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This Is Really Happening
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2017)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.
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.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2017
38 people are currently reading
4807 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
August 2, 2018
I've been waiting for this particular collection of essays to come out ever since I read the very first essay about a month ago in this preview. And This Is Really Happening really lived up to the hype I'd created in my mind. The writing was just as laid-back, wise, heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny as I'd remembered.
In this book Erin Chack 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").
And my favorite essays remain to be the first one, where she recounts the story of telling her friends she has cancer. It was so damn poignant yet Chack still managed to insert some of her whip-smart humor. And In “BURY ME WITH POISON IVY,” when she tells the story of how she met her boyfriend, Sean, in school over a decade ago. It was quiet and intimate and so similar to an actual YA novel because the author excels at creating an authentic teen voice. I loved it.
But my attention was held in particular by the sharp insights on every page. We have a broad range of essays in this collection: from going on a ten-thousand-mile trip and getting nearly attacked by a bear towards the end, crappy jobs at the age of ten and then the privilege of working at BuzzFeed, losing her hair because of chemotherapy, meeting her best friend while studying abroad in London, the stress of high school, getting pranked as hell on April Fools, “being frustrated with the version of cancer we see in books and movies” (!!!!) and The Fault in Our Stars, on periods and switching to menstrual cups, and a healthy dose of mortality discussion to top it all off.
The innovative and self-aware remarks had me enchanted from start to finish. And I also loved those inside scoops we got on her workplace:
“I saw John Green once when he came to BuzzFeed to be interviewed for a profile. I can always tell how beloved a celebrity guest is by counting how many BuzzFeed employees pretend to make coffee when he or she visits. The way the office is set up, it’s easiest to catch a glimpse of the person by taking a long, ambling route to the canteen. A lot of people made coffee that day.”
But the piece that stuck with me most was this next one on Chack's anxiety throughout high school:
“There were so, so many rules about where I was allowed to be and at what time. I was a compulsively good student, but the stress of keeping my grades up ate away at me until I started having panic attacks so violent it felt like I was leaving my body and watching myself drown from across the room. When I finally got to leave the physical confines of school at the end of the day, I went home to mountains of homework. On the weekends, there were projects and reading assignments and studying. There was always studying. That whole year I felt like someone was holding my nostrils to the surface of a murky pond and I could only breathe when I concentrated very hard. One false move and my lungs would fill with water.”
I think about this a lot.
Overall, the essays in This Is Really Happening were everything I'd hoped for: smart, conversational and powerful... Exactly what I look for in nonfiction collections.
4/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying This Is Really Happening, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
In this book Erin Chack 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").
And my favorite essays remain to be the first one, where she recounts the story of telling her friends she has cancer. It was so damn poignant yet Chack still managed to insert some of her whip-smart humor. And In “BURY ME WITH POISON IVY,” when she tells the story of how she met her boyfriend, Sean, in school over a decade ago. It was quiet and intimate and so similar to an actual YA novel because the author excels at creating an authentic teen voice. I loved it.
But my attention was held in particular by the sharp insights on every page. We have a broad range of essays in this collection: from going on a ten-thousand-mile trip and getting nearly attacked by a bear towards the end, crappy jobs at the age of ten and then the privilege of working at BuzzFeed, losing her hair because of chemotherapy, meeting her best friend while studying abroad in London, the stress of high school, getting pranked as hell on April Fools, “being frustrated with the version of cancer we see in books and movies” (!!!!) and The Fault in Our Stars, on periods and switching to menstrual cups, and a healthy dose of mortality discussion to top it all off.
The innovative and self-aware remarks had me enchanted from start to finish. And I also loved those inside scoops we got on her workplace:
“I saw John Green once when he came to BuzzFeed to be interviewed for a profile. I can always tell how beloved a celebrity guest is by counting how many BuzzFeed employees pretend to make coffee when he or she visits. The way the office is set up, it’s easiest to catch a glimpse of the person by taking a long, ambling route to the canteen. A lot of people made coffee that day.”
But the piece that stuck with me most was this next one on Chack's anxiety throughout high school:
“There were so, so many rules about where I was allowed to be and at what time. I was a compulsively good student, but the stress of keeping my grades up ate away at me until I started having panic attacks so violent it felt like I was leaving my body and watching myself drown from across the room. When I finally got to leave the physical confines of school at the end of the day, I went home to mountains of homework. On the weekends, there were projects and reading assignments and studying. There was always studying. That whole year I felt like someone was holding my nostrils to the surface of a murky pond and I could only breathe when I concentrated very hard. One false move and my lungs would fill with water.”
