Delusions: Of Grandeur, of Romance, of Progress

by Cazzie David

In this sharp and darkly funny new essay collection from the New York Times bestselling author, Cazzie David explores the irony and existential crises of leaving youth behind.

Beginning with her 29th birthday and ending with her 30th, Cazzie tries to mature in the span of one year. Along the way, she reflects on the delusions that laid waste to her twenties and reckons with their consequences now that the specter of a new decade is looming. Touching on everything from the pressure to find the "right" partner, dealing with the relentless grip of social media, and navigating body dysmorphic spirals, Delusions cuts through the noise, offering personal anecdotes, sharp cultural criticism, and witty, honest contemplations on the chaos of contemporary adulthood.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, Audiobook, Adult

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

Cazzie David is an American writer, actress and director, known for her work on Half-Empty (2019), CollegeHumor Originals (2006), and the web series Eighty-Sixed (2017). She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Megan Tesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

a guilty pleasure read for those so privileged that the worst it gets for them is neurosis. as one, I loved it.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Between this and Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA, I’ve never been happier to be an elder millennial and not whatever insufferable personality seems to be a prerequisite for the younger millennial influencers.

Giving this 2 stars for the sheer fact it made me delete TikTok so I can further avoid this type of person.

[YettaTelebendaNYC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deconstructing Delusions
“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are” — Anaïs Nin.
I began Delusions by thinking Cazzie must have collected some great karma in her past lives to be born as “Cazzie David” and to be part of “The Lucky Sperm Club” and be part of a privileged group of nepo babies who never have to struggle to get their endeavors noticed. But deeper into the soul of the book, as I peeled away the layers of her essays which are filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and esoteric angst, I began to contemplate and relate to the pieces in very personal ways. And I was triggered as if I took a bite into a madeleine. Memories came flooding back.
Cazzie references The Vineyard and I went to summer camp on Martha’s Vineyard from 1959 to 1962. I never saw so much annoying cloying seaweed in water at an extremely uncomfortable rocky beach. Cazzie watches Gilmore Girls to calm down and I watch Match Game with Gene Rayburn on Buzzr. Cazzie is attached to her phone and I am addicted to my land line with 3 way calling. She references Venmo and Tik Tok. I still write checks and watched videos on Betamax. I do not take Prozac, I take Losartan. Cazzie uses many buzz words typical of her generation like “rage quit” and “catfish” and I was catfished! She talks about the color Blueberry Milk and I recalled how I wore Fire and Ice. The book should be in a time capsule for visitors from other planets to read in the far off future because it provides so much insight into the Millennial culture the way Good-bye Columbus, saddle shoes, and Doo-wop music defines Boomers.
I felt like Joanna Harcourt-Smith as I moved along and got deeper into the content. While reading this book, I began to have lucid dreams about hanging out in NYC with my new “BFF bestie” Cazzie and having matcha lattes and later going for Carvel. In my fantasy, we were becoming a new version of Harold and Maude while enjoying egg creams at Eisenberg’s and in the park she might teach me Wordle and after that I could engage her in Pisha Paysha.
I loved this book and even dog-eared pages so I could read some content again because I stopped watching ASMR videos when some of the parts in this book became so much better ways to reduce my stress. Cazzie writes: “Like, the front lines of social media.” I can’t stop laughing.
I am giving it an honest 5 stars because these essays worked for me, and I was born in 1947 and will soon be 80. What a “trip!” OMG. Yay.

added on 3/25/2026: Even though I reviewed this book from my perspective, I am confused regarding why some reviewers feel the book's "relatability" is important or even matters. Cazzie is writing about HER personal experience and her essays are not advice pieces for others approaching that age. I have read many books that include nothing about which I can relate and found meaning within the content. I am emotionally impacted by the work of Ticus in his poetry collections, yet I am not depressed which is the ongoing theme of his poems. I read many Nancy Drew books when I was young and I was never a detective trying to solve mysteries. I reacted when I read Joan Didion's Blue Nights even though I never lost a child. So I do not understand why so many are criticizing Delusions within a barometer of a connection to her passage.

