Unqualified : love and relationship advice from a celebrity who just wants to help

by Anna Faris, Chris Pratt (Foreword)

Anna Faris has advice for you. And it's great advice, because she's been through it all, and she wants to tell you what she's learned.

After surviving an awkward childhood (when she bribed the fastest boy in the third grade with ice cream), navigating dating and marriage in Hollywood, and building a podcast around romantic advice, Anna has plenty of lessons to share: Advocate for yourself. Know that there are wonderful people out there and that a great relationship is possible. And, finally, don't date magicians.

Her comic memoir, Unqualified, shares Anna's candid, sympathetic, and entertaining stories of love lost and won. Part memoir--including stories about being "the short girl" in elementary school, finding and keeping female friends, and dealing with the pressures of the entertainment industry and parenthood--part humorous, unflinching advice from her hit podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified, the book will reveal Anna's unique take on how to master the bizarre, chaotic, and ultimately rewarding world of love.

Hilarious, honest, and useful, Unqualified is the book Anna's fans have been waiting for.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Humor, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

7 pages, Audio CD

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

I am a solid 3.4 student with a major in English from the University of Washington. It only took five years of dorm/rave life for me to accrue the life knowledge I have received.

I’m a Sagittarius, which means I’m super creative and stubborn; but there are walls I need to break down because I always want to leap over the boundaries that make me climb ladders and roofs. I’m agreeable and delightful. I also have incredible leadership skills and following abilities. And, I have 20/20 vision so I’m an eagle eye.

I could not love all of you more and please e-mail me at questions@unqualified.com with your pressing relationship questions.

For more details visit my contact page: http://www.unqualified.com/contact/

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that I am quite impressed with this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but every time I have seen an Anna Faris movie she is extremely goofy. Because of this I was kind of expecting a goofy book without a lot of substance. Well, I will quote the old adage – don’t judge a book by its cover!

While the book does have a little goofiness, it is also extremely introspective. Faris is much deeper and poignant that I was expecting. Her stories are filled with honest cynicism and self-deprecation, and it seems to be warranted. By this I mean, sometimes celebrities hem and haw about how they seem to have the perfect life but life isn’t perfect and it all just sounds like they are trying to be like you and me. Faris delivers her stories of successes and failures with a believable sincerity. I truly feel like she is just like you and me!

The book is touted as a relationship guide, but it is so much more. Even if you are not a Faris fan or looking for love tips, I think you might find something in this book for you. While I expected to be entertained, I did not expect myself to be quite as enthralled as I was. I found myself thinking a lot about what she said even when I wasn’t reading and I can see myself referencing some of her anecdotes in future conversations – for me, that is the sign of a good book.

So, without any hesitation, I give this quick little trip into the world of Anna Faris 5 stars – and I might need to go rewatch some of her movies with a different perspective.

Side note: This book reminded me a lot of Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, but its not the books fault. I started reading Unqualified on Sunday, the same day I finished a book that I absolutely loved. I should have waited a day. I ruined this book for myself so take this review with a grain of salt.

I'm not a fan of Anna Faris the actress. I've only seen 3 of her movies 2 of the Scary Movie films and Lost In Translation. Apparently she's on a tv show I've never even heard of and I watch A LOT of tv. So you may be asking why I picked this book up?

Its because I've always liked her as a person and I'm a huge fan of her soon to be ex husband Chris Pratt. I'm not one if those people who jumped on The Chris Pratt Action Star bandwagon. I've loved Chris Pratt since Everwood and Parks & Rec. I actually preferred him chubby and after reading this book I think Anna did too. I felt really bad when I found out Chris & Anna were splitting up. I like most people jumped to the conclusion that Chris must have been the bad guy and cheated on her. I don't know for sure but seeing as she already has a boyfriend and she mentions several times that her relationships tend to overlap. I feel much better about Chris.

It must be incredibly awkward to have a relationship advise book coming out on the heels of your divorce announcement. Its clear she wrote this book before deciding to get divorced. Unqualified reads like a love letter to her perfect marriage to her perfect husband.

Its hella awkward!

I've never written a book so I don't know if maybe it was simply impossible to do rewrites after the split or maybe she and Chris could have delayed the announcement of their divorce but it made reading this book very confusing.

