Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

by Amy Schumer

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I have always enjoyed Amy Schumer's comedy and TV show and found her a breath of fresh air among comedians. I respect the way she writes things from her experience, even when that goes against the tropes Hollywood is trying to push to its audiences. While I haven't always loved her movies (Trainwrecked was really good though), I do respect her passion and comedy and her insistence in being herself. Whatever you think of her as a comedian and actress, you have to admire her.

When I picked up this book, I expected more of the same I saw in 'Inside Amy Schumer'. Instead, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo is a series of deeply personal essays and short stories. There is comedy woven in - it comes naturally with Amy's voice - and she write this book with the casual friendliness of an old high school buddy you've been meaning to catch up with. Really, we could have been sitting across from one another and sharing an appetizer and it could not have been more comfortable.

The stories she tells are carefully selected not just to be anecdotal, but to peel away her layers. She once ran away as an angry ex-boyfriend brandished a knife after her. From domestic violence to bullying to parental manipulation to struggling against body shame (note: she fully accepts her body, so don't expect a story about overcoming an EO or anything) - Amy Schumer reveals the darkness in her past and how she loves her family and worries about her ex and wants anyone who finds themselves in her stories to blossom and grow and know they are not alone. I was so surprised by this approach, and it makes me love her all that much more.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, but there are a lot of trigger warnings in here. Amy shares her stories hoping people will know they are not alone, but this book should not be read if it will make you feel unsafe. Domestic violence is the big one here.

This book is best experienced in its audiobook version, which Amy reads herself. It feels like she is chatting with you, or reading pages out of her childhood diary (which, sometimes, she is).