You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost): A Review

When walking into a Barnes & Noble, my nerdy self will make a b-line for the comics, manga, fiction/fantasy fandom section. So when I heard Felicia Day–the “Queen of Nerds”–was writing a book, I nearly died.

I stormed that Barnes & Noble in search of Felicia Day’s beautiful face on a hardback cover. Then I plowed through that book in hopes of finishing it before meeting her at Dragon*con. Oh yeah, that’s right, I got to meet the person who, especially after reading her book, became more of an inspiration to me than ever before.

(Even though she was in a rush, she said ‘hey’, signed my book, and then took a quick glance up at my fem Chewbacca cosplay and went, “Oh, you’re cute!” Yep. Check that off the list.)

Review of You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost): A Memoir

I could go into detail about her stories, but honestly I just want everyone to go out and read it for yourself. There were times I would be sitting outside on campus, and laugh out loud as people walked by. No shame, Felicia Day is hilarious.

For anyone who knows of Felicia Day and hasn’t read the book yet…READ IT! Seriously, Joss Whedon states in the book that reading this book is like sitting down with Felicia for a nice hang out over dinner and just talking for hours. Felicia is such a personable and intriguing person, and learning more about her life just adds even more respect and intrigue towards her. 

Nerdy girls who want to find a book from someone who can relate to them no matter what angle, might still feel kind of uncomfortable about embracing their nerdiness, and are females in what has been labeled for too long as a male dominated culture, this book will inspire you.

As a geeky girl who is trying go to school to be a musician with hopes of entering into a video game and TV show music/sound engineering career, but also wants to excel at so much, this book just really hit home for me.

Because it took me awhile to embrace my weird.

Review of You’re Never Weird on the Internet: Embracing Your Weird

Actually, growing up, I almost felt ashamed to be anything but average and neutral. My weird became apparent either way because I was just that quiet girl who dressed weird and looked different. Felicia Day talks about her far from traditional childhood and her quirky parents in the book.

Learning about her home life, school life (when there was one), and social life (also when there was one) was extremely inspirational. I don’t think many can truly relate to her childhood scenarios, as Felicia was the product of an interesting way to be raised. However, her hippie mom’s determination to make sure her children were highly cultured and knowledgeable about many things was awesome to read.

Felicia actually showed an example of her schedule and it would be jam packed of constant learning about something. Whether it was homeschooling curriculum, dance lessons, violin, etc. Every hour was filled with something and Felicia’s determination and ambition is contagious.

There’s a reason why so many girls look up to Felicia. She’s a strong, genuinely kind, intelligent, creative, and a talented geeky woman who gets the respect she deserves. She talks about how she really took charge and made her own web series, The Guild, which if you haven’t seen yet, you should. It’s on Netflix! Just seeing a strong female in the geek culture is empowering. She’s a true success story!

Another reason why I try to remind myself of this book constantly when I feel like being lazy and not putting my best foot forward in everything I do is because Felicia talks about all the challenges she plows through. Did you know Felicia actually never went to high school, instead going straight to college at age 16?! Mind blown. If you ever feel like you can’t do something, let me tell you this book just shines on how having determination and a can-do attitude will take you miles ahead.

Review of You’re Never Weird on the Internet: Battling Through Obstacles

The next thing I relate with her big time is with my crippling social anxiety. If you are someone who suffers anxiety and depression symptoms like walking away from amazing opportunities, bailing out on plans, taking criticism to heart like a knife, and trying to find energy for simple tasks then you will like this book.

Felicia Day talks about her struggle with her severe anxiety and depression and how she coped with it. Reading the book and how she goes out of her way to be excellent at anything she dreams up, makes me want to punch my anxiety in the face. When she talks about literally jumping from one state to another just to start her acting career, I sat there in awe.

This is something I realize my dream career path will have me doing in the future, and right now I’m coming to terms with that and realizing I have to step it up. If any of you have dealt with a change like that, or fear of doing something that requires a change like that, just read this book. She makes it sound easy – even though she said it took a few years for her to get going.

Overall, this book ranks high for me: 10 out of 10 nerds, with a highly recommend double thumbs up. I loved meeting this woman, going to her panels at Dragon*con to truly see how she acts in person, and reading about her life. It has become close to a book of guidance for me, and I bet it could do the same for you.