Girl With No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster

by Claudia Oshry

The instant New York Times bestseller and laugh-out-loud look at pop culture and social media stardom from one of the most popular funemployed millennials today, perfect for fans of Give Them Lala and The Betches.As the creator of the breakout Instagram account @GirlWithNoJob, Claudia Oshry has turned not wanting an ordinary career into a thriving media company and pop culture-focused podcast and morning show. The origins of her pop culture obsessions can be traced back to household debates over boy bands and her flair for the dramatic to her young emulation of Blair Waldorf. When she started @GirlWithNoJob, Claudia entered that world as a social media influencer, sharing her unbelievable—and incredibly awkward—encounters with some of her favorite A-listers as she navigates her incredible access. Now, in this juicy, behind-the-scenes look at the life of an Instagram sensation, Claudia leaves nothing out as she contemplates staying true to yourself while hustling in today’s digital culture. Sometimes the best lessons are learned the hard way, and her journey hasn’t been without its punch-in-the-face doses of humility. But, like anyone with a relentless desire to be popular, she dusts herself off and finds a new, better way forward. With humor and unique insights, Claudia examines the nature of social media celebrity, the many sides of fandom, and cancel culture. If there’s one thing she knows for sure, she was born thirsty, and she’s here for another round!

Genres: Audiobook, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Pop Culture, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2021

About the author

Claudia Oshry is a multitalented entertainment personality, comedian, and media entrepreneur. She is the creator of the popular Instagram account @GirlWithNoJob, amassing more than 3 million followers. She also hosts and produces the top-rated millennial morning show and podcast The Morning Toast, and cofounded the podcast network Toast News Network, which features female voices across TV, lifestyle, wellness, and business. In 2019, she embarked on her first tour, The Dirty Jeans Tour. She wrote, performed, and produced the sold-out, sixty-city comedy event. Her comedy special, Disgraced Queen, is available to stream worldwide!

Reviews

[Michelle Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

This whole book was some pity party about how she was a victim of cancel culture while her sisters all post about MAGA and her mom is an infamous anti-Muslim, far-right, conspiracy theorist. How anyone supports this is beyond me and how Claudia sees this as a failure of people to see “perspective” and give “second chances” is even wilder while this family incites the violence on other people that she claims is done to her. If she wants a platform, she shouldn’t support her family’s platform that is used to endanger other people’s lives, but she’s out of touch enough to believe the problem is only her old tweets.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Sigh. Okay. I follow Claudia on Instagram, and while I know she is problematic, I do find her funny sometimes. But this book...was bad. I will say that I enjoyed her Bravo references, and I thought that the chapter on body image was perhaps the only honest and authentic section, and that part was well-done. But there were soooo many celebrity name-drops, soooo many references to her “fame”. She...is very fond of herself, that much is clear. I also did not feel that she fully felt bad about her tweets and problematic behaviors. She apologized and said that she was taking responsibility, but then she kept going on about how terrible cancel culture is, and idk. Wasn’t for me. Certainly did not make me like her more.

[Kristyn Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read my fair share of social media and influencer books and this one stands out as being particularly insightful. Claudia Oshry strikes a perfect balance of life story and examination of what it means to be a famous person. Where this book really shines is in the chapter diving into the difference between follower and fan, and the chapter on the rise of cancel culture. Fandoms aren't new, but this level of access to celebrity is. How these celebrities and influencers stay relevant while also steering clear of the tweet-storms and cancelations is like walking a tight-rope.
This book is perfect for anyone that has followed Claudia, or is interested in the turbulent path to becoming and staying famous online.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way I feel about Claudia after reading this book can be captured by a quote from this book, “I don’t find myself really wanting to support her in an intimate way anymore.”

I have been listening to the Morning Toast for two years. I’ve been to her show in San Francisco, bought the comedy special and now purchased this book. I think Claudia and Jackie are so funny and as a pop culture fan enjoyed the content they were generating. However, this past year something has started to feel icky specifically around some of their missteps and Pamela Geller. I was going to stop listening to the podcast but when Claudia said she would address her relationship with Pamela Geller in her book I thought I would read what she has to say in hopes that it would quell some ick I have been feeling.

