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It Gets Worse: A Collection of Essays
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2016)New York Times bestselling author Shane Dawson returns with another highly entertaining and uproariously funny essay collection, chronicling a mix of real life moments both extraordinary and mortifying, yet always full of heart.
Shane Dawson shared some of his best and worst experiences in I Hate Myselfie, the critically acclaimed book that secured his place as a gifted humorist and keen observer of millennial culture. Fans felt as though they knew him after devouring the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal bestseller. They were right… almost.
In this new collection of original personal essays, Shane goes even deeper, sharing never-before-revealed stories from his life, giving readers a no-holds-barred look at moments both bizarre and relatable, from cult-like Christian after-school activities, dressing in drag, and losing his virginity, to hiring a psychic, clashes with celebrities, and coming to terms with his bisexuality. Every step of the way, Shane maintains his signature brand of humor, proving that even the toughest breaks can be funny when you learn to laugh at yourself.
This is Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Running With Scissors for the millennial generation: an inspiring, intelligent, and brutally honest collection of true stories by a YouTube sensation-turned one of the freshest new voices out there.
Shane Dawson shared some of his best and worst experiences in I Hate Myselfie, the critically acclaimed book that secured his place as a gifted humorist and keen observer of millennial culture. Fans felt as though they knew him after devouring the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal bestseller. They were right… almost.
In this new collection of original personal essays, Shane goes even deeper, sharing never-before-revealed stories from his life, giving readers a no-holds-barred look at moments both bizarre and relatable, from cult-like Christian after-school activities, dressing in drag, and losing his virginity, to hiring a psychic, clashes with celebrities, and coming to terms with his bisexuality. Every step of the way, Shane maintains his signature brand of humor, proving that even the toughest breaks can be funny when you learn to laugh at yourself.
This is Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Running With Scissors for the millennial generation: an inspiring, intelligent, and brutally honest collection of true stories by a YouTube sensation-turned one of the freshest new voices out there.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2016
605 people are currently reading
12082 people want to read
About the author
Shane Dawson
6 books1,239 followersShane Dawson is a director, actor, comedian, musician, YouTube vlogger, and the New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Myselfie. He lives in Hollywood, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 807 reviews
April 12, 2018
First, a disclaimer: I am not a member of Shane Dawson's target market group. I'm a middle-aged (sigh) English teacher who prefers laughing to crying nine times out of ten and who values the Faith at which Dawson occasionally pokes fun. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have never seen any of Dawson's YouTube projects but had heard of his first widely read book, "I Hate Myselfie."
With the disclaimers out of the way, this was a fun read. I stumbled onto this book in a small-town bookstore on vacation. I began reading the first few pages in the store and immediately wanted to be Dawson's friend.
His voice is captivating, engaging, and, of course, super, super funny. As I continued reading (and finishing in a day), I appreciated his very clear warning in the beginning, that some of his content might be offensive or inappropriate. His target audience might not understand what could be offensive/inappropriate, but their parents and teachers will. Some of his stories are even touching--but with many laugh-outloud moments interspersed.
If you like funny--especially self-depreciation humor--and are okay with portions that are a bit raw and incredibly candid, then this is a fun, guilty read. Dawson's no-holds-bar honesty is refreshing, and I plan on enjoying his first book soon.
With the disclaimers out of the way, this was a fun read. I stumbled onto this book in a small-town bookstore on vacation. I began reading the first few pages in the store and immediately wanted to be Dawson's friend.
His voice is captivating, engaging, and, of course, super, super funny. As I continued reading (and finishing in a day), I appreciated his very clear warning in the beginning, that some of his content might be offensive or inappropriate. His target audience might not understand what could be offensive/inappropriate, but their parents and teachers will. Some of his stories are even touching--but with many laugh-outloud moments interspersed.
If you like funny--especially self-depreciation humor--and are okay with portions that are a bit raw and incredibly candid, then this is a fun, guilty read. Dawson's no-holds-bar honesty is refreshing, and I plan on enjoying his first book soon.