I think about this a lot.
Overall, the essays in This Is Really Happening were everything I'd hoped for: smart, conversational and powerful... Exactly what I look for in nonfiction collections.
4/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying This Is Really Happening, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
May 19, 2017
oh my god. i can't get over how good this was?!
so unexpected and hilarious. i literally had no idea what to expect with this book & started it on the subway and just kept laughing SO awkwardly to myself and getting weird looks (this actually happens way too often lmao).
full review to come bc the world needs to know about this perfection!!
so unexpected and hilarious. i literally had no idea what to expect with this book & started it on the subway and just kept laughing SO awkwardly to myself and getting weird looks (this actually happens way too often lmao).
full review to come bc the world needs to know about this perfection!!
March 23, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
I am not normally much of a non-fiction reader, but I was really drawn to This is Really Happening. This memoir contains a variety of stories, from Erin Chack’s experience with cancer to childhood memories. The writing is intimate and hilarious, which I really enjoyed. This is an inspiring and quick read that will definitely make the reader laugh.
This book has the perfect mix of serious topics and hilarious encounters. Erin Chack was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and describes the hardship of things such as shaving your head. The whole book isn’t about her overcoming this, however, which provided some comic relief. There are some wildly entertaining stories, such as the time Erin peed her pants in elementary school, which created a nice balance. It makes sense that this book is so funny, since the author is a writer for Buzzfeed.
One of my favourite stories in this collection is Find Your Carrot. This one tells the story of Erin sneaking onto the roof of a building and being overly paranoid about getting caught and fired from her job. There is an epic plot twist that I was not expecting at all, and I was laughing so hard by the end. I related to Erin’s paranoia so much, and I think that this story has got to be the funniest in the book.
I adored Erin Chack’s writing style. As I was reading, it felt more like a conversation than a book, if you know what I mean. Erin really tells it like it is and has such a funny tone in her writing. She has an interesting outlook on life, and in 240 pages, it really felt like I knew her personally. I haven’t read too many memoirs, but this one has got to be up there with my favourites.
This is Really Happening is a memoir with a huge range of stories–from serious to light and back again. The writing style is very personal and reading it is like an intimate conversation. I would recommend this book, especially to younger adults.
I am not normally much of a non-fiction reader, but I was really drawn to This is Really Happening. This memoir contains a variety of stories, from Erin Chack’s experience with cancer to childhood memories. The writing is intimate and hilarious, which I really enjoyed. This is an inspiring and quick read that will definitely make the reader laugh.
This book has the perfect mix of serious topics and hilarious encounters. Erin Chack was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and describes the hardship of things such as shaving your head. The whole book isn’t about her overcoming this, however, which provided some comic relief. There are some wildly entertaining stories, such as the time Erin peed her pants in elementary school, which created a nice balance. It makes sense that this book is so funny, since the author is a writer for Buzzfeed.
One of my favourite stories in this collection is Find Your Carrot. This one tells the story of Erin sneaking onto the roof of a building and being overly paranoid about getting caught and fired from her job. There is an epic plot twist that I was not expecting at all, and I was laughing so hard by the end. I related to Erin’s paranoia so much, and I think that this story has got to be the funniest in the book.
I adored Erin Chack’s writing style. As I was reading, it felt more like a conversation than a book, if you know what I mean. Erin really tells it like it is and has such a funny tone in her writing. She has an interesting outlook on life, and in 240 pages, it really felt like I knew her personally. I haven’t read too many memoirs, but this one has got to be up there with my favourites.
This is Really Happening is a memoir with a huge range of stories–from serious to light and back again. The writing style is very personal and reading it is like an intimate conversation. I would recommend this book, especially to younger adults.
March 11, 2017
Whenever an author is represented as a voice of all milennials (or writes "...personal essays for the Snapchat generation"), I hear a whisper that tells me, this is not for you. I am glad in this case that I ignored that whisper because I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one day. I had not heard of Erin Chack, an editor at BuzzFeed, because I never read BuzzFeed on purpose, but I hope to see more of her work in the future. While it sounds like a great job to have, the website is clearly not the best showcase for her writing talent. The essays in this memoir range from her experiences from being diagnosed with Cancer at age 19, to her experiences getting drunk while studying abroad, to trying to find a party as a college freshman, to perils in her relationship with her menstrual cycle. I have seen some reviewers dismiss this book as they don't see a common thread or theme throughout, but I feel like the title says it all. There are many times in life when we have to remind ourselves, "Okay, so this is happening...", and figure out how to move forward. Sometimes it's disbelief of devastating news, sometimes it's trivial or absurd, and sometimes it's just the awkwardness of the moment. It is all life and yeah, it's really happening. I'm glad I ignored the voices in my head and didn't dismiss this as being For Milennials Only. I received access to the galley for free through the First to Read program.
April 9, 2017
4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed reading This Is Really Happening. Erin Chack’s writing is clever and witty, and I easily finished the collection of essays in one sitting. While she is frequently side-splittingly funny, Chack also writes about her battle with cancer at age 19 so be prepared with tissues nearby. I needed them several times. When I started reading this book, I did not realize she was a senior writer for BuzzFeed. Having been subjected to hundreds of BuzzFeed quizzes and lists by my girls and heard about a thousand more, I loved the stories that focused on her job and the creation of some of these lists. I was also glad to hear how much she liked her job. With the recent spate of negative press for some of the large internet and news companies, it was refreshing to hear that BuzzFeed is a happy and satisfying place to work.
Every essay was fabulous. Frequently in an essay collection, two or three will not measure up to the rest, but in This Is Really Happening each essay held its own when compared to the others. My favorites were probably Don’t Read the Comments and It’ll Grow Back. Don’t Read the Comments focuses on how Chack creates the lists she generates including a list she once wrote about Malta and the publicity that resulted. She also addresses the anonymity the internet provides and the ugliness that it sometimes breeds when she details the criticism she occasionally receives. To help herself deal with the meanness, she tries to do two nice things for strangers to balance out the “Negativity Debt” engendered by the mean commentator. (I just love this idea). It’ll Grow Back addresses the loss of her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes due to chemotherapy. Having had several close friends endure this travesty in the midst of already coping with cancer and the other horrific side effects of chemotherapy, I particularly liked that essay and plan to share it with every friend who has had or is currently going through treatment for cancer. It’ll Grow Back was very moving and effectively grapples with the fact that losing your hair can be so much more traumatic than the fact that you are now bald.
My one complaint was that her language could have been better at times. I never understand the need to throw in gratuitous bad words when so many other words exist that can convey the same point usually more effectively. This idea especially holds for a writer at BuzzFeed who has thousands of teen fans that will most likely be reading her work. However, that is a minor quibble, and it didn’t detract much from her essays.
I highly recommend This Is Really Happening and frequently laughed and cried. Thanks to First to Read for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading This Is Really Happening. Erin Chack’s writing is clever and witty, and I easily finished the collection of essays in one sitting. While she is frequently side-splittingly funny, Chack also writes about her battle with cancer at age 19 so be prepared with tissues nearby. I needed them several times. When I started reading this book, I did not realize she was a senior writer for BuzzFeed. Having been subjected to hundreds of BuzzFeed quizzes and lists by my girls and heard about a thousand more, I loved the stories that focused on her job and the creation of some of these lists. I was also glad to hear how much she liked her job. With the recent spate of negative press for some of the large internet and news companies, it was refreshing to hear that BuzzFeed is a happy and satisfying place to work.
Every essay was fabulous. Frequently in an essay collection, two or three will not measure up to the rest, but in This Is Really Happening each essay held its own when compared to the others. My favorites were probably Don’t Read the Comments and It’ll Grow Back. Don’t Read the Comments focuses on how Chack creates the lists she generates including a list she once wrote about Malta and the publicity that resulted. She also addresses the anonymity the internet provides and the ugliness that it sometimes breeds when she details the criticism she occasionally receives. To help herself deal with the meanness, she tries to do two nice things for strangers to balance out the “Negativity Debt” engendered by the mean commentator. (I just love this idea). It’ll Grow Back addresses the loss of her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes due to chemotherapy. Having had several close friends endure this travesty in the midst of already coping with cancer and the other horrific side effects of chemotherapy, I particularly liked that essay and plan to share it with every friend who has had or is currently going through treatment for cancer. It’ll Grow Back was very moving and effectively grapples with the fact that losing your hair can be so much more traumatic than the fact that you are now bald.