Overall I liked Anna and in turn I liked her book. Anna is weird, zany, sweet, goofily self-deprecating and a little insecure. It took a minute to get use to her writing style but once I did could enjoy it. Anna is a blunt and foulmouthed storyteller. I just wished she would have talked about the end of her marriage.

If you love Anna & Chris read Unqualified but just know it will make you sad.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The road that led me down to pick this book up is a funny one and can be mainly credited to one character: Andy Dwyer.


So basically, I was in a funk of watching a bunch of Parks and Recreation videos that started off with this hilarious compilation of Chris Pratt bloopers that had me nearly choking with laughter, while simultaneously wiping away laugh-crying tears.

I inevitably went down a rabbit hole of binge-watching clip after clip of Parks and Rec, and all this to say, I knew something productive would come of it because this whole preface led me to Unqualified by Anna Faris, since I recalled that Chris Pratt wrote the foreword, and after reading his words, I can only say: Andy would approve.


Source.

But the funny thing is, I quickly forgot all about the previous noise when I put on Anna’s easygoing narrative-voice on audio (perfectly made for storytelling), which snared me in right away. I immensely enjoyed the window into her whirlwind world.

Her comic memoir and first book, Unqualified, will share Anna's candid, sympathetic, and entertaining stories of love lost and won. Part memoir, part humorous, unflinching advice from her hit podcast Anna Faris Is Unqualified, the book will reveal Anna's unique take on how to navigate the bizarre, chaotic, and worthwhile adventure of finding love.

The book showcases an honest firsthand account of despising high school (“The guiding question of my teenage years was simply, How do I survive this time in my life?”), getting rejected from audition roles (the most exciting one to read about was the Friends audition that later led her to a much bigger role in the show), school-grade crushes (“It was that heady rush of young love that has no basis in logic at all.”), marriage, family, sharing her “penchant for digging into other people’s personal lives,” and more on life and all its aspects. I bonded over the many insights shared from Faris.

The biggest compliment I can pay is that I was so into Unqualified that I continued dreaming about in my sleep, granted I stayed up listening till 1 am and slept for only five hours that night, but still. This book reads of truth. Also, I'm glad I decided to listen to this on audio since her soft-spoken, calming voice has this subtle raspy factor to it that I came to appreciate.

Other essays that stood out for me were about:
• going to her high school reunion after twenty years and having her 90s romantic movie-worthy ending... just read this passage:

 “I’d been at the reunion for all of one hour, but it was long enough for me to feel like I was in high school again, and to be ready to get out. I mean, Green Day was pumping through the loudspeakers. Chris drove down and picked me up, as we’d planned, and it did feel a bit like the lion rescuing the lioness from the hyenas. It was amazing to watch the reaction as he came through the door. I still felt like headgear-wearing, awkward Anna Faris, but when Chris came in, he was all movie star. There was a collective gasp as he whisked me away and, yes, that was fairly satisfying, I guess. I’m human, after all.”

• her utterly moving chapter about her son, Jack Pratt. This was the most telling chapter in her memoir where I was continually taken off guard, and I applaud Anna Faris for her ineffable strength and endurance. I felt all the things she described, from the terror of feeling her water break two months before she was due, to the boredom through her bed rest, and then the inevitable scenario of going into labor... All these high-intensity moments stayed with me long after the last page.
• unfolding the history behind Chris's fascination with learning to french braid, which had piqued my interest last year when I saw this post:


Source

“My mom loves to French braid my hair. It’s a weird thing she does even now that I’m an adult. But she always starts a little too high and I end up looking like a sister wife. Three or four years ago, Chris was watching her do a French braid and wanted to learn. He already knew how to do a regular braid because his sister taught him when they were kids, and he’s into knots in general, from being an outdoorsy guy.”

• And last but not least, what's a memoir with sharing some blast from the past photos?


“(I’m the short one).”







My knowledge of Anna Faris before reading this could be narrowed down to her character Cindy Campbell in Scary Movie (which I definitely shouldn't have watched at the age that I did), but after reading Unqualified, I feel like I've got a more solid perspective on her as a person, which is all I could've asked for. Bottom line: I love a good spot-on memoir I can be swept into.



Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Unqualified, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!


