Wow, No Thank You. is a perfect humorous escape from our dreary times. Irby is so damn funny. In these essays, Irby uses hilarious self-deprecation and consistently relatable insights to bring humor to the bad parts of life, all anchored by the drudgery of adulthood. She uses this framework to cover a wide variety of topics, such as the panic and dread that come with preparing for a night on the town as a homebody, her love for her phone, the infinite questions which come with owning and maintaining home (so relatable - I don’t know anything either), her typical daily routine and bodily functions, and her experience working on the Hulu show “Shrill.” Irby often uses lists in her essays to side-splitting effect - one of my favorite essays in the collection, “Hello, 911?,” is a list of 911 calls in response to awkward, anxiety-inducing moments that often happen on a daily basis. Example: “Hello, 911? What on earth am I supposed to say to this bathroom attendant?” Finally, I highly recommend the audiobook of this one - Irby narrates, and her delivery is perfect.

Wow, No Thank You was a pretty funny read. For anyone looking for a humorous set of essays to read as a means to escape these strange times in America, I suggest you check this one out. While some stood out more than others for me, I believe there's a little something in this collection for everyone. This is my first Samantha Irby read, but won't be my last. Will be getting familiar with her other collections asap!

3.5 Stars

A hilarious new title from Irby. Perfect for classes on humor/essay writing, and just for the average person to read and laugh hysterically. Highly recommended!

Samantha Irby’s latest does not disappoint! How is she so real and funny??! This was the perfect read while housebound and stressed. A++

The title says it all. Clearly I am not the target audience for this piece, but I can only give my opinion. My general impression was the author is trying too hard. The rapid-fire barrage of self-deprecating insults and trying-to-shock situations came off as embarrassing, rather than provocative. I had hoped this would provide amusement in our COVID-19 time,, but the world of the author was too distant from my own to make connections. Readers from a different generation and place may have a different reaction.

Samantha Irby knocks it out of the park with this collection. It was absolutely fantastic and the perfect book to read during the Covid quarantine. I laughed so hard that I cried and I have been recommending it to everyone that I know.

Samantha Irby is simply the best. Her writing is smart, hilarious, and so fun to read. Another winner.

What's not to love about someone who thanks librarians and Luann de Lesseps in the acknowledgments? Laugh out loud funny.

Eleven I-know-I'll-reread-this-one stars.

I was a huge fan of Samantha Irby going into Wow, No Thank You (to the extent that I was nervous that I just...couldn't like it as much as Meaty or We Are Never Meeting in Real Life). But I did. I really did.

I felt so lucky to get an early copy of this title, but rather than tear through it right away, it became my "in case of emergency" book. Like, in case I had a disastrously long and stressful day. In case I was stuck on a hot, gross train that wasn't going anywhere. In case I couldn't sleep at 2 in the morning. In case there's a pandemic and my city shuts down and I'm doing everything I can not to be anxious about it, but also read the news enough to know I really should be concerned.

This book was the answer to all that. I am endlessly grateful to Irby for writing it, and will be rationing Judge Mathis recaps until her fourth comes out.

Thank you to Vintage/Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for a free e-arc of this title for review.

This is the first book I've read by Samantha Irby and it didn't disappoint. I love how unapologetic and authentic she is as she narrates and shares embarrassing moments and success stories of her life. I love her style of writing. She is very hilarious, entertaining, and full of surprises! Now I really need to read the rest of her books!

Samantha Irby has done it again. This is the perfect, hilarious escapist read from the never ending Coronavirus news cycle. It also might be the best one she has written. I loved reading about her career progress, marriage and family life. She has definitely come a long way and I have loved being a part of the journey

This is the first book of Samantha Irby's that I've read and I really enjoyed her take on life. Her thoughts on getting older and trying to still keep up with your younger you were spot on and she is really funny!!

Samantha Irby is a queen of her craft, no matter how self-deprecating she is about it, and I don't think any of us will ever have such a command of language or be even a fraction as funny. Those are just facts.

Irby is a goddess when it comes describing the universality of things we think that we alone deal with, whether it's the anxiety of awkwardly trying to grab lunch with a new acquaintance or getting your first period loooooong before you expected to. In addition to the humor, her essays explore some of the darker sides of life: Fatphobia in medicine, homelessness, crippling anxiety, and more.

I'm not really sure why this book didn't click with me as much as I wanted it to. Essay collections are always tricky for me, but part of the reason is most likely situational: The strange thing about reading work dedicated to the universality of daily life when we're in the middle of a once-in-a-century global health crisis is that nothing we're experiencing right now is normal. Some people will take great comfort in that when reading Irby's writing about the way things used to be, warts and all; others may not.

But it has to be said, since she has an essay dedicated to it: Irby's episode of the television show Shrill is must-watch TV.

Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.com/2020/04/wow-no-thank-you.html

Discovering Samantha Irby is like being transported to humor heaven. Filled with zingy one-liners about all facets of life, Irby is in rare form in Wow, No Thank You. The essays in the book cover an enormous number of topics, from Crone’s disease, to marrying a woman with children, to house repair, to being an introvert, to urination and poop. Nothing is taboo to Irby, and everything in life can be a source of humor.

The other day, my sister said to me, “You laugh inappropriately, you know!” Well, I have to tell you I did a lot of inappropriate laughing while reading Wow, No Thank You. Frankly, my favorite people are those who don’t take themselves too seriously, and if there is one thing that can be said about Samantha Irby is that she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

My favorite essay concerns her move to Kalamazoo. Wait??? Kalamazoo??? I live in Kalamazoo. How did I not know about her? Then, as I looked closer, she started to look familiar to me. Had I actually met her sometime? She describes herself as a “middle-aged depressed lady with chronic diarrhea.” Well, many of my friends are middle-aged depressed ladies with chronic diarrhea. Finally, when I watched an interview on You Tube, I realized that while I hadn’t met her, I instantly identified with her work and her views on life. On the other hand, I think that I may have met her wife, who is a Kalamazoo school social worker and works part time at our neighborhood bookstore, Book Bug. Actually, the book launch was supposed to happen at the Book Bug this week. By the way, you can buy an autographed copy of Wow, No Thank You at This is a Bookstore, which is part of the Book Bug. Kalamazoo friends, run, don’t walk, over there. Grab a copy before they are gone. They will curbside deliver it to you.

One of her favorite topics is her introversion. She says that she used to party a lot. “The only reason I stopped is because I got too old to do it right.” Being an introvert has become her theme for the interviews that have come since the book was released on Tuesday of this week. Because of Covid-19, she hasn’t been able to do any book launch events. Therefore, there are many, many online interviews. Here are a couple of interviews that I found especially pleasing: a written interview and a video interview.

When asked about how she was surviving being housebound for the past few weeks, Irby mentioned that she is the master of social distancing, so being stuck at home was not a problem for her. What being housebound offered for me was the opportunity to revel in Irby’s crazy humor, quirky thinking, and downright gross musings. Would that I had the kind of verbal guts Samantha Irby has! You gotta love her! The New York Times reviewer absolutely adores her writing.

Irby says that she has had trouble making friends in Kalamazoo. Samantha, I want to be your friend. Find me on Facebook.

Hilarious, raunchy, and unapologetic. Looking for a book to distract and tickle you? Wow, No Thank You is the one! I imagine it is positively fabulous on audio. Kirby's essays are raw and relatable and helped me feel connected while we are in quarantine. Reads a bit more like a series of blog posts rather than essays, best consumed in small daily doses, but certainly does the job of lifting your mood during this weird time. Keep it on your nightstand and start or end your day with a giggle. Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars

This is my favorite book so far of Irby's essays. It's funny because it's true. How was I supposed to learn about winterizing my house? Is sex really better than successfully hiding ice cream from your family? The distraction is timely and perfect.

With everything going on in the world right now, I needed to read something that would make me laugh and this was the perfect choice. I mean, the first line is "This book is dedicated to Wellbutrin."

I didn't know anything about Samantha Irby before picking up "Wow, No Thank You" but after literally guffawing throughout it, I'll definitely be reading her first book "Heavy." Long story short, Irby is a former blogger who doesn't shy away from talking about anything - her crazy sex life, her financial issues, her bodily functions - it's all very specifically detailed in this collection of essays. If you read the line "I am neither beautiful nor smart. My most impressive skill is being able to quietly shit in unexpected places" and want to know more, this is the book for you!

I walked away from reading "Wow, No Thank You" with valuable life advice like "' BE COOL,' I warned my inner tuna casserole. Nothing is more embarrassing than unbridled enthusiasm" and, more importantly, a smile on my face. Samantha Irby is the truth-telling BFF we all wish we had and through this book, we get to benefit from her wickedly funny and still heartwarming wisdom.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf and the author for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Samantha's third essay book is a balm to the soul in these surrealistic times. Now 40, married and settled in Michigan, Samantha writes about moving to a small town, homeownership, and the things becoming a published writer brought her. Like her time in LA writing for the new TV show Shrill or before that, trying to sell a TV show script/idea.

All in her traditional funny dark humor, holding none, baring it all.


"Writing a television show is like hanging out with your friends in the same room every day, arguing about what should happen on a show you haven’t watched yet. After the first week, I waited for someone to show up and tell me, “Okay, hoe, it’s cute that you thought we were just gonna let you sit in a chair and get paid to think about imaginary people. Here’s your scrub brush, you remember where the toilets are, right?” And . . . I would do it. I would scrub those toilets. "



Bonus: Sam shares her recipe for cheeseburger macaroni.

Hello, 911? This takeout spot doesn’t have online ordering.

Samantha Irby’s writing is incredible. She’s hilarious, raw, and so relatable. Reading these stories feels like you’re catching up with an old friend, not an internet stranger. I would highly recommend ordering this one (out today!) during your #socialdistancing time as a much needed break from real life stress.

This is the first I've read of Samantha Irby's writing and while I loved the title and cover (all of her covers are amazing) and the promise of refreshingly honest hilarity, the book was hit or miss for me. The hits were literally spit-take funny (cracker crumbs everywhere) and the misses were largely a matter of unshared context (the music stuff missed me) and some good, old-fashioned uptight squeamishness on my part. The publisher describes it as "smart, edgy, hilarious" and "unabashedly raunchy" — and that isn't just marketing talk. ⁣⁣
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Some of the hits: Her reluctance, as a 40-year-old, to leave her house and follow through with plans that seemed reasonable when she made them is basically me at any age. The "Guide to Simple Home Repairs" is a hilarious list of home maintenance questions laced throughout the narrative of Irby's various living arrangements through the years. Her time in Hollywood pitching her own show and writing for Lindy West's "Shrill" is a perfect outsider-insider account. ⁣⁣
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Content Notes: Strong language and very frank discussions of, well, anything. No topic is off limits. ⁣⁣
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My thanks to #NetGalley and Vintage/Knopf Doubleday for a #DigitalARC of #WowNoThankYou!