This Will Only Hurt a Little AUTOGRAPHED Busy Philipps SIGNED

by Busy Philipps

Author Signed Edition, First Edition Hardcover. Signed by Busy Philipps. A hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson's Creek, and Cougar Town who has become "the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru" (The New Yorker). "You guys!! Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell. This book is honest, funny, intimate, and well-observed by a person who has observed some sh*t." -Tina Fey "Judy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona. On the page, Philipps' toughness shines through-a rare and feminine ethical code; devoted and blunt. It's a thrill to watch her stumble right up until the very moment she storms the f*cking gates." -Miranda July There's no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and "aced out in her nudes" to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn't always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little. In this stunningly candid memoir, Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood.

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

Unknown Binding

First published October 16, 2018

About the author

Busy Philipps is an actress best known for roles in cult TV classics like Dawson’s Creek, Freaks & Geeks, Cougar Town, ER, and most recently, HBO’s Vice Principals. She has appeared in fan-favorite films such as Made of Honor, I Don’t Know How She Does It, He’s Just Not That Into You, White Chicks, and The Gift. She also was one of the writers of the hit film Blades of Glory. Busy lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two daughters.

Reviews

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you read a celebrity memoir and think, "Wow, who knew this person was such a good writer?" and then a minute later you think, "I hope their ghostwriter got a fat check." That is not something you'll think while reading Busy Philipps' book, which is going to either make it a book you love even more or a book that is even less your thing. You'll know best which kind of reader you are.

Busy doesn't have a memoir because she's an actress who's had some high-profile tv work. She has a memoir because she's become one of the breakout stars of Instagram Stories. And clearly the people behind the scenes decided not to clean up this book into a perfect and polished gem, but to let Busy be Busy the way she does on Instagram. Reading this book feels like you're sitting down with her at a party where she tells you a story about her life. It feels conversational and honest. It doesn't feel like a pre-packaged memoir in the slightest.

The down side of this is that it can get rambly and lack focus, and for readers of celebrity memoir who just want some dirt and famous people stories, the first half of the book which dwells mostly on her teenage life before stardom will disappoint. The writing is unfiltered, and while real emotion shines through, there are times when I realized how rarely I read something that hasn't been edited within an inch of its life because this book feels so different from most of my other reading.

The up side of this is that there is no holding back here. For the most part, Busy names names. Yes, James Franco really is a douche and he walked around the Freaks and Geeks set carrying a copy of Dante's Inferno. Josh Jackson is a mansplainer. She isn't presenting a cleaned up version of her opinions, she's telling you how she really feels. I honestly don't feel like I've seen any other celeb talk about their peers this way, usually they leave names out when they're telling a mean story and only name names when they're loving on someone.

I read this book at breakneck speed, I suspect her fans will really enjoy it.

[Victoria Schwab]

A really surprisingly delightful one.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I grabbed this because I’m always searching for something easy to listen to during my commute. Confession time: I never watched Freaks and Geeks (and neither did any of you because it was cancelled for lack of viewers despite being critically acclaimed, so just stop lying about it) or Dawson’s Creek. Really the only things I can recall Busy Phillips being in were White Chicks and Cougartown. I didn’t realize she was the exact same person in real life that she played in those roles . . . . .



The only thing I can say now that I’ve finished? Self-awareness and accountability are real things. It’s a shame an almost 40-year old woman hasn’t figured that out yet and instead seems to be A-Okay being wholly unlikeable with zero redeeming qualities. But at least she’s internet famous, right? #sarcasm

[Jenny Slorach · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just a long list of reasons why it is hard to be a wealthy white actress. Highlights include:

- Busy listing all of the times she’s been mansplained to, then without a drop of irony explains that Hollywood actresses don’t get maternity leave. For someone who bragged about being a campaign surrogate for Hillary Clinton, you would think she’d have learned a thing or two about the state of parental leave in the US.

- Busy finding it hilarious that she recently spent $3000 on Disney cruise internet charges, and shrugging it off because her presumably retired parents paid for her trip.

- Busy’s complaints about having no money for a nanny for her first born child, but paid for and fired a wet nurse for falling asleep at 3am, and used her cleaning lady for childcare.

Nothing about this memoir was grounded in the real world, and the stories weren’t at all as whimsical and interesting as her persona suggests.

Don’t bother reading this.

[Scarlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

DRC received through Edelweiss

Well, this was uncomfortable. Busy Philipps is one angry woman! She is not very famous for her great acting, but lately her Instagram stories have become more popular. She gives a glimpse of her everyday struggles and it usually is very relatable and funny. Unfortunately, getting to know her through this memoir makes me wonder if women should really look for advice from such a spiteful person.

She tells it all, from her losing virginity at 14 in the back of the van, having an abortion, taking drugs and getting drunk on a regular basis. I think this is very brave and I don't think I would ever tell anyone events like these, so I applaud her for this. Her writing is also good, it's very well paced and pleasant to read. Aside from this, the rest was a torture for me.

I didn't enjoy the overall tone of the book. She resents her mother and sister, she hates her former co-stars who didn't pay a lot of attention to her, she is angry with the wardrobe team that once told her that she was fat, she hates all her ex boyfriends and she didn't hesitate to expose all the details of their sex life and emotional struggles. She comes of as insecure, but I don't think she knows this. She kept repeating that she absolutely never thought that she was overweight, but then she cried because she couldn't find leading roles and everyone was mean. Seems to me that wanting to be an actress comes with the knowledge that your physical appearance and delivery are the main thing. Why cry about it when you're not able to play the part?

I didn't expect myself to feel protective of James Franco, but that happened as well. Her stories about him are really colored with negative personal experiences and that's okay. I believe her that she felt humiliated, BUT when she made fun of his gloominess and the way 'he walked around with Dante's Inferno'! Come on, what's wrong with an actor who is trying to read classics? This really colored my impression of Busy as an uneducated actress, on top of everything.

Her conclusion is also unbelievable. She complained throughout the whole book that everyone in her life was somehow mean to her, but nevertheless, she finally made it! All by herself! She is unstoppable! I am all for women being confident and happy about themselves, but if you need to bring everyone else down in order to justify what happened to you, than you're just delusional.

I am just waiting to see if this book will be nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. I would really be shocked.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I know that Busy Philipps isn’t known for her dramatic acting roles but BOY IS SHE DRAMATIC. This memoir tells it likes it is, it’s very much Busy’s voice. If you can get past all the high school dramatics than this could be a fairly entertaining read. There’s plenty of the good stuff in here, she drops a few big Hollywood names and most stories are pretty unflattering. But honestly if you aren’t fond of OTT histrionics maybe this could be wearying.

One thing that I noticed as a recurring theme is that Busy cries a lot in the course of this book. Like ALOT. After awhile I’m like cry me a river already. WE GET IT. You are a human emotional wreck. Luckily I don’t mind too much and I like her even if she’s a major cry-baby. I have actually been known to stalk her Instagram page and have been a follower of hers for many years I just love her realness. She’s not perfect and doesn’t pretend to be. This book shows her to be a complete open book not afraid to point out her most humiliating moments. There’s many. I love when celebs show real and don’t try to pretend by only showing the glossy bits.

But if I’m being totally honest here I couldn’t stand all the attention seeking dramatics it’s sad and a little desperate and it might have turned me off her and I will not be thinking she’s totally a girl I would want to hang out with like I thought before reading this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. I never reach for celebrity memoirs, less out of literary snobbery and more because the celebrities I'm invested in do not usually write memoirs. But I am a fan of Busy Philipps so I thought why not, let's give it a try.

Busy states early on in her book that she's a natural-born storyteller, that she knows when to embellish and when to omit details to keep her audience compelled, and I have to agree. What this book lacks (which I'll get to in a moment), she makes up for with an immense skill at honing in on what exactly makes an anecdote worth sharing. Whether it was dislocating her knee after being trampled at a school concert by eighth grade boys moshing to Nirvana, or confronting the creator of Modern Family years after he made a rude comment about Busy winning a Critics Choice Award for Cougar Town, she knows how to keep her reader hooked. As I've talked about before, I'm not the best audiobook listener, but I don't think my mind wandered once while listening to this, and I managed to finish it in a week (which is probably a record for me with audiobooks). Even the least exciting of anecdotes were far from boring, because Busy manages to convince you that the stakes are always much, much higher than they actually are (with an occasional tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that maybe she was a bit melodramatic given the circumstances, but in the moment the minor calamity did feel like the end of the world).

