This isn’t going to be my best review ever. Since last night I’ve been fighting exhaustion, and I think I might have a sinus infection, but I wanted to get this review done within 24 hours of finishing because I know that I will forget what I want to say about it if I wait any longer than that.
First, I liked this book more than her first one, although I do admit my memory of that one is a bit squidgy. From what I do remember, I thought it was incredibly readable and I loved her voice. It also made me laugh out loud, which is hard to do. But I also remember wanting more from it. It didn’t feel like there was anything cohesive behind it, and I wanted a little bit more personal stuff. And I don’t mean I wanted her to dish on her personal life, I mean that I wanted to get a better idea of who she is and what she cares about. I wanted substance. Both of those things were addressed this time around.
With Why Not Me?, Mindy (we are on a first name basis) keeps that lovely readable tone and laugh out loud sense of humor, but she also adds in a little more heart, and the whole thing is tied together essentially by the same big thing, which is how her life has changed in the past three years after having her own TV show. She tells you in her introduction that wanting people to like her is no longer her main motivation. Now, she wants you to know her. (I nearly cheered out loud when I read that bit, but I was sitting in Whole Foods, so I held myself back.)
All of the essays in the book are funny, but the best ones are the ones where she wrestles with the question, Who is Mindy Kaling? Like, the essay about her hatred of weddings was good, but it was so lightweight in comparison to the essay where she talks about making a new friend, and having that friend abandon her for whatever reason. She talks frankly about her public image, her body image, and her sense of self. She also talks about her “weird as hell” relationship with BJ Novak, which turns out to be a hilarious and poignant piece of writing. She acknowledges her flaws in several essays: her tendency to be a bad sport, her up and down issues with her body, her self-confidence. My absolute favorite chapter though, was the one where she writes an alternate history to her own life and it turns into a romantic comedy. She is SO GOOD at writing romantic comedy. When The Mindy Project eventually comes to an end, I just want her to make movies where people fall in love. Or maybe write a romance in book form. Swoon.
Still, I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more heft here. It’s definitely still lightweight reading overall, despite the moments where she gets real. But it accomplishes its purpose. It makes you laugh, and you come away knowing Mindy Kaling (hopefully the real one) just a little bit better.
