(Okay, not really, but I wanted a fun title, and hyperbole was there so I had to use it . . .)(Also, disclaimer, I read this book probably three weeks ago, so if anything sounds vague, my sincerest apologies, but I've read six books since then.)
(Lastly, this review can be found on my Goodreads, under the username NatalieM22.)
And now! For the review of Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half. For those unfamiliar with this story, it is just a bunch of hilarious stories, mixed with some not-so-hilarious stories, of Allie Brosh's life. A good handful include her dogs, and all of them include a little bit of mayhem.
In class, I already explained that I really don't love the cover. Yellow is just a very unattractive color, especially on a book cover, and even though it pops out, I can't find myself to give this one any excuses. Also, even though the pictures on the front make sense in the story, I don't know if I would have picked up the book if you threw that one in there with a bunch of other humor books. This sounds kind of bratty, I'm realizing, but this "unit" was kind of about book covers, and I can't help but think about it.
As for the actual book, that's a bit of a different story. It was a nice and refreshing read for me, and it was humorous don't get me wrong, but it was a little less than I expected, which was semi-disappointing. Wait, wait! Let me explain.
The book is divided into colored sections, as you can see if you look at the book from the side, and each color is a new chapter. Now, each chapter in itself was hilarious. I think the chapter about the cake, or the one about the goose, or even the one with the letters to her past selves--okay, they were all so funny, it's hard to chose. But when I think about the entire book as a whole, it wasn't as funny. How, do you ask?
Well, first of all, the stories were out of order, chronologically, so it was hard bouncing back and forth. She had different dogs in the stories where she was younger versus the ones where she was older, so that was a hint, but it was still inconvenient that I had to rearrange my mind and think, "Okay and now I'm in a story where she's an adult." For the stories where she was younger, I wish those had been in chronological order because I think it would have been more funny if we got to see her childish self doing foolish things one after the other. Doing that would have definitely build up the humor, instead of splicing chapters in where she was an adult. 
Speaking of being an adult, there were four chapters in the book that felt off. She had two about depression and two about identity. I had nothing wrong with those chapters, except they weren't really funny, but instead deep and threw the book of it's humorous pace just as it was getting on track. I also felt really awkward reading them, because they felt deeply personal, and not exactly written like something you'd publish. I understand completely why they're in there--this is a story of Allie's life and it wouldn't have been complete if she didn't include the low points in her life--but I think they could have been placed better, and written better so I didn't feel awkward or out of place reading them.
I think those are the only two big problems with the book. In general, I thought the book was hilarious, and I had to stifle my laughter a few times. It was an extremely quick read, and I recommend to people who say, "I want to read, I just don't have time." (Okay, you have time, you just don't use it wisely. Here's Hyperbole and a Half, now spend it wisely.) It was full of hilarious pictures, and accurate feelings (especially the one where she's overloading thinking about cake. I put it on here, because I just think it's the most accurate thing ever).
Definitely pick this book up if you're looking for something funny and, most of the time, light to read. It may seem heavy, but it's really a glorified picture book, and it's the best kind. I know when I'm feeling down, I'll pick this book up again and read select stories just because I know they'll make me laugh. Read it and see if you agree with me!
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