July 1, 2020
changing my rating and removing this from my favorite shelf bc i no longer support shane dawson. fuck racists and pedophiles luv
January 19, 2018
This book stays true to its title “it gets worse.” I can’t believe so many trees died to produce paper for this book. Those same trees would have felt much better had they been converted to toilet paper instead.
April 18, 2017
I can't give this book anything other than 5 stars, and why? We all have this misconception that people out there on youtube that are always smiling must have perfect lives, meanwhile ours must suck otherwise why would we be sitting at home watching them?!
I read Shane's first book and loved it, it was totally hilarious and had a mixture of stories about his life. But that was it, they were just a bunch of funny stories.
When I started reading this book I realized Shane had decided he was going to dig deep and share some of his best and all time rock bottom moments. That takes true courage. It doesn't matter if you love or hate Shane, to share with the world some of the stories he does takes true guts.
This book is hilarious all the way, sticking to true Shane Dawson fashion, even horrible things he will add comedy to.
The sweetest thing in the world is the very last chapter, written by his mother. She always wanted to be an author and I think she would make a pretty good one!
5 stars.
I read Shane's first book and loved it, it was totally hilarious and had a mixture of stories about his life. But that was it, they were just a bunch of funny stories.
When I started reading this book I realized Shane had decided he was going to dig deep and share some of his best and all time rock bottom moments. That takes true courage. It doesn't matter if you love or hate Shane, to share with the world some of the stories he does takes true guts.
This book is hilarious all the way, sticking to true Shane Dawson fashion, even horrible things he will add comedy to.
The sweetest thing in the world is the very last chapter, written by his mother. She always wanted to be an author and I think she would make a pretty good one!
5 stars.
February 7, 2017
I really think everyone should read this book. It was so hilariously funny, and so inappropriate. I really think everyone will enjoy this book.
This book goes throughout the book with memories of his past. It doesn't really go in order of his life, it may go from middle school in one chapter, then college in the next. Overall it wasn't that confusing
I definitely recommend this book!
This book goes throughout the book with memories of his past. It doesn't really go in order of his life, it may go from middle school in one chapter, then college in the next. Overall it wasn't that confusing
I definitely recommend this book!
July 10, 2020
Shane is a pedophile who spent half of his career in blackface. That aside, Shane is a fan of hyperbole and over-exaggeration. He's not a good author. All of the characters (yeah it's a memoir but the people he talks about read like characters because his narrative sounds so fake) speak in his unfunny, campy voice, just like one of his racist sketches on youtube. Even stories from his childhood just seem cheap and scripted and so ungenuine that I had a hard time believing that half of the scenarios he describes during my original (and only!) read-through. I originally gave this book three stars because it was 'meh' when I read it the first time but now that I'm no longer 19 and wearing rose-colored glasses, I realize that Shane is a talentless hack. If he wrote this entire book without a ghostwriter I wouldn't be surprised because it's genuinely that bad. His movie (entitled Not Cool if you are interested in feeling ill for the next few days) and his books are of the same offensive and sociopathic material that come from the same offensive and sociopathic person! Who would have thought! It Gets Worse is a money-grabber. Shane sells his precarious integrity even though his entire brand revolves around being 'quirky and relatable'. It's a rather pathetic attempt, which his teenage fans probably didn't even realize at the time.
July 9, 2023
this is one was only slightly better than the first one. this one had a lot more ableism. it was as if he tried not to be ableist, but ended up being even more ableist than he would have if he hadn’t tried not to be. seriously, the r word was used like twelve times in one chapter. come on. there’s a lot of lines and “jokes” that missed the mark or were just, “what the fuck.”