This review and more can be found on my blog.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I thought this was almost the perfect memoir-type book. It was almost everything I thought I would get. Anna was really honest and straightforward. I thought that her personality shone through and she came out looking like a really likeable, hilarious and humble person. A lot of times, when I read other autobiographical books, I tend to actually like the person less at the end of the book. This wasn't the case with Anna and I actually found her to be very similar to me in some ways, while of course, vastly different in other ways. She's also so hilarious and that shows in her writing too. I thought that the whole thing was actually written very well and it was broken up into nice chapters that were sometimes hilarious and sometimes very personal. I thought that it was a very good mix. Before reading this I had never listened to her podcast before, and I thought maybe that might negatively affect my reading experience but in actuality I loved the little things that revolved around the podcast and it made me want to listen to it.

And then there was the fact that a lot of it is about Chris Pratt. I was expecting that, obviously he was a very big part of her life and still is because they have a kid together, but I think this book was written before they decided to split up and so it was a little weird to read her gush over him so much. She did apparently take out some of the things about him but I was expecting a chapter on their split but it never came. I think the book release date was just bad timing (the book was officially released October 24th and they officially separated in mid-July) and it is unfortunate that that shadows over the book in a negative way.

I would definitely recommend this book.

-------------------------------------

“But as an adult, I’ve learned that closure is unobtainable. I think it happens at death, maybe. But remembering the pain is a good thing, because all those experiences that you can’t close the door on make you a more empathetic person, and that should be embraced.”

“It takes vulnerability of spirit to open yourself up to other women in a way that isn’t competitive...”

“I’m also the oldest grandchild, so that left me always having to babysit my cousins, always being the “responsible” one, always having to set the example. It’s still hard for me to cry or show any type of vulnerability because I always have to be the strong one.
—Vanessa”

“What do I not value about myself that allows me to allow someone else to treat me badly? Once you do the difficult self-work, then you’ll be free and ready to welcome the right partner into your life. It’s neither fun nor easy to do that work, but it can be life-changing.
—Ann”

“Don’t let yourself be used. Value yourself and value what you bring to the table. And if you’re not feeling valued, examine that, because it’s painful to have someone not treat you exactly the way you want them to.”

“Don’t let anyone rent space in your head unless they’re a good tenant.[Jenny]”

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I love Anna Faris and I love her podcast. Okay so here is why I only gave this two stars. This is a review of the Audio CD.

1. She doesn't dig too deep into anything. I would've loved to hear more behind the scenes stories of her movie shoots. I feel like this book could've gone into more detail about everything she discussed. It felt like it was written by someone who had to write a school paper, had a deadline, but has no interest in their topic so they BSed most of it and hoped for the best.

2. She narrates the audiobook but I think she did it without any help, Let me explain, she pronounces short lived as short LIVEd as in "LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT" twice in the book on two different CDs. Either she did all the narrating alone and has no editor or anyone working with her felt too embarrassed to point it out. Once it happened the second time I was feeling gaslighted like maybe *I* have actually been pronouncing it wrong my entire life because surely a professionally published audiobook wouldn't have such a glaring mistake twice.

3. More on the narration, she read the book in a really choppy way and it made it really distracting. You know what it was like? When you're a kid in school and the teacher makes everyone in the class read a paragraph out of the same book and some kids can't read well so. they. skip. like. this. like they are unsure about what they are even reading out loud. It was like she was reading out of a book she didn't write herself. Maybe I should've just read the actual book instead of listening to it. Sorry Anna.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital Advance Reader Copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this the week that Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced their legal separation was a huge mistake on my part. But how was I to know?!

It is basically a huge love letter to Chris Pratt. I have so many questions now. WHY are they separating? Is it still going to be published? Will she edit any of it? Will she write a new chapter?

The title is an echo of her podcast which is the story of her life. She states that she's unqualified to give advice and yet she gives it in her podcast. She also says she's going to give it in this book and while there are a couple of teaching type moments where she imparts some advice it's almost never actionable advice. It's very tied in to her own experiences and not always generalized enough for a wider audience.

I also had trouble with the flow of the book itself. It jumps around chronologically a bit too much, especially in the first half to three fourths. We hear about her first love and then several chapters later it returns to him and then to a time just after him several more chapters later. Interspersed or packets of her current life with glowing, glittery unicorn-husband (man-icorn), and adorable 5 year old son, Jack. I feel sorry for this kid if he ever reads this or his friends do because it has a lot about his mom's (and dad's) sex life in it.

The fact that she was married when she and Chris Pratt got together is also kind of disappointing. I have vow standards. Admittedly, she called her husband who was in LA while she was in... Arizona? to tell him she was leaving him BEFORE going and boning CP but still. Maybe don't admit these things in press, lady.

I enjoyed all mentions of the movies 'What's Your Number?' and 'The House Bunny" because I love them. Also all insider tidbits on CP and tiny tiny glimpses at filmings of Jurassic World and GotG.

Overall though, I found reading this to be sad. Because depending on when she wrote it, I think it was approximately the same time their marriage was imploding and it brings a whole even more depressing element to the fact that she's unqualified to be giving advice. Most of her advice is based on the, "I have an amazing husband and you can too!" vein and now she doesn't have that husband anymore. I can't imagine this is going to do well with the timing of their separation unless they somehow work things out before October when it's supposed to be released. I also wonder how much of their marriage ending is because of this book or because of the fact that she started seeing a therapist during writing or because of the fact that she is seriously jealous of his career trajectory (she claims not to be several times; a case of the lady protesting too much?)

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Faris is exactly the person I thought she would be.

Easy, quick read about an actress I really like. No real dirt, but there never really is in these celebrity memoirs, is there? Definitely pick it up if you're a big fan.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Faris' memoir is based mainly on the premise of her podcast, also entitled Unqualified, in which she doles out advice to strangers whom she calls on her show. The idea is that Anna is, in fact, "unqualified" to give advice, but she'll do so anyway based on her life experiences. If you actually listen to her podcast, though, you quickly learn that she's pretty good at giving advice, and that she's also a funny and enjoyable person. The book expands on this, allowing Anna to answer some of the questions posed on her podcast (e.g., Dealbreakers), talk about her childhood and experience breaking in acting, and, yes, of course, her various relationships.

Overall, the book feels pretty real and authentic. You quickly get an idea of the kind of person Anna seems to be--kind, funny, talented, and perhaps a little insecure. I'll admit that since I started listening to Anna's podcast, I've felt a kinship to her, and my review is obviously influenced by that. She's so down-to-earth and really damn funny on her podcast. I also love the idea that she lived in her head for much of her childhood, making up stories (it sounds a little familiar, you see). If you like Anna's podcast, it will be hard not to enjoy her book, although some of the chapters and stories will sound a bit familiar if you're a faithful listener.

My love of Anna was only deepened by reading her book, which is quite readable and broken into simple, short chapters. We get glimpses into Anna's childhood, her first big relationship, a little insight into her big break with "Scary Movie," and more. I relate to her on so many levels. We're both fascinated by other people's lives; never had a big group of female friends; have no patience for small talk; are not wedding people; possess an emotional defense built up from our parents; and enjoy calling the numbers on vehicles to report about truck drivers' good driving. She just happens to be a lovely, famous, wealthy actress, and I'm um, well, yes. Otherwise, we're the same, right? ;)

Of course, the elephant in this review is Anna's recent split from her husband, Chris Pratt, who wrote the foreword to the book, which was apparently revised somewhat for publication. It's hard not to psychoanalyze Anna in light of her recent marriage breakup. You read about her self-admitted inability to admit failure and her tendency to jump from one relationship straight to the next. So much of the book is about Chris and their relationship, and it's a shame that it's a distraction from an enjoyable memoir about a really smart and talented woman, who should stand on her own merit, apart from her (soon-to-be-ex) husband. It's also heartbreaking to read these chapters where it sounds like they truly love each other--and where they got through the premature birth of their son together--and know they are no longer married.

Overall, this is a fun, easy-to-read memoir. If you like Anna, her films, or her podcast, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's a quick read, full of lists, humorous moments, and short chapters, although there are definitely serious pieces, too. It really only made me like her more. 3.5+ stars.

I received my copy of this book through one of my favorite websites, Paperbackswap.com, where you can swap copies of all your favorite books (hardcover, paperback, and more). You pay postage for the books you send, and the books you receive are free! If you love books as much as I do, you should check it out - I've received 256 books through PBS - it's awesome! :)

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[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it because I love her in the TV series MOM. This was nice. Not that funny though as I expected it to be.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always rate memoirs and autobiographies 3 stars, even if they weren’t my cup of tea. It’s this weird rule I have. To me, 3 stars is a pretty neutral standpoint. Anything lower and I feel like I’m judging a person’s life and memories, which just doesn’t feel right. I mean, who am I to judge? Sure, if I was really captivated by someone’s story, I might give it a higher rating, but, that doesn’t happen too often. So, while Anna Faris’s Unqualified was a ‘meh’ type of a book for me, I didn’t have the heart to rate it any lower.

