Literally Me

by Julie Houts

From Julie Houts aka @JooleeLoren, “Instagram’s favorite illustrator” ( Vogue ), a collection of darkly humorous illustrated essays that “perfectly capture what it’s like to be a woman in 2017” ( BuzzFeed ) and lampooning modern female identity in the social media age.

LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE. or EXIST. SMIRK. LURK.

Julie Houts has cultivated a devoted Instagram following by satirizing the conflicting messages and images women consume and share with the world every day.

Literally Me chronicles the exploits of “slightly antisocial heroines” ( Refinery29 ) in vivid, excruciatingly funny detail,
—The beauty routine of a deranged bride who aspires to be “truly without flaws” on her wedding day
—What happens when Kylie Jenner has an existential crisis and can no longer “step out”
—A journey to Coachella by the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse
—The true dating confessions of a fembot
—The terrifying description for Alice Staunch’s book How to Be a Perfect Feminist
—The diary of Fiddle Ficus, a tree that lives inside a C É L I N E store

…and much more.

Literally Me marks the launch of a brilliant new social satirist. Julie’s singular voice and beautiful illustrations reveal the truth about the absurdity of life in the social media age, showing us that the line between becoming a total “Girlboss” and a twenty-first century American Psycho is razor-thin.

Genres: Humor, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Comics, Art, Adult, Essays

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2017

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally Me is a bizarre and sharp observational collection of darkly comic illustrated essays satirizing modern female identity. However, I was thrown for a loop going into this because I came expecting something along the lines of How to be Alive by Tara Booth, meaning a book full of illustrations with little to no text. So you can only imagine my confusion when I opened up the first essay, thinking it was nonfiction, parodying the unrealistic expectations brides tend to set for their big day, only to read this: “I would recommend doing a colonic an hour before walking down the aisle. I did, and my stomach was so flat it was basically concave.”


In the stories following, we have comically wild bits and bobs, including:

-The beauty routine of a deranged bride who aspires to be “truly without flaws” on her wedding day.
-What happens when Kylie Jenner has an existential crisis and can no longer “step out.”
-A journey to Coachella by the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse.
-The true dating confessions of a fembot.
-The terrifying description of Alice Staunch’s book How to Be a Perfect Feminist. 
-The diary of Fiddle Ficus, a tree that lives inside a CÉLINE store, and much more.

Full disclosure: I thought I would get accustomed over time to the weird nature behind each story, but I never really did with my reading experience... So in the end, I just went ahead and let myself focus on solely soaking in the bold illustrations in Literally Me.


Same, but with those damned off the shoulder tops.







ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication: October 24th, 2017



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[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is humor for someone else. And truthfully, there are a few funny bits, that I sort of smirked at, and the pictures are nice. Yes, the pictures are the best thing in the book, so yeah, that is the extra star.

This book is not aimed at me, and I am not the intended audience. Not sure who the intended audience is, but I would not want to be friends with them, or invite them to my house, or pass them on the street. I think it is people who read Vogue, although the description of this volume says that she is Instagram's favorite illustrator. Obviously in some circle of hell that I don't read. None of the illustrators that I follow are this...boring.

OK, two stars too, for the occasionally funny bits that somehow pop up amongst all the drek that she fills this book with.

Really, pages and pages about the life and death of a ficus tree? I got bored on the first page.

Pages and pages about how her sister attacked her with wet "sock juice" was mildly disturbing, more than funny.

Pages and pages of how a girl has an idea that Lady Diane was her secret mother, and how upset she was when she died.

Then, the bright moments, such as a one page illustration which says:

Today on the blog we'll interview yet another gorgeous white woman in her gorgeous white washed space, and look at all her gorgeous white things and ask her questions about how she got her gorgeous white life and how it feels to be living such a gorgeous white life surrounded by her gorgeous white things.

or this one:

So, basically, what we're trying to do is identify a way that we can use feminism and social activism as a tool to sell more clothes in a way that feels organic and on-brand.

And, now, you don't have to bother to read the book.

