The book of essays...pulls no punches ... You’ll chuckle through some paragraphs...before being punched in the gut by sad, sharp observations. But what keeps How to Be Alone from being an outright tragedy is the act of Moore giving voice to her experience through stories that are funny, moving, observant and vulnerable. Her childhood could have so easily given her a tough shell; instead it did the opposite. Readers will find themselves in her stories, and even if they don’t, they will come away from this book having learned something. A great book for all ages but should be required reading for 20-somethings navigating young adulthood.
Moore vacillates between being hopeful and defeatist, between seeking movie-worthy romantic love...and darting off on exhaustive emotional sprints ... Moore’s writing often reads like an angsty teen’s diary: sometimes overwrought...sometimes comically self-pitying...sometimes dismissively breezy...and sometimes prone to triumphant swells of self-approval ... Still, Moore’s story offers insights about the effects of childhood trauma and our capacity for resilience ... a sobering statement on our culture—and a reminder that we could all use a little more connection, familial or otherwise.
In this scrappy collection of personal essays, Moore opens up her psyche and personal life ... Moore is spare with the details of her childhood, emphasizing the weight of her trauma rather than the specifics of it. She explains how to survive the holidays, how to screen a mate, and how to accept love as someone who grew up without it. The essays are whip-smart, pithy, and full of an honest, conversational charm that sets Moore apart.
...she takes readers on a playful ride through her life, examining relationships and nonrelationships alike as she both actively engaged in and passively avoided assuaging that aching search for friendship and love ... Moore’s fast-clip wit, hilarious allegories, and conversational prose knock down the uncomfortably sharp edges of facing aloneness ... An irreverent, candidly introspective exploration of toiling with loneliness that will leave readers feeling not so alone.
