You wouldn't expect a memoir whose first chapter is about cancer would have you laughing so hard. Erin Chack's memoir is a triumph. It is truly hilarious, heartwarming, and heartwrenching. I can only hope we have much more to come from her.

I enjoyed the humor. It was a quick, enjoyable read.

Two years ago I made a promise to myself to read more non fiction stories, and since I've discovered I really enjoy reading memoirs even if I'm not familiar with the author. I came across This Is Really Happening in one of the Buzz Books editions at Netgalley, and I was instantly convinced by the short excerpt provided there. This Is Really Happening is without doubt a well written and fast read with just the right dose of humor. It contains various, mostly 'coming of age' essays about various stages in Erin Chack's life. To get an idea of the topics in the essays: among other things she talks about high school and how she met her partner, about her battle against cancer at the age of nineteen and how people react to the illness, about her job at BuzzFeed and her roadtrip from coast to coast. What stands out is the enjoyable writing style and the fact that Erin Chack tells things exactly how they are; not hiding the ugly (and maybe embarrassing) details and that makes this memoir feel a lot more authentic. Serious topics are mixed with hilarious moments and if you are looking for an entertaining, well written and interesting coming of age memoir, This Is Really Happening is a great choice.

I am not normally much of a non-fiction reader, but I was really drawn to This is Really Happening. This memoir contains a variety of stories, from Erin Chack’s experience with cancer to childhood memories. The writing is intimate and hilarious, which I really enjoyed. This is an inspiring and quick read that will definitely make the reader laugh.

This book has the perfect mix of serious topics and hilarious encounters. Erin Chack was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and describes the hardship of things such as shaving your head. The whole book isn’t about her overcoming this, however, which provided some comic relief. There are some wildly entertaining stories, such as the time Erin peed her pants in elementary school, which created a nice balance. It makes sense that this book is so funny, since the author is a writer for Buzzfeed.

One of my favourite stories in this collection is Find Your Carrot. This one tells the story of Erin sneaking onto the roof of a building and being overly paranoid about getting caught and fired from her job. There is an epic plot twist that I was not expecting at all, and I was laughing so hard by the end. I related to Erin’s paranoia so much, and I think that this story has got to be the funniest in the book.

I adored Erin Chack’s writing style. As I was reading, it felt more like a conversation than a book, if you know what I mean. Erin really tells it like it is and has such a funny tone in her writing. She has an interesting outlook on life, and in 240 pages, it really felt like I knew her personally. I haven’t read too many memoirs, but this one has got to be up there with my favourites.

This is Really Happening is a memoir with a huge range of stories–from serious to light and back again. The writing style is very personal and reading it is like an intimate conversation. I would recommend this book, especially to younger adults.

This book was delightful as hell. Made me laugh. Made me cry. ADORE IT.

Really enjoyed this collection of essays. It felt like a friend was telling me their story. Hysterical and highly recommended.

I went into this expecting a Buzzfeed-esque article (it's not) or maybe an inspiring memoir on embracing mortality (one chapter is, and it's a really good chapter, but overall it's... not). What it wound up being was a really humorous collection of stories with vastly different themes and topics. Some made me laugh, some made me feel nostalgic, some (read: the college ones) made me shake my head in understanding, and some did inspire me to reassess some of my feelings towards death. This was a well-rounded, fun read.