July 29, 2016
Shane has had a huge impact on my life for many years now and his videos have helped me more throughout high school than i can begin to explain. When the world was giving me a million and one reasons to give up, his videos still managed to make me smile, laugh and for a few minutes, not feel worthless and helped me to keep going. I can't thank him enough for that. Okay so the book! i loved i hate myselfie and this was no different, granted it was more personal, i loved that and i go through a range of emotions reading his books, I've both laughed and cried along with him throughout the years and have an endless amount of love for him and his family.
August 9, 2016
28. A book written by a comedian
I subscribed to Shane's channel a few months ago. Surprisingly, his videos (however silly they may be) entertain me quite a lot, and his humor makes me laugh... No matter how controversial or weird it is. That being said, I have to add that this book didn't catch my eye. I wasn't impressed, I didn't laugh much with it, and I came to the conclusion that Shane is way funnier in his videos than he could possibly be by writing books.
I subscribed to Shane's channel a few months ago. Surprisingly, his videos (however silly they may be) entertain me quite a lot, and his humor makes me laugh... No matter how controversial or weird it is. That being said, I have to add that this book didn't catch my eye. I wasn't impressed, I didn't laugh much with it, and I came to the conclusion that Shane is way funnier in his videos than he could possibly be by writing books.
August 18, 2016
I think I liked this book more than I Hate Myselfie, which I did love too! I loved the last chapter written by his mother! So funny and entertaining
October 14, 2016
This is one of the most funniest books I've ever read!
July 26, 2016
I love Shane so much. This book was hilarious and emotional. I'm so proud of him.
January 31, 2020
This book is hilarious, I laughed multiple times, I think I like it better then the first one. But I would recommend either of them to a long time fan, I don't think any random person off the street who doesn't know who Shane Dawson is would enjoy this. I'm surprised this doesn't have more reviews because he is such a big name now, but then again practically every YouTuber has a book out.
April 16, 2018
This book is great if you just need a laugh. It's a very comedic book, but also a very real book as it discusses how imperfect his life is. Some of these can definitely be related to, but other ones are just personal to Shane, something I liked. Everyone assumes all YouTubers have a perfect life, but that is anything, but true. I've been a fan of Shane for a long time and most of the stories in this he has never discussed or brought up in any of his videos before, which I appreciated about the book.
This book has the same concept of I Hate Myselfie, a collection of short stories/essays from his life. The nice thing is, you don't have to read both of them if you don't want to.
Personally, I think I Hate Myselfie was more comedic and It Gets Worse was more real, but they're both good books. You don't have to be a fan of Shane to read these, although, it helps to have some prior background knowledge before reading them.
This book has the same concept of I Hate Myselfie, a collection of short stories/essays from his life. The nice thing is, you don't have to read both of them if you don't want to.
Personally, I think I Hate Myselfie was more comedic and It Gets Worse was more real, but they're both good books. You don't have to be a fan of Shane to read these, although, it helps to have some prior background knowledge before reading them.
July 27, 2016
THIS BOOK WAS NOT FOR ME!:
I went into this book expecting raw honest biographical humorous essays with a happy silver-lining, sort of like Mindy Kaling's essays in "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)." And, initially the essays felt very raw. However they GOT WORSE. Delving deeper into the book the essays progressively began to feel more contrived. For example, many of the situations initially felt plausible yet later became so exacerbated and coincidental that they must of been fictional. I went into this book expecting raw true humor, and I'm not so sure of what I got.
Nevertheless, this book has great humorous merit, and most teens would love the juvenile humor. Shane's "YOUTUBE" voice definitely is expressed through his writing.
I went into this book expecting raw honest biographical humorous essays with a happy silver-lining, sort of like Mindy Kaling's essays in "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)." And, initially the essays felt very raw. However they GOT WORSE. Delving deeper into the book the essays progressively began to feel more contrived. For example, many of the situations initially felt plausible yet later became so exacerbated and coincidental that they must of been fictional. I went into this book expecting raw true humor, and I'm not so sure of what I got.
