I remember getting an ARC of Jen Lancaster's first book, Bitter is the New Black, clear back in 2005. Ever since then she has been one of my favorite authors. So of course, I was all over her new book Welcome to The United States of Anxiety, where Jen (I call her Jen) looks at Maslow's Hierarchy and how it applies to life today. She covers everything from Pinterest perfect moms to the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" lifestyle, and everything in between. All things that give normal people like you and me a serious case of anxiety.
Having read everything Jen has ever written, Welcome to the United States of Anxiety feels different. Yes, Jen does her typical footnotes, but this time, she includes factual pieces of information, not just her snarky comments. I could see growth in Jen with her opinion on topics such as politics and inclusivity. Her growth actually mirrors my own. I was shocked to see how deep she goes into these topics. Topics that I don't think she would have written about ten years ago, but it made me respect her even more for going there. The other thing that shocked me was how honest Jen was about her childhood and family dynamics, specifically with a toxic mother. I don't remember Jen ever going there. But again, it made me respect her even more. As a devoted reader, I appreciate her honesty.
Bottom Line - While it surprised me at the direction Jen Lancaster takes with Welcome to the United States of America, I really enjoyed it and respect Jen Lancaster even more than I did before. But make no mistake, we can find her trademark humor in abundance on every page.
Details:
- Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster
- On Twitter
- Pages: 288
- Publisher: Little a
- Publication Date: 10.1.2020
- Buy it Here!
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