What do you think?
Rate this book
Exceptionally Mediocre
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 17, 2026
I enjoyed this collection of stories and poems so much! Some unique takes on life (and death). Not mediocre at all:)
January 7, 2026
Incredibly heartwarming stories. This book will make you feel every emotion. I was so disappointed when it was done. Excellent read!
January 23, 2026
Exceptionally Mediocre is one of those books that doesn’t yell at you it sits next to you and has an honest conversation.
At its core, this book challenges the idea that we need to be exceptional at everything to matter. It pushes back against hustle culture, constant self-improvement, and the pressure to always be “more.” Instead, it makes space for being human average days, quiet effort, and showing up imperfectly.
Reading this as a dad gave the message extra weight. There’s an unspoken expectation to be great at work, emotionally present at home, endlessly patient, and constantly improving. This book reminded me that being consistent, available, and real with my kids matters far more than being impressive.
It’s not a fast-paced or motivational read, and it won’t give you a checklist to fix your life. Some sections take their time. But that’s also part of the point it encourages reflection rather than performance.
If you’re feeling burnt out, behind, or like you’re not doing enough, this book offers a reassuring reminder, you don’t have to be exceptional to be enough.
At its core, this book challenges the idea that we need to be exceptional at everything to matter. It pushes back against hustle culture, constant self-improvement, and the pressure to always be “more.” Instead, it makes space for being human average days, quiet effort, and showing up imperfectly.
Reading this as a dad gave the message extra weight. There’s an unspoken expectation to be great at work, emotionally present at home, endlessly patient, and constantly improving. This book reminded me that being consistent, available, and real with my kids matters far more than being impressive.
It’s not a fast-paced or motivational read, and it won’t give you a checklist to fix your life. Some sections take their time. But that’s also part of the point it encourages reflection rather than performance.
If you’re feeling burnt out, behind, or like you’re not doing enough, this book offers a reassuring reminder, you don’t have to be exceptional to be enough.
March 20, 2026
Dale Grant is an incredibly talented writer. His ability to wrap you into a story one line in is absolutely remarkable. This is a wonderful collection of short stories and poems, that I am honored to write a review for! Dale has interesting takes on the world as we know it, and some takes on worlds that could one day exist. In any life and in any person, extraordinary is one choice away.
I would not recommend reading this book in one sitting, although you could, simply because it is really nice to let the stories resonate.
Thank you so much for sharing your work with me!
Melissa Poster
I would not recommend reading this book in one sitting, although you could, simply because it is really nice to let the stories resonate.
Thank you so much for sharing your work with me!
Melissa Poster
March 4, 2026
A beautiful book of short stories. Each story made me contemplate what I had just read and why I felt so emotional after reading. Very well written.
March 8, 2026
some really good short stories
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews