Book Review: Adultolescence

Title: Adultolescence

Author: Gabbie Hanna

Publisher: Atria/Keywords Press

Publication Date: September 10, 2017

Source: Purchased from Target

From Teen Choice Award-nominated comedian and vlogger Gabbie Hanna, known on YouTube as The Gabbie Show, an astounding debut poetry collection that captures the essence of what it means to come of age in today’s world.

Full of confessional, whimsical, and darkly humorous observations about life, love, and the early years of adulthood, this collection of over 150 poems, each illustrated by Gabbie herself, will introduce you to the unique point of view of one of the internet’s most remarkable voices.

My Review

One day, I was strolling the aisles of Target, and I found my way to the book section as I normally do. This time, I found myself looking through some of the books for adults, instead of in the YA and middle grade sections. A pretty robin-egg-blue book cover caught my eye. Then I saw the title, and I was sold. At the time, I had no clue as to who Gabbie Hanna was. I knew nothing of her, but just thought the title of the book was funny and something I'd enjoy. I added Adultolescence to my card and my way to the checkout counters. I started reading as soon as I got home, and I was immediately hooked on the quirky collection of poems.

Ms. Hanna's book is a collection of poetry about life, love, and every other crazy emotion in between that I'm sure many people in the millennial age group are enjoying. And no, you don't have to be in that awkward stage in your life when you're adjusting to life after college or just getting used to how being an adult actually works. Many of the poems are about issues that people from all stages of life can enjoy. A lot of the poems are about identity and figuring out your place in the world. I wouldn't say that every single poem in the book is amazing, but many of them are amusing and relatable. I had fun reading them, and I found myself marking a few of my favorites so I could go back and revisit and reread them in the future.

Aside from the unique collection of poems, Ms. Hanna has also included her own illustrations in this book. Her drawings and sketches are adorable, so don't pass them up when you're reading the poems. A lot of the illustrations add meaning to the poems you're reading, and a few of them are actually the poems! 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was more of a plus when I found out that Gabbie Hanna is from a town near mine. I love supporting local authors, so me accidentally supporting her just seemed like it was meant to be. I'd recommend this book for college age readers and anyone who feels like they're struggling a little bit. Gabbie Hanna will let you feel like you're not alone.

Gabbie Hanna is a web-based comedian and vlogger known for her YouTube channel The Gabbie Show, which has millions of subscribers. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and currently resides in Los Angeles. For more information, visit The Gabbie Show on YouTube and Facebook and @thegabbieshow on Instagram and Twitter.