Sunday 29 December 2013

REVIEW - THE "POOR ME" MANUAL BY HUNTER LEWIS

ISBN: 978-1604190748
ASIN: N/A
Publisher:  Axios, IBPA (Independant Book Publisher's Association) 
Pages, File Size: 65pages
Formats Available: Hardcover

BLURB from Goodreads
This book begins with the following author's note: "One crisp sunny morning I was surprised to find a package left at my front door containing this book in manuscript form. Its author included a note saying that his last name was Lewis, that he had seen a book of mine, and that he had decided to adopt my name as his own. In addition, he expected me to publish his (our) book and that the cover should be "nice." I have tried to do as requested." What follows this note is a rollicking fictional memoir that takes us through the ups and downs of the mysterious author's life. And what a life it is, full to the brim with every imaginable kind of neurotic behavior. There is method to this madness. In earlier books, including the best-selling A Question of Values and its sequel The Beguiling Serpent, Lewis developed a unique theory of the emotions. The " Poor Me" Manual further develops the theory and brings it to vivid life. This is fun reading. You will often laugh out loud. But you will also learn a great deal about the emotions and about which emotional strategies work and which don't. This book would be a great gift for anybody, but especially the teenager in your life.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
Being totally honest I thought this book was going to be a kind of "tongue in cheek" comedy/humorous. I wasn't totally sure what to expect but in my quest to read things "a little different perhaps to the norm" decided to give it a go.

MY REVIEW
I downloaded an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review and feedback. The cover has a man crying in the rain and I would have to say the image fits the "poor me" title well. The blurb kind of confused me a little, I mean the Author found this book on his doorstep and has the same name as the original writer of this "manual". Then I thought perhaps its within the humour of the book.Then I started reading and I have to be honest I did find the book quite odd. How can I describe the book, a book of "moans and groans" perhaps. There's lots of scenarios where you would feel "poor me" and there is some comedy as part of the book but to be totally honest, I sadly just didn't gel with this book at all. I did laugh out loud in a couple of places but felt I spent more time scowling at the book really rather than enjoying it. I actually thought this was going to be like a list of scenarios something similar to what you would see on Grumpy Old Men/Women. Maybe I had the wrong idea about the book from the beginning I truly thought it to be the type of gift book you would buy as a stocking filler jokey present.
I hate saying anything bad about a book, as it is something an Author has worked long and hard on but at times whilst reading this book I felt bored and didn't even feel that pull of excitement to read more of the book.
So did I enjoy the book? It was okay. Would I recommend the book? Sadly no. Would I read another book of this type of theme? I have read titles such as Grumpy old ....this or that. I also have an e-copy of Grumpy Old Menopause to read which I'm hoping to enjoy more that I did this one. Would I read another book by this Author? Truthfully going on my experience with this book, no I wouldn't. It was Ok hence the two stars on Goodreads.

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