What I was hoping for her to say was that she loves Pamela Geller, that Pamela was an amazing mother (she must be as Olivia, Jackie, Claudia & Margot are upstanding women) and that she would never denounce her or disparage her BUT that she stands 100% against the beliefs Pamela Geller publicizes. Instead she attributes the controversy surrounding her mother to her being conservative, when in fact it’s because she’s straight up racist and anti-Islamic. There is no denying this, just check out Pamela Gellers Twitter and Instagram. As a woman of color and a fan of Claudias, I needed to hear this. Claudia and Jackie are strong advocates against anti-semitism. They always point out when someone or a company does something antisemitic, so they should know better than to ignore this huge elephant in the room. Since they haven’t emphatically separated themselves from Pamela Gellers public views, by honestly engaging their fans about this huge issue, I can’t help but always wonder if they too share the same views.

Other than that I found the book a little boring. It didn’t give me any juicy insights. Claudia is young and incredibly privileged so I didn’t find the content stimulating or inspiring.

I wish Claudia the best of look in her future endeavors. I thank Claudia and Jackie for the content that entertained me during walks to work or long flights but I think I have outgrown them. If I learned anything from this book is the power that “followers” or “fans” have and I am choosing to spend my money and time on other content creators.

[Megan Newton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a long time watcher of The Morning Toast and I’ve always found the Oshry sisters funny and entertaining. I was hopeful this book would provide more insight into their upbringing, lifestyle, etc on a deeper level, but I feel like it just missed the mark. It was surface level and came across immature to me, when I went in expecting it to be much deeper. It may have been my own fault though, expecting something different based on the way it was promoted.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A terribly boring waste of time. Poorly written, with odd racist undertones throughout. The pick me energy was loud. Offered nothing of substance. Interesting to find out after reading this that the author herself has publicly stated many times her aversion to reading. It shows.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flew through the audiobook and I wish it had been longer/a deeper dive.

Celebrity memoirs are one of my favorite genres and I enjoyed learning about Claudia's rise to fame. It's a pretty unique story, and her blend of being a fan/being a celebrity herself was fun to read. Loved all the little interactions with celebrities she included.

In terms of the "cancellation" aspect, you'll be left wanting more. Claudia specifically said she addresses her relationship with her mother when promoting the book, but it's all of about 2 minutes, if that. I respect that Claudia doesn't want to bash her mother and that she's never going to, but she could've given us more insight into what it's like to have a very controversial figure as a parent - and what their relationship is like outside that controversy. Because Claudia and her sisters keep their relationship with their mother so hidden and secretive, it leaves us all wanting the scoop even more. Claudia had an opportunity to address that and move on, and she didn't take it.

[JACK JAMES · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS BOOK!! Its really neat to hear the story of an organically made influencer in this modern time, half the brands or influencers you see online are backed or built by bigger brands or people. Loved the perspective of GWNJ book. thank you. I was refreshingly surprised to enjoy this book and the honest down to earth story telling from Claudia. 9.99/10

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before reading this it’s important to note that the subject of this book is a raging racist. Absolutely horrendous. She can barely manage to string together coherent sentences on her awful podcast. Not to mention she has said many times how much she hates reading. This was 100% written by a ghost writer.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are over 40-years-old and want to feel 20 years younger...I have a "JOB" for you.

THE JOB? Read Claudia Oshry's GIRL WITH NO JOB. It will instantly make you feel just like a millennial -- GUARANTEED.

Although I am not one of Claudia Oshry's 3 million Instagram/podcast followers, I had heard Claudia interviewed on a business podcast so I was vaguely familiar with her "Girl With No Job" brand.

