I read this not because I'm a huge Maria Bamford fan--I think I've seen a couple of reels of her comedy, because Instagram thinks that I want to watch standup and shows them to me--but because I've had a Bad Year and the title was immediately relatable.

This is a manic book, and I can absolutely see why some Goodreads reviewers noped out of the audio early on, and why at least one that I read said this book gave them anxiety. If I had listened to it, and if I'd had to hear to a violent tire screech sound effect frequently while driving my car, I would also have decided that the experience was not for me.

Fortunately, I opted for print, and found it to be an entertaining read. Some sections felt short and abrupt, the focus was more weighted toward her family than I expected, and "cult" is pretty misleading terminology (she means, mostly, twelve-step programs and psychiatric treatment facilities), but I still found it difficult to stop reading. It felt like having an aunt who's been through some shit and was giving me the insider's take on what it's like to be hospitalized and what meds will make you incapable of coherent speech. I liked it.

CW for discussion of suicidal ideation, but bigger CW for pet death, because you expect the first but not the second, and (to me) the second is far more distressing to read.