Comedian Ali Wong's memoir, presented as a series of letters to her daughters, is as funny (and occasionally raunchy) as you might expect if you've seen her stand-up comedy. "Dear Girls" has its mushy sweet spots, but mostly this is a chance for Wong to reflect on her experiences as a child (the youngest of four siblings), in college (where study abroad was a highlight) and during her post-college years trying to find a toehold as a performer and searching for love. She comes across as incredibly ambitious and smart. Wong also speaks unflinchingly about racism and sexism she has experienced as an Asian-American woman in comedy and in Hollywood. I really liked that she let her husband take the last chapter for one bonus letter to their daughters. He speaks eloquently about what it's like to share your life with someone who's famous and about his choice to be a full-time dad. Good stuff!

Ali Wong had me laughing from the very beginning. Her narrative style doesn’t disappoint and feels true to what you see from her comedy sketches.

Funny, fearless and fascinating. If you love Ali Wong's stand up you'll love her book. The chapter titled "Tips on Giving Birth" had me in stitches. I kept hearing her voice in my head while I read her words. Her delivery would make it that much better. I think once this comes out on audio I'm going to listen to the book again.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House via Netgalley***

4.5/5 stars

As a fan of Ali Wong's work, I went into this knowing it wouldn't disappoint. Her book reads as flawlessly and unashamedly as her stand-up does, and it's the perfect mixture of touching, inspiring, and just plain ass hilarious. She tackles so many issues within this book: being a mother, a WORKING mother, a celebrity, an Asian American, and a human. While so many of her letters deal with her identity as an Asian American woman, she also makes it clear that that isn't all her daughters should allow themselves to be labeled as. Her message is powerful, and it certainly doesn't help that there are a bunch of hysterically outrageous sex stories/advice thrown all throughout, too.

Ali Wong's humor is certainly raunchy, so if you don't like raunchy, then you'll probably want to skip. But if you love raunchy, strong truth tea, and a good, hard reality check, then Ali Wong's book is a must read.

Such a fun read! Love Ali Wong's stand-up, and this book did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this title.

This was....not as good as I thought it would be.

I was expecting fall over, snorting liquids out my nose laughter. And there were parts that were hilarious. At one point, she describes her dad breaking into song unexpectedly at her sister's wedding and I laughed so hard I cried real tears and could not speak to my husband without laughing about it again.

But most of it just didn't translate. Her stand up works so well because of her physicality. Her facial expressions, her tone of voice, her gesturing wildly towards her genitals. Etc. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this. But I think I built it up way too high and then got disappointed when it just wasn't the same.

Also, her husband's afterword was weird. There. I said it. I can't put my finger on why, but I did not like it. It's very woo-woo, "describing my wildly cultured life and the way your mother and I feel about our feelings" and comes off as kind of oddly formal and not well written.

Anyway, still enjoyed, just don't expect it to match her stand up.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2949293954


You definitely see a different side of Ali Wong in this book.
While always apologetically herself, you see the grounded, mother and wife, who cherishes her heritage. She speak lovingly of her family, and the beautiful partnership she shares with her husband.
Ali Wong's honesty about her life from childhood to motherhood was very refreshing.

This was an empowering read. Proudly Asian, proudly a woman, Ali Wong's letters to her daughters read like an instruction manual for the future generation of strong women.

A great read!

I liked Ali Wong from her stand-up and movie on Netflix. But if you are not into crude, vulgar or crass commentary than she may not be for you.
Her writing is fun and funny and I don't doubt this will be great on audio book once it comes out because she does stand-up.
A fun read!

First of all, I feel the need to preface that I love Ali Wong's stand-up routines . Her Netflix stand-up specials, Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, were absolutely hilarious and her movie Always Be My Maybe was also pretty funny (I haven't watched Fresh Off The Boat yet but it's on my list of shows to watch).

Her humor isn't for everyone though. If you don't like crass, vulgar and sexual jokes, then this book is not for you.

Also, there is also no doubt in my mind that the audiobook version of the book will be awesome (I will DEFINITELY be looking forward to listening to the audiobook version when it comes out).

Dear Girls is a collection of (pretty funny and inappropriate) letters written for Ali's daughters (to be read when they become adults, because this is definitely an R-rated book). Despite being targeted for adults, the tone felt rather juvenile at times (but with adult content). I can't quite recall if that's just how Ali talks, or if that's how she plans to talk to her kids when they're full grown adults.

This book is by no means a literary masterpiece - the writing was mediocre at best and kind of all over the place but hopefully it will go through more (much needed) editing and will flow more smoothly by the final draft (or perhaps this is just the result of Ali's humour not translating well on paper…?). There were also a few pop culture references (Transparent and Grey Gardens, just to name a few) that I didn't get but that didn't bother me too much. I think what bothered me the most was that the tone was too conversational for the most part, which took away from certain moments that could encompass more storytelling.

Even so, this book was still highly entertaining and there were many moments that made me laugh. I particularly enjoyed reading about her time studying abroad in Vietnam and the story of Ali introducing her husband to her parents. As with Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, this book also contains similar contents as her stand-up routines: feminism, trapping a husband, tips on giving birth and being a mom, being a cheap-ass asian, etc. I also absolutely loved the afterword by her husband Justin, which was incredibly heartfelt and well-written. The support and love that he has for his wife (even if it means being the subject of her jokes 90% of the time), is proof that Ali truly trapped herself the most perfect husband ever.