You're welcome.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a little confused. While parts of this book left me smiling and laughing, other parts left me a little bored and others left me with the phrase 'What am I reading?' Playing on repeat in my head. Simply put this book was a little bizarre but in a sort of good way.
I enjoyed parts but not though of it for me to think this was a great book. For me, it was just ok.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie 👏🏻 Houts 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 a genius. 👏🏻

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally Me definitely isn't for everyone - if you've never used the title of the book in your everyday speech patterns, you probably won't find the content relevant or entertaining. Given that, I found the book superbly witty and insightful with terrific on point commentary and beautiful artwork. Having been an Instagram follower for some time, I had seen many of the pieces before, but it was a pleasant surprise to see that Houts has a knack for writing short stories as well. I found the code manual a bit excessive, but generally enjoyed the satirical overtones of the other chapters (Fiddle was my favorite!). Houts truly knows how to craft the perfect stories and images to poke fun at our age group and our overly curated lifestyles. I'm hoping that she will continue to write and come out with longer form works in the future. If you're into fashion / read blogs similar to Man Repeller / are a self-aware millennial, you will really enjoy and relate immensely to this book.

[Kirra · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few pages I enjoyed and I was engrossed in the horribly brutal intro story of a bride that pushed herself too far in her preparations but mostly I didn't really connect with anything in this collection of illustrations. I've never seen this author's work before but it seems to be inspired by those high profile magazines with the perfect Vogue runway model on the streets of New York with the skinny, sharp women with long, luscious hair. I enjoyed some of her other odd illustrations of the animals too and her story of her older sister tormenting her with wet socks that she called "sock juice" will be something that particularly stays in my mind when I think of this book. Overall, it just wasn't my style and I'd say the typical young, Instagram famous star would enjoy this type of work but then again I think it's too satirical for them too because it manages to seem to be catered towards that type but also using that type to make fun of them so I'm not really sure who this book would be well aimed to.

(Thanks to Touchstone for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Literally Me will be released on the 24th of October, 2017.)

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I honestly just don't know what to think of this book. I think part of it is that I don't really have any context for it. Apparently the author is Instagram famous and an illustrator but I don't have an instagram and I'd never heard of her before seeing this title. Because of this it was a little bit difficult for me to figure out in places exactly how ...self-aware she was being I guess. And I'm still not really sure, but I laughed out loud a lot while reading this so I'd definitely put it in the win column and actually bumped my rating from 3 to 4 stars after thinking about it overnight.

The format of the book is a few longer prose pieces with lots of illustrations and webcomics in between them. The first story threw me off a little bit because like I said, I wasn't sure how seriously I was supposed to be taking it, but it was soon very clear that the entire thing was heavy satire. And by the time this happened in the second story



I absolutely lost it. And the whole thing is basically that level of ridiculousness, but it's also got a lot of great social commentary. I don't even know, it's definitely unlike anything I've read before. I mean there's a 30+ page criticism of consumerism from the point of view of a ficus. It's either pure genius or the most pretentious thing ever, but either way it's a trip and I had a lot of fun reading it. This isn't going to be for everyone but if it looks interesting and you like slightly surreal humor and social commentary I would give it a try.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

*thank you to NetGalley and Touchstone for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

1.5 stars.
I have no background history of this author so I wasnt sure what to expect, but I just didnt get into it. I got bored with most of it but the images...well I did like the style, which has earned this an extra half star. Unfortunately I wouldnt recommend this.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up on the strength of the cover- I'd never heard of Houts. Loved her illustrations, was less enamored of her essays. Worth a look, for sure.

[Alisa (worldswithinpages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that I’m surprised, but this book was absolutely hilarious in a way that only Julie can accomplish. Her ability to turn serious and usually unfunny topics into hilarity is unparalleled.

Definitely recommend for a quick read!

Thank you to Touchstone Books for sending me a copy to review!

[Stephanie]

I'm not the intended audience so it wouldn't be fair to rate the book. I enjoyed the pictures so much (fun art!!) but flew through the writing portions because I personally wasn't interested in the satire. I honestly thought it was just a book of her drawings when I picked it up at the library.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly my favourite essay/story was Fiddle the ficus. I often daydream about similar ideas and it’s nice to finally read something like that by someone else. Firstly, because I realise I’m not alone and secondly because it’s a unique concept. The illustrations were fun too.

[Mia Everding]

Funny book with pretty drawings — what more could you want?!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laughed out loud SEVERAL times. All of her illustrations were fantastic. Some of her essays I really loved and some I didn't connect as much with.

[Bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Man, this book's premise had such promise*. I have such a hard time finding cartoons drawn by women about real issues that are really great. They're either overly humorized or completely lacking in humor.

I don't even know how to describe this one.

First of all, should you pick this up, just cut all of the comics out. They're a waste of space, there's really nothing going on here. Seriously, just skip past them, I didn't bookmark even a single one.

The essays, you can also cut most of those out. Not all of them, certainly. But too many of them add nothing to reading enjoyment.

