Detroit native Vincent Daniels delivers a hilarious retelling of his absurd childhood as a mixed-race Jehovah's Witness whiz kid in an all-white Catholic-dominated community. Add in some energetic cult conventions, a neighboring halfway house, an unhealthy dinosaur obsession, a couple zealous, quirky parents, Vietnamese language lessons, the unfortunate demise of his pet crabs, and a doozy of an imagination, and you've got one hell of a funny memoir here. This collection of stories is a great choice for fans of Jenny Lawson, Allie Brosh, and Justin Halpern.
Daniels' sharp wit, fearless humor, and penchant for shining in even the strangest fiascoes keeps this book consistently fun and relatable. In addition to a laugh-out-loud peek into what it's like to be a holiday-avoiding, door-to-door kid preacher, Holly Jolly Nothing sends you on a grandiose trip back to childhood, complete with first crush freak-outs, sleazy after-school jobs, grade school victories and debacles, head-scratchingly odd neighborhood kids, and other coming-of-age awesomeness - all penned with a strong dose of warmth, wonder, and belly laughs.
Don't let the idea of childhood nostalgia fool you though - these stories aren't mild salsa. There's enough spicy adult humor here to set up a lifetime of Judd Apatow movies. And for fans of Daniels' first book, Meaty Balls, don't worry - the author's voice-of-the-people, gleefully-less-than-PC perspective is present on all levels, as is his self-targeting, sincerely raw humor. Daniels' musings are on par with the best Aziz Ansari, Pete Holmes, or John Mulaney stand-up comedy. In summary, if you think laughter is the best medicine, don't walk, RUN, to get a copy of Holly Jolly Nothing!
Daniels' sharp wit, fearless humor, and penchant for shining in even the strangest fiascoes keeps this book consistently fun and relatable. In addition to a laugh-out-loud peek into what it's like to be a holiday-avoiding, door-to-door kid preacher, Holly Jolly Nothing sends you on a grandiose trip back to childhood, complete with first crush freak-outs, sleazy after-school jobs, grade school victories and debacles, head-scratchingly odd neighborhood kids, and other coming-of-age awesomeness - all penned with a strong dose of warmth, wonder, and belly laughs.
Don't let the idea of childhood nostalgia fool you though - these stories aren't mild salsa. There's enough spicy adult humor here to set up a lifetime of Judd Apatow movies. And for fans of Daniels' first book, Meaty Balls, don't worry - the author's voice-of-the-people, gleefully-less-than-PC perspective is present on all levels, as is his self-targeting, sincerely raw humor. Daniels' musings are on par with the best Aziz Ansari, Pete Holmes, or John Mulaney stand-up comedy. In summary, if you think laughter is the best medicine, don't walk, RUN, to get a copy of Holly Jolly Nothing!