But the introspection didn't go much further than that, which is my biggest issue with this book. The writing itself wasn't great but I assume that's par for the course with this kind of memoir, so I won't dwell on that. What bothered me more was the constant self-absorption and how it was never met with adequate reflection. Though she certainly faced hardships and I don't want to dismiss that, for the most part Busy Philipps has lived a rather privileged life, which she really only acknowledges once toward the end of the book, when she wonders why she's dreading going on a paid Disney cruise that her mother arranged when so many people would kill for that opportunity. There's a weird kind of dissonance between the persona that Busy has crafted on Instagram (being down to earth and relatable) and the extravagant life that she lives in Hollywood, and it's never really addressed. I mean, of course celebrities aren't our friends, of course the lives of the rich and famous are never going to be perfect reflections of our own; it's just the lack of awareness of that fact throughout this memoir that grated. I don't think for a second that Busy is ungrateful for the life she leads, but I do think her gratitude is something that never fully translated to this text.

Ultimately I'd really only recommend this one to fans of Busy, or to anyone who really enjoys celebrity memoirs in general. I don't see this book winning Busy many fans who hadn't already been familiar with her work and her persona, but for those of us who enjoy her, it certainly didn't fail to entertain. It just... didn't do much else. And though I consistently enjoyed it, I ended it feeling vaguely dissatisfied as its anecdotal nature left many questions unanswered (did Busy stay close to Michelle after Heath's death, how is her relationship with Marc after counseling, did Busy look back on her teenage abortion when she was pregnant with her daughters, how did the people and the stories she talked about early on come to shape her later in life). But it was a fun, entertaining read, and sometimes that's all you can ask of a book. 3.5 stars

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘This Will Only Hurt a Little’ is Busy Philipps’ memoir, available in Australia by Hachette and available from October 16.

Confession – I instantly flipped to the “Is This It” (The Strokes) chapter of Busy’s memoir when it arrived. The ‘Dawson’s Creek’ chapter – because how could I not? This was the show that defined my teenage years of yearning, and a couple of weeks previously myself and a bunch of rad people on Twitter had concluded an epic live-Tweeting re-watch of all six seasons (#PaceysCreek). We had all been in agreement that Busy’s character of Audrey Liddell had been a low-point in an already terrible final two seasons of a once-great show … but we were also all in agreement that upon re-examination as strong, feminist adults – Jen Lindley and Michelle Williams had been the true breakout star of that show, and we were all smitten with her and Busy Philipp’s best-friendship that had its start in Capeside.

So I flipped to the gosh-darn ‘Dawson��s Creek’ chapter because I wanted goss – particularly on Busy’s sure-to-be-truthful observations as a late-comer to the show and how the dynamics played out by then. And she did not disappoint … or – maybe she did – but not in her gossip content delivery, just in shattering some of my teen idols;

Josh really fancied himself “one of the guys” with the crew. The Creek’s very own mini George Clooney! He’s a good guy and just wanted to be well-liked but I wish I’d known the term “mansplaining” when I met Josh. His ability to turn a conversation into a dissertation was incredible.

Oh. Josh.

There’s also a lot of hints given about the tensions on set between the cast by this point, as Busy points out;

One day, the whole cast was sitting around a table filming the Thanksgiving episode, and James looked at me and said, “See? You got lucky. Your show was cancelled after the first season.”’

Gossip delivered. But the chapter offers a lot more than just the Dawson’s Creek revelations I had hoped for… Busy highlights the many ways she was made to feel inadequate about her weight and appearance on the show, particularly in being constantly compared to the “breakout star” of Katie Holmes. The chapter also takes a sharp turn when September 11 happens in the middle of a break from filming, and Busy needing to take a flight back to Wilmington from LA despite being terrified – as everyone was in those days – of getting back on a plane and then having to carry on with life and work. In the wake of it all.

I felt so silly at work the next day, dressed in a costume for the Halloween episode. The world was fucking ending and I was trying to get Joey Potter to come to a party with me. I remember there were a lot of pep talks about how this is what we do. We make entertainment for people so that they can escape the real world for forty-three minutes a week. It’s not without value or merit. It’s important to not just tell stories, but also to remember to entertain. Any anyway, someone’s got to. May we well be us.
And so we did.

And she delves into how she started drinking as a coping mechanism for all the ways the world sucked, and she was made to feel shitty in her little corner of it. The chapter ends on a doozy of a scathing and on-point one-liner and it pulled me up short. Hang on. I was mostly looking forward to this memoir for the celebrity gossip, but … could it be that Busy is actually a good writer?

