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The Sane One: A Memoir by the Co-creator of Pen15
In this emotional and laugh-out-loud coming-of-age memoir, the co-creator of Hulu's brilliant Pen15 grapples with the reappearance of her estranged father —and whether it's possible to reconnect before it’s too late.
For Anna Konkle’s childhood, her father was her hero—a hyper-charismatic, larger-than-life human resource manager at 7-Eleven. But their closeness was constantly interrupted by the screaming matches and heavy silences between him and her mother, eventually culminating in a bitter divorce that literally split the family house down the middle, with one parent on each side.
College felt like freedom, and Anna filled her time searching for the husband she'd never divorce and the orgasm she'd never had, while waiting tables at fancy restaurants and getting lackluster acting gigs, the strangest of which had her working celebrity Halloween parties. But just as she begins to thrive, her father starts to struggle. Not long after she moves to LA to pursue acting and writing, her dad’s increasingly erratic behavior forces her to cut off contact with him, until, years later, he knocks at her door.
Written in intimately beautiful prose, The Sane One is a tragicomic memoir of growing up, falling apart, getting older, and trying to come back together while there’s still time.
For Anna Konkle’s childhood, her father was her hero—a hyper-charismatic, larger-than-life human resource manager at 7-Eleven. But their closeness was constantly interrupted by the screaming matches and heavy silences between him and her mother, eventually culminating in a bitter divorce that literally split the family house down the middle, with one parent on each side.
College felt like freedom, and Anna filled her time searching for the husband she'd never divorce and the orgasm she'd never had, while waiting tables at fancy restaurants and getting lackluster acting gigs, the strangest of which had her working celebrity Halloween parties. But just as she begins to thrive, her father starts to struggle. Not long after she moves to LA to pursue acting and writing, her dad’s increasingly erratic behavior forces her to cut off contact with him, until, years later, he knocks at her door.
Written in intimately beautiful prose, The Sane One is a tragicomic memoir of growing up, falling apart, getting older, and trying to come back together while there’s still time.
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Published May 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 28, 2026
TLDR; laugh, laugh, laugh, cry, cry, cry.
If you’ve ever watched Pen15 and thought, “there’s simply no way this level of awkwardness isn’t pulled straight from real life,” The Sane One more or less confirms it. Anna Konkle writes like she’s sitting across from you, elbows on the table, a bottle of wine deep, sharing things that you actually couldn’t pull out of me with the jaws of life themselves.
The memoir unfolds, more or less, in 3 clean beats: Childhood (elementary, middle, and high school,) College (where shortly thereafter she meets Maya Erskine,) and adulthood—which carries us through her adult life, meeting her now-husband, co-creating Pen15, and caring for her father at the end of his life.
The momentum of Anna’s life is quiet, slowly shifting with most of the emotional wreckage coming in the final acts. But her voice is what hooked me; she writes in a way that is conversational, sloppy, and honest. Maybe not for everyone, but for me, as a fellow child of divorce and former painfully awkward kid it felt cathartic. I was transported back to 2021, sitting on my friend Mary’s parents’ kitchen floor, swapping middle/high school traumas while her mom’s bitch cat, Kitty, takes cheap shots at my feet. That same raw, unfiltered energy lives in the Sane One. Anna Konkle sees me and I see her right back.
Early reviews are still sparse, but the few on Goodreads seem to share similar hang-ups: the juvenile tone in the first third and Konkle’s bluntness/harshness re: who her father was prior to his illness. Neither of those things bothered me. Her voice evolves alongside her aging in the book, which feels intentional. As for her parents, it feels shitty to judge Anna for sharing her truth (I’m very much of the mind that if you don’t want people to know you did something shitty, then you shouldn’t do things that are shitty). At 300-something pages, there is simply no way for the reader to know the full scope of their dynamic. So, instead of judging, I find myself between the pages, spotting similarities between my relationship with my own parents. And in a weird, possibly para-social way, I’m proud of Anna for her vulnerability.
So, this is a 5/5 for me. Honest, vulnerable, and disarmingly funny in a way that is so hyper-specific as to make weirdos like me feel not so alone.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and Anna Konkle for the arc.
If you’ve ever watched Pen15 and thought, “there’s simply no way this level of awkwardness isn’t pulled straight from real life,” The Sane One more or less confirms it. Anna Konkle writes like she’s sitting across from you, elbows on the table, a bottle of wine deep, sharing things that you actually couldn’t pull out of me with the jaws of life themselves.
The memoir unfolds, more or less, in 3 clean beats: Childhood (elementary, middle, and high school,) College (where shortly thereafter she meets Maya Erskine,) and adulthood—which carries us through her adult life, meeting her now-husband, co-creating Pen15, and caring for her father at the end of his life.
The momentum of Anna’s life is quiet, slowly shifting with most of the emotional wreckage coming in the final acts. But her voice is what hooked me; she writes in a way that is conversational, sloppy, and honest. Maybe not for everyone, but for me, as a fellow child of divorce and former painfully awkward kid it felt cathartic. I was transported back to 2021, sitting on my friend Mary’s parents’ kitchen floor, swapping middle/high school traumas while her mom’s bitch cat, Kitty, takes cheap shots at my feet. That same raw, unfiltered energy lives in the Sane One. Anna Konkle sees me and I see her right back.
Early reviews are still sparse, but the few on Goodreads seem to share similar hang-ups: the juvenile tone in the first third and Konkle’s bluntness/harshness re: who her father was prior to his illness. Neither of those things bothered me. Her voice evolves alongside her aging in the book, which feels intentional. As for her parents, it feels shitty to judge Anna for sharing her truth (I’m very much of the mind that if you don’t want people to know you did something shitty, then you shouldn’t do things that are shitty). At 300-something pages, there is simply no way for the reader to know the full scope of their dynamic. So, instead of judging, I find myself between the pages, spotting similarities between my relationship with my own parents. And in a weird, possibly para-social way, I’m proud of Anna for her vulnerability.
So, this is a 5/5 for me. Honest, vulnerable, and disarmingly funny in a way that is so hyper-specific as to make weirdos like me feel not so alone.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and Anna Konkle for the arc.
May 10, 2026
I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have seen a few episodes of Pen15 and loved the absurdity of the show. Grown women reliving their millenial middle school experience surrounded by actual teenagers. I started middle school in 2006 so I was able to appreciate the jokes and awkwardness of that era. The co-creator Anna Konkle penned this memoir and it was a mess. It was an absolute splattershot of writing with no form or organization of thoughts. There was no chronological timeline and she shared the most cringey anecdotes. Perhaps if she tidied up her thoughts and portrayed it more like nonfiction than its attempt at a narrative, it would be more coherent. It felt like I opened her diary in the worst way possible. The only part I liked was the introduction of her co-creator Maya, but that wasn't until 60% into the book. I had such high expectations for this book because I thought she would talk more about the show instead of her strained relationship with her father and awkward puberty. I'm sorry to be so harsh on a review, but this was not a pleasant reading experience. Kudos for being vulnerable and brave enough to publish your deepest secrets, but maybe next time keep that pen capped.
I have seen a few episodes of Pen15 and loved the absurdity of the show. Grown women reliving their millenial middle school experience surrounded by actual teenagers. I started middle school in 2006 so I was able to appreciate the jokes and awkwardness of that era. The co-creator Anna Konkle penned this memoir and it was a mess. It was an absolute splattershot of writing with no form or organization of thoughts. There was no chronological timeline and she shared the most cringey anecdotes. Perhaps if she tidied up her thoughts and portrayed it more like nonfiction than its attempt at a narrative, it would be more coherent. It felt like I opened her diary in the worst way possible. The only part I liked was the introduction of her co-creator Maya, but that wasn't until 60% into the book. I had such high expectations for this book because I thought she would talk more about the show instead of her strained relationship with her father and awkward puberty. I'm sorry to be so harsh on a review, but this was not a pleasant reading experience. Kudos for being vulnerable and brave enough to publish your deepest secrets, but maybe next time keep that pen capped.
May 24, 2026
5 stars
oh anna i am sobbing😭 this is incredibly well-written. Anna is so hilarious, yet serious and articulate. every story felt like a new episode of pen15.
the way she describes navigating her childhood, into her 30s just feels like my internal monologue- at 24. accompanying this book with her audiobook… 10/10.
i unfortunately relate to her family’s dynamics, pretty much to a T. especially her relationship with her dad.
it was hard for me to continue to find the good in my father as i matured, and understood/saw things differently, and as he was struggling and changing himself in his final years. i actually almost DNF’d after chapter sixteen. it hit too close to home, i was nauseous and crying, but i think i needed to read it. (#TraumaDumpOver #Sorry)
it actually brought me much closure to read Anna’s story— about her and her father communicating as adults. the emotional maturity and bravery it took for her to write her dad that letter made me bawl my eyes out.
this book is fantastic, and as a huge fan of pen15 i am glad to have read this and learned more about Anna’s life.
oh anna i am sobbing😭 this is incredibly well-written. Anna is so hilarious, yet serious and articulate. every story felt like a new episode of pen15.
the way she describes navigating her childhood, into her 30s just feels like my internal monologue- at 24. accompanying this book with her audiobook… 10/10.
i unfortunately relate to her family’s dynamics, pretty much to a T. especially her relationship with her dad.
it was hard for me to continue to find the good in my father as i matured, and understood/saw things differently, and as he was struggling and changing himself in his final years. i actually almost DNF’d after chapter sixteen. it hit too close to home, i was nauseous and crying, but i think i needed to read it. (#TraumaDumpOver #Sorry)
it actually brought me much closure to read Anna’s story— about her and her father communicating as adults. the emotional maturity and bravery it took for her to write her dad that letter made me bawl my eyes out.
this book is fantastic, and as a huge fan of pen15 i am glad to have read this and learned more about Anna’s life.
