Who doesn't love Ali Wong and her hilarious views on life? If you didn't before you will after reading her new book, "Dear Girls." Wongs words are what I would like to tell my future daughters and what I wish someone had told me. She is insightful, hilarious, and full of words of wisdom that will resonate with any woman.

Surprisingly vulnerable but, to me, not as laugh out loud as I hoped it would be - I was hoping for a memoir with belly laughs (like Samantha Bee's I Know I Am. But What Are You? or Dave Holmes' Party of One ) and this is a bit more straight-ahead. There are some genuine laughs strewn around as Ms. Wong is funny in her bones but I think I wanted something more light than what she delivers. As such, I would recommend this more to fans of the memoir-genre as Ms. Wong really lays herself bare and tells a well-constructed anecdote. A recommend but with light strings attached.

I can't remember the first time I saw Ali Wong but I do remember laughing hysterically and wanting to keep watching. I was excited to be granted Dear Girls to review and it didn't disappoint. Definitely unapologetic, funny, (gross), and honest -- to the point where I'd be horrified if I was reading letters like that from MY mom -- the book gives a clear picture of what motherhood is like, especially for a comedian yet encompassing working moms in general. Reading how she met her husband and why she appreciates/loves him is an amazing model for finding the right partner; tips on judging a good Asian restaurant, living abroad, her experiences, and learning more about Asian American culture is eye opening however I don't think I could recommend this book to just anyone, -- it definitely takes guts to read this book.

I didn't really know Ali Wong's work before reading this, but figured I like funny books by comedic writers, and I also love supporting Asian Americans and Multicultural is one of my favorite genres; however I think I was looking for something like Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, and Ali Wong is much more vulgar, not that there's anything wrong with that. The gimmick of writing a raunchy book in the form of letters to ones babies didn't really work for me personally, but I did really like all the bits where Wong discovered her culture for herself, and I'm glad this wasn't another "wah, I don't fit in anywhere" book but more of a celebration like yay, I can fit in where ever. It was smart to have her husband include a chapter at the end (how are his brothers Kenzo and Akira and he's Justin?); I felt it gave the book balance.

I learned a lot about Filipino culture and food, interesting terms like Jungle Asian, and that Beyonce's husband is HOV. The thing about reading stand-up comedians is a lot of the things that make me laugh aren't meticulously researched or properly cited so like 98% of exchange students are not female, and yes Tyson Beckford is part Chinese but not half but okay. One of my babies was diagnosed with IUGR too, and that's something that doesn't get mentioned much and I'm also a Jeff Ross fan so I like that Ali Wong listed him twice in her list of 38 funny white guys.

I really enjoyed Ali Wong's "Dear Girls." Ali's voice comes through very clearly in her writing; I can picture her on stage saying some of these things in her act. Fair warning, however, that this book is not for the faint of heart or anyone who is easily offended by foul language or "dirty"/"taboo" subjects. Ali talks a lot about sex, bodily functions/fluids, and other things that some readers might find objectionable. That said, there were some very funny, and at times outrageous, stories included here, but also some pretty good advice along with a loving message for her daughters.

My favorite chapter was the one on Ali's study abroad experiences. While my own year abroad in college wasn't quite as colorful or adventurous as Ali's, I totally agree with her that study abroad is something that all young adults should experience if they have the opportunity. I also enjoyed the afterword by Ali's husband, which was very sweet and a nice way to wrap up the book.

Overall,"Dear Girls" was an enjoyable and well-written debut that made me laugh out loud quite a few times. I would definitely read more books by Ali Wong in the future.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm not a particular fan of Ali Wong's stand up, so I found this book to be just okay. Fans of Wong, however, are likely to adore it. I also think it would make a cracker jack audio book if it were read by the author. Without her distinctive voice, it somehow loses something.

I love Ali Wong I love this book it was so emotional but in a good way I cried happy tears and I am so way ecstatic That I got a Arc of this book!!!! Thanks thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers

Ali Wong. She is both so wrong and so right. Her choice of topics and language are a bit over the top at times but underneath is a woman who knows who she is what she wants. Her daughters are going to have a crazy ride with her as a mother but they will always know they are loved. Every young woman should read these letters to her daughters and know that this is what their quiet, middle aged Caucasian mom wants for her daughters also.

