cindyjameson

This book is a memoir of Alexandra’s experiences from childhood through her college years. Within the confines of this compilation there are short scenarios, essays, and drawn- out narratives. All are written with Petri’s distinctive brand of humor, which can also be seen in her column that she writes for the Washington Post. Alexandra, being the daughter of a United States Senator, a Harvard graduate, a Star Wars fanatic, and a person that has absolutely no qualms about putting herself in any awkward situation, offers some very unique experiences that only she can share. Be prepared to laugh-out-loud while reading this collection of amusing, outrageous, unusual, and sometimes, almost unbelievable tales.
This book is divided up by each unique chapter, some a page or two, others are up to thirty pages in length, but all seem to have the same feel and rhythm as her newspaper column. I chose to read this book slowly reading only a chapter a day. The beginning of the book was hilarious. I was having so much fun reading about Alexandra that I actually Googled her and I found her speech she gave at her Harvard graduation. It was the best graduation speech I have ever heard, or I should say, listened to in its entirety. Petri, sticks true to her humorous writing now as she did with that speech.
Now, I would have given this book a five star rating if she would have stayed with the shorter stories that gave many laughs, instead of some of the longer tales. I felt that she wavered off point quite a bit in some of the long chapters, kind of like she took a detour before getting back on the main road again. I must also say that not every chapter is for every person. She has thirty pages of Star Wars in there. If you are not a Star Wars fan, this chapter will probably not appeal to you. Her chapter about her dog may also not be to some peoples liking. My recommendation, if you are going to read this book, is to skip the chapters that are not to your liking, and enjoy the rest.