If you’ve seen later episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, or The Guild, then you have a good idea of who Felicia Day is. (If you haven’t seen any of the above, they are all worth your time!) Felicia’s characters are a lot like her — sweet, quirky, introverted, and funny. In this inspirational and humorous memoir, I am surprised to also find a stubborn, ambitious, clever, and anxious woman with an admirable force of character. And she’s weird.
What happens when Felicia visits a Build-A-Bear? It’s a Santa wearing a tutu and bunny slippers brandishing a light saber. Nerdy and feminine!
The book begins as a chronicle of Felicia’s childhood, of growing up in the South with liberal hippie parents who homeschooled her and her brother for anti-bible thumping reasons. Her isolated childhood spurred her first foray into online gaming. After double majoring in math and violin at the University of Texas, she moved to Hollywood to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Most often type-cast as an eccentric cat-lady secretary, Felicia returned to gaming (compulsively) in her spare time, until she found the inspiration and fortitude to produce her own web series and form her own production company.
Often referred to as Queen of the Geeks, Felicia has a talent for the earnest turn of phrase that’s also hilarious. This is a legitimate laugh-out-loud read, largely due to the honesty (dysfunctional family, severe anxiety, gamergate and stalkers, etc.). She actually reads an absolutely terrible poem she wrote about gaming when she was a pre-teenager. It’s the epitome of nerdiness but is also just one example of how Felicia isn’t afraid of to show her true self and share her journey. This story is an inspiration for anyone who has ever felt left out because they were weird! Also, if you like audiobooks, Felicia reads her own story — and it’s awesome. Fellow Ravenclawers unite!
“It’s hard being weird. No—it’s hard living in a culture that makes it hard.”