You're Not Pretty Enough

by Jennifer Tress

You’re Not Pretty Enough is like Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened meets Cheryl Strayed’s Dear Sugar. From the “Sex Papers” Jen drew as a four-year-old when her mom was pregnant with her younger sister, to her sole teenage act of rebellion: going to church. “We’re very disappointed in you,” her nonreligious parents said. When she was sixteen Jennifer fell in love with Jon Bon Jovi and felt certain that if he just met her, he’d feel exactly the same way. They met all right. But that’s not what happened.

At twenty-three Jen married her college sweetheart and divorced him at twenty-six after he’d had an affair. Affairs happen every day. What doesn’t happen every day? The wife and the girlfriend meeting at a bar, discovering they liked each other, and then confronting Jen’s husband that same night.

The true stories contained here are smart, uproarious and utterly relatable. Told chronologically and chock full of truths, You’re Not Pretty Enough provides an example of how to be comfortable in your own skin and ultimately live a full life (even if you screw up, royally, along the way).

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2013

About the author

Jennifer Tress is the author of the newly released memoir You’re Not Pretty Enough. She is also a speaker and the founder of the Project by the same name, which is aimed at building higher self-esteem by providing a forum and discussions around beauty norms and their impact on the individual.

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Don't think about it too hard.

Like other reviewers have said, it's funny but disjointed. The first part is all "Here's some amusing, yet random and maybe a little TMI stories about my awkward childhood/teenage years." Then it switches gears and becomes a cautionary tale about male/female relationships. Jennifer Tress makes some good points and definitely makes you feel better about trial-and-error while finding "The One." She talks a lot about her hair.

I'm just not sure if this was supposed to be a timeline of Tress' life, or a collection of random chapters that attempted cohesion halfway through. I guess it doesn't really matter. If you don't try to make sense of it, it's decent.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You're Not Pretty Enough" is a memoir by Jennifer Tress. The book is broken up in different stories from her life. Some of the stories are very, very funny (like the time when she met Jon Bon Jovi and was absolutely enamored with him and oh, they happened to have the same haircut). Some of the stories are very sad (such as the one about her divorce where her husband actually tells Jennifer that she is not pretty enough). This book is a great pick for those looking for a memoir that covers the gamut of emotions.

I love books that can make me feel a lot of different emotions. I want to laugh out loud. I want to tear up. I definitely got that with this book. Ms. Tress writes incredibly candidly about all of these different stories from her life. Even in the more serious essays on her life, Tress shows that having a sense of humor about things will truly get you far. I liked some of the stories better than others but all in all, most of the essays are pretty solid!

I was especially touched by the story of Tress' divorce and some of the horrible things her ex-husband said to her up to and during the divorce. Just the thought of anyone hearing "you're not pretty enough" from someone makes my stomach drop. No one should have to hear for such hurtful words. Tress realized that and has made it her mission to talk about her experiences in order to potentially help others, which is a cause I can totally get behind!

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a relatively short non-fiction book detailing incidents from Jennifer Tress' life so far. It seems to be self-published and I think it could have done with an editor, or more outside input. This is because although the incidents from her life are interesting, they are compiled at random and there does not seem to be an overarching theme to the book. The first half is the better half as it deals with her childhood, her parents, her love for Jon Bon Jovi, the time she was assaulted, her job, and her relationship with her first husband, which, incidentally, led to the title of the book. But after that there is just more relationship stuff, which is okay, but she seems to have quite an interesting job and I would have liked to read more about how she became successful there, and also how she decided to end up writing this book. I think an editor would have encouraged her to expand on those aspects as well. Altogether this book is not badly written and is very funny in parts. She is a very funny person and I think she has potential as a writer.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It really resonated with me as a young(ish) American woman currently living in Madrid with my husband.

Jennifer tells her stories with honesty and a sense of humor-- and she has powerful stories. I stumbled upon this book after link jumping through a bunch of memoirs by females (one of my favorite categories) so I didn't have any expectations going In (or any idea who she was). I started this book and finished it in the same day; it made me tear up and laugh aloud. A great read about the complications of being a woman. More than just sharing her stories, Jennifer made me reflect on my own life, family, and self-esteem.

I am surprised to see some of the negative reviews....If you download the sample, you may have expectations that the whole book is a laugh riot. It has serious moments as well, so if you're looking for straight up comedy, I'd suggest a different book.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that tries to be funny about topics that are not funny. The author talked about the pain of being cheated on while cheating on others. I found the author egotistical and annoying.

[Amelia Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a book. I’ve never read a memoir where the author has not been ashamed to talk so brutally and honestly about the bad parts of their life; not afraid to show the least flattering parts of themselves. I was gripped. Would highly recommend every women (regardless of age or generation) to read this. No matter who you are, you will take something from this book and learn more about yourself.

[Margaret W. Carkhuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real life!

I appreciate a less frou frou delivery of an important message. We can't all look like movie stars and have book deals--hell, I can't manage to finish a job application before slamming into a wall of self doubt--but we can try our best, enjoy other people, and have a good laugh. These days, a sense of humor is as vital for survival as food, water and shelter.

[Cristina m Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't feel very well put together....

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The funny parts of this book were great, but it was a little disjointed overall.

[Cindy Elavsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, could I relate to this book. Maybe because we are the same age-ish, grew up near Cleveland and had an internal love affair with a rock star (while hers was Jon Bon Jovi, mine was Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, which is basically the same thing). This was such a fast-paced and joyful read; there were also moments that almost made me cry — again, because I could relate so well. And I think we all still have a little niggling thought in the back of our mind that we still aren't pretty enough. And even though we know it's ridiculous, a tiny part can still believe it in the right (or wrong) moment. This eye-opening and utterly delightful memoir should help those who still fall victim to insecurity, if only to let you know you're not alone. And, you ARE pretty enough!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was suggested for me by Amazon. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres, and I especially like those that cover the 70s and 80s, so I clicked buy on my Kindle.

I was quite surprised when one of the chapters started with a news report from The Collegian, the newspaper of my alma mater. Suddenly, this book felt much more personal to me. I was also a student at the University of Toledo during the time Jennifer Tress writes about. I clearly remember how scared my friends and I were. We didn't go anywhere alone and were shocked when a campus police officer was arrested for murderer.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. As a former big haired Ohio girl, I could definitely relate to the author.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

This little book was suggested in a search on Amazon. It looked interesting, so I bought it.

I was expecting a humorous memoir. And it was, for a few chapters, but it transitioned into a cautionary tale or something near it. It read more like a diary than a memoir. That sounds like one in the same, but one writes a memoir with the thought of an audience in the writing.

The writing didn't bother me. What really irritated me were the editing errors I kept finding. I didn't count them, but there were more than four or five. Even if a book is published digitally, it should be proofed. Just one of my pet peeves.

This was just ok.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite boring, really. There wasn't anything special or remarkable about Jennifer's story. She had a fairly normal upbringing. She got married young, and then divorced. That was tough. She remarried and it was mostly happily ever after. The end.

The one incident of note was Jennifer's sexual assault. But this incident was glossed over, and the implications of it were not dug into. It was mentioned, described, and then dropped; almost as if it had no impact on her at all.

I would have loved to have seen more introspection and personal growth, but this memoir really lacked depth and really leaves the reader wondering what the point was.

[Brave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is advertised as comic essays. The first few chapters are certainly funny memoirs of the author's Bon-Jovi-obsessed teen years in suburbia. However, the rest of the book is a rehashing of her romantic failures as well as a traumatic college incident. While I empathize with her trauma, the retelling of her romantic relationships reveal an unsympathetic, immature person. The book ends with a chapter-long advertisement for her website and public speaking engagements. Overall, the book had its funny and interesting moments, but I wouldn't recommend reading it.