May 26, 2026
Man. Upon finishing the last chapter, it feels heavy in my chest but I can feel it so deeply, a feeling I know I am grateful to not have experienced yet, but one I know will happen twice.
Anna Konkle’s memoir captured the complexities of human relationships in such a grounded way. Pulling out feelings I haven’t had and making me have to put on sunglasses to hide me crying in a public.
Anna Konkle’s memoir captured the complexities of human relationships in such a grounded way. Pulling out feelings I haven’t had and making me have to put on sunglasses to hide me crying in a public.
May 28, 2026
This memoir is absolutely incredible. One moment I was laughing out loud, and the next I was crying tears of sadness. It’s written with such honesty and vulnerability, and once I picked it up, it was really hard to put down. I’m definitely going to have to rewatch Pen15 immediately!
March 4, 2026
As a fan of PEN15, I had a feeling I was going to love this memoir. The show is one of those rare comedies that perfectly balances humor with genuine emotional depth, capturing the intensity and awkwardness of adolescence without romanticizing it.
This memoir carries that same balance. It’s funny, but also deeply heartfelt in a way that many comedies miss when they lean too far into silliness. I expected to laugh, but I didn’t expect to cry. While I loved reading about her childhood, what stayed with me most was seeing her growth and self-reflection as she moved through adulthood and her relationship with her dad. Loved everything about this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This memoir carries that same balance. It’s funny, but also deeply heartfelt in a way that many comedies miss when they lean too far into silliness. I expected to laugh, but I didn’t expect to cry. While I loved reading about her childhood, what stayed with me most was seeing her growth and self-reflection as she moved through adulthood and her relationship with her dad. Loved everything about this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 13, 2026
Honestly went into this memoir just knowing I love her comedy but not having seen any press for the book or what to expect from it, and it was so simultaneously hilarious, beautifully written, and heartbreaking and warming at the same time. Cried way more than I expected to and loved it all the more for that.
May 22, 2026
A rare actual laugh/cry situation and much deeper than I expected give the Pen15 of it all
May 27, 2026
Pen15 is one of my favorite shows so it makes sense that this memoir was also incredible! A bit slow to get into, but her honesty and depth in reflecting on her difficult relationship with her parents was very raw and thought provoking. I expected to laugh but ended up in tears by the end. She is gifted in writing about complex people while still showing the reader the humanness in the flaws of each person.
December 9, 2025
I have always been a fan of Anna but this memoir helped me get to know her even more. She is even more relatable than ever now that I got a glimpse into her childhood, her relationship with her father, and her overall family dynamics. This book is a rollercoaster of ups and downs with her family life but there are so many funny moments mixed in that it really kept the momentum going as I read - nothing too heavy. This book was really well written and now I’m even more of a fan than ever before. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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March 9, 2026The last few chapters were genuinely heart wrenching and had me crying in the club
May 17, 2026
If you grew up in the late 90's early 2000s, and you haven't watched PEN15, stop right now and go watch it! Being a millennial, that show was the most accurate depiction of what life was like back then. Also, the importance of a best friend during the weirdest time of your life/body.
The Sane One gives even more of Anna's story as a child and young teen. I loved how goofy she was and I could relate so much. There's even one part where she questions why she always sounds like a 35 year old even though she's a teenager. I was constantly making friends with the parents.
The book shares her tough relationship with both parents but specifically her dad after the divorce. We see some of this on PEN15 but I'm sure children of divorced parents will relate to her struggles between the two. It also dives into a disturbing allegation of abuse on behalf of her father.
It is heartbreakingly sad and funny. In the end, the book is a beautiful tribute to her father.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Konkle, and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read The Sane One. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.
The Sane One gives even more of Anna's story as a child and young teen. I loved how goofy she was and I could relate so much. There's even one part where she questions why she always sounds like a 35 year old even though she's a teenager. I was constantly making friends with the parents.
The book shares her tough relationship with both parents but specifically her dad after the divorce. We see some of this on PEN15 but I'm sure children of divorced parents will relate to her struggles between the two. It also dives into a disturbing allegation of abuse on behalf of her father.
It is heartbreakingly sad and funny. In the end, the book is a beautiful tribute to her father.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Konkle, and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read The Sane One. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.
