This was a total delight to read. Molly's enthusiasm is contagious. Her childhood was incredibly different, such a sad start to it all, but it was fascinating. I loved reading about her love of acting and creating characters with such a sense of adventure. She pretty much just puts it all out there, physically and emotionally. I think she would be such a great person to hang out with.

Hello, Molly! ( I want to sing it every time I say it) is so engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for an advance copy of this book.

It’s always hard for me to rate and review memoirs, as I find it really difficult to pass judgment on someone’s life story, particularly if they are opening up about difficult times in their life.

HELLO, MOLLY is definitely one of those books. In this memoir, SNL star Molly Shannon discusses her life and career with particular emphasis on how the loss of her mother at a young age shaped her life and her relationship with her father.

The memoir is equal parts family story and SNL anecdotes, so if you’re a big SNL fan, this might be a good fit for you, especially the chapters on the creation of the Mary Katherine Gallagher character. The chapters are sectioned off into easily digestible portions, which makes this an easy book to pick up and come back to if you’re bouncing between titles.

The only thing I’d change about this memoir would be to make it longer. There were many times where a section would end right as it was getting good and I’d want to know more.

Wow. Honestly this is a pretty low key memoir, nothing too scandalous or gossipy here. Just a honest, moving story of Molly Shannon's life. I cried at a few parts, at the gently sweet descriptions of death and loss and insecurity. An easy read but not a light one, for fans of Molly's unique and heartfelt comedy.

Saturday Night Live’s Molly Shannon is famous for her funny characters, sketches and slapstick comedy. But this Cincinatti born actress and comedian has written an incredibly funny, inspiring memoir. It is quite the homage to her late parents, especially her dad.

As we discover in the first chapter, Molly’s life was turned upside down when at the age of only four, her mother, younger sister and cousin were killed in a car accident in which her father fell asleep at the wheel. Waking up in the hospital no one wanted to tell her what happened and all she kept saying was she wanted her mom. Her life and her sister Mary’s changed forever after the tragedy.

As Molly, her older sister and father tried to adjust to the new family dynamics, their father, who never really recovered psychologically or physically from the accident was at a loss as to how to move on. He turned to drinking and Molly became his best friend. He would get jealous if Molly wanted to go out with her friends and she would have to prepare herself when she knew she had to tell him she would be going out. He did not understand why she would want to go out when they could have fun together. There were times when anger would get the best of her father and he would lash out screaming. Molly and her sister became adept at knowing what mood he was in just by the way he would enter their apartment.

But, for all her father’s faults, he was her biggest fan. She feels her creativity came from the crazy situations her father would get them into and then get them out of. From the moment she decided to become an actress, he pushed her to pursue a career, telling her never to take no for an answer and just keep pushing herself because he knew she could do it.

So that is just what Molly did. After graduating from college in New York, Molly headed to Los Angeles where she began waiting tables and trying to find work and an agent. It was there that she began the creation of Mary Catherine Gallager, a young Catholic schoolgirl who was prone to anxiety and clumsiness. The tagline “Superstar” is actually a nod to a childhood friend. She even had her own one woman show which she would invite all the guests from the restaurant, (and even homeless people) as well.

She and one of her male friends actually had a hustle where they would claim to be calling from playwright David Mamet’s office late on Friday afternoons recommending each other to the casting offices and setting up appointments for each other. They would each have to get five meetings before they could call it a day. Talk about persistence and genius!

But then she was finally cast on Saturday Night Live where she worked with Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Cheri Oteri. And she became a “superstar”! That portion of the book is filled with wonderfully funny stories about how certain sketches came to fruition and all the back-stage drama that comes along with working with different personalities on a weekly basis. Throughout this time her biggest cheerleader was her dad who was still dealing with heartbreaking conflicts but was a favorite friend to all the cast at SNL.

As you read and understand Molly’s tragedies and triumphs, you also get the feeling after all these years that perhaps Molly is also healing herself and putting all the heartbreak behind. One theme throughout the book is her hope that upon reading, women who want to break into the business can learn that they must be more persistent and stronger and wiser as well as think outside the box when it comes to getting their foot in a door.

Hello, Molly is a fantastic memoir filled with heartwarming stories, some funny and some horribly sad, but certainly gives the reader a perspective into Shannon’s upbeat personality, her wisdom and her charm.

Thank you #NetGalley #HarperCollins #MollyShannon #HelloMolly for the advanced copy.

Hello, Molly! is a memoir by SNL alum, Molly Shannon and details her life and journey to the present. I adored the conversational tone which made it so readable. I had no idea of the hardships she endured as a young child who lost her mother and sister in a terrible car accident. She reveals her life in brief, often lighthearted anecdotes. I really enjoyed going behind-the-scenes in her life and rise to comedic fame.

Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I highly recommend this book! I watched Molly Shannon on Saturday Night Live and enjoyed her comedy - particularly Mary Catherine Gallagher "Superstar" There was always something so relatable about her in her characters and in reading this book, I feel like I got a really good sense of her life and experiences and how these shaped who she is as a performer, a mother, a daughter and a human! This is a book that definitely had me laughing at her telling of some of her experiences as well as crying as we hear about her family. Her mother and sister and cousin died in a car accident when she was young (also in the car were her dad and her sister Mary who also survived). She includes a note she found from her dad that he had written after her mother's death that categorized all the great memories he had of her -- I could not stop crying. I read this book in two sittings (I would have finished it but I needed to go to bed) so woke up the next morning and finished it -- I could not put it down. Molly Shannon openly shares her life and her thoughts and I feel it is a tremendous gift to hear and learn from her. Sean Wilsey is listed as the co-author and had written his own vulnerable and open memoir "Oh the Glory of It All" that I loved so much I read it twice - once when it first came out in and then again a few years ago!
I highly recommend this book to everyone -- you don't have to be a huge fan to love this book but after reading this you may just end up being a huge fan of Molly Shannon!

This memoir of Molly Shannon, best known for her sketch comedy on Saturday Night Live, really took me surprise by its candor. Having read a lot of memoirs by comedy writers, they tend to go for easy laughs, almost as if they’re trying to novelize a stand-up routine. Shannon’s memoir has a refreshingly different tone. Of course there are laughs, but overall, it feels like such an earnest look at her life’s journey to becoming a comedian, including a traumatic youth, a complicated relationship with her father and the struggle of rejection as an actress. After reading this book, you get the sense that Shannon is a truly kind person who cares deeply about others. Thank you to Ecco and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.

I've been a fan of Molly Shannon for a long time, so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of her memoir. Hello, Molly! is a great book...it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me like Molly even more than I already did. I love reading memoirs by comedians, and though this was definitely sadder than most of the other ones I've read, I really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book. : )

The number one genre of audiobook that I love is by far memoirs. I love to hear the author read their own writing and hear their own voice. I jumped at the chance to read Hello Molly by @theofficialsuperstar, Molly Shannon! I loved her on @SNL and I remember going to see Superstar in the theater when I was a freshman in high school with my tennis team!

This book starts off really big with the death of her mother and baby sister when Molly was just four years old. Her father was driving under the influence when the accident happened. The whole family has a hard to grieving and moving on which last throughout Molly’s childhood. She often had to be the parent to her own father when he needed guidance.

The book picks up when she moves to NYC for college and begins auditioning for dramatic roles. It isn’t until later that Molly becomes the comedy queen she is today. I love hearing about who she met while she was up and coming like Adam Sandler. I especially loved her SNL career and how she had to push to get her work on the show.

This book was heavier than I expected, but I loved it nonetheless. She has overcome so much and really had a difficult childhood. I loved that she left the spotlight to focus on her own family. My favorite part was definitely her trip to NYC when she was 11. If you read the book, you’ll know why!

Thank you so much to @harperaudio for my gifted audiobook. Hello Molly! is out April 12 and I highly recommend listening to it. It’s absolutely hilarious and heartbreaking all in the same memoir.

This no-holds-barred memoir by my favorite physical comedian Molly Shannon is as hilarious as expected but also deeply touching. Her honest description of her endless perseverance to live the life of an artist is so very inspiring. Brava!

I love Molly Shannon as a comedienne/actress and it was fascinating to read more about her early life and behind the scenes of her career. I had no idea what her early life was like before reading and it shocked me that she went through so much trauma and hardship at a young age. There were also plenty of great stories and insight into her career, SNL and so on. This was a well balanced, easy-to-dive-into and honest read which I’d definitely recommend.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Ecco, and to Molly Shannon and Sean Wilsey for an ARC of this book!**

SUPERSTAH.

There's only one way you can read that...and one pose and person that probably comes to mind...the indomitable Molly Shannon.

But far from the buoyant, bubbly, and wacky characters Molly played during her SNL run and in various films (remember her part as Josie's bestie Anita in Never Been Kissed?) Molly began growing up at an incredibly early age. On their way home one evening, with her father at the wheel, tragedy struck as he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a light pole, killing Molly's cousin, her three year old sister...and her mother. As so many in this sort of situation do, Molly jumped into the role of protector...but rather than protecting her older sister, she instead must take on the task of 'managing' her father, whose drinking can be out of hand and wild schemes can get her into trouble...but also make for some wild stories!

Though a good portion of this memoir deals with Molly's relationship with Dad, she has quite a few fun Hollywood anecdotes to share (and one disturbing one involving Gary Coleman...you've been warned!) I always appreciate getting to know comedians on a deeper level, and I have to admit I don't think I've so much as watched an interview with Molly on a talk show prior to reading this book., and in some ways, that was wonderful because I felt like I got to know her on a deeper level from the start. Since this is an uncorrected proof, there were a few sections where excerpted interviews with other individuals etc. weren't in their finished form and that did complicate reading, but only a bit. I have every confidence everything will be smoothed out and flow correctly in the book's finished form. For the SNL junkies, there is a fair amount dedicated to Molly's time on the show, as well as the development of the aforementioned Mary Katherine Gallagher (I won't spoil the origins, but I know I'll look at those sketches with new eyes after reading!)