[Abby Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who turns 30 this year, this book caught my eye. Cazzie David shares essays about leading up to the last year of her 30s and the last year of her 30s. Though we live different lives and are at different stages in our lives, the feeling of 30 can be fun, but overwhelming, so some of her thoughts were relatable! I thought that she narrates leading up to turning 30 in a very funny but natural way. Whether you're trying all of the wellness trends (rice hair masks, not using your phone as soon as you wake up, red light therapy, etc.) or having an existential crisis that you're going to die with all of the toxins in the world, this book of essays really dives into this. I know essays aren't always for everyone, but I really enjoyed this one. I'd deff look into her other book of essays, too.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

[Abigail Franklin · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review—

I had no idea who Cazzie David was before picking up this book, and given that a blurb on the back references her father, decided not to learn until after reading and reviewing. Which is to say: perhaps knowing who Cazzie David is would change the reading experience, because I didn’t find this book particularly interesting. A surface-level retelling of the last year of her twenties, a year she spent depressed and not trying particularly hard not to be, so self-deprecating that it made me wonder why bother writing a book in the first place if you don’t think your reader should listen to you. Not an all-together *bad* book, just one that says nothing new in a not-too-distinctive narrative voice.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cazzie’s dry humor is just my kind of humor. She so refreshingly writes about how social media influences the pressure we put on ourselves to live our lives to the fullest.

[Jaclyn]

This was a fascinating read for me as a so-called "elder Millennial" because David seems to represent the voice of my generation's youngest. The Millennial generation feels like two sides of a coin, with half of us graduating college before we got our first smartphone and the other half entering high school in the early days of social media. Much of David's writing is a reflection of this ingrained obsession with the world inside her phone.

It's also a reflection of what it means to have come of age post-2008. I think a lot of readers who entered the adult world before this will roll their eyes at David's neuroses, her compulsion to overthink her life and choices, her struggles to come into her own despite (or maybe in part because of) the immense privilege she has. This eyeroll reflex is what inspired me to pick up Delusions, as someone who was already married with a child by David's age (29). What does the world look like through the eyes of someone who took more time, who had to figure out less at a young age but who now holds themselves to a standard of Someone Who Should Be Able to Figure Things Out?

David is unflinchingly self-aware and vulnerable on the page, often sharing a version of herself she knows is unflattering. While older people may indeed roll their eyes, this kind of confessional writing style also draws the reader in. I couldn't help but root for her and hope she succeeded in setting down her phone and seeing how many people love her for the messy human she is IRL. Also, unsurprisingly, David has a knack for making life's messes *funny*.

My favorite parts of this book were David's interactions with her sister, Romy. Readers learn perhaps the most about a character by watching them interact with others. Romy and Cazzie are very different people, and this gives ample opportunity for comedy but also for grounding in reality. I have a sister myself and it's interesting to observe the neuroses we have in common -- and thus can blame on our family or genetics or surroundings -- versus the ways in which we differ, which says something about us as individuals outside of our family system. Likewise, Romy gives us a foil. Seeing her and Cazzie together allows us to decide how reliable we feel Cazzie is as a narrator, and how much we should or shouldn't let her off the hook.

This effect is likewise strong at the end of the book, where we see Cazzie's experience of her thirtieth birthday party but also hear what others say about how they remember the same party. In a way this feels reassuring: yes, it's easy to get way deep in our own heads, but reality is probably kinder than we think.

[Rylee Maron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary relatable and beyond hilarious. I loved this!

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for selecting me as one of the winners to read this book before its release…however my opinion of this book is that it shouldn’t be released. The storyline actually made me dizzy & unsettled.

[Amy (amyrose.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the MacMillan Early Listeners Program for the early copy of this audiobook!