May 22, 2026
not an experienced readers of memoirs but i greatly enjoyed this book, it starts with anna in childhood and ends in her early 30s. shaped mostly around understanding her father and their complicated relationship.
the middle got a bit muddy (her college years) and wrapped up with my ugly sobbing for the last few chapters
some random things to note — her sentence structures are choppy at times, and sometimes read like a script — obviously a strength of hers, and can be translated with difficulty in a memoir. however, certainly able to hear how she would say it out loud! the type of imagery / metaphors she used rarely felt forced (compared to my limited knowledge of other memoirs) , which i feel like can be hard to do
i could certainly sense her despair in questioning her dad. and i related greatly to some moments in her adolescence that were portrayed especially well— a huge strength of hers obviously because i love her show
anyways i thought it was worth reading but i was gonna give it a three star until the end so maybe im just emo about her dead dad and bumping it up one star? who knows
the middle got a bit muddy (her college years) and wrapped up with my ugly sobbing for the last few chapters
some random things to note — her sentence structures are choppy at times, and sometimes read like a script — obviously a strength of hers, and can be translated with difficulty in a memoir. however, certainly able to hear how she would say it out loud! the type of imagery / metaphors she used rarely felt forced (compared to my limited knowledge of other memoirs) , which i feel like can be hard to do
i could certainly sense her despair in questioning her dad. and i related greatly to some moments in her adolescence that were portrayed especially well— a huge strength of hers obviously because i love her show
anyways i thought it was worth reading but i was gonna give it a three star until the end so maybe im just emo about her dead dad and bumping it up one star? who knows
January 31, 2026
I thought this book was going to make me laugh but what I did not expect is that it was going to make me ugly cry.
The first half of the book is a little hard to get through, because a lot of filler words and stammering are left in the dialogue. I assume it is a stylistic choice, but it makes it really hard to read.
I’m really glad I powered through that, though, because the second half of the book was really good. It deals with some heavy and confusing subject matter, but Anna writes about living through her father’s death after years of a very complicated relationship so vulnerably that it was refreshing. And devastating.
I also love PEN15, so I enjoyed learning more about her friendship and working partnership with Maya Erskine as well.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
The first half of the book is a little hard to get through, because a lot of filler words and stammering are left in the dialogue. I assume it is a stylistic choice, but it makes it really hard to read.
I’m really glad I powered through that, though, because the second half of the book was really good. It deals with some heavy and confusing subject matter, but Anna writes about living through her father’s death after years of a very complicated relationship so vulnerably that it was refreshing. And devastating.
I also love PEN15, so I enjoyed learning more about her friendship and working partnership with Maya Erskine as well.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
May 19, 2026
I love her so much- this was perfect, especially on audio. She captures the innermost thoughts of a kid going through their parents’ divorce with such precision that I found myself audibly laughing, tearing up, and remembering a lot of forgotten feelings and memories! The way she writes about all the awkwardness, grief, guilt, and every emotion in between that you experience as a kid with divorces parents, and how those feelings evolve as you get older, was uncanny and so real.
TW for people who have lost parents- the ending was beautiful but very descriptive and I can imagine triggering.
TW for people who have lost parents- the ending was beautiful but very descriptive and I can imagine triggering.
May 21, 2026
4.5 rounded up bc I love anna konkle
Her writing is definitely geared towards scripts which made dialogue a bit hard to understand unless you heard it from Anna herself the audio book and reading along was the way to go for the first half
but then as we delve further into her life her story and relationship with her father grew in such complex ways that Anna beautifully articulated and I didnt feel the need to have the audio book going
It is a wonderful book
Her writing is definitely geared towards scripts which made dialogue a bit hard to understand unless you heard it from Anna herself the audio book and reading along was the way to go for the first half
but then as we delve further into her life her story and relationship with her father grew in such complex ways that Anna beautifully articulated and I didnt feel the need to have the audio book going
It is a wonderful book
May 22, 2026
When I saw Anna Konkle had a memoir coming out, I knew immediately that I'd pick it up as soon as it came out. I was fortunate to listen to her read it via audiobook. Without looking into the book beforehand, I assumed it would be about the creation of the show (I was v wrong!!). This was really heavy and I cried at multiple points. So well done and the way she is able to capture her feelings and experiences into words is extraordinary.
May 27, 2026
Will appeal to fans of Konkle's groundbreaking series, Pen15. And if you're a female millennial who hasn't seen it yet, you will find it nostalgic, funny, and paaaainfully accurate.
If you're a child of divorce who was forced to be the go-between for your parents, this book may be relatable but also intensely triggering. Konkle not only had to process her own adolescent feelings regarding her parents' split, but she had to parent both her mom and dad, as they inappropriately leant on her for emotional support. Konkle's description of the emotional incest (yes, that's the clinical term) she endured is at times infuriating, and she shows such grace in forgiving and looking for the good in her parents despite it all.
If you're a child of divorce who was forced to be the go-between for your parents, this book may be relatable but also intensely triggering. Konkle not only had to process her own adolescent feelings regarding her parents' split, but she had to parent both her mom and dad, as they inappropriately leant on her for emotional support. Konkle's description of the emotional incest (yes, that's the clinical term) she endured is at times infuriating, and she shows such grace in forgiving and looking for the good in her parents despite it all.
May 26, 2026
Oh my god, hit me right in my guts.
