's easy to pause or stop for awhile and come back to reading. If you follow her blog, love a good story about a co-worker's "swingers" Fourth of July party, or have your own stories of your kids that you can relate to, this is a book for you. It's written bluntly and with heavy doses of sarcasm and jokes, so pour yourself a glass of wine and prepare to be amused.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.