3.5 ⭐️

Something that I’ve found about myself is that I enjoy personal essays. Typically, I almost enjoy them more when I don’t know who the author is. So, picking up this book seemed like an obvious non-fiction pick for me.

While I was listening, the beginning of the book seemed like something anyone could really connect with. Dread of getting older, bad boyfriends, anxieties, etc. Then, there was a mention of Erewhon. Then, the influencer gym. And I was like, wait, what? This person isn’t a typical person? So, I googled Cazzie David and I was like “OH LARRY DAVID’S DAUGHTER.” That kind of shredded the illusion for me that I could totally relate to this person.

Cazzie did a really great job of revealing the inner workings of her mind throughout the book. I think that is something truly valuable in a writer and something that I really enjoy. However, sometimes I just felt like a big guilty for thinking: “But you have SO MANY resources available to you. And you appear to unironically shop at Erewhon.”

That being said, there were still bits and pieces I found myself relating to as a “regular person.” Those bits really shined through with their comedy and genuine tone. Those bits were great, and then immediately blown up by the idea that there was enough money to entirely change all of your kitchen utensils and such at the drop of a single piece of information. Sorry!!!

Cazzie did a really great job with the narration of this book. It is just so clear to hear that the words are HER’S and not someone else’s.

Overall, I’d be interested in seeing if I relate more to any of the pieces she wrote in her early 20s. I will probably pick up No One Asked For This just to give it a shot because at the end of the day I did enjoy her writing style, even if at times I was frustrated I was not a nepo baby.

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished Delusions, though I didn’t want to and genuinely don’t understand how it got published. The writing felt flat, self-indulgent, and painfully underdeveloped, as if first drafts were handed in to her editor and never looked at again. There’s a difference between conversational and careless, and this leans heavily toward careless. To me, the essays lacked depth, anything other than cliche (and not the good kind) insight, or really any sense of purpose. What could have been sharp, introspective humor read like a string of loosely connected complaints with no real payoff. It’s difficult to stay engaged when an author’s voice doesn’t evolve and the observations never quite land. The only redeeming quality? The cover, designed to resemble cake, is visually striking and far more thoughtful than anything inside.

[Kamis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some relatable parts to this book, and some very un-relatable parts. Cazzie suffers from a myriad of mental health issues, which she talks about throughout the book. There's depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and they're all laid out pretty bare. Her descriptions can be relatable for anyone who has suffered from any of these. The problem is, she doesn't seem to want to do anything about it.

The book mainly focuses on the year before her 30th birthday and all the anxiety this brings. She struggles with entering a new decade while feeling she has nothing to show for it, and feels like the clock is ticking. This part I get - I recently turned 40 and have felt a lot of the same. I don't have a lot of the typical things to show for my life, like a husband and kids, but I do have other things. It's getting over that societal expectation that can be hard. You feel like people wonder why you don't have these things and what's wrong with you that you don't. You have to realize that life isn't the same for everyone and there isn't a certain age at which you have to attain certain things.

Here's where the problem lies - while I had those struggles with expectations, along with some depression, I actively worked to overcome them. It feels like Cazzie never really tries to work through her issues, nor does she want to. It's a constant stream of doom and gloom with no light at the end of the tunnel, with a side of privilege. I don't think she flaunts her privilege a ton, but it is definitely still there. You can see this on display as she talks about the depression she has over a guy she only sees during the summer, which happens to be on Martha's Vineyard, where there is nothing going on except dinner parties and lounging around. It is hard to relate to someone who has had everything handed to them on a silver platter, though I feel she is more relatable than some. Those parts come through when she is talking about the more mundane parts, like the interactions with her sister or the dread she feels over being thrown a birthday party. The other problem is the repetition. There is so much of it that it's easy to feel your attention drifting. It's like random diary entries were thrown in with no editing at all. While this can make it feel more real, it can also be distracting,

I do think this was mostly enjoyable, mainly because I could connect with the anxieties over age and societal norms. Other people, especially women about to enter a new decade, will probably relate to these same things.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s just like me if I was 10x more depressed and had 100x more generational wealth. Representation matters. Love her down! Sorry!