Yes. She is. A damn fine one, in fact.

I went back to the beginning and then I didn’t stop – I ended up reading the whole book through to 1AM when I finished, teary-eyed and a little weak from the punches she packed.

This memoir is GOOD. Not just good … bloody brilliant! It’s up there with ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?’ by Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey’s ‘Bossypants’ for comedic memoirs … but it’s also more than that. It’s a memoir by an actress in the wake of #MeToo and Harvey Weinstein (who – yes – she knew, but not the extent of his depravity). An actress who is pulling no punches about the toxic masculinity and patriarchy upon which Hollywood is built and Busy acquiesced to for a long time.

Case in point: Busy had the idea for the 2007 film ‘Blades of Glory’ and shared it with her boyfriend at the time who agreed they should write a script together … until he and his brother took the idea and ran away with it, even having the audacity to shop it around without Busy’s name on it, though she’d also contributed to the writing. Luckily she’d registered the idea with the Writers Guild of America screenwriting credit system and they ended up having to credit her, since there was a sufficient paper-trail proving her ownership (so it was fear of potential litigation rather than letting a woman own her damn work as the right thing to do!)

Busy dissects these moments, and many more (including – yes – the one the media has chosen to pick apart in James Franco’s treatment of her on the set of ‘Freaks and Geeks’). But she doesn’t just talk about them in the context of Hollywood. Busy’s memoir – starting from when she’s a child and then a teenager in Scottsdale, Arizona through to her college years acting and early established career – is a searing personal critique of all the ways she tried to contain herself to please men in her life. Tried to be less than, quieter, prettier, thinner, agreeable, laid-back, loving … even at the expense of her own happiness and mental-health. It even results in her convincing herself that being raped at the age of 14 was something that she wanted from the boy, because she convinced herself to love him to make the event “okay” in her own mind.

‘This Will Only Hurt a Little’ isn’t just a memoir. It’s a searing, honest and fantastic examination of a young woman taking control of her life, career and identity. I also got this idea that it’s a little bit ‘La La Land’ meets ‘Lady Bird’ (a film I hated by the way, for its feeling directionless and pointless – but after reading Busy’s memoir I now wish more than ever that Greta Gerwig’s film had some of her beats and honesty to coral it).

The most impacting chapter to me was ‘Tear in Your Hand’ (Tori Amos) which delves into Busy’s first true teenage love affair that ends with an abortion and then winds up somewhere miraculous. It’s a chapter that you feel down to your bones, and is so incredibly literary perfect – I want to see it reproduced in The New Yorker or made into an indie movie (again – better than ‘Lady Bird’ in all ways) or maybe even fictionalised into a contemporary YA novel. This is the chapter that sealed the deal for me – and not just because it shits all over James Franco’s ‘Palo Alto’ wankery. But because it’s genius, perfectly crafted. That I read Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ right before delving into Busy’s memoir further highlighted this for me – the beauty in writing about the pain of teenagers and teenage girls in particular, the finesse and fierceness was all in this chapter. It makes me hope that Busy has another film-script up her sleeve, or another book – collection of essays, further memoir or fiction – I don’t care, I just want more of her words, thoughts and ideas.

[Erica Villagomez-Cloutier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure exactly how I felt about this book. I finished it, and did want to keep reading it, but I’m not sure I actually liked it. So Busy begins with stories of her as a young child and basically go through the order of her life. Her teenage years were crazy and she didn’t make the best decisions, but hey, she was a teen trying to navigate through life. We’ve all been there. One of the great parts of the book was when Busy opened up about her abortion. That whole chapter was very moving and I felt like the story came to close. With Busy’s other stories I felt that she did not finish them. She talks about her sister being awful to her when they were younger and she never understood why. I was waiting for her to say her sister was bipolar or something. But no, she says that as an adult she understands now. So what dies she understand? I’m an older sister and I was never cruel to my sister. Busy also talks about her relationship with her husband and how they would always hang out with his friends, but never her friends. She also says when they would go out to parties with his friends he would just leave her by herself while he went to talk to other people. This was another story that I felt was incomplete. Did she address the situation with him as to why he only wanted to do stuff with his friends? Why would he just leave her or not include her in conversations when they were at dinner? But then she ends up marrying him and later wants a divorce, but ends up staying with him. I felt this book was a library read.

