What a fun collection of essays! Sophia Benoit had me reliving many of my favorite college and young adult memories. The collection didn't go super deep and I felt that it relied much more on storytelling than making connections with society at large, however it was still a fun read!

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This memoir-in-essays explores the ins and outs of modern womanhood—from finding feminism, the power of pop culture, and how to navigate life’s constant double standards. I thought this book was really funny and thought-provoking too at the same time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I've been following Benoit on Twitter for years and think she is hysterical so I couldn't wait to read her debut! This is your typical, millenial collection of personal essays. I laughed, and related to a lot of it, but there was nothing different in this memoir from other books of this genre. Still entertaining enough to finish.

There are few things I love more than a witty feminist sharing essays on relevant topics, like pop culture, the female experience, and patriarchal double standards. Sophia Benoit definitely delivers!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced reader copy in echnage for an honest review.

This wasn't quite a home run for me because I had read several OMG Amazing books recently, but it was perfectly pleasant.

This essay styled memoir made for a light, entertaining read. I was not familiar with the author, a comedian, prior to picking it up, but found some of the stories funny and entertaining.

In general, I don’t rate memoirs. This one was just ok for me, but I would recommend if you’re looking for some laughs and into reading about self-discovery type memoirs.

I was really hoping to enjoy this book, but sadly I couldn't relate. The struggle we all face growing up were relatable, but when one overcomes those obstacles and still whines about their life once they have more I just can't get on board with that. So while some of the book was engaging, it just wasn't one that had it all for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Absolutely. Hysterical.

Sophia Benoit reflects on growing up an ugly duckling and is so relatable in the lessons she’s learned through the years. Reading this made me feel like her best friend and was quite nostalgic! Very relatable and satirical - did I think this was a serious self help book? No, but that wasn’t the point, right!?! The jokes were well-timed, “laugh-our-loud”, and poignant to the topics. I felt like I was reading my own diary years later! I can’t wait to (hopefully) read more from Sophia in the future!

So funny and poignant. Reminiscent of my own life and relatable. Will be on the look out for upcoming books and really looking forward to it!!!

Too often coming-of-age memoirs that try to be funny come off as feeling really fictionalized and exaggerated for effect. Benoit, who I knew nothing about going in, avoids that most of the time.

I saw bits of myself in many of the essays and topics. The humor didn’t feel shoehorned in and ridiculous (looking at you, Jenny Lawson!). It mostly felt like an authentic look at your witty friend growing into herself and realizing how messed up our society is for people who aren’t straight white cishet males. From a teen struggling with her weight to an adult coming to realize the privilege that comes with white womanhood and unlearning all the shit that comes along with that, there’s something most people can identify with in this one. If you like essay collections with an memoir lean, this may be one you enjoy.

This book had some great essays and had me laughing and thinking. I enjoyed reading about the author's childhood and their journey to adulthood and all the steps along the way.

This was a fun m read and I was able to take several little nuggets of wisdom. Would definitely reread/listen to audio.

Well, This is Exhausting feels like reading a book written by your best friend. Benoit addresses feminism, pop culture, life, growing up, and so many other relatable topics in a charming way. This is an excellent book for readers on a journey of self-discovery who enjoy witty writing styles,

If you love relatable self deprecating humor like I do then this book is for you! Benoit is likable and funny. This is a hilariously honest take on sexuality, body image, feminism, awkward childhoods, and more. She takes us through her life and her most intimate thoughts in a collection of essays. She shamelessly holds very little back.
It's a feel good, light hearted quick read about learning to love yourself and being comfortable in your own skin.

I guess I expected this book to be funnier based on her Twitter feed. It wasn't very interesting or funny. I understand how the events she described must have shaped her outlook but they weren't that unusual. I had a hard time picking it back up and read several other books in between. I wanted to like it but it was like reading a dull journal of someone I don't find that interesting.

I’ve recently got into essay type autobiographical books and this was a really good one fromBustle creator Sophia Benoit.
Premise
Like so many women, Sophia spent her formative years struggling to do the “right” thing—to make others comfortable, to take minimal and calculated risks, to live up to society’s expectations—only to realize that there was so little payoff to this tiresome balancing act. She spends her childhood in Missouri navigating her parents’ divorce and helping care for her younger siblings, always remaining reliable and responsible. She heads off to college having completely missed her change at a carefree youth.

