BOOK REPORT for Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Cover Story: Senior Portrait
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
Talky Talk: Straight Up
Bonus Factors: Behind the Scenes, Feminism
Relationship Status: Gal Pals
Cover Story: Senior Portrait
Not that Anna doesn't look fabulous, because she does, but... what's up with the hand position? I can just hear that senior portrait photographer at Olan Mills in my head: "Now, rest your face on your hands and tilt a liiiiiitle to the left, just enough to look completely unnatural!" And you know that outfit seems like the COOLEST right now but Anna's going to look back in a few years and wonder why on earth she thought a blazer was the perfect compliment to frayed jean shorts. Seriously, she should've just leaned on giant "A" and "K" letters and called it a day.
The Deal:
On first glance, it might seem weird for a 31 year old to write a memoir. How much wisdom could she possibly have? How many worthwhile stories could be collected before she's even hit middle age? Well, when you're nominated for a Tony Award at 12, it's safe to say you're living a life less ordinary.
In Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick paints a self-portrait using a bold and colorful palatte: her childhood in Maine, the pursuit of her Broadway dreams, her journey into the depths of Hollywood, the challenges of romantic relationships and the role of celebrity. It's a candid (though selective) look into the mind of a straight shooter and go-getter, and just like the woman herself, it's a helluva good time.
BFF Charm: Yay!
Okay, I'll admit, there was a moment when I feared that Anna and I could never be bosom friends, and that moment was when she called champagne "the devil's work." GIRL, NO. But then I remembered a line from earlier in the book, "I really shine in a Taco Bell parking lot with a water bottle full of vodka..." and I knew we were gonna be A-OKAY. Anna is whip-smart, with a sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude, and her honesty eviscerates the potential for L.A. bullshizz. Even when she's talking about fashion, she's still self-aware in her appreciation of privilege, and while I don't quite believe her when she says that she eats mac and cheese in sweatpants at home, her personality, which she describes as "nervous and a little salty," feels completely unchanged by her increasing fame. Plus, she has a whole chapter on parties she fantasizes about hosting, and that's all the proof I need to know that we're kindred spirits.
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
There's a whole section of the book dedicated to boys (and the first page features an illustration of JTT, so you know it's gonna be good), but it's not as much heart eyes and stomach butterflies as it is assholes and awkwardness. Sure, I wouldn't have minded some juicy deets on off-camera flings or chemistry on set, but these are the pages when Anna's feminism flag truly flies (more on that below), so I'm not complaining. And she does throw us a bone with some Zac Efron tidbits, KTHX.
Talky Talk: Straight Up
The best memoirs are the ones that feel like an inviting bar stool--you sit down and meet a stranger, then by closing time, you're thick as thieves. From the first page, Anna's voice is strikingly personable and intimate, and it's easy to imagine that she's by your side, nursing a whiskey and regaling you with tall but true tales.
Bonus Factor: Behind the Scenes
You better believe girlfriend talks about Twilight!!!! She shares some great anecdotes from other films, plus an epic Oscars night and the time she got to kiss Orlando Bloom, but also TWILIGHT. This summation of her role is quite possibly the biggest truth in the whole book: "All I had to do was make jokes about how everyone was acting weird all the time."
Bonus Factor: Feminism
One of my favorite things about Scrappy Little Nobody is how sex positive it is. Even as Anna dishes on some of the undeserving men she dated, she offers an empowering message of self respect and self love. There's one passage in particular involving a "magic penis" that made me fist pump so hard, my arm was sore for days. She also delves into the double standard of niceness in Hollywood and why females are too often labeled as "difficult." Though Anna wrote this book before the the last few months of the presidential election, it's clear that she's a Nasty Woman, and I pity the fool that doesn't take her seriously.
Relationship Status: Gal Pals
Anna, we clearly run in different circles (I've never had to be sown into a dress, for example), but after reading this memoir, I feel like I could call you up for a drink or a karaoke night, and there's no question that we would have the BEST TIME. I relished this chance to get acquainted, and I'm looking forward to our reunion when you write that tell-all that you promised at the end of this book. And you better deliver, because the world needs to know how hard Zac Efron's abs really feel.
FTC Full Disclosure: I purchased this book with my own money. I received neither money nor cocktails for this review (dammit). Scrappy Little Nobody is available now.