Nevertheless, this book has great humorous merit, and most teens would love the juvenile humor. Shane's "YOUTUBE" voice definitely is expressed through his writing.
May 20, 2018
Sometimes I hate myself for my OCD for making it impossible to put down even such a collection of desperately unfunny, cringeworthy, sluggishly written, self-obsessed writing exercises. Shane says that he doesn't listen to his critics, because his audience loves his work - this (and his obsession with bodily fluids and processes) makes him a direct artistic descendant of 19th century professional farters (google "flatulists" or "Joseph Pujol").
May 1, 2021
What would I not give to listen to this in Shane's voice!
The book is silly, heartwarming, offensive and fucking hilarious. Needless to say, I love Shane but 'I Hate My Selfie' was a better read.
The book is silly, heartwarming, offensive and fucking hilarious. Needless to say, I love Shane but 'I Hate My Selfie' was a better read.
August 27, 2016
A short, highly entertaining book that made me laugh out loud a lot and tear up a few times.
October 3, 2016
I've said it before, I'll say it again: This man is a genius. Full of nothing but love and hope. I can't wait to see where his talents take him next.
July 27, 2016
Don't get me wrong, I love Shane Dawson, but he's no David Sedaris (here's looking at you Publisher's Weekly...)
This book thoroughly impressed me with the rawness and frankness of Dawson's stories. In his previous book, Dawson gave a shallow description of his life and fictionalized stories of his journey into stardom. It Gets Worse, however, delves headlong into the struggle he's dealt with before/since becoming famous. For once, Dawson's frankness meshes with the weight of the stories he's providing (i.e. sexuality, eating disorders, being an outcast) and the essays work.
That said, it's still Shane Dawson, and un-apologetically so. Some of the humor is just a bit off-kilter and some of the stories seem a bit played up, but he's still a Youtube star; the end goal is both for his fans to read this and feel emotionally supported by/closer to him, as well as attract attention to his channel from people that may have heard of him in passing, but know nothing about him.
This book thoroughly impressed me with the rawness and frankness of Dawson's stories. In his previous book, Dawson gave a shallow description of his life and fictionalized stories of his journey into stardom. It Gets Worse, however, delves headlong into the struggle he's dealt with before/since becoming famous. For once, Dawson's frankness meshes with the weight of the stories he's providing (i.e. sexuality, eating disorders, being an outcast) and the essays work.
That said, it's still Shane Dawson, and un-apologetically so. Some of the humor is just a bit off-kilter and some of the stories seem a bit played up, but he's still a Youtube star; the end goal is both for his fans to read this and feel emotionally supported by/closer to him, as well as attract attention to his channel from people that may have heard of him in passing, but know nothing about him.
March 15, 2018
I read this again. (Also someone help me to title this)
I loved it once again. This book is such a funny read and provides so much insight on Shane. I love Shane and I have for years, I felt when I first read this book that it was a necessity. The second time I got to relive the emotion and grab it has on the reader. I am so happy I could chose this for my biography unit and love it rather than drag myself through it.
If you like Shane or love him as I do, then I would recommend this book. If you wanted to get more out of his life than what is displayed online then read this.
I know this material isn't for everyone. There is cursing, homosexuality, and more things that could make other uncomfortable. But, I promise even though it has all of those things if you care about it or not it makes a wonderful read and an entertaining one at that.
It truly does deserve 5 stars.
I loved it once again. This book is such a funny read and provides so much insight on Shane. I love Shane and I have for years, I felt when I first read this book that it was a necessity. The second time I got to relive the emotion and grab it has on the reader. I am so happy I could chose this for my biography unit and love it rather than drag myself through it.
If you like Shane or love him as I do, then I would recommend this book. If you wanted to get more out of his life than what is displayed online then read this.
I know this material isn't for everyone. There is cursing, homosexuality, and more things that could make other uncomfortable. But, I promise even though it has all of those things if you care about it or not it makes a wonderful read and an entertaining one at that.