This was such a great mix of self-help and humor from a comedian I really admire. I love Wong's writing style and how consistent it is with her stand-up, even when deftly broaching deeper subjects. This would be a great read for fans of Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey, or Amy Poehler, or truly, for any woman. I look forward to recommending it highly to all my friends.

The first time I ever was exposed to Ali Wong’s humor was when I watched her stand-up, Baby Cobra, on Netflix. She was unapologetically candid and funny. When I was approved to review her new book I was so excited because I knew she could make me laugh. Ali explains in the forward that she decided to write this as notes to her daughters so when they are adults, they can read it through it and have a good understanding of their mother. I love this concept. However, although funny, I couldn’t imagine writing half the stories and information to my daughters that she does. She is bold. It worked as a comedy element, though. I just tried to forget that the book is for her kids and went with it. If you enjoy her stand-up and don’t mind dirty humor then you may enjoy this one. Some parts were a little so sexually explicit for my taste.

I enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait to read more by this author. I plan to watch her show on Netflix. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone over 18.

Have you ever not realized you were lacking something, but once that something appeared you had no doubt you needed it all along? Well, for me the answer is yes and that something is Dear Girls by Ali Wong. The comedian pens letters to her young daughters, but really, she is speaking to all women. Each letter covers a different aspect of life that her daughters will face as they grow, and these are issues that adult women are facing now. How can you balance family and career? What about marriage? What about raising children? What about facing doubt because of your gender or race? Wong is talking to all of us. Wong’s raunchy and graphic language will not be for everyone, but she is true to who she is as a woman and comedian. This book will have you nodding your heading and laughing until it hurts.

This book of letters to Ali Wong’s two daughters Mari and Nikki is amazing, hilarious, and insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of these letters, which were (just like Ali’s standup), sometimes crass and always funny. You will giggle uncontrollably reading about her awesome life anecdotes. Despite who she seems like on stage, Ali is incredibly wise, strong, independent, and thoughtful. She reflects on her standup career, her culture, the struggles and joys of motherhood, why she loves and admires her husband, and being a working mom. I really admire her as a role model to young women, if not to teach them about which dumpy hippie white men to stay away from, then to teach them that it is okay and important to be absolutely fearless and confident in yourself.

Ali is unapologetically herself, and fundamentally, that lesson shines through the most in these essays. Who cares about gaining ten pounds when you spend a semester in Hawaii eating the most delicious fattening Hawaiian food ever? Who cares about being judged and criticized and undermined for being a funny female comic? Who cares enough to be embarrassed by their bodily fluids? Who cares about having a huge bush? Not Ali. She’s proud as hell of it. She gets her husband to trim it for her. As a young woman, I love reading this - I’m not going to be the level of out-there crazy that Ali is, but I’m gonna (try to) embrace life the same way she does. Life’s too short to eat bad food, worry about being skinny, be embarrassed, or be intimidated. Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am a huge Ali Wong fan. I enjoyed every page of this book and it was truly a delight.

I loved that it wasn’t just a book of her trying to be funny but a letter to her daughters. I love how honest she is and how she shares her view of family and the minority experience. I only wish it were longer.

Ali’s husband wrote the afterward and it was... interesting . Now, his writing was definitely different than Ali’s (you could tell he went to Harvard and that she wasn’t exaggerating about the mindfulness/yoga parts of him ) and he’s not trying to be funny. You have one view of him from all the jokes Ali makes. But from his afterward you see why their relationship works, and how lucky their girls are to have two awesome parents.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was already a fan of Ali Wong before reading this book. I discovered her by watching her Netflix specials and her movie, Always Be My Maybe. The book is structured as a series of letters written to her two daughters, Mari and Nikki. When Wong first came into the spotlight, she was pregnant and a lot of her jokes centered around her husband and pregnancy, so this book is very on brand.

This will be a great (but cringe-worthily honest) resource for her daughters, but as a fan, I enjoyed it for its entertaining stories and Wong's in your face honest tips and advice. She's known for her raunchy comedy and isn't afraid to bare all. She didn't hold back when she wrote this book. She tells it like it is and reveals a lot of personal stories, so I felt like I really got to know her, both as a comedian and as a person in general.

If you're a fan of Ali Wong's then I recommend you read it!

Whether or not you like this book really will depend on how much you like Wong's humor. She is really honest and heartfelt throughout the book, but she also really embraces the gross-out humor that is a big part of her brand.
My only real complaint was that she did repeat herself in a few different sections.

This hilarious, honest, and charming essay collection by comedian Ali Wong takes the form of letters to her daughters, who she warns against reading it until at least the age of twenty one. I adore Ali Wong, and this book perfectly captures her sense of humor and ability to make light of the heaviest parts of life. Stories of her wild youth had me crying with laughter, and tender passages about her husband and daughters made me just straight up cry. Comedian, actress, screenwriter, producer, and now nonfiction author - she's unbelievably talented, and I'm so glad she chose to share Dear Girls with us.

The funniest book of the year for sure!! Every single page had me laughing so hard!! I could not help but hear her voice as I was reading this book. I will definitely be buying this on audiobook when it comes out too! I love Ali Wong!

Hilarious raunchy warm honest open.Ali Wong’s letters are all this and more.The way she writes them about how she met their dad left me with tears running down my face.Ali Wong is an original and so is her laugh till you cry book,#netgalley #randomhouse