Scrappy little nobody

Title:

Author:

Summary:

At the ripe age of thirteen, Kendrick had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged.” Now she invites readers inside her brain, recounting the absurdities she's experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture. From her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her rise dazzling on the stage and screen, we enter her sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious) world.

Edition:

First Touchstone hardcover edition.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 275 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Genre:

Personal Subject:

Subject Term:

Singers -- Biography.

Publisher:

Touchstone,

Publication Date:

2016

ISBN:

9781501117206

9781501157493

Publication Information:

New York : Touchstone, 2016.

Call Number:

927 KENDRIC

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003181123	Adult Nonfiction	927 KENDRIC	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An "honest, effortlessly funny, and alternatively relatable" ( Harper's Bazaar ) collection of autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air , Pitch Perfect , and Trolls , " Scrappy Little Nobody lets readers feel like they have spent an afternoon chatting with their closest friend" ( Booklist ).

Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect , Up in the Air , Twilig ht , and Into the Woods , Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and "10 percent defiant."

At the ripe age of thirteen, she had already resolved to "keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here's the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out." In Scrappy Little Nobody , she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candor and winningly wry observations.

With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she's experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can--from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial "dating experiments" (including only liking boys who didn't like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual "man-child."

Enter Anna's world and follow her rise from "scrappy little nobody" to somebody who dazzles on the stage, the screen, and now the page--with an electric, singular voice, at once familiar and surprising, sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious).

Author Notes

Anna Kendrick was born and raised in Portland, Maine. She made her Broadway debut at the age of twelve in her Tony-nominated performance for the musical High Society. Anna garnered an Academy Award nomination for her role as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air. She has made numerous theatrical appearances, including starring roles in Into the Woods, the Twilight saga, and the Pitch Perfect film franchise.

In 2013, Anna achieved musical success with the triple-platinum hit song "Cups (When I'm Gone)," featured in Pitch Perfect. In 2016, she achieved literary success with her New York Times bestselling collection of humorous autobiographical essays, Scrappy Little Nobody.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this snarky collection of personal essays, actress Kendrick recounts her early years as a theater-loving kid from Portland, Maine, who became a Hollywood "It Girl." Since Kendrick is only 31, much of her reminiscing is concentrated on her not-so-distant childhood, beginning with her first role, at age six, in a community production of Annie. Unlike many child stars, Kendrick had a fairly normal childhood: she went to school, where she was the uncool kid (few people at home were impressed when she tried bragging about going to Sundance Film Festival). She details her desire to be in a period piece and how she got her wish with 2014's In the Woods, telling an amusingly self-deprecating anecdote about costumes. Style is a theme, but not in the usual way of so many Hollywood memoirs. Most adult actors don't detail how they could shop at the kids' section of stores like L.L. Bean (let alone be caught dead at L.L. Bean) or admit that they don't adore fashion, but in many ways Kendrick is a refreshing outlier. When she gives advice, such as how not to make eye contact with the press during film junkets, she displays real wit and comic timing on the page. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

A quirky darling, actress Kendrick delivers a quirky darling performance as author (and narrator). This collection of essays begins with her childhood and early acting in theater and continues through her big roles in recent movies such as Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods. Her well-known witty, self-deprecating humor (not new to her fans on Twitter) allows her to discuss some of her First World problems in a funny and almost approachable way. Those looking for hot gossip about the "Twilight" movies, Chris Pine, or George Clooney will be disappointed. The only shade she throws is on herself. Her narration fits the book perfectly and also helps get this memoir to that sweet spot-where the book feels like a genuine conversation over coffee. However, much like a puppy, cute will only get you so far. The first two-thirds of the book are a fast-paced delight, but the narration starts to drag toward the end. Verdict This book will have no problem finding an audience. Make room for this next to Lauren Graham's (see above) and Amy Schumer's recent titles.-Cathleen Keyser, NoveList, Durham, NC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.