[Claire Reads Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay. For anyone who follows Busy Philipps's Instagram stories and is already invested in her Lekfit workouts and love of cinnamon gummy bears, This Will Only Hurt A Little will offer some interesting insights into Philipps's career as a working actress, her family life, and all the Hollywood chestnuts you expect from a celebrity memoir (while not exactly a tell-all, there is plenty of gossip and dirty laundry to be found here, although much of it concerns other working actors from the '90s and early aughts). Excepting some sobering reflections on being raped by her boyfriend at age 14 (an encounter that has already been widely chronicled in the media), early chapters about Philipps's childhood in Scottsdale are immensely skippable (Philipps had a pretty normal upbringing, which doesn't make for great copy). Later chapters about her life in Los Angeles, trying to get a foothold in Hollywood, and the ups-and-downs of her acting career are more compelling but reaffirm what most of us already know—entertainment is a brutal industry, especially if you're an actor, and especially if you're a woman.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Philipps's storytelling style is far better suited to Instagram stories—the personality, ~authenticity~, and casual but confessional intimacy that Philipps has perfected on that platform doesn't come across the same way in print (largely because Philipps isn't a particularly gifted writer, although her audiobook narration left something to be desired, too). On Instagram, Philipps is a master of turning everyday L.A. life into bite-sized pieces of pop entertainment, but on the page, her stories often feel like non-sequiturs that rarely lead to deeper introspection or a cohesive narrative beyond "Busy Philipps's life story." What's worse, where Philipps comes across as relatively down-to-earth and self-aware on Instagram's vertical screen, here she often comes across as petty and self-involved—something about the tone of this book missed the mark, and although I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, other readers might not be so generous. At the end of the day, Philipps is a performer and an entertainer, not a writer or a comedian, and this book is no Bossypants—Philipps's already established fanbase will likely find things to enjoy here, but everyone else would do well to skip it.

[My_Strange_Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC. I loved her raw emotionality and her wit. My only issue was that the last 1/3 felt rushed/less cohesive.

[disco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to be Busy Philipps's bff.

::so I can tell her how to make her next book better::

[Naksed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Busy Philips achieves an incredible feat in her memoirs: She manages to come across as both a batshit crayzee alcoholic and as a totally credible writer in her account of her oftentimes horrendous career as a Hollywood actress.

The media have made a big deal of that awful episode with James Franco while they were shooting Freaks and Geeks but that is by no means the worst of what happened to her. There is enough body shaming, rejection, cruel bullying and sexual politics to turn you off a career in Hollywood forever.

What was truly stomach churning to me was the fact that she was robbed of her idea and writing contributions to the script of the Will Ferrell-Amy Poehler comedy Blades of Glory by her weaselly ex-boyfriend and his equally slimy brother. Everyone just went with it because hey, the story of two brothers writing this comedy together, was too good. I was so extremely pleased when I looked up those dweebs' IMDb page and realized they haven't done Jack Shit since that movie. That in itself more than supports Busy's version of events that they were two talentless hacks who stole her idea and ran with it.

All this, and more, is told in an over-the-top, darkly humorous fashion by the author. I really liked how she was so candid about everything most of all her own shortcomings. On the personal front, her anecdote of drunkenly dancing at her nemesis'wedding and feeling just on top of the world, only to have the bride walk up to her and pop her boob back inside her dress, had me on the floor.

Finally, I really admire her for not exploiting the personal lives of her famous celebrity friends particularly the tragic death of Heath Ledger. What happened between her and Franco on the set if their TV show is completely different. SHE was victimized, it is her story to tell, and if Franco, Apatow and the rest of the boys club don't like it, tough! Maybe they'll think the next time they want to act out or minimize a violent episode just because they want to protect their Male Staaaaah.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Will Only Hurt a Little is a perfect palate cleanser. It hits all the right notes for a celebrity memoir. Philipps is is happy to dish the dirt, be honest about her thoughts and feelings about everyone and everything, and at the same time is willing to be vulnerable and tackle some deeply personal events and issues. Equal parts gossipy and percipient, this memoir is an easy, and at times effecting read. Of course, none of this will come as a surprise if you follow, and enjoy Philipps content on Instagram. She’s got the extrovert with social anxiety patch covered, and if that sounds like you, this will be a reassuring read.

[Brittany Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unapologetically written.

Busy Philipps just wants to be loved, be seen, and feel heard. Her road to fulfill those wishes is BUMPY. Trouble always seems to find those who grow up too fast, but when you have a void so deep within you, trying to fill it is all you can do to try and survive.