This book chronicles the "from here (zero followers) to there (3 million followers)" of Claudia's evolving journey and how she grew her brand. Claudia also candidly shares her vulnerabilities about her weight and her inability to stay slim with a positive spin and wit. (No body shaming in this book!)

Claudia is an effervescent, humorous, and great storyteller and the book was very engaging from beginning to end.

This book's lighthearted tone changes at the end of the book, however, when Claudia shares her trauma of being "canceled". After working so hard to build her brand, dealing with a rapid spew of online hatred and the loss of followers (90K!) and sponsors was NOT EASY.

Even though I wish that Claudia would have shared some "deeper reveals" in some portions of the book, overall, this book was a very enjoyable read.

I listened to the audiobook that was read by Claudia. I always love it when authors read their own memoirs and this book was no exception.

Any book that makes me laugh and feel younger earns 5 stars from me and "Girl with No Job" was one of those books. Thank you, Claudia!

[Ashley Poreda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I had no idea who this person was before I started listening to this audiobook. Because of this, I did want less memoir and more cultural insight and from all of the marketing and descriptions, I did think that was what we were going to get. Instead, we got an author that was canceled and doesn't want to confront that maybe they should have done more about the reason they were 'canceled'. I think the author should have waited to write this when she had more perspective. A pandemic is not an excuse to write a book in order to check a influencer checkbox.

The main glaring issue is that she never recognizes her place of privilege that's been given to her by the money that she has and the color of her skin. Her mother and family have said racist things and hold racist beliefs, that she briefly acknowledges. She says she should not be held responsible for what others say or think, but that is exactly the opposite of what we should do in order to confront racism in America. I think the author is young and still learning and she will realize this, but she has not yet and it was disheartening to learn. I will not be following her instagram or her podcast.

All that being said, there was one chapter on grief that I thought was really authentic and touching.

insta: bookduorecs

[Brianna Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed and I cried. She brings emotion, feelings, and life lessons that have turned her into the person she is today and explains it all in this book. She takes all of her experiences and shows her self awareness as well as being light hearted by name dropping (which I loved because who wouldn’t if you were in some of the houses and with some of the people she has been) and sharing her most exciting memories. I loved it!

[Jeannette Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are these reviews on the book? Or on the author?? As if you trolls know the political stance and morals of all the authors you read? Furthermore- Claudia and her sister have apologized multiple times for their immature comments, and disassociated with their mothers beliefs multiple times. It's interesting to me- do all of you agree with your parents on all of their opinions and if you don't, do you hate them for it? Do you all live perfect unflawed lives?

Anyway, I came here to read reviews on a BOOK and what I found was far too many people devoting far too much time to tearing someone down. Maybe you should read the book WHEN IT COMES OUT, and learn a little more about someone you feel so strongly about. Or maybe, you could just not like her and move on with your life instead of spending so much time spewing the kind of hatred you criticize her for supposedly having.

[Isabel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because I’ve followed Claudia for years and can relate to her in a lot of ways. Her perspective on how toxic cancel culture can be was interesting. While she took accountability for her own actions during her cancellation and apologized, i can’t believe she wrote a whole ass book and again, refused to speak about her mom, who is one of the most bigoted, ignorant individuals in America. The “she’s my only living parent” excuse only works when your moms not an actual terrorist. Calling this woman a “conservative” is a cop out. If you don’t acknowledge and denounce her views, how believable is your apology and and your entire new brand of being woke and self aware? It’s a no for me dawg. Also, Claudia repeated herself so much i kept asking myself why her editor let her write a 200 page run on sentence. It was cute overall but just no.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, emotional, and raw

Claudia took me through tears, belly laughs, and just outright a newfound respect for her and her life. She really opens up and shows the most vulnerable sides of her life, acknowledging her flaws and flaunting her talents (as she should). Just an overall queen and I’m so proud of this book and this journey for her! RTK.

