I enjoyed this audio by Jenny Slate more than her last one. She is a wonderful storyteller and I really enjoyed having her read it to me this way. I loved how she approached motherhood and how honest and vulnerable she was with her intrusive thoughts. This one will stay with me.

<b>The hilarious Jenny Slate we know and love - with a stunning new layer, motherhood.</b>

The only thing better than reading this book is having it read TO you by the woman herself! So I'll mention some specifics to the audiobook first...

No one has a cadence quite like Jenny Slate's. Strange and unpredictable. One moment jovial, the next collapsing into a downward spiral. As with anything she lends her voice to, her talent in narration only adds to the quality of the work. You know how some narrators sound like they're trying to steal the show instead of letting the words themselves really do the talking? That doesn't happen here. In fact, I think you'd miss some of the more nuanced aspects of her art by <i>only</i> reading a print edition of this book. If you're able, you've really got to default to the audiobook.

At one point in the book Jenny is having a fantasy therapy session. The therapist being voiced by George Saunders just can't be topped by your own imagination (which you're limited to when reading print). The appearance of Will Forte and Vanessa Bayer need no hyping. (If George Sunders is also a household name I'm just unaware of... My bad.)

Lifeform itself is so, so beautiful. I'm not a diehard fan of Jenny, so maybe there are other outpourings of emotion I've missed - but I am still shocked by how many times I welled up. At one point, I had to take a break from listening. I knew trying to power through would make me an emotional wreck for an hour or two afterward. About 38% in, in/at the end of what according to my ALC's "chapters" is #19 -but has no title so isn't helpful (I really wanted to also review the print copy to clear this and a few other things up but was sadly denied so here we are) - I wanted to go find a speaker and blast it from the rooftop. "1:1. One mother blamed; one mother thanked." Do you even need context to understand how powerful of a rant it had been? I'm used to her "rants" about things more meaningless in the scheme of things (not a bad thing!). Lifeform brought me a new side of her I'd never seen before - I think it's my favorite. That should also tell you a lot; if you care enough to be reading a review of this book, I think it's fair to assume you're aware of her genius.

BUT NEVER FEAR, JENNY FANS PREFERRING TO BE DAZZLED BY OUTLANDISH ANECDOTES!

She brought tears to my eyes thanks to her hilarity. +1 point for their trapped raccoon sharing my husband's name. And shout out to animals in general - they seem to be a recurring theme for Jenny, yet she never fails to take you the unconventional route.

Jenny, if you're listening, please let Garlic Chicken know I have some questions as well.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Jenny Slate, Racoon Justin, Garlic Chicken, Hachette Audio and Little Brown & Co for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!}

I respect this to an extent even though I would not say I enjoyed it whatsoever - I was given a review copy by <i->Hachette Audio</i> and <i>Little, Brown</i> in exchange for honesty and so honesty I’ll give: I think that this is a step above the dregs of celebrity essayist dreck, but not by much. Slate can write, that’s true, yet I constantly found myself rolling my eyes at HOW she’s using her talents here. This reminded me of Miranda July (derogatory) and so for people who love that sort of thing I hope they find much delight in the blunt confessional work here. For me, it’s all a little too “grad student creative writer”don’t-you-know-I-can-talk-about-my-body-without-catering-to-the-male-middlebrow to be especially fired up about it. It’s occasionally funny, and again, I think Slate is playing to her audience. I just find myself on the outside looking in.

Jenny Slate is a lot. In this book- really a series of diary entries, letters, and scripts - we are inside her crowded head from teen to motherhood. I particularly enjoyed the many letters written to her beleaguered doctor(s) and, separately, her rant about small, wet bags being left around her home by an adult man-child.
The author narrates the book, which means the emphasis is right on target, adding her unique edge to the humor, sarcasm, and crazy.
If you like a bit of self-absorbed insanity, Jenny Slate delivers. 3.5 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HachetteAudio producers, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 22 Oct. 2024.

Lifeform by Jenny Slate was quite the audiobook but I really wouldn't expect anything less from Jenny Slate. I was very entertained while listening to the audiobook. It was refreshing and intriguing. I really appreciated how unique it felt, too. The audiobook narration was PERFECT. I would 100% recommend people consume this book through audio, it added something special to the experience.

OUT OCTOBER 22 2024

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance listening copy of the audiobook (narrated by Jenny Slate, and with appearances by Vanessa Bayer, Will Forte and George Saunders) from Hachette Audio. It was great! I love Jenny Slate’s voice and her impeccable enthusiasm.

What an endearing collection. Jenny Slate is SO her own person, with an unmistakeable wit, emotional intelligence and perception of the world, the self and where those two things collide. I found this incredibly charming, and funny and relatable. While much centers around motherhood and becoming a mother, it is also — at it’s core — very much about family, the importance of community, being a creative person while also being inside the life you actually live, self love and speaking up, and navigating a faltering identity and the grief and elation that comes with that.

Is anyone life Jenny Slate, no, no way, but many of us have a little Jenny Slate occupying a corner of our soul… yeah, probably. I admire her so much for refreshing, if not painful honesty and for reminding me that it’s okay to be weird, or to recognize yourself as a “witch caught in the stone” and to long to be a “Jane Austen era doctor” who people need and are comforted by… even if I don’t know what I’m doing. I cried a little reading this, and I giggled, and I just thought… yeah. She gets it.

If you’re a fan, and I bet you are, grab this straight away. It’s really delightful, and deep without being stuffy. The audiobook, perfect!

Chaotic and funny in a way that Jenny does so well.

If you have any desire to read it, I highly recommend doing the audiobook because the way Jenny acts moments out is so rewarding. And I think you'll understand the context better.

