Uncle of the Year was a hilarious, witty, and reflective memoir. I first became aware of Andy Rannells through his role as Elder Price and jumped at the chance to read this book. His writing is as brilliant as his singing! Rannells touches on a number of topics like his rise through acting, unbelievable situations that have happened along the way, and what one truly needs to feel like an adult (owning a washer/dryer in unit? Maybe!).

Rannells is incredibly open and honest in his reflections. I loved the Mystic Pizza references!! We truly need more of them in the zeitgeist. I particularly appreciated his reflections on what it means to grow up gay/queer, especially in the Midwest, he absolutely nailed “the Best Little Boy in the World” phenomenon. One of my favorite stories was Always Sit Next to Mark Ruffalo. It was so interesting to see behind the scenes of the award circuit and how people looked out for each other even if they didn’t know each other. I can’t wait to read/see whatever Andy Rannells does next! If you’ve seen Book of Mormon, ever been a theatre kid, or just want to read a very excellent memoir- check out Uncle of the Year! 

Thank you so much to Andrew Rannells, Crown Publishing, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.