Tired of trying so hard, Sophia finally lets go of the crushing pressure to be perfect. She navigates the highs and lows of the dating world (high: being a beta tester for Bumble; low: hastily shaving her legs before a hotel hookup and getting blood all over the sheets), and walks the line between being a “chill” girl and making sure her boyfriend’s nonchalance about altitude sickness doesn’t get him killed. She learns what it means to be a feminist, how to embrace her own voice, and when to listen to women who have been through more and have been doing the work longer.

With varied and laugh-out-loud funny topics ranging from how to be the life of the party (even when you have crippling anxiety), to an ill-fated consultation with a dietician who deems Sophia’s overindulgence in ketchup a serious health risk, to a masterful argument for why no one should judge you for having an encyclopedic knowledge of reality TV, Well, This is Exhausting explores what it means to care too much and try too hard, while maintaining a sense of humor about the absurdity of it all.
These were a funny, relatable collection of essays and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Very fun read. I highly enjoyed it.

Sophia Benoit is pretty open in this book about a lot of topics we don't tend to discuss as a society (American) in polite conversation and a lot of what she had to say struck a chord with me, another 20 something (for now), cis-white woman raised in a comfortable middle class upbringing. From talking about taking on responsibility as a child because it was expected and not wanting to make her parents lives more difficult to dealing with anxiety in social situations and... the problem of the first boyfriend when you're not used to being wanted and have no idea how to draw boundaries and stick to them. There were also things in here that could probably grate on someone's nerves if a myriad of things about their life experiences or viewpoints differ from Benoit. It's also a book that might be hard if you've dealt with body dysmorphia, eating disorders, cancer and/or cancer scares, or if casually dismissing your own sexual assault because you still have a hard time recognizing it as such would make it difficult for you to read. I have previously DNF'd a memoir because of the way it approached a situation that read to me as sexual assault, so I will give Benoit credit for the fact that she is so open about grappling with the fact that she said no and her partner did not respect that. Without saying too much, that grappling and the questions she posed felt familiar.

I also really appreciated how honest she was about how college is what made her a better person. That college is what forced her to realize she was privileged in a way that in white suburbia, white people are often not required to face. I appreciated how she talked about how twitter made her a better person because it was a space where she was able to read from voices different than her own in a readily accessible way. I liked this aspect of the memoir, in part, because it felt like I could have written it. Not in the same way, of course, but the experience she narrated fit mine so well, it was nice to feel not alone in that. I appreciate knowing that there is someone else who went on such a similar journey as me and is still working to learn and unlearn today.

In sum, I wouldn't say this memoir is my favorite I've ever read, but I enjoyed the audiobook quite a bit and would recommend if the things I've mentioned here sound appealing. Also, despite the fact that Benoit has a sort of comedic background and occasional tone in here, on the whole, I didn't think she was trying particularly hard to be funny.

Finally, I technically recieved this book as an ARC from Gallery Books via Netgalley, but actually read it via Audible and the copy that I purchased for myself.

I FELT SEEN. That is the best way I can describe my emotion while reading the essay collection. I think Sophia Benoit perfectly captures the young adult/millenial experience. From late blooming with boys to becomeing an informed adult, I saw myself in her experiences. The essay collection made me feel less alone in my own emotions. Definitely recommend to anyone in thei rearly adulthood!

I think that Sophia would be someone who I think it would be interesting to sit down and have a conversation with. I think that the first 50-75% of the book was probably the strongest, and as it went on it seemed to drag a bit more and not be as strong overall. With that being said, I will say that there were instances where I really had a hard time getting through this book. I think that there is a fine line between being real and them almost promoting toxicity and it seemed to fall in that line a dangerous amount of times. I wasn't a big fan of when she talked about readers in the beginning, and actually thought it was a little off putting. But I gave it three stars still due to the level of vulnerability shown in these essays, and while it might not have been my cup of tea, I am still thankful to have been allowed an insight into the authors life and thinking.