May 28, 2026
I bawled listening to the epilogue and bawled again recounting it 😭
May 20, 2026
4.5 rounded up
I’ve never seen PEN15, I only started reading this because the author was a guest on a podcast I listened to and some of her story resonated with me a bit. While her writing style was a bit disorganized and not my favorite I really enjoyed how earnest and honest everything she wrote was. Memoirs aren’t usually my cup of tea but I genuinely enjoyed this. I also sobbed so much at the end so if you see me with puffy eyes tomorrow morning at least you’ll know why.
I’ve never seen PEN15, I only started reading this because the author was a guest on a podcast I listened to and some of her story resonated with me a bit. While her writing style was a bit disorganized and not my favorite I really enjoyed how earnest and honest everything she wrote was. Memoirs aren’t usually my cup of tea but I genuinely enjoyed this. I also sobbed so much at the end so if you see me with puffy eyes tomorrow morning at least you’ll know why.
May 21, 2026
I cried the whole second half of this! Really beautiful to hear her read it as well!
May 24, 2026
When I say I cried at the end of this book— not an exaggeration. Thank you, Anna Konkle for your writing and vulnerability.
Also shout out to the New England representation and Rhode Island mentions.
Also shout out to the New England representation and Rhode Island mentions.
May 21, 2026
Because Pen15 was so autobiographical, and because Konkle recounts many scenes in this memoir primarily through dialogue, reading it sort of felt tumbling town a surreal life imitating art imitating life rabbithole. Her early years can't help but feel like a Pen15 prequel, the middle school years feel like a funhouse mirror alternate version of Pen15 with no Maya, and then the later stuff feels a bit like Pen15, the college years. We even briefly touch on the surreality of making Pen15, essentially giving us a taste of Pen15: The Pen15 Years?
Anyway, as someone who thinks Pen15 is one of the greatest shows ever, this is definitely a feature, not a bug. But since this is Konkle's real life, things get even darker and rawer than they did in the lightly fictionalized TV version, especially in the second half of the book, where the humor dries up as the heaviness of estrangement and illness settle in. Fortunately, I'm someone who appreciated the emotional honesty of Pen15 even more than its nostalgia-driven jokes, so I was very on board for this stuff, too. In fact, it's probably the strongest memoir I've read since CRYING IN H MART (which, come to thing of it, is also about a complicated relationship with a parent who dies).
The only thing that held it back slightly for me was that while it was hugely compelling on a moment by moment basis, sometimes it felt like just a bunch of memories flowing by with not enough connective tissue. Konkle's prose is quite good, though dialogue remains her strength, but I wanted more clarity in the storytelling. She would do things like reference a person she'd maybe referenced in passing eighty pages earlier, without any reminder or context as to who they were. Things like that weren't dealbreakers, but they were enough to pull me out of my reading flow here and there. Still, recommended!
Anyway, as someone who thinks Pen15 is one of the greatest shows ever, this is definitely a feature, not a bug. But since this is Konkle's real life, things get even darker and rawer than they did in the lightly fictionalized TV version, especially in the second half of the book, where the humor dries up as the heaviness of estrangement and illness settle in. Fortunately, I'm someone who appreciated the emotional honesty of Pen15 even more than its nostalgia-driven jokes, so I was very on board for this stuff, too. In fact, it's probably the strongest memoir I've read since CRYING IN H MART (which, come to thing of it, is also about a complicated relationship with a parent who dies).
The only thing that held it back slightly for me was that while it was hugely compelling on a moment by moment basis, sometimes it felt like just a bunch of memories flowing by with not enough connective tissue. Konkle's prose is quite good, though dialogue remains her strength, but I wanted more clarity in the storytelling. She would do things like reference a person she'd maybe referenced in passing eighty pages earlier, without any reminder or context as to who they were. Things like that weren't dealbreakers, but they were enough to pull me out of my reading flow here and there. Still, recommended!
June 2, 2026
As soon as I heard that Anna Konkle was coming out with a memoir, I knew I was going to read it. For those who might not know (although I’d imagine if you’re reading this you’re aware) Anna is the co creator of the show PEN15. In the show she plays a middle school with her real life friend, Maya Erskine. They’re adults playing children with other children. It’s hilarious and bizarre at times and I absolutely loved it. If you haven’t watched it, I’d highly recommend it.
Anyway, the memoir, much like the show, had me laughing, crying, and cringing. It’s raw and honest and at times almost too real. For those that enjoyed the show and want to know about one of it’s co creators, I think this memoir would maybe satisfy that need for more PEN15. (I’m sure it’s not obvious how much I loved the show).
Konkle takes us through her childhood where we see some experiences that were woven into the story in the show. We’re taken along for the ride during her teen years and college. Beyond getting a new perspective as to the true life that inspire the fictionalized version, I loved seeing a peek beneath the curtain and seeing the real human being underneath. As I mentioned before, sometimes this story was funny, other times it got weird (which I love). Some parts will pull at your heartstrings and were almost too much. I can’t fathom being that vulnerable with so many people.