Unqualified is advertised as being half memoir, half advice book. To be more specific, it’s a relationship advice book (even though I’m not entirely certain how serious this claim is meant to be taken). And, I’ll be honest. The reason I wanted to read this book comes down to me being nosy. Sure, I like Anna Faris as an actress, and quite enjoy some of her movies, but, I’ve never really followed her as a fan. I didn’t even know that she had a podcast series (which this book is a spinoff of). In reality, I saw that this book was coming out just a few days after Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced their separation, and, knowing that this was a book about relationships, I was curious to say the least. And, while I’m not going to go on and speculate on the possible reasons for their separation, I will say that Unqualified does leave you wondering ‘Why?’. But, I’ll get to that in a minute.

In Unqualified, Anna Faris explores her past relationships (as well as some tidbits on her career and how she got into the business) and what she’s learned from them. I guess this is where the ‘advice’ aspect of the book comes in. Although, I will say that it was hard to take much of Faris’s life lessons to heart, because:

1) Half the time she’s joking around

And

2) The advice she does give is centred on very personal relationships/situations

This may be why the book’s called Unqualified. Faris claims that she’s unqualified to give advice, but, insists that she’s going to try anyway. However, I would argue that Unqualified is basically Anna Faris giving advice to herself. While some people might find some of her revelations insightful or funny, the nature of her advice is so personal, and she often says things like “I guess I thought this because…” or “I think I did this because…”. It reads like she’s trying to work out who she was during the different stages of her life. Almost like she’s going over her past relationships to gain a better understanding of how she got to where she is now. I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but, I wouldn’t really call it advice.

However, I did appreciate how open Faris was throughout the book. No topic was off-limits. She wasn’t afraid to admit to the mistakes that she’s made, and how these mistakes have made her into who she is today. It was interesting to read an autobiography where the author was willing to delve into really personal topics, instead of just scooting around them.

Then there’s the whole Chris Pratt aspect of the book. If anything, reading this book made me really confused. Faris constantly mentions how Pratt is such a wonderful husband, and how she’s so happy that she’s part of an amazing relationship. She even brings up (multiple times) what they plan to do when they retire from show business. While I realize that she must have been working on this book for a long time, it just left me with so many questions. Were they separated, or, on the verge of separation when she wrote parts of this book? Why are they separating when all she does is praise him and their relationship? What went wrong? Is she going to add an updated chapter once the book is published? I understand that none of this is anybody’s business, but, it’s just so odd. Here you are reading a book about this couple’s ‘great’ relationship, and in reality, they aren’t even together anymore. You can’t help but ask these questions. And, unfortunately, these questions ended up plaguing my reading of Unqualified.

Overall, I was expecting to like this book a lot more than I actually did. If you’re a fan of Anna Faris, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you’re looking for a good book on relationship advice, you might want to look somewhere else.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway

[My_Strange_Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

#mystrangereading Unqualified by Anna Faris ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I first saw Anna Faris in House Bunny and found her to be hilarious and heartwarming. I had heard about her podcast Unqualified but have never listened to it, and I can now see myself giving it a try.

Her memoir/relationship-advice book is endearing and funny, and I feel bad for her that everything in her marriage with Chris Pratt blew up in the media right after the book's publishing date; I'm sure that hurt sales, ratings and fan investment.

My biggest issue with it was along those same lines, so many of her stories involve her and Chris and how they just fit and that just made me sad. Also, some of her stories were just irrelevant, but in general, if you enjoy her acting, humor and personality, you will enjoy this read.

I listened to the audible for this one because I love hearing actors tell their owns stories, and I enjoyed the book through this medium.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I don't watch Mom, but I do like a good memoir. Turns out, this is not a good memoir. Hell, it isn't even really a memoir. It is another self-help book parading as a memoir. Why do celebrities keep writing self-help books and selling them as memoirs? Perhaps the worst offense of all: as comic memoirs. (See book summary where it says it is a comic memoir...nope.) Ugh.

Overall I found the "memoir" tedious, haphazard and boring. I also did not find the advice in the book terribly original or interesting. Seriously, why was this written?

