Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of Sophia Benoit’s memoir, Well, This is Exhausting: Essays, in exchange for an honest review.

In Well, This is Exhausting: Essays, comedy writer Sophia Benoit covers a variety of topics, such as body image issues, overcoming the need for male approval, and the societal pressures that women face. Benoit’s writing is frank and honest, often both thought-provoking and humorous.

I found the collection to be a bit uneven, with some chapters, particularly the ones that were numbered lists, to feel like filler material, while other chapters, such as those regarding her young-adult relationships or the idea of perfectionism for women, to be poignant. A majority of the chapters have footnotes, which again, sometimes worked well to add depth, clarity, or humor, but sometimes seemed unnecessary. Just like Benoit, I also read a lot of non-fiction writing akin to Well, This is Exhausting. Knowing the genre well, made me hyper aware of which essays had a fresh perspective and which ones seemed rehashed.

I could relate to her early dating efforts, especially the idea of being a “Chill Girl.” It made me cringe, but to some extent I could see myself at the same age, doing similar things for male attention. I can also see that behavior in many of my female friends. Benoit is more than a decade younger than me, and we dealt with different technology and lingo in our early twenties, however, the actual problems were all too similar. Benoit’s essays made me consider the disparities between men and women, and how the expectations thrust upon women are both unfair and difficult to shake.

Benoit is an interesting voice and I’d definitely read her future works. I would be most interested if she published another essay collection in a decade or two, when she has the perspective of being middle-aged. Not only would I anticipate the personal shift from experiences/passage of time, but also in a world that is rapidly changing, it would be interesting hear her take on society and feminism.