[Shelby Bauman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I live for a good memoir, they're truly one of my favorite genres. I am a Toaster. I have followed Jackie and Claudia on social media for years, and been a part of their facebook group before it was shut down. I listen to the The Morning Toast every day on my commute home from work and always laugh so much. All that being said, this book was........not good. It did not live up to the hype, and beyond just not being good, it honestly put a bad taste in my mouth for someone I genuinely never had an issue with.

The writing itself is mediocre at best. Many of the chapters read like school essays desperate to reach a word count. They go on FOREVER and talk in circles when honestly, a point could could have been made in 5 pages instead of 14.

As far as content goes, it all felt very surface level. Even the moments that felt genuine and vulnerable were quickly ruined by a terrible cliche, insensitive joke, or most commonly, a cringey name drop of a celebrity she met once and now claims as a best friend. (If I was Joe Jonas or Sophie Turner reading the book, I would be creeped out. Honestly WHAT was that?? It wasn't funny. Just weird.) Aside from talking about her family, there wasn't much substance. Honestly, even the parts about her family were all tied back to bragging about herself.

The content could have been better communicated if she had more experience with reading in general. As a Toaster, I have listened to many episodes where she boasts about NOT reading, books are boring, etc. I did find it very interesting that she chose to write a book while being a self-proclaimed book hater. Her sister Jackie actually loves reading, so it surprised me that Claudia couldn't just stay in her lane for once and let Jackie have a "thing".

My final thoughts: this book made me sad. Her life seems so empty of things that really matter. She is very proud of the fact that she's wanted to be "famous" her whole life, and she believes she has achieved it. It's all so shallow, and really just irrelevant. I wanted to shake her at so many points while reading and tell her that there's soooo much more to life than chasing the approval of people. I know that her relationships with her sisters are genuine, and I wish they would make her feel secure enough to drop the loud-mouthed, self-obsessed act. I choose to believe that there is MUCH more to Claudia than this book had to offer.

[Ashley Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in the first day. I cannot begin to tell you the smile Claudia puts on my face every single day and this book was just as I imagined it would be. EVERYTHING OF THE SORT. I couldn’t put it down and I truly have an even better understanding of who Claudia is as a person.

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe a book was written that doesn't address the oppressive views and anti-Islamic rhetoric that their mom, Pamela Geller, spews. That same rhetoric that neither Claudia nor her family have disassociated from. I would have been inclined to read/buy if this book entailed anything remotely real, but it's probably a collection of superficial stories and superficial self-reflection.

[Breanna Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bummed. All she did was brag about how famous she is and how much she loves being famous and called herself chubby nonstop. Highly let down because I love her on TMT and after hearing her promote the book for months I was hoping for more.

[hayleykpeters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to say I am likely biased because I am a toaster, but I know I probably would have enjoyed this anyways: 4.5/5

Was the writing anything that is going to win any literary awards? No. Did I expect it to be? No. Did I want it to be? No!

It’s a completely snackable (I finished the audio book in a day) and easy to digest recollection on Claudia’s life and how she’s grown to be the woman she is today. It is thoughtful, yet lighthearted, and a comedic telling of her life that gives already fans an understanding of herself and her family, and will likely bring on some new ones (if you’re not already one of the 3 million that follow the @girlwithnojob Instagram account).

I would have liked a description of what it has been like for her and her sisters to have different political views then their parental figure. I respect Claudia for not wanting to speak ill of her mother, however, I think this topic could have been addressed without having to do so, and still being relatable. Especially in this climate where everyone’s views seem to be so polarizing.

Provides a great look at cancel culture; how to process, learn, and grow from our own mistakes; and how to provide forgiveness, and fairness, to others in theirs.

Beautiful, stunning and smart! Congrats, Claudia! ✨

[Taylor Yatsula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read from an Instagram/ social media influencer, but I do wish she got into the family dynamics more and how her views may differ from her mother. I felt like she could have done this in a way that was not bashing her mother. I’m a toaster so I may be biased but I do wish she would have commented more on her family dynamic. I do wonder how her mother felt when her daughters were “cancelled” in part because of her. I think Claudia could have gone deeper and I feel like this was a money grab and in no way a deep or insightful look into Claudias life.

