I really wanted to like this one, but it fell a bit flat for me. The subject matter (i.e. social issues, the environment, etc.) were all points I agreed with and felt passionately about, but the delivery seemed more akin to a standup bit. I think a little more nuance would have gone a long way.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an extremely witty collection of essays on current issues and concerns. As a really anxious older Gen Z this provided a sense of comfort, I recognize that I don't have to worry so much about the environment and other issues so much every day, This book didn't help fix the world, but it did bring humor into our hellscape,

A funny, satirical book that bridges a lot of relevant and memorable topics in an engaging way. A highly skimmable book that both makes me want to laugh and cry while reading it. 4.5/5

This was such a fun book. Sometimes it gets hard to see the humor within all of the darkness in the world right now, but Eli Grober does a great job with these short stories.

Knowing that other people feel just as disappointed in the world as I do makes me feel a whole lot better about it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. All of the essays were excellent but some really stood out above the others, including “We Must Give Equal Airtime…”; “Why I’m Doing My Own Research…”; and “I Am Simply the Small-Business…” Grober uses sarcasm as a bludgeon against a lot of what is wrong with things and he takes no prisoners. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the digital review copy.

This Won’t Help is a witty satire collection for anyone who’s tired of the United States government.
The book is a collection of absurdist essays centered around politics in the U.S. It covers a range of topics and characters, but always returns to politics and government.
Grober does an excellent job at picking out the root cause of problems in the U.S. (mostly the government and rich people) and satirizing it. He makes it an unavoidable truth that there is very little that the average American can do to change the state of the country.
The book does a great job of transitioning from comedy to tragedy over the course of the essays. I was truly laughing out loud at several of the early essays, but by the end, the book felt more like a gut-punch.
Unfortunately, I didn’t truly enjoy most of the essays. For the most part, there were just a few funny lines in each one, while the rest was just banter. I also felt that a lot of the essays were a little too long and lost their momentum after the first half, so it was hard to enjoy.
Another issue I found was that the book is almost entirely centered around American issues and politics. Even as an American myself, I found it a little hard to keep up with some of the essays simply because they were about topics and/or political figures that I have very little knowledge on.
I found the essays to be a little repetitive by the end. It’s fine if you’re only reading a few essays at a time, but it’s not a collection to sit and read in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Experiment, and Eli Grober for the opportunity to read and review "This Wont Help".

From a readability standpoint, this book was great. The formatting was easy to follow, and for this type of book It worked really well. It was easy to pick up, follow, and read at an enjoyable pace. I did find myself skimming through a couple of the parts but that was very minimal - and I think the likeability of a book like this is completely subjective to ones own opinions. I for one, enjoy this type of comedy. Content wise, although this was had great sarcasm and was quite funny throughout, it served as a frighteningly accurate representation of the world we live in. Which I think is why I loved it.

The format worked well for me. There were a lot of times I laughed and I was able to pick it up and put it down as much as I needed. Great book to take along if you are stuck in waiting rooms a lot. A few topics I glazed over, but for the most part I enjoyed being entertained. Found it a nice mix of memory lane, current times and what situations we may/may not find ourselves in in the future. I would definitely gift this book to others. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It’s not that This Won’t Help by Eli Grober isn’t funny. I had a chuckle or three while reading. But ultimately, it’s not funny enough to be a balm against the horrible truths that it plays with. In the end it serves to remind me of the horrors of the world without offering any relief, and these days it’s all too much. I did not finish reading. Unfortunately, the title rings true: this book doesn’t help. At a time when help is desperately needed. Even in the form of tears of laughter.

I agree with another review that said several of the topics were repetitive, but I really enjoyed the sarcasm and overall tone of the book. I loved the different formats of the essays as well! Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.