This book may have some triggers for sensitive readers.

I cried for this woman, cheered for her, got angry at her bullies. Busy names names, whether it was a person from grade school or a celebrity who did her wrong, she's not afraid to call them out on how she perceives their actions. Extreme empathy is an understatement. Very relatable content sharing how you aren't too much for anyone, they just aren't enough for you. Busy's writing makes you want to stand up for yourself, vow that as a person you will be stronger and always do what is right, no matter the situation. Busy is an extremely good writer, actress, mom, boss, and lastly fierce woman. She swears and shares with the best of them, being as authentic as anyone can be. I love books with natural swearing in them!

I love how this memoir didn't just focus on her acting and auditioning as much as it did share her navigating those ups and downs. My favorite part of "This Will Only Hurt A Little" was how the chapters wrapped up. The end of each one was so impactful and made such dramatic statements. —Dropping truths bombs. This would be a very fun book club read, as I want to discuss so many parts of this and would love to see what bits others found particularly shocking.

Previously, I had only seen this actress in the movie "White Chicks", and then later on in the TV show "Cougar Town". She is absolutely hilarious! Her book shares many roles she acted on, which I am taking as recommendations! I now look forward to seeing: Freaks and Geeks, ER and many others! I definitely recommend this book.

I'm sure Busy has many more stories to share, she is a writer after all. I'd be happy to read or watch anything she puts her sparkle on. She has triumphed much! Go Busy!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn’t kept up with Philipps’s acting, but knew from her Instagram account that she’d gathered a cult following that she spun into modelling and paid promotions, and then a short-lived talk show hosting gig. Although she keeps up a flippant, sarcastic façade for much of the book, there is welcome introspection as she thinks about how women get treated differently in Hollywood. I also got what I wanted from Seth Rogen’s memoir (Yearbook) but didn’t get: insight into the how of her career, and behind-the-scenes gossip about Freaks and Geeks.

Philipps grew up first in the Chicago outskirts and then mostly in Arizona. She was a headstrong child and her struggle with anxiety started early. When she lost her virginity at age 14, it was actually rape, though she didn’t realize it at the time. At 15, she got pregnant and had an abortion. She developed a habit of seeking validation from men, even if it meant stringing along and cheating on nice guys.

I enjoyed reading about her middle and high school years because she’s just a few years older than me, so the cultural references were familiar (each chapter is named after a different pop song) and I could imagine the scenes – like one at a junior high dance where she got trapped in a mosh pit and dislocated her knee, the first of three times that specific injury happens in the book – taking place in my own middle school auditorium and locker hallway.

She never quite made it to the performing arts summer camp she was supposed to attend in upstate New York, but did act in school productions and got an agent and headshots, so that when Mattel came to Scottsdale looking for actresses to play Barbie dolls in her junior year, she was perfectly placed to be cast as a live-action Cher from Clueless. She enrolled in college in Los Angeles (at LMU) but focused more on acting than on classes. After F&G, Dawson’s Creek was her biggest role. It involved moving to Wilmington, North Carolina and introduced her to her best friend, Michelle Williams, but she never felt she fit with the rest of the cast; her impression is that it was very much a star vehicle for Katie Holmes.

Other projects that get a lot of discussion here are the Will Ferrell ice-skating movie Blades of Glory, which was her joint idea with her high school boyfriend Craig, and had a script written with him and his brother Jeff – there was big drama when they tried to take away her writing credit; and Cougar Town (with Courteney Cox), for which she won the inaugural Television Critics’ Choice Award. She auditioned a lot, including for TV pilots each year, but roles were few and far between, and she got rejected based on her size (when carrying baby weight after her daughters’ births, or once being cast as “the overweight friend”).

Anyway, I was here for the dish on Freaks and Geeks, and it’s juicy, especially about James Franco, who was her character Kim Kelly’s love interest on the show. Kim and Daniel had an on-again, off-again relationship, and the tension between them on camera reflected real life.

Franco had come back from our few months off and was clearly set on being a VERY SERIOUS ACTOR … [he] had decided that the only way to be taken seriously was to be a fucking prick. Once we started shooting the series, he was not cool to me, at all. Everything was about him, always. His character’s motivation, his choices, his props, his hair, his wardrobe. Basically, he fucking bullied me. Which is what happens a lot on sets. Most of the time, the men who do this get away with it, and most of the time they’re rewarded.