Hello, Molly! strikes a fantastic balance between fun and emotional, silly and somber, all while maintaining authenticity. Jim Shannon would be--and undoubtedly is--oh so proud. Though she might not have a one woman show about her life out just yet...it DOES sound like she's found the perfect title!

4 stars

I've always been a big fan of Molly Shannon and her comedy (plus her mom was a librarian!) but this book just fell flat for me. I didn't care for the writing style and there were quite a few areas where the writing didn't feel as polished as it should have. If you're a diehard Molly Shannon fan definitely pick this up, but otherwise I wouldn't say it's a must read.

I almost never read celebrity memoirs but I HAD to request Molly Shannon’s, Hello, Molly!. Molly Shannon is one of my favorite SNL performers of all time. I just love how spirited and joyous she is without being in super in your face or obnoxious about it. More so I just love how she seems like a KIND, talent person and her memoir only boosted my opinion of her. Gosh, the life that she’s lived is so interesting and she sounds like a cool person to know.

I loved Molly describing her relationship with her dad - the good and the bad. He clearly had an effect on her and helped build her confidence and keep her kind and humble. Parts of the book were choppy - particularly some of the childhood stories. All in all I enjoyed this book and getting to learn more about Molly. I’m so excited that she seems to be in a bit of a renaissance and I can’t wait to see her in upcoming projects.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Hello Molly! will be available everywhere on April 12, 2022. I was given the opportunity to review an early galley by the publisher Ecco in exchange for an honest review.

This autobiography really defied my expectations. Knowing her from her comedy work, I expected it to by full of laughs and other witty moments. I expected some behind-the-scenes SNL stories, to have that curtain peeled back.

While there was all of that, there was also so much more. Right from the get-go, Molly lets the reader know this will be an open, honest, no-holds-barred story of her life. They often say comedy comes from tragedy, and her story certainly is an example of that.

More so, though, this book was a very easy, comfortable read. It was like getting together with an old friend who tells you stories from their life. "Remember when...?" or "have I ever told you about...?". From her entertainment work, you'd expect her to be a friendly, likeable person - and she certainly comes across that way as she unfolds her story. She tells it all like it is with no concern about hiding things (like her youthful indiscretions) or being concerned how something might come across. There is also some wisdom and life lessons in her tale. In a word, she is genuine - and so is her story.

Why do I love memoirs by comediennes so much?! Molly Shannon's book does not disappoint and I am so grateful for a book that I did not know that I needed in my life. I had no idea about her upbringing and childhood. **Spoiler Alert** Apparently she and I have mother's that both died tragically and early in a car accident. It was heavy in moments that I could relate in regard to her mother. I loved the relationship with her father; because who among us does not make discoveries about their parents as we all grow up together? Finally, as she writes about her relationship with her children, it reminded me to hug my children extra tight. #Superstar

I did not rate it with 5 stars, but that is more because I have the ARC and I don't have any pictures to reference as many memoirs do. I very much look forward to the hard copy to see more photos. This is a book one cannot miss.

***Thank you NetGalley for proving me access to this preview. This review is based on an ARC. In other words, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

What a wonderful insight into the fabulous Molly Shannon. She holds nothing back and she tells her life story of heartache, sorrow, and her desire to be a successful actor, the confidence she shows in herself through out is a testimony to hard work and perseverance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very different from what I was expecting, but it was still really good.

Author /actress Molly Shannon has lived so much life, and in this book she shares the "bones" of that story; the loss of her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a tragic car accident when she was just 4 years old, her "wild" childhood with a beloved father who struggled with unresolved guilt and alcohol use, the years of hard work that proceeded her big break at SNL, and why she's so thankful that she left SNL when she did.

The writing style of this book is unique; rather than stitching the stories together into one narrative, the memories mostly stand as individual short stories, and only once (and very briefly) does Shannon give advice to those who might hope to become actors themselves. (She also details some important lessons that she learned from SNL head Lorne Michaels.)

"Hello Molly" displays the most depth when Shannon leans into her complex relationship with her father. And while the book began with the devastating loss of Shannon's mother, it ends hopefully, with the fulfillment she's found in becoming a mother. I cried in the final chapters, and I wish Shannon all the best as she continues her journey. My next step after this review is YouTube- to relive all of those great sketches!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for gifting me this ARC.
#HelloMolly

What a delightful memoir. I was looking for a comedy and this tickled my funny bone. There are some sad parts, but that’s life. She seems like she’d be an awesome friend.