Book Review

Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea
By: Chelsea Handler
Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 264 pp, $24.95

You may know Chelsea Handler from the T.V. show “Women Behaving Badly” or from her talk show “Chelsea Lately” on the E! Channel. She’s part Kathy Griffin, part Joan Rivers, part Sarah Silverman but all wrapped up in a blonde bombshell body with a severe potty mouth. So essentially, she’s Sailor Barbie.

Handler is a comedienne whose shtick is being a single, smart, beautiful woman who says whatever comes to her mind. Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is full of random stories involving her life in show business and California, her childhood, and plenty from her adult personal life.

She does have a knack for storytelling and you can be assured that she’s the life of any party she’s attending. Stories from her childhood include the day she realized how much power her boobs had over men, and your standard parental unit embarrassment.

Other areas of focus include her partying, sex, drinking, obsession and love for “little people” and her aversion to red-headed men. Chelsea has a story telling ability that seems to take the somewhat mundane and find humor in it.

Those who are expecting David Sedaris-quality humorist writing may be disappointed. Handler clearly isn’t a writer by trade. The writing is mediocre and the stories lack cohesion. However, she is funny as hell and someone you’d probably want to take out on the town or have on your side during a verbal fight with a drag queen. Her quick wit and hysterically inappropriate comments make this book worth the read. I did find myself laughing out loud is several sections.

Chelsea Handler is a stand-up comic, talk show host and an actress. Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is her second book and was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It can be found online, in local bookstores and at the local library.

1 star -  I’m mad that I read this crap and now want to recycle every copy.
2 stars - It'll do if you're stuck in a waiting room with no TV.
*3 stars - An entertaining enough read but not an award winner.
4 stars - Pretty freakin' good, like War & Peace, but fun.
5 stars – So good it put the ‘zing’ in Amazing! Yes, with a capital A.