The good news is, the very first story is the best one, so you start off on a great foot. An insanely over the top tale of a bride's wedding day preparation that involves a dust diet and radioactive skincare treatments. If you've seen even one episode of Bridezillas, none of this will seem unrealistic.

Once you've finished this, flip some pages. More than that. No, more than that. Almost there....there you go. The last story in the collection. This story is going to haunt me every time I look out into my little lobby area at work at the sad, sad little plants that used to get a lot of love before the previous secretary moved to a different desk.

It's the story of a happy ficus who is bought and placed in a high end luxury store. As the ficus learns about the world, it becomes intensely jaded and bitter. It doesn't help that no one in the damn store knows how to water a plant. Much like me, who stares blindly at my plants and only thinks of watering them when I'm at home, 45 minutes away.

In fact, I'm going to finish this review and go water them. The process will be much more enjoyable than reading this book was.




* Alliteration...for the loss?

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so badly! Most of the comics had already been featured on her Instagram, and the stories just fell flat. I feel like she should’ve spent more time on the book - like it was rushed. And damn, I paid for the book! Looks like everyone else here was given the book in exchange for a review. Hrmph

[Florencia Carbone · Rating 2 out of 5]

No logic. No story.
Nice drawings.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review posted at Nonstop Reader blog.

This is a collection of essays and illustrations and not-easily categorized oddities from Touchstone and author Julie Houts. They range from single page one-frame sight gag comics, to very bizarre, almost absurdist fables. There are also a number of puns and clever wordplay. Some of the entries are darkly humorous (Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse) and some are just sad with a little drizzle of sarcastic humor (Fiddle). I enjoyed quite a lot of this book, though I am in no way the target audience (fashion savvy young professional women).

The art is original and technically solid. There is a lot of technical expertise 'hidden' in the relatively simple drawings. I really enjoyed the odd little rat cartoons which serve as a kind of Greek chorus to the narrative.

It's not all that often that an artist is a capable wordsmith. Julie Houts is surprisingly competent at both tasks.

I did enjoy this book and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys and appreciates sarcasm aimed at modern life, including ridiculous health trends, high fashion, conspicuous consumption, entitlement and shallow/ridiculous people.

It's relatively short, 220 pages, and release date is 24 October, 2017.

Three stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting dip into the head of someone who isn't me.

Literally Me is a hodgepodge of cute illustrations and seemingly random life observations by a slightly famous instagrammer. Four Horsewomen of the apocalypse is the best story as it has a plot with a surprisingly religious twist on fame. Another good story was about a ficus having an existential crisis. The worst was Assimilation Code. It was like reading the most boring Computer Science textbook and appeared to have absolutely no point. The author seemingly has an obsession with tube socks, which is unusual for a female but fully explained in Sock Juice. Sock Juice is a possibly true story of the author's early relationship with her older sister.

Literally Me has such a variety of content that most readers, like me, will find stories to love, to like and to hate within it. The illustrations will appeal to all. However, it is hard to rate so 3 stars seems fair.

Thanks to the publisher, Touchstone, and netgalley for an advanced review copy. This book will be released on October 24, 2017.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, as Houts on social media brings me small joys and reprieve as she ruthlessly mocks internet culture, millennials, current politics, the fashion industry, and more, but overall these essays fell flat for me. Houts is spot-on and clever -- I look forward to more from her, but it took a lot of effort from me to finish the book because I found the essays lacking (though, I do beIieve I am the intended audience).

There's a computer programming/robot essay that comments on modern dating and a sad story about a fiddle leaf abandoned behind Céline merchandise, among a few others. Reading long form from Houts trudged on significantly more than just taking in small bits mid-social media scroll. Maybe my mind has just been conditioned to the version of her humor that I can consume in a 10 second read. Her illustrations are obviously the best part, with the beloved New York helper rats being my favorite.

[Audrey Stars in Her Eye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally Me is based on Julie Houts' Instagram illustrations. Including drawings, essays and shorty stories, Houts takes a tongue in cheek look at the life of women.
The best part of the book is the sumptuous comic-esque drawings showing off her creative flair and dry wit. The most memorable include a series on Kylie Jenner giving a sardonic look at women's fashion and trends.
My least favorite part was the prose. Houts goes over the top to poke fun at the latest fads and while I appreciate the sentiment (trust me; I'm with her on the colonics), I don't particularly like the writing style.
Fun and sometimes poignant, Literally Me outs it all out there and will win the hearts of many women.
I received an ARC from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was an interesting book. Some parts were really funny, but some were just strange. 

I really enjoyed the journey to Coachella. Four girls meet in an Uber Pool. They're the most unlikely people to see together and they don't get along. Let's just say, the car ride ends in pee in the backseat. 