I would absolutely recommend this memoir to anyone, especially those with parents who divorced and obviously those that loved the show. Thank you to Random House, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an ARC for review.
Anyway, the memoir, much like the show, had me laughing, crying, and cringing. It’s raw and honest and at times almost too real. For those that enjoyed the show and want to know about one of it’s co creators, I think this memoir would maybe satisfy that need for more PEN15. (I’m sure it’s not obvious how much I loved the show).
Konkle takes us through her childhood where we see some experiences that were woven into the story in the show. We’re taken along for the ride during her teen years and college. Beyond getting a new perspective as to the true life that inspire the fictionalized version, I loved seeing a peek beneath the curtain and seeing the real human being underneath. As I mentioned before, sometimes this story was funny, other times it got weird (which I love). Some parts will pull at your heartstrings and were almost too much. I can’t fathom being that vulnerable with so many people.
I would absolutely recommend this memoir to anyone, especially those with parents who divorced and obviously those that loved the show. Thank you to Random House, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an ARC for review.
February 23, 2026
4 stars
Yes, Anna Konkle is a wildly talented humorist. This book is not going to remind you of that much. Instead, it's going to inform you of some major challenges and sad experiences in her life. Yet, you'll come out of this feeling hopeful. I did.
Konkle covers many at times funny moments from her childhood, but she also faces hard truths. Her parents' relationship is challenging. She wishes her half brother lived with her instead of choosing to live with his father and not their mother. She struggles with embarrassing moments and a big move. She then goes off to NYU, develops her talents, and becomes less relatable (but still totally likeable) through fame.
A major throughline of this book is Konkle's relationship with her father. It changes dramatically over time, and she charts it from her beginning to his end. There are some very dark moments on this journey, and readers who appreciate TW/CW should take a close look here before diving in. Konkle has a lot of questions and is committed to finding answers. Readers share in her journey.
I was surprised by how moving and thought provoking I found this read. Some memoirs from known funny folks tend to drift into the semi-silly. This isn't one of them. I hope writing this and getting this story out brings all kinds of closure. And what a banger of an epilogue.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Yes, Anna Konkle is a wildly talented humorist. This book is not going to remind you of that much. Instead, it's going to inform you of some major challenges and sad experiences in her life. Yet, you'll come out of this feeling hopeful. I did.
Konkle covers many at times funny moments from her childhood, but she also faces hard truths. Her parents' relationship is challenging. She wishes her half brother lived with her instead of choosing to live with his father and not their mother. She struggles with embarrassing moments and a big move. She then goes off to NYU, develops her talents, and becomes less relatable (but still totally likeable) through fame.
A major throughline of this book is Konkle's relationship with her father. It changes dramatically over time, and she charts it from her beginning to his end. There are some very dark moments on this journey, and readers who appreciate TW/CW should take a close look here before diving in. Konkle has a lot of questions and is committed to finding answers. Readers share in her journey.
I was surprised by how moving and thought provoking I found this read. Some memoirs from known funny folks tend to drift into the semi-silly. This isn't one of them. I hope writing this and getting this story out brings all kinds of closure. And what a banger of an epilogue.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
April 14, 2026
I was initially interested in this memoir because I am a big fan of the author’s hilarious, bold, and inimitably unique show, Pen15. I think a lot of people getting this book will be in the same position as me - thinking this will be a memoir along the lines of Sloane Crosley, offbeat and very funny. However, while Pen15 was funny awkward, the bulk of this memoir is more heavy awkward.
This can totally be a vibe for someone, but I just want to warn fans of the show. You should get this if you are looking for something more real and serious, as it spends a long time essentially unpacking childhood/young adulthood trauma. At around Chapter 5, but definitely by Chapter 6, the tone does start to resemble the awkward comedy of the show, which is great. But I think knowing that this is a memoir and thus seated in reality still emphasizes the undertone of trauma, so I do still feel a little conflicted laughing at what’s going on.
Fans of the show don’t despair, around chapter 15, Anna meets her show cocreator Maya, and reading about how that partnership blossomed is something I was really hoping for in this book, but it is barely mentioned.
Overall, this is a deconstruction of a woman’s life and primarily her relationship with her father, good and ugly, no detail spared. While the show isn’t the point, there are tidbits in here for fans. 4/5 stars, check this out if you’re a fan of memoirs and bonus for fans of the show.
*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.
This can totally be a vibe for someone, but I just want to warn fans of the show. You should get this if you are looking for something more real and serious, as it spends a long time essentially unpacking childhood/young adulthood trauma. At around Chapter 5, but definitely by Chapter 6, the tone does start to resemble the awkward comedy of the show, which is great. But I think knowing that this is a memoir and thus seated in reality still emphasizes the undertone of trauma, so I do still feel a little conflicted laughing at what’s going on.