At one point, he pushed her over on the set; the directors slapped him on the wrist and made him apologize, but she knew nothing was going to come of it. Still, it was her big break:

what we were doing was totally different from the unrealistic teen shows every other network was putting out.

I didn’t know it then, but getting the call about was the first of many you-got-it calls I would get over the course of my career.

when [her daughter] Birdie turns thirteen, I’m going to watch the entire series with her.

And as a P.S., “Seth Rogen was cast as a guest star on [Dawson’s Creek] and he came out and did an episode with me, which was fun. He and Judd had brought me back to L.A. to do two episodes of Undeclared” & she was cast on one season of ER with Linda Cardellini.

The reason I don’t generally read celebrity autobiographies is that the writing simply isn’t strong enough. While Philipps conveys her voice and personality through her style (cursing, capital letters, cynical jokes), some of the storytelling is thin. I mean, there’s not really a chapter’s worth of material in an anecdote about her wandering off when she was two years old. And I think she overeggs it when she insists she’s always gone out and gotten what she wants; the number of rejections she’s racked up says otherwise. I did appreciate the #MeToo feminist perspective, though, looking back to her upbringing and the Harvey Weinsteins of the Hollywood world and forward to how she hopes things will be different for her daughters. I also admired her honesty about her mental health. But I wouldn’t really recommend this unless you are a devoted fan.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much 😭😭😭

Honestly, this isn’t your average memoir. She takes you through the highs and lows of her life, no holding back.

[Lauren Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every page is a neon sign screaming for attention. She is rude. She’s selfish. She’s vapid and vain.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 / 5

Dang. I LIKE Busy Phillips a lot. I love Freaks and Geeks, I like Dawson’s Creek, and I like her Instagram stories. I too thought her friendship w/ Michelle Williams was ~goals~. But this book, woof.

First, it’s a celebrity memoir. And I should not have been fooled into thinking that because it was from a cool girl that it wouldn’t be mired with all the same issues that celebrity memoirs ALWAYS have. The biggest one that jumps out here, is that significant moments in Busy’s life just aren’t narratively interesting. I’m positive that 9/11, and Trump being elected absolutely WERE important moments in here life, as they were for everyone, but she doesn’t offer any new insight here, so while I’m sure it’s TRUE, hearing “Trump was elected and I was scared and sad for my daughters” would be in everyone’s memoir and lacks impact here.

The biggest issue though is that it’s written in suuuuuch a conversational tone. I’m sure this is a feature, not a bug for many readers and Busy fans, but it made it feel thrown together, or even dictated.

Also, not sure this is cool to say because it does seem like she was pretty open and candid, but both Busy and her husband Mark come off like dicks in this book. But, maybe we all would if we honestly wrote about our lives from childhood – 36.

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad I picked up this book! Busy Phillips seemed very real and honest. But, every time I read a celebrity's memoir, I love the first half and get bored with the second half...this book was no different.

That being said, I really did enjoy this book. I've already added half of the stuff she's acted in to my TV queue :)

[exorcismemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have anxiety attacks and eat nachos and drink margaritas and live my life and live my life and live my life and live my life. For me. For you. To entertain you. To be seen. It's the only thing I've ever wanted."

I enjoyed Busy's book very much! She's a fun and amusing person, and it was entertaining to be in her head for a bit. I can relate to being "too much", and I admire her boldness and honesty.

This book is like talking to your friend - it's very comfortable & easy to become invested in. There are rambling tangents at times throughout the book, but that's part of the conversational aspect.

I truly appreciate that Busy was willing to share some of these stories. There are some tough topics in here, and although Busy isn't perfect (none of us are), she is open & embraces her flaws. I would read another book by her if she ever writes one. Thank you to Touchstone for sending me a copy to review!

[Suzzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off! Props to Busy for giving a candid account of her life and career. So many names and stories revealed and such amazingly candid moments about her life. Really, really enjoyed reading about her life and journey so far! Awesome book!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only knew of Busy from Dawson's Creek to be honest. I didn't know how I felt at first once I dove into her memoir, but she really grew on me by the end!

