I experienced this memoir as an audiobook which I think is the best way to experience it. Dylan Mulvaney delivers a memoir that is as full of heart as it is sharp with humor. Known for her viral “Days of Girlhood” series, Mulvaney brings the same charisma and vulnerability to the page, blending deeply personal storytelling with punchy, self-aware wit. The book is a kaleidoscope of moments—some raw, some hilarious, all profoundly human.

Her humor never feels performative; it’s the kind that springs from resilience, used not to mask pain but to reshape it into something empowering. She recounts awkward adolescence, awkward adulthood, and everything in between with a comedic timing that never undercuts the seriousness of her journey. Instead, it complements the memoir’s emotional core.

What elevates Paper Doll beyond a personal story is its quiet, powerful wisdom. Mulvaney doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. Instead, she offers hard-won insights about identity, self-worth, and the freedom of living authentically. Her voice is candid and warm, turning the memoir into a conversation more than a proclamation.

Paper Doll is ultimately a triumph of spirit—a joyful, honest, and sharply observant reflection of what it means to grow into oneself, and to do so with grace, grit, and a perfectly timed joke.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & Harry N. Abrams for the audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is book 100 of 2025 for me and I am so glad it was one I loved by a person I have grown to admire since first meeting Dylan on her first day of girlhood on TikTok! I was instantly drawn to Dylan back then and have loved following her journey through girlhood and womanhood. She is a fascinating person and, just like her TikToks, this audiobook felt like listening to a friend tell me a story. This book is full of queer joy and trans joy (and millennial joy…which I loved as a queer millennial myself) while being very real and raw when it comes to the more challenging parts of Dylan’s life. I appreciated her vulnerability. Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC!

I’ve been following Dylan on TikTok since the early days of girlhood so I was so exited to listen to her book. I loved getting to hear more context and background for so many of the little snippets of her life I’ve seen over the years. The audiobook felt more like a phone call with a friend rather than a typical audiobook. I would definitely recommend!!

Dylan Mulvaney’s,PaperDoll, is her first foray into the world of long form writing and it’s a beautiful story of how her life to to this point told in a diary entry format. The memoir captures Dylan’s first days of girlhood-the good, the bad, and the ugly, and reflects back on the moments that got them to present day. The audiobook version allows the reader to really get a sense of Dylan’s world, especially where she sings/reacts-if you are a musical theatre person, highly recommend listening!

I appreciate the authenticity of Dylan’s storytelling as she shares the less glamorous parts of the spotlight-she does not paint herself in a glamorous light in every moment and owns missteps- something that is powerful to listen to. Thank you Dylan, for sharing your journey with us-and leaving us with some optimism for the future, And thank you for this advanced copy of the Paper Doll!

*Paper Doll* is a bold, unflinching, and often funny glimpse into Dylan Mulvaney’s life both before and after stepping into the public eye. Her signature warmth and candor shine through every page, making this feel like a long, heartfelt conversation with a friend who’s lived through both the spotlight and the storm.

What I appreciated most was how Dylan balances vulnerability with humor. She doesn’t shy away from the darker parts—the hate, the backlash, the media frenzy—but she also never lets those moments define her. Instead, she keeps her focus on joy, self-discovery, and resilience. Her reflections on transition, family, fame, and identity feel refreshingly honest and deeply personal.

At times, the pacing dips or the narrative feels a bit scattered (hence the four stars instead of five), but overall, this is a meaningful, empowering read. It's a reminder of the importance of living authentically, even when the world tries to shut you down. Dylan’s voice is one of celebration, resistance, and hope—and it’s exactly the kind of storytelling we need more of.

I have never been a big Dylan Mulvaney fan, but have always loved watching her day of girlhood videos. This books opened my eyes up to the beauty that is Dylan Mulvaney and showed me her girlhood from a deeper perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone and would love love love to reread it again!

I found Dylan when she was very early on in her journey of being a girl and immediately fell in love with her personality. In her book, she gives an honest and open reflection on her first year of being a girl. There were so many things I did not know about the transition period that she really educated me on and a lot of perspectives I never really thought about as a cisgender woman. I watched many of her videos during her first year and still learned a lot about her from this book. I had no idea she was a stand-up comedian until now. I knew some of the damaging things she went through regarding some of her PR campaigns but didn't know from her own perspective how these things affected her so much. She is really an inspirational woman and I can't wait to see where else her journey takes her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

While i can see that this isn't for everyone, i definitely enjoyed it, Late bloomers come in all forms, and it was a delight to hear in her own authentic voice how she views herself and her transition. Not everyone will vibe with the flowy, stylized voice of this book, but for anyone who has followed Dyan, it is very true to herself.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great book by Dylan Mulvaney. I'm so excited to see what else Dylan does in the future as I have been following them for years and love their content.

Loved this emotional insight into one of my favourite celebrities.

Vulnerable, heartfelt and eye-opening. I loved this mix of humour and raw family relationships. I don't usually read celeb memoirs but this is one I fully recommend 💞

4.5 stars!

Huge Dylan fan, even bigger fan now! I love listening to an audiobook, especially a memoir, narrated by the author so this was soooo much fun. Dylan’s personality and sparkle really comes across in the narration, and even though I couldn’t see the illustrations I could really feel them. I think highlighting diverse perspectives is more important than ever, and Dylan’s story is a refreshing addition that highlights the importance of queer stories. With all of the intense transphobia in the world, I think Dylan’s story does a wonderful job highlighting that trans people are not a threat or a problem, they are just people trying to live. I also love how it connects the dissonance between what we think we know based on social media and what is actually happening. Campy, fun, and queer, I’m obsessed!

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully done, narrated and executed. This was a fantastic window into one person’s trans experience. I love Dylan so much and I am so glad she narrated this. It felt genuine and full of heart. Knowing I’m not nearly as feminine as Dylan, I was worried it would feel too “fluffy” for me to be able to relate. However her relationship with her mom and her gender journey felt incredibly relevant. I was very moved by her healing throughout her days of girlhood. What a beautiful human with an incredible heart. A fantastic book to help people change their hearts or die. 💕

This was a really great book by influencer Dylan Mulaney! I was already a fan of hers, and I really appreciated her candidness here as well as her sharing all the ups and downs of the past few years. It was also great to hear her read the audiobook in her own voice!

<b>“Everyone hates women. Men hate women and women hate women. It’s the one thing we can all agree on.” -The Barbie Movie</b>

As a cis woman, I can genuinely say that most of these experiences are just part of being a woman, only amplified. It really hurts my heart that the progress of womanhood is set so far back by our own gender. Adding trans women to our ranks doesn’t take anything away from us. In fact, I think it’s helping us. It’s shed a light on already existing sexism. I really hope for a world where people like Dylan don’t have to be the guinea pigs or the punching bags. Especially over something so fluid as gender norms.

There were moments in this book where I felt like Dylan was a little out of touch, but I think she herself would be the first one to acknowledge her own privilege. There were also moments where I felt extreme empathy for her. How taxing it must be to be a social media influencer. How mentally exhausting it must be to be chronically online. Most of all how lonely. It’s really a stark reminder that you don’t know what people are going through.

As for beergate… fuck that beer company and fuck all the companies that have rolled back their DEI programs. This will come back to bite them in the ass, and soon. It’s clear as day that this is the conservative fascists last attempt to gain total and complete control, because if they don’t take complete control, we are going back with our liberal vengeance.


Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I followed Dylan through her girlhood journey on Insta and although she's a little extra (to my introverted self) I loved listening to her story and highly recommend the audiobook so you can hear it all in her voice! No matter what your views are, this woman is resilient, smart, and undeniably kind. Her journey was not an easy one but she made me laugh out loud more than once!
Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the audiobook for review!

Thank you to Netgalley and RecordedBooks for this ALC.

I love Dylan as a person and think shes amazing, however this book just isn't for me. It felt disjointed and all over the place, and I can't handle that in writing. I think that maybe the book should have gone though another round of edits, but I also understand that it was structured off of how she talks normally, so I can't complain too much.

It just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC!

I usually love memoirs regardless of its intended target audience, but I feel like the target demographic for this memoir in particular is very niche, and I simply don't fit into it. I like and support Dylan and wish her the best always, but this missed the mark for me because of the detached LA haze covering her life that I, as someone from a UK working class background, can just not relate to. It reminded me A LOT of Paris Hilton's memoir, and it wasn't a surprise when the Hilton sisters were mentioned in the thanks and acknowledgments. I enjoyed PH's memoir, but had the same issue with the LA vs ROW detachment.

Aside from the actual content, I found Mulvaney to be a great narrator. Her pace matched the high-speed associated with her TikTok videos, she was very emotive and brought life to the words, and it was easy to listen and remain engaged. Unfortunately there are some editing issues with lines repeating, but I'm sure these have already been flagged in a QC.

3/5

P.S. The cover is GORGEOUS

What a brave girl Dylan Mulvaney is. I loved listening to her story throughout. Highs and lows and really projecting such a positive attitude is inspiring. Reading this book has reminded me of the importance in showing others you are an ally and speaking out.

Thank you for sharing your story - its just beginning!

5 Stars - thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

I absolutely loved this book! This was the perfect read for the Trans Rights Readathon. I think way too many people think they need to write a memoir for some reason, but if there's anyone who should it’s Dylan Mulvaney. She has so many stories — that are so important and deserve to be told — and she's such a good story teller. I loved hearing her tell it herself, but I honestly want to go buy a physical copy now!

Being privileged to have been born into my true gender, I cannot even imagine how many issues might other people have. This book truly opened my eyes that non-binary and transitioning people don’t just struggle with broad issues like acceptance by the society or the government, but they also have every day challenges, even as small as making a decision what bathroom to use in the cafe.
I had never even thought how deeply traumatic their experiences can be and how mentally strong one should be to go the transition path hoping that one day life will finally get easier and bring the true sense of belonging.
Thank you Dylan and NetGalley for introducing me to this. I hope that if I ever meet a trans girl I won’t misgender her, I hope I’ll be kind, supportive, and maybe even able to share at least one advise about girlhood with her.