[Jamie Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the book begins and even throughout, there are definite laugh out loud moments. I found myself pulled in and wondering how things would play put for this sarcastic, witty woman. I enjoyed her story and applaud her candor and for writing what couldn't have been easy at times hoping to make a difference in someone else's life through her story. Job well done. I sincerely hope she's on her way to her very own HEA! In my humble opinion, she deserves it.

[Jeanne Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Smartfunny!!

I loved this. I love her. This is one of the best female-self-deprecating-humor-essay books I have ever read. and I think I've read most of them. Tress is so funny, but what's better is that she's smart funny. Not just sexy/shock you funny, or low-brow funny--she's really insightful. As you're laughing, you're also thinking. My favorite kind of funny. One of my favorite kind of reads.
Plus, I'm ALSO related to the Dalton Gang!! We must be long lost relatives.

[Angela C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. 2014 is turning into the year of the memoir for me. I am not sure how I found this book. I think it was listed on my kindle under a suggestion because I have recently read a bunch of memoirs. This one was $3.99 which I thought was a good deal, but it was pretty short. Overall, though, I raced through this book and really enjoyed it. I hope the author writes more books, I really enjoyed her insights and "voice".

[Roseanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was bored after Jon Bon Jovi ...I began to dislike her immensely after the chapter about her failed marriage. At that point, I began to question why I bothered to pay for a book about someone I didn't know, much less care about her or her life. For a book of "comic essays", I didn't laugh once. Consider this your PSA...save your money.

[Niffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

This was a basically enjoyable book but not really memorable. The author is about the same age as I am, so I enjoyed some of the teenage memories and stories, but I didn't really find the book funny or partucularly inspiring. An easy read but not something I'm likely to reread or recommend to others.

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish this book had been a little longer. Jennifer Tress's stories are engaging, hilarious, and at times can really tug at your heart with her unapologetic level of honesty.
I wasn't sure what to expect at first because I didn't think I would relate to her, but I was wrong. I think there's something in this book for everyone.

[Tchaiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just finished reading the book, in tears!! literally and i wasn't PMSing LOL - just made me think of so much that I struggle with, laugh at around love, sex and career. Totally related to her frank sense of humor about sex, men, heart break and obsession. It wasn't Bon Jovi for me but Val Kilmer when I was in 4th grade!

[Shotgun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I am biased though.

Jennifer's sense of humor is wonderful and she did an excellent job of capturing exactly how a lot of women feel when stuck in relationships. Definitely worth the read if you've had rocky relationships, and even if you haven't, the stories are funny. I'm glad I read this.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out slowly for me as she talked about her childhood so this is one that i put down after reading about 2 chapters. I picked this back up many months later and to my surprise, became completely engrossed by her tales of travel, infidelity, and lost loves. In the end, i genuinely enjoyed this book and found it to be quite entertaining.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book. The author did a great job of adding humor and telling us true stories. Many people can relate to the issues in this book. It is great to have someone talking about building self esteem.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, quick read. I really liked her candid style of story telling -- funny moments including description of being a teenagers in the 80, heart wrenching moments and the strength she possessed to get through those.

[Ronna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book on another level than for which it was recommended. It was not overly funny, although there were some stories that makes one grin. I enjoyed more as a coming of age tale, not a raucous, laugh out loud memoir.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and though the writer is a generation younger than I am, I could still relate to her realities and experiences. I especially liked her travels in Europe with her boyfriend, Dave.

[Janese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious tale of a girl growing up in a backwards world. Lots of LOLs with this one! A good book to read after reading anything heavy. While there's not necessary a plot, there's a good amount of sarcasm and shocking humorous adventures to keep you reading.

[Molly]

Fun, quick read

Jennifer is a great storyteller and I was wrapped up in her tales straightaway. I love the message at the end "enough" as its something I'm trying to develop in myself. Positive and funny book.

[Bethany King]

First half of the book was excellent

Loved the first part of the book about her childhood. Very honest and funny. The very end was a little disappointing. Tho I am glad they stayed married and worked it all out. It was just a little anticlimactic. Overall a good read.