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aw man.

Listen, I had some concerns going in.

A book of personal essays centered around one single year sounds like too little fodder for stories spread across one book if you ask me (a non-writer). Especially when you compare it against Cazzie David’s last collection, which seemed to draw from the “best hits” from the author’s entire life up until that point.

There were only 3-4 essays here that I enjoyed—one at the beginning and the rest (saved???) at the very end. Everything else was not personal essay so much as disorganized complaining about wanting to be hot and wanting to hook up and wanting to stop scrolling. That level of shallow interiority didn’t make for interesting writing. Additionally, the author spends so much of the book talking about staying at home in a hoodie and scrolling—I can’t sympathize with someone who is so rich and has such an easy life and just wants to complain about it. In her last book, David was able to convince me to care in spite of her acknowledged nepo-baby status. Not so here.

Those few good essays are enough to convince me that David is still a good writer, she just needs to choose some more substantial material to write about and also learn to cut these essays off sooner instead of letting them meander aimlessly. According to her, we like almost all of the same personal essayists—Nora Ephron, David Sedaris, Lena Dunham. Those guys aren’t just writing to write: they actually have something to say and they’ve honed their craft in order to say it in a clever way. The essays have a point. They’ve been edited. They are tight—just like a short story. More of that in the next collection, please.

[Sam Gabay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super entertaining and she’s very funny but I think me and her think too similarly so it freaked me out. Kept making me feel existential ab aging and I was like getting panicky for her and also being like shut the fuck up and then also being like damn this is what I sound like to ppl huh.. geez.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful and lightly humorous collection of introspective essays from the talented Cazzie David.

As an elder millennial I was surprised to see so much awareness of mortality and trepidation about aging from someone about to turn 30. These things didn’t much occur to me at that age despite being fairly introspective myself. I’m left wondering if there has been a generational shift in thinking in this way, or if it’s just where David’s mind is specifically.

She’s consistently funny without ever being too much, and deeply self-deprecating in a way that feels humble if not entirely honest. Me thinks the lady doth protest too much at times, and my lone gripe with this was the too-common tendency to represent normal if strong and deep emotions as mental illness.

Still, she raises a lot of interesting points (especially about the consequences of living inside one’s phone), and though I expect she might (somewhat disingenuously) demur, she’s a pleasure to spend time with.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Reilly Wieland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn bitch you live like this? Honestly enjoyed she's clever

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

an easy read, i feel like we speak the same language. though she’s a technically good writer, cazzie's voice isn't unique. I’m fine with that bc it's comprehensive, satisfying, and sometimes even very good

My main gripe is what likely other people’s main gripe is: she’s so fucking negative and cynical and insecure that it’s actually frustrating to read. It doesn’t matter that she’s hyper aware of it. Awareness without action is moot. I could only read until I got so annoyed with her that I couldn’t continue and had to put the book down

I tried to challenge my internalized misogyny: why is this voice, this voice that Hates Everything acceptable in a man (her father) but not in a woman?

And unfortunately - as trite as it is to criticize a nepo baby for their privilege - thats really what it comes down to for me.

It’s hard to have a comedic voice that's complainy when you have nothing to complain about
Like you have all the money in the world and you’re making us listen to you lament about wanting to be hot and being addicted to your phone? I have the same problems - many such cases - but I don’t feel spoken to and understood so much as I feel like a mirror is being held up to how trivial the things I focus on are. that's both why i kept having to put the book down but also why I kept picking it back up. it felt like something that was bad for me

My suggestion for Cazzie’s next book would be to go have a real adventure and then tell us about it. You have all the resources in the world to create trouble for yourself and then get out of it. My joke suggestion is “go get addicted to drugs and alcohol” but for real, without harming herself, she could go live in a foreign country for a year without her phone and then write about that. or if she is willing to harm herself, She could get all the plastic surgery procedures she’s considering and then write about being botched and trying to fix it.