My one complaint was that her language could have been better at times. I never understand the need to throw in gratuitous bad words when so many other words exist that can convey the same point usually more effectively. This idea especially holds for a writer at BuzzFeed who has thousands of teen fans that will most likely be reading her work. However, that is a minor quibble, and it didn’t detract much from her essays.
I highly recommend This Is Really Happening and frequently laughed and cried. Thanks to First to Read for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2019
I am at a treatment center filled with both lyme and cancer patients so reading about what some of them might have went through along with actually talking to them was interesting.
Anyone with an illness has gone through similar experiences and I thought it was well written.
Anyone with an illness has gone through similar experiences and I thought it was well written.
March 16, 2017
I'm technically right over the edge of acceptable age for Buzzfeed readership, but a fun and honest voice is universal and that's exactly how Chack communicates.
She's completely honest and open about her life and the challenges she's faced while being fully cognizant of just how amazing her life now is.
Hers is one of the best memoirs about having and surviving Cancer I've ever read. She talks about the ups and downs of it while keeping things in a positive note. She also keeps things light by not making everything about her Cancer. Yes, she's a survivor. No, that's not all she is.
It's a quick and mostly light read that won't change your life or anything ground-breaking, but you will definitely not regret the time dedicated to this enjoyable tome.
She's completely honest and open about her life and the challenges she's faced while being fully cognizant of just how amazing her life now is.
Hers is one of the best memoirs about having and surviving Cancer I've ever read. She talks about the ups and downs of it while keeping things in a positive note. She also keeps things light by not making everything about her Cancer. Yes, she's a survivor. No, that's not all she is.
It's a quick and mostly light read that won't change your life or anything ground-breaking, but you will definitely not regret the time dedicated to this enjoyable tome.
March 31, 2017
This book was really cute and really funny but I would only consider it a fluff read. It's great if you are on the beach or in the mood for something that is lighter but it won't stay with me for a long time and I was engrossed in the book.
January 8, 2019
OMG, I love this book! Why do I love this book so much? I don't know, but I do! So, Erin Chack, promise that you will write many, many more because I really love this book!
June 7, 2017
4.5 stars
I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up This is Really Happening, but I was intrigued by a memoir written by someone my own age, currently working at Buzzfeed (like a good friend of mine does), and presumably facing many of the same issues I myself, as a 20-something, am facing. I don't usually go in for memoirs or autobiographies unless I REALLY love the person (Mindy Khaling, Neil Patrick Harris, Cary Elwes... I'm looking at y'all) or the format is spectacular (seriously, NPH's Choose Your Own Autobiography is exquisite in every way and Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half is stunning and one of a kind). But I am really glad I picked up Chack's book because it was such a great [quick] read.
Honestly, this book felt like sitting down with a close friend and just kind of shooting the breeze together - the stories are often poignant and heartfelt, but they never really feel heavy, even when the topics are beyond serious. Instead, every essay is infused with humor and self-deprecating honesty that blends together to create something that manages to feel homey and exciting, warm and fuzzy and sharp and full of wit, all at once. It's quite an extraordinary feat to pull off, and one that I think assures me at least that this will not be the last time we see Chack's name on the cover of a book. I know that I definitely look forward to more insights into the life and mind of one of my fellow millenials (one whom, it can be argued, has a rather unique set of life circumstances).
Here's a taste at the wit and humor you'll get in this book:
“I’ve had my period over a hundred times in my life, and still every time it comes I think to myself, I can’t believe this is an actual thing that happens. It’s like once a month the uterus magically transforms from sleepy organ to dark storm cloud that rains blood for days on end. How is everyone so calm about this? Sometimes when I want to feel crazy I imagine a world that’s exactly like ours in every single way except for one tiny difference: periods don’t exist. I picture myself walking up to an unsuspecting inhabitant of this alternate world and saying to them, ‘Every twenty-eight days my vagina discharges blood and uterine lining for the better part of a week and I can’t stop it from happening.’ And then they start screaming, ‘HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?! SOMEONE GET THIS WOMAN TO A HOSPITAL BECAUSE SHE SHOULD BE DEAD BY ALL ACCOUNTS. WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY AND STRONG PERSON YOU MUST BE TO DEAL WITH THIS HELLISH AFFLICTION.”
But, at the same time, you'll also get serious insights into life:
“I actually find great comfort in the fact that everything ends. It’s the only fair part of life, really – that no one gets to stay. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many friends you have, when the time comes, you gotta mosey on, partner. And it’s sweet to think that most of us don’t want to go, like life is a party that’s too fun to leave. How lucky we are to even be invited.”
This is Really Happening is a fantastic insight into our generation, and just a fabulously fun read. For me, this was the perfect mix of serious and sensational - I now feel like Erin and I are friends, and I feel like I would be at ease if I ever met her. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Find me and my reviews on www.thebookshire.com and on instagram.
I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up This is Really Happening, but I was intrigued by a memoir written by someone my own age, currently working at Buzzfeed (like a good friend of mine does), and presumably facing many of the same issues I myself, as a 20-something, am facing. I don't usually go in for memoirs or autobiographies unless I REALLY love the person (Mindy Khaling, Neil Patrick Harris, Cary Elwes... I'm looking at y'all) or the format is spectacular (seriously, NPH's Choose Your Own Autobiography is exquisite in every way and Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half is stunning and one of a kind). But I am really glad I picked up Chack's book because it was such a great [quick] read.
Honestly, this book felt like sitting down with a close friend and just kind of shooting the breeze together - the stories are often poignant and heartfelt, but they never really feel heavy, even when the topics are beyond serious. Instead, every essay is infused with humor and self-deprecating honesty that blends together to create something that manages to feel homey and exciting, warm and fuzzy and sharp and full of wit, all at once. It's quite an extraordinary feat to pull off, and one that I think assures me at least that this will not be the last time we see Chack's name on the cover of a book. I know that I definitely look forward to more insights into the life and mind of one of my fellow millenials (one whom, it can be argued, has a rather unique set of life circumstances).
Here's a taste at the wit and humor you'll get in this book:
“I’ve had my period over a hundred times in my life, and still every time it comes I think to myself, I can’t believe this is an actual thing that happens. It’s like once a month the uterus magically transforms from sleepy organ to dark storm cloud that rains blood for days on end. How is everyone so calm about this? Sometimes when I want to feel crazy I imagine a world that’s exactly like ours in every single way except for one tiny difference: periods don’t exist. I picture myself walking up to an unsuspecting inhabitant of this alternate world and saying to them, ‘Every twenty-eight days my vagina discharges blood and uterine lining for the better part of a week and I can’t stop it from happening.’ And then they start screaming, ‘HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?! SOMEONE GET THIS WOMAN TO A HOSPITAL BECAUSE SHE SHOULD BE DEAD BY ALL ACCOUNTS. WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY AND STRONG PERSON YOU MUST BE TO DEAL WITH THIS HELLISH AFFLICTION.”
But, at the same time, you'll also get serious insights into life:
“I actually find great comfort in the fact that everything ends. It’s the only fair part of life, really – that no one gets to stay. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many friends you have, when the time comes, you gotta mosey on, partner. And it’s sweet to think that most of us don’t want to go, like life is a party that’s too fun to leave. How lucky we are to even be invited.”
This is Really Happening is a fantastic insight into our generation, and just a fabulously fun read. For me, this was the perfect mix of serious and sensational - I now feel like Erin and I are friends, and I feel like I would be at ease if I ever met her. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Find me and my reviews on www.thebookshire.com and on instagram.
June 13, 2017
Didn't know why to expect from a YA non fiction compilation of short essays, but was thoroughly surprised. Erin sounds like someone I'd want to befriend. I hope there is more to come from this writer.
July 10, 2017
My face spent the entirety of "This Is Really Happening" alternating between laughter and tears, sometimes both at once. I've read it twice, thanks to some long flights and a malfunctioning Kindle, and both reads were utterly delightful.
April 25, 2020
"Life is a party that's to fun to leave. How lucky we are to even be invited".
3.5 stars stars
3.5 stars stars
June 3, 2021
Este libro! ESTE LIBRO me hizo llorar 5 veces y 3 de ellas en el metro 🚇 fue un gran libro de principio a fin. Siento como si leí sobre la vida de una gran amiga y, al mismo tiempo, me vi reflejada en varios ensayos.
Espero que Erin siga escribiendo!!!
Espero que Erin siga escribiendo!!!
March 20, 2017
Everyone on this Earth has stories to tell and anecdotes to share. The ones that rise to the top (and get published in books), however, are the ones told with an engaging writing style that makes the reader feel included. This is exactly what happens in “This Is Really Happening”, a collection of stories/anecdotes from the life of Erin Chack.
One could call this a biography, of sorts, as Chack recounts 11 unique events in her life that come together to form a kind of coherent whole. From deep things like cancer diagnoses and relationships to humorous topics like being “attacked” by a bear and menstrual issues, each chapter brings something a little new and different to the table.
As a writer for BuzzFeed, Chack obviously knows how to create exciting, interesting prose and it shows here, as that is the true strength of “Happening”. Each of the eleven stories are so interesting, funny, and (often) emotional that one almost can’t help but be swept away and engaged in all of them. Even as a 30-year old male (probably not the target audience for this book at all!) I found myself equal parts feeling and chuckling all the way through.
Format-wise, “Happening” shouldn’t work as well as it does. Though technically a “biography” in the sense that it recounts the events of one’s life, it does so in such a story-by-story format that it doesn’t follow any order (chronological or otherwise). Again, though, Chack’s engaging writing style makes all the difference. Even though each story takes its own bend, I could easily sense the connection between all of them and, upon finishing the novel, really felt like I had a better understanding of Chack and the issues she discusses.
Thus, I have only high marks to give Chack’s “This Is Really Happening”. What easily could have been a discombobulated rant of personal experiences instead turns into a witty, emotional journey through the life of one woman and her multitude of experiences. One of the best-written “bios” I’ve ever read.
One could call this a biography, of sorts, as Chack recounts 11 unique events in her life that come together to form a kind of coherent whole. From deep things like cancer diagnoses and relationships to humorous topics like being “attacked” by a bear and menstrual issues, each chapter brings something a little new and different to the table.
As a writer for BuzzFeed, Chack obviously knows how to create exciting, interesting prose and it shows here, as that is the true strength of “Happening”. Each of the eleven stories are so interesting, funny, and (often) emotional that one almost can’t help but be swept away and engaged in all of them. Even as a 30-year old male (probably not the target audience for this book at all!) I found myself equal parts feeling and chuckling all the way through.
Format-wise, “Happening” shouldn’t work as well as it does. Though technically a “biography” in the sense that it recounts the events of one’s life, it does so in such a story-by-story format that it doesn’t follow any order (chronological or otherwise). Again, though, Chack’s engaging writing style makes all the difference. Even though each story takes its own bend, I could easily sense the connection between all of them and, upon finishing the novel, really felt like I had a better understanding of Chack and the issues she discusses.
Thus, I have only high marks to give Chack’s “This Is Really Happening”. What easily could have been a discombobulated rant of personal experiences instead turns into a witty, emotional journey through the life of one woman and her multitude of experiences. One of the best-written “bios” I’ve ever read.
May 15, 2017
Thank you to Penguin First to Read for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
This was a lovely, quick little memoir, and my only complaint is that I wish it were a bit longer. I'd like to know more about Erin's family, her boyfriend and obviously Erin herself.
I unknowingly first read a piece of hers on Buzzfeed and thought it was hilarious, about her boyfriend being her carrot, not her soulmate. I loved it, and when I found out she wrote the book I had lined up to read, I was so excited. I immediately dived into it.
Erin Chack is funny, witty, down to earth and inspiring. She's been through so much in her short amount of time on this Earth, and she's dealt with a whole lot. Her outlook on life I found to be very similar to mine, so I felt an emotional connection to her while reading, and the want to follow her work, so hopefully she publishes more!
This was a lovely, quick little memoir, and my only complaint is that I wish it were a bit longer. I'd like to know more about Erin's family, her boyfriend and obviously Erin herself.
I unknowingly first read a piece of hers on Buzzfeed and thought it was hilarious, about her boyfriend being her carrot, not her soulmate. I loved it, and when I found out she wrote the book I had lined up to read, I was so excited. I immediately dived into it.
Erin Chack is funny, witty, down to earth and inspiring. She's been through so much in her short amount of time on this Earth, and she's dealt with a whole lot. Her outlook on life I found to be very similar to mine, so I felt an emotional connection to her while reading, and the want to follow her work, so hopefully she publishes more!
June 6, 2017
At first, I wasn't entirely into this. Yeah, it made me chuckle, but I was looking for something laugh-out-loud-crying-while-peeing-my-pants hilarious. And then it happened. I reached the dreaded obligatory "Coming-of-Age-With-Gorey-Details" chapter. Every women's memoir/humor essay book has one. Most of the time, when I get to it, I role my eyes and think, "Here we go again..." I mean how many times can you read about blood shooting out a girl's lady parts before it becomes as old as a withered-up desolate who-ha? Apparently, the topic hasn't run its course, and Erin brings life back into it with flying colors. But don't take my word for it- go get this book, strap on the Depends, and have a good time.
April 25, 2017
I received an ARC of the book through Penguin's First to Read program.
I laughed out loud so many times that I annoyed my husband! I love humor books and have read quite a few, so trust me when I say Erin Chack's "This is Really Happening" is one of the best. Honestly, I'd rate it higher than Amy Poehler's "Yes, Please!" Chack's book will be my new go-to, especially for friends who don't read much. The chapters standalone, so readers can read one, put the book down, come back to it weeks later and not miss anything.
I laughed out loud so many times that I annoyed my husband! I love humor books and have read quite a few, so trust me when I say Erin Chack's "This is Really Happening" is one of the best. Honestly, I'd rate it higher than Amy Poehler's "Yes, Please!" Chack's book will be my new go-to, especially for friends who don't read much. The chapters standalone, so readers can read one, put the book down, come back to it weeks later and not miss anything.
April 15, 2017
First book ever to make me laugh! This book was amazing!! I think we always imagine cancer books to be very sad. Which of course cancer is one of the saddest things in this world. But this book was not focused on the fact that she had cancer, but it focused on how that cancer shaped her as a person. Throughout the book we learn about the amazing things she did in the past and present and how that shaped her as a person. I can't wait to go to book con to meet Erin Chack to tell her how amazing her book is. And I now also really want a job at buzzfeed. Thanks!!
May 25, 2017
Funny and poignant, edgy yet accessible, this winning collection represents a rare feat: a debut author totally in control of her voice, of her tone, of her gloriously witty prose. Chack's hard-earned wisdom and sterling sense of humor turns what at first glance might seem like a familiar survival story into a strange and essential slice of life. I was moved to tears; I laughed out loud; I was engrossed in the narrative and felt a pang of wistful sadness when I reached the end. What more can you ask for in a book? I hope this is only the beginning of a very promising career.
June 5, 2017
I absolutely adored this book. It was a book about cancer that didn't ask for sympathy or draw it out and use it as an excuse. She embraced everything and it wasn't even fully about that.
The essays were written in such a conversational tone that made it feel like you were talking to a friend. They were fun and interesting and totally perfect for any millennial.
The essays were written in such a conversational tone that made it feel like you were talking to a friend. They were fun and interesting and totally perfect for any millennial.
June 7, 2017
I wasn't quite sure about this book until I LOL'ed during the chapter about the menstrual cup. OMG! My co-workers must have thought I was nuts giggling and snort-laughing. Girl Shaped Tornado about hiding her cancer from friends, It'll Grow Back where she shaves her head after her hair starts to fall out due to the chemo treatments, and Why I Can Never Visit Egypt were my favorites.
June 16, 2017
After Josh Sundquist made "funny cancer memoir" a thing, along came Erin Chack to add her journey to this genre. Absolutely outstanding, hilarious, and touching. I read this book in one day and hugged it when I was finished.
May 28, 2017
This book is amazing and it touches your heart I loved it so much can't wait to met writer at book com
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2017
I really enjoyed this! I found her writing funny and witty. Loved it! I hope she writes more. Her style is definitely up my alley.
June 10, 2017
Grabbed this from audible hoping for insight into one of my favorite daily sites, Buzzfeed. I was surprised to find a funny and heartwarming look at life. It was a great listen.
July 10, 2017
This is one of those books that I had to force myself to put down. Such a great read and highly recommended.
July 10, 2017
After reading this book, you will feel like you are Erin's best friend!!
July 11, 2017
Enjoyed the short stories . Even identified with one or two.
Looking forward to more stories from Erin Chack
Looking forward to more stories from Erin Chack
December 17, 2018
Funny and relatable quick read.
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