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I didn't really find it all that funny, but I was very entertained anyways. My memories of Anna Faris are basically from Scary Movie - The highly inappropriate movie that came out when I was in High School that I loved! I remember also really liking her movie Just Friends, but past that I didn't really know anything else about her or her relationships. She did a great job reading her own memoir on audio, and I might just check out her podcast now!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this by saying that I am a fan of Anna Faris. I happen to think she is hilarious as a person and an actress, so I was expecting to be entertained all throughout the book. However besides the Forward that was written about her, this one was a major disappointment. I did not laugh once, in fact I skimmed the majority of the pages, wanting to get it over with. It just was not all that amusing to me, but then again I am not too fond of comedic books.

Oh well, it was a good effort but nowhere near as funny as I hoped.

[Alissa Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking LOVED this book!! I listened to the audio which was read by Anna herself. If you can do audio, I would definitely recommend this. She has a very pleasant lower tone voice to listen to and it was so soothing haha.

When I first saw this book I was skeptical. I was like "Oh boy another young actress writing a memoir, blah blah blah". Then I felt like an old lady bc I didn't realize that Anna Faris was in her 40s. For me, she will always be Cindy Campbell in the awesome Scream parody movie, Scary Movie. I loved that movie in college. What was nice about this book is it's not really a This is My Life book- it's moreso her podcast in book form. I didn't realize Anna had a podcast but I'm definitely going to be checking it out now. There were so many funny moments in this book, but there were also sweet and brutally real chapters. She discusses her struggles with infertility and then her frightening birth story with her son Jack, who was born 2 months premature.

And then Chris. Oh the stories about Chris Pratt. Anna and Chris have always been my favorite celeb couple and I was seriously so bummed when they split up. I keep hoping they will reconcile, hey a girl can dream.

I very rarely rate a memoir/nonfiction 5 stars, but this one was just great. I hope she writes more. I will definitely listen to this one again.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the end of a memoir, it's easy to feel like that person is extremely relatable and down to earth. But Anna (which I now know is actually pronounced Ah-na) Faris truly is. This was like hanging out with a friend and I really enjoyed it! As I'm getting older, I've taken so much comfort in hearing how women tend to become much more comfortable with themselves in their thirties and forties. Anna is a huge believer in this and there is such an ease in how she discusses her progression to this point in her life. This is full of funny anecdotes but my favourite bits were the personal ones (of course), including the premature birth of her son, the difficulties of being apart from her husband for long periods, her feelings about her own body image and so on. Two of my colleagues read this before me and at the end, both said you finish the book just really liking her, and I completely agree!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very frank memoir by an extremely talented actress. The author reads the audio which is an excellent bonus.
She talks about the ups and downs of her life and career while giving solid advice. Her retelling of her meeting and falling in love with Chris Pratt is lovely. Her stories of their marriage and parenthood are equally lovely. But, they will break your heart when you think about their divorce. Where did it all go wrong?
This book is beautifully written and I would love to read more by this author. 😊

[Parsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very weirdly and unexpectedly I liked this book. The utter openness was rather enjoyable and me listening to this book rather then reading might have contributed.
I had read a review saying that this book is actually not that superficial and I have to agree, there are some thought and at times you feel like u r the therapist as she opens up so much.
There was a point near the end where I started getting bored but that passed quickly.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First thing I learnt from this: her name is pronounced Awna -- like Donna without the D.

Second thing I learnt from this: she was married to Chris Pratt when writing this, but something obviously went sour because he didn't narrate the forward that he wrote. Awkward!

Third thing I learnt from this: Anna has been in a lot of movies and shows that I've never seen, as well as a podcast I've never listened to. #sorrynotsorry

The final and most important thing I learnt from this: I don't care about Hollywood gossip, so I don't know why I bother reading/listening to books like this. Still, it was entertaining enough. I guess.

Ps: I forgot to write how strange I thought it was that Anna seemed to be stumbling over her own written words when narrating this. I'm surprised she didn't redo it until it was nice and smooth.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Anna Faris and her podcast, but I really think this book needed re-editing before it was released as it is a giant love letter to Chris Pratt and their marriage - and seeing as how they had said they tried 'really hard to make it work' which implied problems had been going on for a while, this book just comes across like a big Facebook post in which you try to make your life seem better than it actually is. Kind of the antithesis of what her podcast is about. But I truly do love you, Anna!