Ali Wong is hilarious and real AF and I will read anything she writes, down to her grocery lists. Much like her standup on Netflix, her book addresses real life situations with a humor that is unique to Ali. A must-read for anyone who loves her!

Dear Girls by Ali Wong is hands down one of the funniest books I’ve read this year! You have to read this book. I was laughing so hard that I was crying at times. Ali Wong is a great comedian and a great writer. I really enjoyed this book and it had me reading the whole book in one sitting.

I have read dozens of comedian memoirs and often they fall flat. The humor from stand-up doesn't always translate to book form. But Ali Wong is brilliant and I laughed out loud with every page. As a mixed Asian American from the San Francisco Bay Area, I really felt like I could connect with the author through this book. It left me wanting more. I hope she has more books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed Dear Girls- I haven't laughed to tears since I read Bossypants years ago, and Ali's work is definitely reminiscent of it. I appreciate that she (or the publisher) didn't censor the book, because's Ali's profanity laced-comedy is a big part of her success. She doesn't hold back on anyone, but that goes both ways- you learn about the people who spectacularly grossed her out, and the people that she loves unconditionally. A long overdue comedic success with heart!

So few books written by celebrities capture their personality, but this one captures Ali perfectly! I could picture her saying everything in this book and found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it! I love her honesty and am a huge fan of hers! I hope that there is a follow up book coming soon!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Ali Wong a lot in the romcom she made for Netflix, "Always Be My Maybe" although I haven't seen much of her standup. The whole super raunchy thing isn't entirely for me, but I didn't mind it so much in book form, as it clearly is a fairly straightforward continuation of the persona Wong presents in her standup. It's overall a much better written selection of essays than I've come to expect from this strange sub-genre of comedian memoirs/essay collections in the last few years, and there were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud. I also really enjoyed all the somewhat more serious elements, like Wong's musings on her cultural background and heritage; I learned a lot from her take on what it is to be Asian American.

"If a hospital has great food it's probably a terrible hospital. Good food takes a lot of focus, and I would rather that focus was on me and my erupting body, and not on whether fava beans make a good side dish for dry-rubbed cumin lamb."

In Dear Girls, Ali writes a series of letters to her daughters Mari and Nikki. These letters hilariously describe pregnancy, dating, studying abroad in Vietnam, miscarriage, pubic hair, living in NYC, her relationship with her mother/sisters/brother, being Asian in America, and a smattering of other topics that she wants to give her daughters advice about. I've watched her Netflix comedy specials Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, and it was refreshing to read that the comedy in this book was mostly new material. A number of the jokes are tangentially related to the material she's performed in her stand up routines, but they are new bits told in a different way. Additionally, it was refreshing to read that DAMN, not only can Ali perform on stage, but the lady can WRITE. Let's be honest: it's hard to find people who are triple threats. I already knew that Ali was a funny comedian and actor, so I went into this book skeptical that she could write well too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the stakes were low because I got this ARC book for free (thanks, NetGalley!) but I still didn't want to invest time in a book that was a poorly written money grab penned by a famous person. So I was very excited to discover that this was absolutely not the case. Ali, you are indeed that unicorn triple threat comedian/actor/writer. Well done.

The feminist angle of Ali's writing is spot on. A lot of the material in this book dances around sexism and racism, as does her stand up comedy. But she writes it in a way that's non-ranty and just straight up tells it like it is. I will absolutely recommend this book to ladies and gents, to white people and not-white people, because Ali writes in a way that miiiight make you slightly uncomfortable. But it's the type of uncomfortable that you should feel, because it makes you THINK.

The worst part of this book is the Afterward, which was written by her husband Justin Hakuta. The dude may be a lot of things - smart (a Fulbright scholar and Harvard Business grad), a world traveler, a great husband and father - but he is no comedy writer. I mean, it was written well, I'll give him that. But it was boring AF. Good thing I read that right before I went to bed, because it helped put me to sleep.

Justin may be a boring writer, but he is still a kick-a$$ feminist guy who gave up his career so that Ali could have hers. Props to him. With that, I shall close with my fave quote from the book:

"When cars pick us up to go to the airport, drivers who don't know who I am will often call Daddy "Mr. Wong." They engage with him mostly, ask him the best way to get to the airport, and look to him for instructions on what to do with the luggage. The same happens at hotels and restaurants. People who don't know who I am always assume I took his last name. And it never bothers your father - he always says afterward that he's proud to be Mr. Wong. And whenever he does, I fell so lucky that I trapped him."

I watched Baby Cobra when I was pregnant and laughed so hard I was sobbing (hormones are a hell of a drug). So I am a big Ali Wong fan. Still, I hesitated to read this book when I saw the title because I was afraid letters to her daughters would be too sentimental and not funny. My worries were unfounded,,, the first letter is about boners. These letters aren't sappy, but they are love letters. To her family, her friends, her career, and her culture.
I usually find memoirs by comedians to be okay but disappointing, but not this one. Ali Wong is so funny, smart and unapologetically herself.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for sending me an e-copy of Dear Girls by Ali Wong for an honest review.

Dear Girls is an autobiography told in a series of letters to her daughters. Each letter was about a different time in her life and the experiences she had in comedy as well as some of her student exchange trips and her childhood. The ones that resonated with me the most however, were the ones discussing pregnancy and motherhood. I like how honest she is about it and doesn’t sugar coat her birth experiences or how hard it is, even as she is writing the book to the people she raised.
A quick fun read, especially if you enjoy her comedy.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I think it’s because I’m not a mother. At the beginning, I was like “whoa Ali, TMI!” But then I was like, “ok, I feel you!”

I was talking to my sis who did say that it hits a lot harder if you’re also a working mom cause you know exactly what she’s saying when she talks about exploding poop and afterbirth.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ali Wong for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of Dear Girls. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.


Stand up comedian, actress, and writer, Ali Wong can now add author to her list of accomplishments. You might recognize her from her Netflix specials Baby Cobra or Hard Knock Wife. Or maybe you’ve seen her Netflix movie “Always Be My Maybe”. The movie where the meme with Keanu Reeves went viral. If you haven’t seen it, google it - and you’re welcome. She has written a book in the style of letters to her daughters. Each chapter has cute headings like “How I Trapped Your Father” and “A Guide To Asian Restaurants”. But if you think that she has toned down her language, she hasn’t. This is on-brand Ali Wong. Be prepared for a crass, dirty, vulgar style that she is known for. It is very similar to her stand up. If you enjoy her comedy routines you will love this book. If not, maybe watch a special before buying this one.

I am a bit in the middle with this one. It was okay, there were some funny parts, some cringe-worthy parts and some yawnable moments. You get some real moments, but not enough. It would have helped me feel more connected to the book had we had more realness. It seemed distant in some ways. I think if you love her humor, you will find lots to laugh at. I’m not in love with potty humor so sometimes I felt like really, again? I understand why she makes those choices, but I don’t like it in men any more than I do in women. I’m not offended that a woman is saying these things. I just am not a big fan. I was still left wanting more after reading this book. I don’t think you get to know her any better from the book, than what you see up on stage. She says herself the those are just caricatures of real people. So I felt like I was reading a caricature of Ali Wong. Not getting to really know her. The most personal moment in the book is the letter her husband writes in the afterwards. There are some funny parts, but it isn’t laugh-out-loud, hilarious all the way through. As I said, maybe her fans will really love it. Just okay for me.

Ali Wong is funny. Anyone who has seen her stand-up specials would be able to tell you that. Dear Girls gives us a peek into Ali’s mind as she shares her unique memories and insights through a series of letters written to her young daughters. She shares (or perhaps overshares) her thoughts about dating, sex, relationships, childbirth, work, food, and, family with a refreshing mix of humour and honesty. An overlying theme throughout the book is identity. With each letter, the reader gets a closer look into Ali’s view of her identity as a comedian, wife, woman, her Asian ancestry, and ultimately being a Mother. She shares her own exploration of her Vietnamese Mother’s country and culture which helps lead her to a better understanding of her upbringing and ultimately helps her define herself as a Mother as she gains a greater appreciation of her own Mother. Dear Girls is everything you love about Ali Wong, shockingly funny, uniquely perceptive, and perfectly relatable.