If I had to summarise my thoughts on this book in three words, I’d choose funny, authentic and relatable. That last one in particular. I loved how incredibly relatable Rachel is. The way she writes about her anxiety just resonated with me. It even got to the point where I was forcing my husband to read certain passages because my own anxieties tend to manifest themselves in very similar ways.

I found it really refreshing to see Rachel tackle topics that are a little bit more out there, like way outside of my comfort zone. But these topics were dealt with in such a light-hearted and matter of fact way that I couldn’t dislike it. If anything, I felt like it reflected how authentic this book is. Rachel doesn’t shy away from being herself to appease other people and I loved that.

That said, I did feel more connected to the afterword where Rachel spoke about becoming a mother in the midst of the COVID crisis. It was incredibly moving and vulnerable that my eyes welled up with tears. So I think that this could have been a five star read if that same vulnerability had filtered through in the rest of the book but ultimately I did really enjoy it.

I am a huge fan of Rachel Bloom from watching Crazy Ex Girlfriend, I love her humour and I love how brutally honest she is when talking about topics like mental health, sex etc.
And this book is no different!
Rachel had me laughing out loud on many occasions (and cringing in a few)
She is brutally honest and not afraid to speak openly about subjects many people avoid.

If you have ever felt out of place, odd or weird, then this book is for you!

It's refreshing to read something that you can tell was written with no filter and no holding back!

Absolutely loved this collection of essays (which do not read like essays)

I Want To Be Where The Normal People are is a collection of essays and musings by Rachel Bloom. I haven't yet watched Crazy Ex Girlfriend but its on my list so I really fancied reading this. I found it highly enjoyable and will be definitely watching the show ASAP. It's funny and a brilliant read that isn't just for fans of the show. Would definitely recommend.

What is normal exactly? Why strive for normality? …Should you?

Rachel’s voice is loud and clear from the first lines of the book. I’ve been missing it since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend aired its final episode last April. Of course, I have re-watched the show at least four times since, but the difference here is – this time she’s talking right to me, in my head, and it is like being part of this newfound Friendtopia. It’s just only one of us knows about it.

If you haven’t watched the series, go watch it, it’s on Netflix. If you have, you’ll find that a lot of things that Rebecca Bunch does or that are happening to her have real-life origins, inspired by one Rachel Bloom. She writes about the things that could have broken her, but didn’t, in a very funny and raw way, and she doesn’t hold back.

Before we proceed, I would like to give a shoutout to page 25 because that is some solid, ingenious advice right there, and page 193 (you’ll know when you know).

“If you’re a person of substance, you are going to get bullied in school.” Rachel Bloom has a very distinct sense of humour, and, yes, this book is a kind of ultimate revenge on her bullies. But not really. It’s like listening to a friend tell you her life story and you picking out the things that are similar to your own experience. As a result, you might find a lot of revelations here, not just about Rachel, but yourself through Rachel’s narrative. Also, just so you know, to experience these revelations, it is essential that you don’t consider (and have never actually considered) yourself normal.

Rachel also mentions the story behind her tribute video to Ray Bradbury that first got her noticed, “in which I wanted to explore the contrast between how the world appeared and how it actually was”. To me, this summarises the whole tone of this book and the message behind it. Heartfelt. Honest. Genuine. And funny as hell.

I adore Crazy Ex Girlfriend and this book was exactly what I needed it to be. Would highly recommend.

A title that is a reference to “The little mermaid”, a cover inspired by “The babysitters club” covers and an author whose tv-show “Crazy ex-girlfriend” I absolutely adored. This book was made for me!

In this collection of essays, where the overall theme is being the weird kid among the “normal” people (who would want to be normal and boring when you can be a flamboyant and fabulous theater kid?), the author writes about a series of issues like dealing with bullies, insecurity, fame and mental health and her struggles with OCD, anxiety and insomnia.

Though some are pretty serious topics, she writes about them in a very honest way, no sugarcoating her experiences, and I found that very refreshing. Mental health is still a taboo and it’s not everyday that you find a famous person talking about her mental health issues and telling it like it is.

Other essays dealt with lighter topics. A princess fairy tale, a Harry Potter fan fiction, an amusement park map guide map, and some stories about how “Crazy ex-girlfriend” was created and how it changed her life (I really liked those insights into show business). Some of them were hilarious! I’m still laughing about the pooping thing 😂

But if there was a truly relatable moment for me was the sobbing when they sing “the orphanage” in Hamilton (I just get goosebumps thinking about it).

If you are a fan of Rachel Bloom or “Crazy ex-girlfriend” you’re gonna love this book, as you’ll discover a very down to earth person with a great sense of humor and lots of talent (whatever that egg on twitter said!).

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton/Coronet for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and engaging read which made me laugh out loud, and at other times packed quite a punch (some sections in particular hit a little close to home for me!). The different techniques used (fairytales, interviews with past/future selves, etc.) at more open parts of the book sometimes distracted me from really connecting with them, but overall I was gripped right the way through.