[Acordul Fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

“My favorite professor always used the quote “Don’t let anyone rent space in your head unless they’re a good tenant.”

I like Anna Faris, I find her adorkable and quite funny and I really enjoy her show Mom. The rest of her filmography is not my cup of tea, but I don't hold it against her. The memoir was not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, but it was cute and I enjoyed listening to Anna narrate it. I couldn't have it any other way.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Unqualified
Written By: Anna Faris

Genre: Autobiography
Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommendation: Since it’s a biography, I would say borrow it. Or buy it and then share it!
Would you read another book by this author? Definitely.
Who might enjoy this book?
The girl who never felt like she quite fit in, someone who enjoys talking with people about shared interests and gets excited when others relate. Fans of Anna Faris (duh!).

Overview:
“My oldest pals constantly give me a hard time for being so bad at texting them back, but that’s because I don’t want to have a texty relationship. I want to spend an hour talking and getting into the good stuff.” (page 45)

I have never been particularly interested in reading nonfiction, let alone a biography. In the past, I’ve found them boring and reminiscent of homework. However, here I am, purchasing a hardcover biography—something I generally despise—and wondering if my shelves at home have become so dull that I decided to pick this up. But it’s not that. It’s just that Anna Faris is utterly fascinating. Upon hearing about this book, I didn’t hesitate for a second; I knew I wanted to read it. I love Anna Faris, and I expected she would have a lot of interesting things to share, and I was absolutely correct!

This book doesn’t read like your typical biography. It feels more like having a conversation with a close friend. It made me laugh and feel good; I found myself responding to various situations in my head with “Oh my goodness!”, “Girl! I have been there too!”, and “I can’t believe that happened!”.

Faris’s storytelling is engaging and relatable, touching on themes of friendship, self-discovery, and the challenges of navigating adulthood. Some anecdotes reveal the profound impact of childhood experiences on adult life, providing valuable insights that resonate with readers. I can already envision using some of her experiences as a springboard for conversations with my elementary school daughter about friendships and relationships.

While some reviews suggest that this book is a love letter to Chris Pratt, I don’t entirely agree. The way she expresses herself implies an awareness of the direction their relationship was taking at the time of writing. I’m not here to critique their relationship, but I do feel they will always share a close friendship. Stardom, undoubtedly, can put strains on relationships, and sometimes people just drift apart.




Issues while reading:
None!

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet cute: lit cute.

No not even remotely inspiring, the comedienne/actress basically got inspired by her podcast--in fact copies entire transcripts of that, and this may be the weakest part of her project. But she is, actually, pretty upfront about sex, relationships, all that jazz. She speaks of her 5 (total!) lovers, and basically admits to divorcing ASAP so she could bang Chris Pratt. Whoa!

But how did she keep persevering, despite early recognition in very popular films, to continue on to today? Just want a few, if any, tips of what discipline looks like in Hollywood, and/or how its achieved. She keeps lingering on how simple/ordinary she is--which is the oldest rule in the book. Less tie-in with the podcast--you don't need it to frame YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LIFE!--and more true nuggets of wisdom, please. (Although the one thing I concur with is the 60/40 principle in relationships, sometimes you (for)give a little, sometimes you get some back, and it keeps things even.

[Tess Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3, kinda- Oh, Anna Faris. You are one in a row of many starlet actresses who write books that make me go, Why does this even exist? But I read them anyway, because:

1. They are so so so easy and fun to read
2. Sometimes you get a sprinkling of celebrity gossip
3. They make me feel like I could maybe be friends with them

This checked all of those boxes to me, but it doesn't do much else. I've listened to quite a bit of Anna's "Unqualified" podcast, and this book is a lot like that. I think that's why I liked it more than I would have otherwise, because it's a really entertaining podcast. Also, Anna is very sweet and personable in the book, like she is on the podcast. I truly believe she's a good-natured person and her book was an enjoyable way to pass the time.

However, a lot (A LOT) of the book feels like filler. It's just conversations with her friends and random comments Anna makes about life in general (many of which are kinda strange) and then all these advice tidbits from her podcast listeners. And even though it's not its fault, you can't help but feel cringey knowing that Anna and Chris divorced soon after the book was released, but definitely not before it was written. Sad.

I gave this book a 3 because I liked it more than Amy Poehler's book and WAY more than Anna Kendrick's book, but not nearly as well as Lauren Graham's book Talking As Fast As I Can, which was one of my favorite books that I read last year.