The pictures were very unique. I liked the way they were filled in with water colours. Some of the illustrations told an entire story. There was also an unusual mouse that appeared multiple times. 

This book was original and unconventional. At times I didn't know what was going on, but some of the stories were very funny. 

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Jenny Houle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an unbiased opinion.

We live in a world where everyone can become "famous" in a matter of mere moments. Houts has a devote following on Instagram where she is considered "Instagram's favorite illustrator". To me, this collection of dark and satirical illustrated essays ran like a stream of entertaining consciousness best enjoyed while just a touch stoned. Would I buy this book as a gift for someone else? Probably not. Would I recommend following Houts on Instagram for entertainment value? Absolutely, and already have (she's jooleeloren on Instagram).

My favorite from the book: "How To Be A Perfect Feminist", though the adventures of the four women of the Apocalypse were pretty great, too.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow Houts on Insta so I already knew her style and her weird sense of humor.

It was almost exactly what I wanted - illustrations of herself being awkward and others poking fun at the beauty and fashion industries. What I didn't expect was short stories to be interspersed so that was a welcome surprise.

4 strangers meet on the way to Coachella and things take a weird turn, computer system explains the configurations of dating.

The one story that made me drop it down to 4 stars was the last one about a ficus called Fiddle who find himself living in a fancy boutique. I did laugh out loud when Fiddle learned the word "fucking" but it was a bit too long and drawn out to keep my attention.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was granted access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley.

I don't think I am exactly the target audience for this book, which seems more aimed at folks deep into the world of Instagram influencers and aspiring models. However, the drawings are charming and often funny, and a couple of the pieces -- particularly "The Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse" and the final bit, a journal from the perspective of "Tree," who is purchased to liven up a high-end fashion store -- are laugh-out-loud hilarious. Probably much funnier for folks who live in New York or L.A., but I'm just a simple country librarian. ;)

[Becki Iverson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to pick this up for Julie Houts’s glorious illustrations, which I have followed on Instagram for a long time. They definitely do not disappoint here, and it’s really nice to see them up close, in detail, on lush printed pages. There is a lot more writing in this book than I would have anticipated and I wasn’t honestly a huge fan of those portions- I was in it for the illustration and that’s it. This is more like a 3.5 rating (wish I could do half stars!) but I rounded up because I loved the drawings so much. I hope she does another book, but we can leave the essays behind next time.

[Amellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book immediately caught my eye on our library's shelf. It's "graphic novel" classification led me to a certain expectation; however, the book was more of an assortment of comedic essays mixed with drawings and comics. I read some pretty scathing reviews of the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely took it to be more satirical than supportive of today's social climate, pointing a funny/sad finger at the pressures young women face today in an increasingly superficial world. Several times, I laughed out loud and the artwork was wonderful. I showed my coworkers passages that especially stood out, which is something I rarely do. I definitely recommend this book.

[Gita Swasti · Rating 2 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAKKK membosankan ya.
Awalnya saya cukup menikmati di awal-awal, tetapi lama kelamaaan...

Meh.

Meh.

Meh.

Iya, saya mengakui buku ini mengambil sudut pandang yang unik, identitas perempuan modern. Bagaimana rutinitas kecantikan seorang perempuan yang tidak ingin tampil buruk di hari pernikahannya. Bagaimana seorang Kylie Jenner mengalami krisis eksistensial.

Saya pikir, di tengah-tengah akan semakin tertarik menghabiskannya. Namun, ternyata tidak juga. Saya berhasil menyelesaikannya, hanya saja ya biasa-biasa saja. Buku ini mencoba memparodikan ekspektasi yang jauh sekali dari kata realistis. Literally Me tidak cocok untuk saya.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Format: protected PDF
Tissue warning: only if you cry when you laugh out loud
HEA: not that kind of book
Triggers:
My reviewer rating: 3 out of 5
Recommend read: Yes
Published: October 24, 2017

Thank you to Netgalley and the author, Julie Houts, for the free PDF of Literally Me. I've read a few comic-esque graphic novel types, but this one takes the cake. It's so ADD that a few times I had no idea what I was reading.

That being said, it was eye-opening and the pictures are the best part.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun but hard poke at fashion, lifestyle brands, and "perfection culture." A variety of stories, art, and a medley of the two did well to keep my attention and shift focus from the 4 horse women of Coachella to Princess Diana to How to Program the System to Get an STP (Short Term Partner) to Instagram photography. Loved the Fiddle Ficus journal entries the most. Also loved her talking to a rat.