Scrappy Little Nobody

I don't know how I came across this book. I've seen only a couple of movies she's in. Maybe the few interviews I've read or seen of Anna suggested she might have written an interesting book? Idk... At any rate, after reading the book sample, I was already hooked. Anna offers an entertaining, informative and humorous look into excerpts from her life. I don't know if I've ever read book that's made me laugh so much or so hard. Of course I normaly read true crime so...(only kidding!) I knocked out this book in only a few days from how entertaining it is. It was interesting to see how a middle class (seemingly introverted) person from Maine transitioned into the big Hollywood scene. What's more interesting is how grounded she seems to have remained. Granted it's her book and she could be a monster in reality : p but I have my doubt's on that. Anna is a very interesting person, seemingly filled with somewhat contradictory personality traits but never hypocritical. Just one example of many, she says herself she is a people pleaser and enjoys following the rules but has a destain for being nice and does not consider herself as such. As well she seems rather rebellious in her own ways. (Scrappy, it's in the title) The degree to which she shares her anxious / neurotic tendencies was bold and balanced with her humour. Her story was incredibly vulnerable at times but never once did I think she was seeking pity. Quite the opposite with the "Here's the truth, take it or leave it" kind of delivery. Again, the humour offered a nice balance and was VERY effective. I think "relatable" might be the best way to describe how Anna comes across in this book. She's done things that most people will never experience and yet when reading this book, it feels like she's that girl from down the street in a small town. I don't know who I'd specifically recommend this book to but I'd absolutely recommend it!

Anna Kendrick wears strictly standard white cotton panties. She explains that she also likes to wear skin-tight jeans, and if you wear sexy skimpies under them, there's no way to prevent the skimpies from coming off when you peel off the jeans. Evidently she considers some situations only appropriate for semi-revelation. This is not the only clothing-related admission in this amusing book. It turns out that actresses destined for the famous "red carpet" have people called stylists to oversee the fashion requirements. Kendrick writes that, when she was up for an Oscar, her stylist commanded her not to actually sit down in the limo on the way to the ceremony, for fear of creasing her gown. She had to adopt a sort of semi-supine position. That same stylist made her buy $1200 shoes. I wondered, reading this, why this scrappy little by-then-somebody didn't tell the stylist to go make love to herself. I liked the parts where she wrote about her total dedication to showbiz. As a teenager, she talked her mother into driving her six hours to New York City, just for an audition, then six hours back to Maine in time for school. She writes about the brutal working hours on a film set, although here I suspect some exaggeration (switching from day shoot to night shoot without a complete rest day? I'd like to see the technicians' union waiver on that one.) She isn't shy about detailing aspects of her sex life, either, although of course only she knows how well the written account matches the actual truth. The telegram version is that she had the usual problem of finding a partner willing to commit. Seems the Hollywood guys not only resist declaring eternal love, they reject even the label "boyfriend" until the last possible moment. Kendrick's amours tend to be only peripherally involved in the biz--there are no stories about hanky-panky with co-stars or harassment by predatory ADs. In that respect this book may be unique among actress memoirs. There's no doubt at all that she's a talented and very good-looking young lady, with a terrific singing voice and a playful, self-deprecatory attitude. The writing is generally good, but I found the humor a little forced at times. A firmer editorial hand might have improved the book. I do have one complaint--it seemed to me that there was a hole in the middle of the narrative. One moment she's a struggling bit player with Ikea furniture, and the next she's an Oscar contender, it seems. I'd like to read about the middle bit, how she got an agent, how her auditions changed gradually from cattle-calls to one-on-ones, to "readings," and finally to what all actors hope for--the part of your career when they come begging for you rather than the reverse. If Kendrick has another book in her, I hope she'll cover that period of her professional life. Based on my enjoyment of this book, I'd read it like a shot.

I really enjoyed this book as I've been a fan of Anna's for a long while. Her anecdotes are amusing and her sense of humour is very self-depreciating and honest. A good light read.

I loved this book. And to be fair, I took forever to finish it, which is not my normal modus operandi when I love a book. Those of you who read my reviews know that I usually devour books I love. But this one I savoured ... like a fine wine. Okay, straight up, for the last year-and-a-half this has been my bathroom book. Not just for sitting on the toilet but also bubble baths and hiding in there when I'm entertaining people I need a break from. I pre-ordered this book and started reading it as soon as it came but immediately recognized it as a collection of wonderful vignettes that I wanted to enjoy slowly. In the toilet. (And I'm SURE I had many guests who saw the book sitting on the counter and helped themselves to some Anna humour). Anna is hilarious and REAL. She's one of those famous people who you want to meet not to ask for an autograph but to hang out with just to ask her about how weird it is to be famous. I first saw her in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and for years afterward thought she was sooo cool and I was really proud she was a Canadian actress (yeah, she's not Canadian ... but she's cool enough to be Canadian). And I didn't first see her in Scott Pilgrim ... I kinda forgot she was in Twilight (sorry, Anna). Beyond learning that she is indeed an American actress, I loved hearing about feisty young Anna going for her dreams. And she includes lots of fun extras in this book. I particularly loved her special afterward for book clubs. And her About the Author page (I also am shorter in real life). I could go on and on about how much I adored Anna's voice in this book but I'll start to be repetitive. Just go and get it (you know you need a bathroom book). Now I have an empty spot on the vanity in the bathroom ...

bicho, a anna é simplesmente hilária. o livro foi perfeitamente formatado e impresso, sem falhas ou ranhuras

Siendo una gran fan de Anna Kendrick hasta el extremo de llevar su nombre tatuado en mi brazo izquierdo, encontré este libro de gran ayuda para saber más sobre mi actriz favorita. Nominada al Tony y al Oscar a tan corta edad es inspirador para cualquier persona que no crea que los sueños se hacen realidad.

This is authentically Anna's voice, telling a genuine narrative about aspects of her life. I like that she is so honest, witty and open, even when it might not flatter her to tell it how it was. I also enjoyed how grounded she seems about the cost of living, the uncertainty of being cast in the next thing and how ephemeral fame can be. She is reflective and insightful, and I felt like I got a good insight into what it is like to be an actor, but also to understand her relationships, values and sense of humour. She spends a fair bit of the book expressing her bafflement about celebrity culture and expectations, which made me feel like she is my kind of person, but I felt that sense of connection even more so when she is talking about her refreshingly low key sex-positive feminism, body-consciousness and using the ocasional swear word. All told it is an engaging and real autobiography, that contrasts with the reams of polished, ghost-written and preachy biogs that are out there. If you like her twitter, and/or the characters she plays in films then you'll probably like this. It was a genuinely enjoyable and engaging read. I was stuck for an hour in my car on a cold day before an appointment at the passport office, and from the moment I picked up this book it went in such a flash I was almost late!