[Danielle H · Rating 4 out of 5]

It so pains me to not give this book 5 stars, but I'm going to be honest about it because I think Busy would appreciate that. Mostly, I feel this book made me not relate to her in a way that's so different from watching her on Instagram. Like, the number of videos I have screengrabbbed because, I am this person crying in her hotel room about how nothing really works to make her feel fully healthy, or my God, it is so hard to meet someone today, thank you for acknowledging it, Busy. But then this book made me realize that as Busy describes herself, she's one of those people who sparkle. She has had so much happen to her in life, enough to write a book about, clearly, and I...haven't. I don't consider myself someone with sparkle. I do a lot of wondering how those people got so lucky and trying not to think ugly thoughts about it. I appreciate her honesty about the hardships she's endured. The sexual assault, the choice of a teenaged abortion, the failed relationships, not finding success where she thought it would be, having to face death so many times with people she was close to. It was harder for me to read about her honesty about people she didn't vibe with, that she absolutely is entitled to not like. I don't think I could ever be that honest in such a public way. The boldness to not care that they would read it, that they would know, I'd like to say I could one day give so little fucks, but it seems unlikely. Her confidence overall in the book made me uncomfortable, which, is my problem entirely, but still took away from my enjoyment of it. Because I had to wonder why I was uncomfortable. I clearly adore her and think she's wonderful, why shouldn't I want her to feel that for herself? And I did cry a bit while reading the book, the first time on the EL only 5 pages in, where she listed all the things she has shared over the past few years. And I remembered all of them. I think I'll remember reading this book too, and being bummed that even though she came to Chicago, she actually came to Naperville, and was too far out in the burbs for me to get too feasibly, and how I kind of wanted to skip class to do it anyway, but worried that my professor wouldn't think she was the kind of literary person I should be skipping Critical Reading and Writing for. Having read the book now I know for sure, Busy would have skipped the class. She'd have made a playlist for the drive and probably cried on her way home from it. I went to class. I love her anyway.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

I listened to This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps on audiobook which is something I highly recommend doing. Busy is great at narrating her book and it made her story that much more real to me.

I won't lie, I knew almost nothing about Busy Philipps going into this book. I had no idea that she was married with kids, I haven't watched the majority of movies and TV shows she has been in, and I had NO idea she dated Colin Hanks when she was 19. This Will Only Hurt a Little was such a raw and emotional look into her life, and I commend her for being able to share it with the world.

There was so much in This Will Only Hurt a Little that made me laugh, but also so many things that had me nearly in tears. I didn't know so many people she knew had passed away, and when I say her life has had a lot of ups and downs I mean it. She has been through a lot but luckily she also has a lot of great people in her life, and I adored the impressions she does of her mom. Her mom sounds just as amazing as she is. Also, I thought I was accident prone, but I literally have NOTHING on Busy!

Song/s the book brought to mind: Good as Hell by Lizzo

Final Thought: Listening to the audio of This Will Only Hurt a Little made it come alive for me and I really enjoyed listening to Busy read her book. If you are a fan of her, or if you were like me and don't really know anything about her I would still recommending listening and/or taking a chance on this book. No judgement for this amazing woman who has made mistakes like all the rest of us, just love for her strength.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I’m Busy Philipps. Have we met? I say I’m going to do something, and then I go, and I fucking do it. I wanted to go for a walk around the block when I was two. And I went. I wanted to get out of Arizona. And I did. I wanted to be in TV shows and movies. And I did. I wanted this life. And I got it. And now I wanted a late-night talk show. And here we are. Here I am.’

I honestly only knew Busy from starring as Pacey’s girlfriend on Dawson’s Creek, but how can you forget someone who’s name is Busy? The reviews for this book gave me a serious, drama queen heads up, but I wanted to read it anyway (who else thinks the cover is super cool?). And I can understand where these reviews are coming from now, because Busy is definitely a drama queen, but the most bloody honest one! Her drive to push herself forward is so freaking inspiring I started to feel like a badass myself!

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Busy’s stories on IG so I thought I would love this book. I HATED it. I hate read it to the end because I wanted to hear what she had to say about meeting her husband and having her kids. It’s not funny, and basically she complains the entire book. She’s completely selfish, has no self-awareness, and basically cheated on every partner she’s been with while blaming them each time. Insufferable.

[John Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yo, Busy Philipps is just like us: she struggles as a parent, works hard to maintain her marriage, and deals with the stress of work. Also, she dropped $3000 on just Internet charges on a Disney cruise. Just like you and me.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous on audio!

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the celebrity memoir you DREAM of reading--candid, engrossing, relatable. Busy is as entertaining and honest on the page as she is on screen.