Fans of the show don’t despair, around chapter 15, Anna meets her show cocreator Maya, and reading about how that partnership blossomed is something I was really hoping for in this book, but it is barely mentioned.
Overall, this is a deconstruction of a woman’s life and primarily her relationship with her father, good and ugly, no detail spared. While the show isn’t the point, there are tidbits in here for fans. 4/5 stars, check this out if you’re a fan of memoirs and bonus for fans of the show.
*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC
Anna Konkle’s The Sane One is more montage than memoir, a loose assemblage of scenes that reach for themes but can’t even get a grasp on tone.
I regret to inform my fellow Pen15 fans that this book is exactly what we’d wished for, and it just doesn’t work at all.
The strength of the show is Konkle’s ability to depict the moment-to-moment anarchy of adolescence. In our pre-teen years, we’re all caught between an almost-but-not-quite grown-up vocabulary and the object permanence of a literal infant. Pen15 is so good at showing that awkward reality—children have logic without the contextual knowledge to actually use it. The Sane One tries to take the same approach, but the problem is that it means we have over 300 pages of Konkle prodding at exposed nerves in her past, hoping that one of them will make the book “about” something.
Sexual dysfunction? Parental abuse? Family deaths?
Each topic appears here, and the author gestures at them with a confident uncertainty. She rushes at them as if there will be a grand reveal—as if they will make sense of everything—only to uncomfortably retreat when they don’t have any narrative momentum. There are lots of memoirs about sex. Maybe this is one?, Konkle seems to say. As an example of how this plays out, late in the book, she becomes convinced that her father abused her, only to learn that she was wrong. Rather than using the disconnect as a site for reflection or interiority, like, what does this say about me? that thread just deflates with a sort of ho-hum embarrassment. Pen15 is excellent because we see characters trial-and-erroring their way to maturity, and the specificity of each moment feels authentic. We can tell that the writers and actors have the distance—the perspective—to depict life accurately. Unfortunately, it doesn’t read well for a memoirist to trial-and-error their way to the end of a book, clumsily filibustering through past trauma with a mix of flippancy and desperation. Konkle isn’t invoking past confusion as much as evoking new uncertainty, and it often feels like she is following the memoir form out of obligation and struggling to keep up.
It’s telling that the most coherent and exciting chapter is about the early days of her friendship and creative partnership with Maya Erskine, and that's also where Konkle seems most confident and interested in her story. Why did she not just write that memoir and save her other topics for more focused books in the distant future?
Finally, as much as it pains me to say it, Konkle’s voice just falls flat here for the same reason that it sings on television. On Pen15, it’s pretty common for her character to slip into rambling, paragraph-length mixed metaphors that are appealing in their sinewy incomprehensibility. They sound exactly like a child trying to sound like a "poetic" adult, and it doesn’t matter that they don’t make sense. The important thing is that they show us something meaningful about the character. In print, Konkle does much the same thing, but these digressions are presented earnestly and without explanation, often burying actual information that would make sense of the story she is telling. As a result, rather than Konkle's metaphors offering a helpful interpretation of how events felt, they frequently obscure both her emotions and the "literal facts." For example, she describes her mother as a clown, but the ensuing paragraph bloats into a hat on a hat on a hat until it's not even clear what the initial "clown" idea was showing. There were several times I would read a paragraph or a page 5-6 times before accepting that I would just have to move on, completely baffled for the remainder of the chapter.
Ultimately, Anna Konkle’s The Sane One is the kind of book that will make you question your own sanity. It feels unfinished, unedited, and unintentional, and that’s a huge disappointment from someone who is so talented in another medium. I really hope to see the author write more in the future, but I think this particular book is definitely worth a skip.
Anna Konkle’s The Sane One is more montage than memoir, a loose assemblage of scenes that reach for themes but can’t even get a grasp on tone.
I regret to inform my fellow Pen15 fans that this book is exactly what we’d wished for, and it just doesn’t work at all.
The strength of the show is Konkle’s ability to depict the moment-to-moment anarchy of adolescence. In our pre-teen years, we’re all caught between an almost-but-not-quite grown-up vocabulary and the object permanence of a literal infant. Pen15 is so good at showing that awkward reality—children have logic without the contextual knowledge to actually use it. The Sane One tries to take the same approach, but the problem is that it means we have over 300 pages of Konkle prodding at exposed nerves in her past, hoping that one of them will make the book “about” something.
Sexual dysfunction? Parental abuse? Family deaths?