The stories are written in a way that is very poetic/lyrical. Not always a straight forward understanding. It's also a little weird and I love that. I applaud her for working through some of her fears and worries about her pregnancy/postpartum. And letting others know it is okay to feel scared!

I love how she described herself as whimsical but sensible. I relate to that fully!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Slate, Will Forte, Vanessa Bayer, George Saunders, Hachette Audio and Little, Brown & Company for the opportunity to read Lifeform. I have written this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book

Dear Jenny
The Single part of this book is like a person having an anxiety attack with intrusive thoughts, while on MDMA. I almost gave up on this book then and there. Let's be honest it was bad, but the following chapters/sections call it what you want were really good. So like, Jenny why did you keep the awful part in?

The pregnancy section is really inspired. I loved your description of giving birth. Really liked your reflection on loosing people and the obituaries. I would give this a 4-start without the single part, as you can see, maybe I should. I am not sure if your letters to the dr were your therapist or your GP. I hope it's not both :D.

God, Jenny Slate’s books are such a comfort because living a human life is so herculean. I really can’t praise this new book more highly.

I read her first book, Little Weirds, in the first year of the pandemic, and it hit me so much harder than I was expecting. I have a vivid memory of sitting in my house in my bed and feeling like my soul and brain were being tugged along to little places unknown by a happy and jumpy bird. I loved Lifeform even more. It feels particularly nice that this book would also cover some of that same time period of the pandemic, as well as the time soon after becoming a new parent myself. Those bits are some of the most accurate and meaningful pieces I’ve read on the subject, ever. (For fun: the second most accurate, to me, can be found in Madeline Miller’s Circe.)

Slate captures her intrusive thoughts like they are each a darting dragonfly (or a rabid bat) and then offers them to you in a shiny jar with her whole heart. At least, that’s what it felt like to me. Many of her essays also feel like a modern evolution and expansion of the themes and likes of Mary Oliver; they really feel that good. I hope she continues to write more books like this.

4 stars

Fans of Jenny Slate's will be expecting a high energy, quirky production, and that's exactly what this is. The audiobook, especially, enhances all of these vibes.

While this is clearly a memoir, the style - a series of essays and reflections - really enhances the readability and uniqueness. Slate reflects on pregnancy, her relationships to her partner and child (among others), and her engagement with nature (which is frequently both fascinating and hilarious). Through these varied writings, Slate synthesizes what should feel like fragmented thoughts into a clear and surprisingly moving narrative of her experiences.

Throughout the listen, I constantly appreciated the Jenny Slate-ness of this work. I also often thought that a reader who is unfamiliar with her might find this a little too experimental for the genre. Fans of Slate's and those who appreciate a creative approach should check out this one.

Lifeform by Jenny Slate was just okay for me. While I’ve enjoyed Slate’s humor in the past, I found that this book didn’t fully meet my expectations. The vignettes and offbeat style, similar to her previous work Little Weirds, were quirky but didn’t always resonate with me. Some sections felt disjointed, and while I appreciate the creativity, it sometimes made the book harder to connect with.

Slate covers a lot of personal ground—her pandemic experiences, mental health, becoming a mother—and while I could relate to some of the emotions, the overall execution felt a bit flat. There were moments of humor and tenderness, but I didn’t find myself as engaged as I hoped. The audiobook, which she narrates herself, does add a personal touch, and Slate’s voice is undoubtedly captivating. However, even that wasn’t enough to elevate the content for me.

I think fans of Jenny Slate’s unique style and those who loved Little Weirds may still find Lifeform charming, but for me, it was just an okay read. If you're looking for something light and quirky, it could be worth checking out, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

This book was such a refreshing look into Jenny's mind. I have to say, I enjoyed being there. All her intrusive thoughts felt so genuine and real and relatable. I especially loved her pregnancy dreams because I can remember just how vivid and wild mine were too. She has the same issues we all have, she is a real human and hearing about her struggles and her neurocies just solidifies that she is just like the rest of us. I have been a fan for a long time and I am even more of one now.
The audio was especially great with her narrating.
Thanks to Hachette, Jenny Slate and Netgalley for an early ALC.

I liked that Slate narrated this one, but found the overall story to be mid at best. I DNF’d at 45%. I really tried with this one

Lifeform by Jenny Slate is another weird excellent little slice of a memoir like her first-Little Weirds. This book follows Slate's time during the pandemic--meeting her now husband, having a child, and new motherhood. Of course, with her usual offbeat charm, it is told in vignettes like the neighborhood raccoons gossiping to each other or letters to her doctor. I loved the audiobook and would recommend it to be able to hear one of our great voice actresses of our time tell her story with the help from a few friends. My favorite section of the book was about Slate giving birth to her daughter; I teared up as the love for her family is so palpable. Loved this quirky little delight of a book and would recommend it to anyone who is fan of Slate's previous book or her acting work.

I adore Jenny Slate's voice! I could listen to her forever. It was great to hear her read her new book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another excellent read!! Jenny Slate has a way of explaining the unexplainable feelings I experience daily.

Going into ‘Lifeform’ I did not know what to expect. I loved ‘Little Weirds’ so much that I knew I had to check this out. ‘Lifeform’ follows Jenny through the ‘plague’ (pandemic) as she battles with her mental wellbeing. The way Jenny writes her struggles is hilarious yet heartwarming. At certain parts I didn’t know whether to laugh from relatability or cry because I felt understood.

Terrific listen! Thank you to Net Galley and Hatchet Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

I’m a huge fan of Jenny Slate and I adore her writing! Lifeform was a wonderful listen and I loved the cameos with the narrators. Will Forte was amazing.

I love Jenny’s humor and her essays were so silly and fun to listen to. I hope Jenny continues writing, I love her mind so much.