Am I There Yet?: The Loop-de-loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood

I wanted to read all the graphic novels that made the finals of the Goodreads Choice Awards, and that is the only reason I forced myself to read every word in this book. I had not heard of it before the Goodreads Awards (it was in only one of the half dozen libraries around me), and I hope never to think of it again after today.

I just really don't understand why this book exists. It seems a collection of random words and illustrations by someone who is not particularly impressive as a writer or an artist. Between pointless cartoons are dreadful essays that seem more like diary entries, packed with humble brags and self-help pseudo-profundities.

Mostly, everything on the page is just so alien to me, I would not disbelieve someone who show more told me it was indeed an artifact from outer space. The perfect example of this is an illustrated page entitled "WHAT SHaPeS YouR iDENTiTY" with one entry being "'WHiCH CiTY ARE YOU?' QuiZZes.'" Really?Being told your are Miami by a generic online quiz written by someone with questionable expertise and a desperate need for hits shapes your identity?!?! Obviously I am not the intended audience for this book.

And, as a minor aside, the font of the essays was ugly and small. The letter "v" was so rounded on the bottom that I mistook it for a "u" almost every time it appeared. I've never been a comic sans hater, but looking at this type gives me a taste of how those people must feel. show less

My parents married at 24 & 26, and they not only had, but had built with their own hands, a house that was finished before my mom came home from the hospital with me at 28, have had the same occupations since they finished high school (Dad) and college (Mom), and were able to provide just about everything my sister and I desired our entire lives. There were rough patches of course, they’re no longer together, but their lives were shaped by a different time, a different era.

To compare my life to my grandmothers’ lives is even more starkly contrasted. As millennials, my sister and I are mostly self sufficient, but there are definitely times when we’ve had to delicately ask for help. Our lives have been shaped by a very different show more era, and will forever be marked by the Recession of ’08. We will spend most of our young adulthood renting, we will postpone having children, if we have them at all, and we may not have substantial savings accounts until we are well into our 40s.

But that’s the path our lives have taken. It’s completely different than our parents, even if we wanted to measure up against their life paths, we can’t. That world doesn’t exist anymore. And while this idea isn’t exactly what Am I There Yet? delves into, the theme is close – your life is your life and we all live our lives differently and have to follow our own paths in order to carve out some semblance of self identity. If you’re looking to find some inspiration to be yourself, and even more importantly, to know that you’re not alone in feeling like your life isn’t following the prescribed path society seems to prefer, take a look at Am I There Yet? show less

I've been following Mari Andrew on Instagram for a long time, so when her book came out, I was so excited to read it. She did not disappoint. Those who know her from instagram will love the illustrations. Those who love memoir will love her poignant essays of self-discovery. It doesn't matter that I'm nearly 20 years older than she is--her insights and lessons were so applicable to my own life experience, and this is a book I'm sure to return to when I'm needing a lift.

I wanted to like this more. I love the drawings and have greatly enjoyed following Andrew on Instagram. The essays were not my style, though, a little more EatLovePray than I was looking for.

This is a hilarious mostly cartoon book for young adult girls and women tackling life's uncertainties, a guide to adulthood.

I learned of Mari from Instagram and enjoy her daily musings on life.

My book review is on my Youtube vlog at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmvCYnOfyTk

Enjoy!