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Loading... I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselvesby Ryan O'Connell
   None No current Talk conversations about this book. 1   HaroldMillican | Dec 15, 2019 |   For his job, he says he writes a lot of viral, filler articles that don't say much. It certainly shows in this book as there are a decent number of filler chapters that, although mildly interesting, don't seem to serve much purpose. The takeaways I got from reading this was many Millennials grow up being constantly praised and validated by their parents and people around them. Unfortunately, many then aren't able to find their self worth themselves and then turn to drugs, both legal and illegal, putting up a false image online, etc. Apparently it's a bit harder for a gay guy who isn't prime meat because it's hard to find someone who is internally stable who wants a committed and intimate relationship. Even if they do find one, many people self destruct the relationship because of their own insecurities. Overall, I would say this book was worth to read if you want to get in the mind of a gay guy growing up and find out how things work in the gay community. (  ) kikowatzy | Jun 12, 2015 | no reviews | add a review
Notable Lists
"This hilarious part-memoir, part-manifesto reveals what sets apart the latest generation of young people coming of age in an all-wired, overeducated, and underemployed world. People are obsessed with Ryan O'Connell's blogs. With tens of thousands reading his pieces on Thought Catalog and Vice, watching his videos on YouTube, and hanging on to each and every #dark tweet, Ryan has established himself as a unique young voice who's not afraid to dole out some real talk. He's that candid, snarky friend you consult when you fear you're spending too much time falling down virtual k-holes stalking your ex on Facebook or when you've made the all-too-common mistake of befriending a psycho while wasted at last night's party and need to find a way to get rid of them the next morning. But Ryan didn't always have the answers to these modern day dilemmas. Growing up gay and disabled with cerebral palsy, he constantly felt like he was one step behind everybody else. Then the rude curveball known as your twenties happened and things got even more confusing. Ryan spent years as a Millennial cliche: he had dead-end internships; dabbled in unemployment; worked in his pajamas as a blogger; communicated mostly via text; looked for love online; spent hundreds on "necessary" items, like candles, while claiming to have no money; and even descended into aimless pill-popping. But through extensive trial and error, Ryan eventually figured out how to take his life from bleak to chic and began limping towards adulthood. Sharp and entertaining, I'm Special will educate twentysomethings (or other adolescents-at-heart) on what NOT to do if they ever want to become happy fully functioning grown ups with a 401k and a dog"-- No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)818.602Literature English (North America) Authors, American and American miscellany 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.19)
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Wikipedia in English
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I haven't been this disappointed since "Boy Erased." But I should have trusted my gut when I concluded the Netflix series upon which this memoir is based.
We expect a conversation about Cerebral Palsy. Instead, we get a frank discussion about gay male sexuality, prescription substance dependency, and white male privilege. It's not all bad. Ryan has a powerful discourse about the categorization of GLBT sexual tastes and culture. But if you're a lesbian or even remotely more analytic, you'll get bored with all the Adam Sandler-esque references to sexual climax and or ejaculation. There are times when he's mature. He will make obscure references to alcoholic and neurotic artists of the 90s and 2000s. Your mouth might fly open if you're expecting a safe, respectful reading experience.
Why do I say it's quite privileged and white? Although Ryan suffers from single parent upbringing. He is very white and quite Californian. These facts don't undercut his struggle to write, to have voice, or to be common. But his universal struggle with image and identity can only go so far. I get the whole "feeling invisible" and relying on "girlfriends" schtick. It just reads as a bit, entitled.
Surely, we are all worthy of love and respect. But I'm just a tad skeptical. And I have to wonder if this narrative just furthers the neverending schmaltz of gay white men who live for drama and deceit.
I was mildly entertained for the 2.99 I paid. But I would ask all people to proceed with caution. There's nothing "new or taboo" about a gay disabled person that routinely practices self-deprecation. At least our hero learned something. (