Each topic appears here, and the author gestures at them with a confident uncertainty. She rushes at them as if there will be a grand reveal—as if they will make sense of everything—only to uncomfortably retreat when they don’t have any narrative momentum. There are lots of memoirs about sex. Maybe this is one?, Konkle seems to say. As an example of how this plays out, late in the book, she becomes convinced that her father abused her, only to learn that she was wrong. Rather than using the disconnect as a site for reflection or interiority, like, what does this say about me? that thread just deflates with a sort of ho-hum embarrassment. Pen15 is excellent because we see characters trial-and-erroring their way to maturity, and the specificity of each moment feels authentic. We can tell that the writers and actors have the distance—the perspective—to depict life accurately. Unfortunately, it doesn’t read well for a memoirist to trial-and-error their way to the end of a book, clumsily filibustering through past trauma with a mix of flippancy and desperation. Konkle isn’t invoking past confusion as much as evoking new uncertainty, and it often feels like she is following the memoir form out of obligation and struggling to keep up.
It’s telling that the most coherent and exciting chapter is about the early days of her friendship and creative partnership with Maya Erskine, and that's also where Konkle seems most confident and interested in her story. Why did she not just write that memoir and save her other topics for more focused books in the distant future?
Finally, as much as it pains me to say it, Konkle’s voice just falls flat here for the same reason that it sings on television. On Pen15, it’s pretty common for her character to slip into rambling, paragraph-length mixed metaphors that are appealing in their sinewy incomprehensibility. They sound exactly like a child trying to sound like a "poetic" adult, and it doesn’t matter that they don’t make sense. The important thing is that they show us something meaningful about the character. In print, Konkle does much the same thing, but these digressions are presented earnestly and without explanation, often burying actual information that would make sense of the story she is telling. As a result, rather than Konkle's metaphors offering a helpful interpretation of how events felt, they frequently obscure both her emotions and the "literal facts." For example, she describes her mother as a clown, but the ensuing paragraph bloats into a hat on a hat on a hat until it's not even clear what the initial "clown" idea was showing. There were several times I would read a paragraph or a page 5-6 times before accepting that I would just have to move on, completely baffled for the remainder of the chapter.
Ultimately, Anna Konkle’s The Sane One is the kind of book that will make you question your own sanity. It feels unfinished, unedited, and unintentional, and that’s a huge disappointment from someone who is so talented in another medium. I really hope to see the author write more in the future, but I think this particular book is definitely worth a skip.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was a big fan of Pen15 and embrace puerile humor, especially when it’s delivered in female form. I found Anna Konkle’s character simultaneously endearing, funny, and heartbreaking. Naturally, I was intrigued to read her memoir. It took me awhile to get into the book, but about a third of the way I found my groove and read at a more steady pace.
Anna, for the most part, appeared to have a loving relationship with her father. Yet, along the way, she questioned the nature of their relationship. (Not going to lie, there were many parts of this period that were extremely uncomfortable to read.) This lead to fights, questions of abuse, and inevitably, estrangement. Anna describes the formative years with her mother as chaotic, yet, her mother is let off pretty easy. Although Anna’s father seems by all accounts nurturing, loving, and actively fostering her success, he’s the bad guy.
When I got to the last quarter of the book, it took a more somber turn. Friends, if you’ve gone through the crucible of watching your parent get sick and be there for their final stages of life you know it is one of the most painful things you ever experience. And no matter how much time passes, the grief feels so fresh when you read someone else’s journey through it. This is not a negative reflection of the author. She is a gifted storyteller, but if I knew that this was a major part of the story I would have thought twice before reading it.
I give the book four stars. I just wish that the author was kinder to the memory of her father. But, I suppose that is the nature of art, to accept beauty with equal measures of pain. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anna, for the most part, appeared to have a loving relationship with her father. Yet, along the way, she questioned the nature of their relationship. (Not going to lie, there were many parts of this period that were extremely uncomfortable to read.) This lead to fights, questions of abuse, and inevitably, estrangement. Anna describes the formative years with her mother as chaotic, yet, her mother is let off pretty easy. Although Anna’s father seems by all accounts nurturing, loving, and actively fostering her success, he’s the bad guy.
When I got to the last quarter of the book, it took a more somber turn. Friends, if you’ve gone through the crucible of watching your parent get sick and be there for their final stages of life you know it is one of the most painful things you ever experience. And no matter how much time passes, the grief feels so fresh when you read someone else’s journey through it. This is not a negative reflection of the author. She is a gifted storyteller, but if I knew that this was a major part of the story I would have thought twice before reading it.
I give the book four stars. I just wish that the author was kinder to the memory of her father. But, I suppose that is the nature of art, to accept beauty with equal measures of pain. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I spent most of this book feeling like I was reading a giant trauma dump with brief glimmers of fun, like when she is hired to play a joke on someone at a party (a truly bizarre story). Most of the chapters contain skin-crawlingly cringe stories about her parents and her childhood that I did not find "laugh-out-loud," as the description suggested. The final section of the book, where Konkle becomes her father’s caretaker, is tough to read if you have been through anything similar with an elder parent. Despite thinking the book could use a bit more self-reflection (especially in the first 2/3rds), it is almost compulsively readable. Konkle has an easy, comfortable voice that draws you in, even though you might be cringing the entire time.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!
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