I have followed Marci Ien since she began on The Social and have always appreciated and enjoyed hearing her thoughts, opinions and stories on the show. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read her book! This collection of stories about her life and career is so well done and reading it I could hear Marci’s voice so clearly. She really is an excellent and compelling storyteller, always leaving me wanting to hear more. Perhaps that is my only wish about this book - that we could have heard more! I appreciated hearing the stories of those she has interviewed, in particular the chapter about the students from La Lochs was a stand out, I would have loved more detailed or maybe just more about her growing up, about her family and career journey. I would definitely encourage those familiar with Marci to give this a read and even those not familiar too - she has wonderful stories to share and is an engaging storyteller.

5/5 stars

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I remember seeing Marci Ien on Canada AM growing up, but only when she joined The Social as co-host did I feel like I got a glimpse into her life and thoughts. As a fan of the show, I was so excited to get a chance to read her book!

Off Script: Living Out Loud is Ien’s debut book and it’s exactly what the title states. For many years of her career, Ien followed a script — and now is the time for her to be open and candid about her experiences. The book is divided into short chapters, more like vignettes, that switch between the past and the present in stories about her career, family, childhood, relationships, friendships, and more.

Ien is an excellent storyteller and she’s got very captivating stories to tell. While reading, I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend. I felt like I was listening to someone telling me their truth.

I especially loved reading the chapters about her career. Being in journalism, Ien has gotten to interview so many people from all walks of life and she reiterates time and time again — she wants to know people. She wants to ask them questions. She wants to know their stories.

It was a privilege to read about Marci Ien’s story. As the saying goes, the best is yet to come.