I don’t know, these are dumb suggestions, but a writer who is truly dedicated to their craft is going to dedicate their life to the project of writing. If you’re going to write about your own life, then your life should be a work of art. Go live, and then tell us what you learn, out there in the world. i dont see her doing any of this which is why she doesnt work as a personal essayist for me. would be cool to see her try fiction. i liked her webseries.

[Adeana Libman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Cazzie David for giving me access to this eARC!

Should I admit that this was an extremely relatable book for me? Well I'm going to. This collection of essays enters the mind of Cazzie David as she advances towards her 30th birthday. She tackles subjects such as body dysmorphia, ending relationships (and maintaining doomed situationships), throwing parties as a depressed introvert, and her dad's mortality. I think it must be said, these are ALL things I have faced as a now 34 year old woman with a severe (medicated) anxiety disorder. Her neuroses felt so akin to mine, at times it felt like reading my own thoughts. I think so many of us write and say what we think other people want to hear and so when we read something really honest and self-deprecating, our first thought is to scoff it off. I love the honest though, I want to know that there are people out there who feel the way I do (or worse) and that we haven't fully become filler-laden robots. I just loved David's stream of consciousness. I would love to pick up another collection that details her journey to 40 because I am sure it will be just as funny and real.

For me, a four star read and can't wait for more!

[Erin Homan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often read non-fiction, but I'm so glad I took a chance on this. As an intensely weird, neurotic, woman I rarely ever really feel like there are other people experiencing the world with the same level of anxiety and stress that I am 😅 Often even the simplest interactions lead to spiraling. Cazzie's thoughts are mine but maybe if I had more disposable wealth and shittier friends. I have laughed so much and also felt a sort of protective, maternal concern? Like I was Cazzie at 30, and now that I'm past that era I wanna tell her that it really does get better. And also Lexapro is a god send. Anyway, if you're a little obsessive weirdo, read this. It's for all of us.

[Kylie Eastwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this audiobook through the StoryGraph giveaway. I absolutely loved it. As a woman in her early 30’s it is so relatable and on point. The expectations, the unhelpful advice, the societal pressure is all reflected in this book. It is funny and witty and I just really enjoyed it. The audio book is also so well recorded and I enjoyed every second of it.

[Lily Greenwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 4.5 — the essays got better as the book went on and I laughed out loud more than a few times. She is her father’s daughter and it’s so interesting to see that neuroses in a young woman instead of an old man. Thank you Brick for allowing me to sit down and finish this :)

[maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love both her books. There were moments where it was scarily relatable/ I felt like I wrote certain essays. Love her sense of humor and honesty about seemingly niche things that really are a shared experience.

[Bridgette Reardon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cazzie is generally funny and it was interesting to get a pretty intimate view into her neurotic, whiney, good-hearted, depressed and monotone head. At times it was draining and very gen-z focused. The references to her mother were hilarious. The barefoot dinner guest! There were a few coming of age concepts that resonated with me, but a lot did not. Which is okay! We're all on our own journey and I loved being in the backseat of her journey for a bit.

(I really do hope she finds love and has kids before LD croaks though.)

[Rosalind Breckheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so obsessed with many parts of this book! She quoted my favorite Nora Ephron book like 4 times.

I didn’t love the ending and I definitely would hate to be whoever Cynthia is. I can understand some of the popular reviews….

Glad I read this though <3 especially loved the part on the advice epidemic.

[Aliyah Mangrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speaking of delusions, I’ve convinced myself that I still have a chance w her father so there is no way I would rate this less than 5 stars even if it was more along the lines of a 4. It’s funny, chaotic and intensely neurotic

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed out loud multiple times listening to this

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

really loved this but keep in mind i’m mentally ill xox

[Livvy Whitmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her description of the crash out following learning she shares some facial resemblance to Nathan Fielder unfortunately had me in tears

[Emma Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious.