Book Review: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Before driving cross country, I made a list of audiobooks that I thought would be good to listen to in the car. The only problem is that my partner and I almost never agree on literature. It is for this reason, that I chose books that leaned more towards humor and/or memoir. This is not my favorite genre, but I was willing to endure it for a couple of days. First on my list, was “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea”. My partner is a pretty big Chelsea Handler fan so I thought I would surprise her with this audiobook. What I didn’t expect was that I would love it too! Her stories are even more hilarious than I thought and the fact that she reads the book herself just adds another fantastic layer.

Though Chelsea tells the reader many of her memories, this is far from a memoir. To say that she “tackles” issues such as sibling rivalry, incarceration, and parental discourse...is a bit of an overstatement. Her essays aren’t really about her reflection on certain events in her life as much as they are her witty assessments of situations. At the same time, they are incredibly compelling. While going cross country, we drove straight through a tornado warning and laughed the whole time because we were so caught up in Chelsea’s family antics.

Some critics have harped on her for being frivolous and offensive. While I can understand where they are coming from, I think they’re missing the point of this book. She is not writing as a way to overcome past hardships and search for herself. Instead, she is writing to be funny and most times she succeeds. Her insights and attitudes are those that anyone would have when vacationing with an annoying parent or complaining about a friend’s boyfriend.

Overall, her book is fun and funny. I will certainly pick up another of her books.

-DLP