Thank you so much to Red Hen Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions here are my own. This book comes out September 8.

I had to take a few days after reading this to form my thoughts. This book, while very funny and loaded with Gen X/older Millennial nostalgia, packs a punch for those of us that know what it's like to grow up "walking on eggshells" at home. Molly's ability to weave in humor with very complex realizations from her childhood was my favorite part about her life story.

I really loved Molly’s writing and how the story was laid out. She shares the nine moments that shaped her into a grudge-holder, many of which center around the very complicated relationship she has with her father, mother, and two brothers. She doesn't hold back on this either. And while I know we all have unique paths and characteristics, I think that many readers will be able to latch on to one, if not several, parts of her upbringing and go "no way, I felt that way, too." She also dives into her queer sexuality and what it was like to learn that her childhood trauma instigated her love life as an adult. This had to have been so cathartic to put down on paper and then also scary putting out into the world. But this book also offers catharsis to the reader.

While it's a memoir, there were so many times I was able to put myself in Molly's shoes and learn how to heal alongside her.

This book has confirmed what I suspected all along: being a teenager in the '80s was awesome when it comes to pop culture. I loved the world-building of this memoir, as I felt like I was right there with Molly in the streets as a kid, on the playground, and in a home that felt unsafe. I wanted to read more queer memoirs this year, and I'm so happy I was able to get this one on NetGalley.

This was an easy, though heavy, read. Molly takes us through the nine grudges she's held against her father throughout her life, but then shows us a light at the other side as she grows up and breaks the abusive cycle handed down to her from her family. I rooted for her and teared up at the end when she gets to release a lot of what she's held onto. I related to this one so much. My father wasn't abusive, but he was absent and also left his mark on my life and choices. I, too, have had to do the heavy work in therapy when it should have been my parents who did that before me and my brother came along.

I also felt seen when reading about her experiences with men before she fully came out to herself. I recommend this to other queers who want to hold up a mirror to their own experiences and to those who love memoirs in general.

Thank you to Red Hen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.