[Abby Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook in a day! Highly recommend changing the speed to 1.1 so that it is more attributable to how Claudia normally speaks.

Laughed out loud many times and even cried once or twice. Well done Claudia!

[Kirby Collett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Been a fan of Claudia and the morning toast for years. This was a great insight into cancel culture and how to keep growing in your career and personal life.

[Rebecca Brenner Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

a pleasant surprise! tbh I impulsively requested GIRL WITH NO JOB by Claudia Oshry from Netgalley bc I assumed it was commentary on social media culture. And it was, but it’s really a memoir by a professional seeker of attention. brief synopsis: Claudia Oshry is from a close New York Modern Orthodox Jewish family. her dad died during her freshman year of high school, & she began what’s now a media brand/company during her freshman year of college. her show Morning Breath was cancelled, & she was cancelled due to her Islamophobic tweets in 2018. since then she’s cohosted the Morning Toast podcast w/ her sister re: pop culture. she still has 3m followers on Instagram & leads a career as a social media celebrity. I hadn’t heard of any of the above tbh until I mistakenly picked up this review copy. tbh I probably wouldn’t pick it up if I knew. But GIRL WITH NO JOB is surprisingly self-aware & thoughtful! notable quotation: “a toast to the wild ones!”

[Kathryn Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished listening to the audiobook just hours after it was released and it was truly everything of the sort. Learned so many new things about Claudia and her family, personal life, relationship with Ben and her career.

[Sydney Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for people who are fans of The Morning Toast and Claudia Oshry. As an avid listener and follower, I enjoyed reading Claudia’s book and found myself laughing out loud and even tearing up a time or two during the parts about losing her dad and her love/gratefulness for her sisters. It is pretty much on par with what I expected her book to be— a light and fun read, but very surface level. 4 ⭐️ to support Girl With No Job!

[Emma Griffioen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was exactly what i thought it would be and i’m not mad about it! super quick and easy to read!

where this fell flat for me was the writing. i am a big fan of the girl with no job instagram, the morning toast, the readheads and snachelor podcasts, but the writing was a little bit cheesy for me. i enjoyed it more when she was talking about celebs she’s encountered/interactions with them rather than just like “lol the kardashians” if that makes sense?!

i also just kinda feel like claudias personality and wittiness comes across better on media platforms like instagram stories, her comedy specials, and the podcast. the delivery of her jokes are just way funnier when you get to see her facial expressions!

i was also just excepting there to be more “tea”!!!

i will say though, i love her opinion on cancelled culture, and agree that it should be more about holding people accountable and education rather than a quick fix of being cancelled. people are so quick to cancel people and that leaves no room for growth and education. she also discussed how it’s not a “one sized fits all” kind of thing, because there are known abusers like chris brown who still have a record label and supporters, but then others get cancelled for something wrong their mom said that they have come out and made clear that they do not support, agree with, and are educating themselves on.

don’t get me wrong lots of people who get “cancelled” don’t deserve platforms, but there are also many instances where there could be more of an emphasis on education, not only for the person being cancelled, but also their followers.

if you’re a fan of celebs and pop culture this one is for you!

[Bianca Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done!! Such a funny, interesting, and empowering look into her life’s story. Claudia is so gracious and evolved. Well done!

[Elena Rubiconti-Suriano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do enjoy listening to the Morning Toast and have been following both Claudia and Jackie for years. I do agree with everything she says about cancel culture and giving people an opportunity to progress and grow.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read. It was interesting to know more behind the scenes kinda stuff, especially for those who watched most of it play out online. However, I felt it was fairly disorganized, repetitive and contradictory.

[Taylor Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 - it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad. I genuinely laughed at most of the content in the book, especially all the pop culture references. And I did tear up at one point when she was referencing the importance of her sister Margo since I have a younger sister and could relate. However I found some of the book to be a bit out of touch and preachy.