Book Review: This Is Really Happening by Erin Chack

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This Is Really Happening
Author: Erin Chack
Reading Level: New Adult-ish
Genre: Nonfiction
Released: April 25th 2017
Review Source: Razorbill

BuzzFeed senior writer Erin Chack provides a collection of personal essays for the Snapchat generation.

Erin recounts everything from meeting her soulmate at age 14 to her first chemotherapy session at age 19 to what really goes on behind the scenes at a major Internet media company.

She authentically captures the agony and the ecstasy of the millennial experience, whether it's her first kiss ("Sean's tongue! In my mouth! Slippery and wet like a slug in the rain.") or her struggles with anxiety ("When people throw caution to the wind, I am stuck imagining the poor soul who has to break his back sweeping caution into a dustpan").

Yet Erin also offers a fresh perspective on universal themes of resilience and love as she writes about surviving cancer, including learning of her mother's own cancer diagnosis within the same year, and her attempts to hide the diagnosis from friends to avoid "un-normaling" everything.

This Is Really Happening is a collection of stories read with ease and eagerness. I love how easy and short this story is. Perfect for summer! I loved how one moment I was laughing out loud at work only to be shedding tears minutes later then going back to laughing again. I enjoyed it so much that I hope EVERYONE reads it. To be honest, I already lend it to two people because I wanted them to read it as well.

This Is Really Happening is very honest. I was not aware Chack is a writer for Buzzfeed and OMG I died laughing at her honesty. For example, at a young age, Chack had to tell people she had cancer. Not only did she make you sympathize with her situation but she mentioned the awkwardness of it... and still manage to put her sense of humor. In short terms, this books is a mixed of funny stories with a touch of her life experiences. And who would've thought it would be THIS interesting?

Chack, a senior writer at Buzzfeed, shares what is like to work in making other people laugh... and others not so much. You would think everyone reading Buzzfeed articles would enjoy them, but to have someone say some negative about it... it's unimaginable. So she does mentions how she copes with the negativity of the web. Her authenticity is unique. Her writing is not like any memoirs I've read and it threw me off and I really enjoyed it.

I don't want to repeat myself but if I must, then I will. EVERYONE should read this book. It's full of guts and feels. To top it off, it's short and sweet. So go on, get a copy.