It truly does deserve 5 stars.
Read
December 6, 2018This book was really something different. It was funny it was sad and it was eye opening. You go through the life of someone else. Someone who is now considered famous and see that their life is nothing compared to the way it was before. You can get some inspiration from this book and see how someone went through their teens.
November 24, 2019
It was such a joy to read this book, full of real-life problems and struggles, but also full of humor and wonderful moments. It was really relatable and interesting. Can't wait to read the rest of his books.
April 2, 2017
Loved every page of this book, especially the last chapter! Shane really needs to release another essay book soon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2017
Read this very funny book on Kindle loan from the library during two snowy days at home. I never heard of Shane Dawson but the book came up on my Goodreads, so I gave it a shot and so glad I did. It Gets Worse is a collection of very funny, very personal chapters on being the almost painfully creative, often obese, sexually confused, junk food loving, sweet and witty Shane Dawson through puberty, childhood, young adulting, YouTube fame, relationships, school, and more. I loved it. Got a little teary at mom's chapter (Shane lets his mom have the last word) and in other places, and laughed at others. Just one quibble for Shane's editors: there is no such word as "anyways."
July 31, 2016
Shane has outdone himself again with this book. I was smiling throughout the entire book, but my favorite chapter was the last chapter. Even though it was written by his mother (that isn't a spoiler if you read the table of contents first). Just reading the story and how she knew you were always going to make someone happy with your content, that is what a mother should do.
I love the stories and videos that Shane makes and I have never been more proud of him with this book, especially since it is in The New York Times Bestsellers List (CONGRATULATIONS!!!).
I hope he writes another book but the one thing I am looking forward for is the content he will make in the future that will not only make the fans happy, but him happy as well.
I love the stories and videos that Shane makes and I have never been more proud of him with this book, especially since it is in The New York Times Bestsellers List (CONGRATULATIONS!!!).
I hope he writes another book but the one thing I am looking forward for is the content he will make in the future that will not only make the fans happy, but him happy as well.
September 2, 2016
It Gets Worse is a must-read for fans of Shane Dawson, as is I Hate Myselfie. With a collection of personal essays and art submitted by fans, the books are very similar but hold very different themes. It Gets Worse has a much more serious undertone and touches on a deeper topics, whilst maintaining Shane's trademark crude humour.
For those who don't know who Shane is, it may be difficult to understand his sense of humour, but more so in I Hate Myselfie than in It Gets Worse. It Gets Worse reaches wider audiences, in my opinion, but is equally as great as its predecessor. I loved this book and continue to love Shane Dawson.
For those who don't know who Shane is, it may be difficult to understand his sense of humour, but more so in I Hate Myselfie than in It Gets Worse. It Gets Worse reaches wider audiences, in my opinion, but is equally as great as its predecessor. I loved this book and continue to love Shane Dawson.
February 7, 2017
I love Shane's YouTube videos like millions of others, but was ecstatic to see how well his humor and spirit translated onto the page. "It Gets Worse" reads like a darker, crasser Sedaris, but with just as much charm. What surprised me most is that this collection does not sacrifice a shred of vulnerability for its humor. More than a few essays uses humor subversively to render these moments of pathos with unbridled clarity and honesty. I absolutely plan to go back to Dawson's first book and hope he continues to write in the future.
March 22, 2023
This is not so nice. I hate people who's name starts with shane and ends with yaw . I shane yaw , go on record saying I'm a fat ugly, truly dispicable man. He should not be having a child, I much rather have trish take the baby. At least she would get attention. That poor cat #speakingfromtheheart #peta #savecheeto #leostandswithcheeto #shaneyaw #fyp #amercia
April 22, 2021
Any book by Shane Dawson I'm going to love it. I think this one was slot more personal that his first. I really liked the fact that he had his mom write one chapter at the end I thought it was super cute. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Shane or like to read funny nonfiction books.
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