Bottom line is, if you like Anna, and/or you like the Unqualified podcast, you will probably like her book. (If you can handle the Chris Pratt heartbreak.)

[Kayla Rakita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am as unqualified to critique someone else’s writing as Anna Faris is to give relationship advice, so here’s my own unqualified assessment: Anna Faris comes across as likeable, conversational, and easy to root for (at most times), but the book is not very funny. I laughed at a couple parts, and the foreword by Chris Pratt made me laugh out loud, but it seemed like any anecdote that was supposed to be a joke ended early before the punchline or wasn’t milked for all its funniness. And I don’t understand why there were so many chapters that consisted of random relationship advice from podcast fans from Facebook. This advice didn’t seem to have any place in a book that would be way more interesting as just a memoir. I think it was meant to be a way to translate the premise of the podcast into book form, but it made the book feel choppy, and most of the advice consisted of cliches with no context. There were also many, many iterations of “I can’t believe I’m writing a book!” throughout the entirety of the book. So, even though I’m absolutely unqualified to give this advice, I think she should delete all of those parts because they are unnecessary.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually don't write negative reviews, but I really did not enjoy this book. A memoir should have some structure, not a 300 page free write. I would prefer a memoir to have a narrative arc, but I would have settled for any particular order - chronological, thematic - something! Some chapters were actual memoir, some were FB posts from podcast listeners, some were transcripts of conversations - and none of this was done in a clever way, but in a way, it seemed, to merely fill up pages. My suspicion was confirmed on page 174 when Faris is griping about having gotten a book deal:

"I'm halfway through and I still have about one hundred pages left to fill with . . . what?"

As someone who would really like a book deal and has worked years in the pursuit of it, this chapter was a particularly tough one to swallow. I don't read celebrity memoir looking for the greatest prose, but I do expect something more than this.

[Anne Hershewe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look, I’m sure Anna Faris is a delightful person, and there’s some of her work I’ve really enjoyed. But, book writing is not her thing. While books by celebrities like Tina Fey and Trevor Noah really elevated the genre of celebrity memoirs, Faris’ memoir/self-help guide is very “meh.”

Overall, the book lacked focus and was pretty boring. It was supposedly meant to impart some relationship and life advice on the reader; however, advice was few and far between, and what little she did offer was kinda shitty! She’d be like “here’s a story about something I did/some guy!” and then that would be it. No reflection on the story or how it shaped her decisions later on. The chapter about her pregnancy and the birth of her son was great, though. A bright spot in an otherwise lackluster book.

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not quite sure why I finished this book. Chris Pratt gushes about how intelligent and thoughtful Anna is in the foreword and then she spends the next 300 pages proving otherwise. I read it out of curiosity and am kind of embarrassed I did. I was hoping for something like the memoirs by Amy Poehler or Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling. NOPE.

[Chaitra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a lot of memoirs of celebrities I don't know from Adam. But I know Anna Faris. I actually also know that she's Ah-Na, because she's in Key & Peele's Keanu and they pronounce her name in it. But I didn't read her book because of that. The only reason I picked this up is because I wanted to know if she would talk about her cat and her dog. Lots of essays, no mention of the cat at all. One mention of her pugs, but none of the chihuahua.

So, I already didn't like either her or Chris Pratt. And she doesn't endear herself in this book, in fact, the opposite. She seems like a combination of both low and high self esteem, and it's uniquely annoying. She's not a good writer - please lay off the dear reader thing, the only book I'll tolerate it in is in Jane Eyre - and she doesn't have a whole lot to say. Her big epiphany, that she latched herself to a new guy each time she left a boyfriend in a futile quest for closure, would have meant something I guess, if the tabloids aren't talking about her house hunting with her new man barely half a year after her split with Pratt. You do you Anna, but it does make the book rather useless.

Two stars for her chapter on her son's birth. Her mentions of Jack were the only thing that spoke to me.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unqualified ⭐️
Take an orange right your love interest name on it after they broke in your heart and rolled into a forest. That’s how you get over someone. LOL.
I loved Anna on Mom the tv show so when i came across this i knew it would be funny.
I also really like that certain chapters were for friends giving advice to her/the reader and I thought that that was really nice to see a bunch of people giving advice on a different topic or subject that she had needed help with.