From the Publisher
Ben and Rebecca’s collection of shorts is incredibly original, bizarre, and funny. Each one is distinct and yet reflects their collective genius as writers who are daring and ahead of the curve.” — Will Ferrell
“Voices of their generation. Except for Greta Thunberg. And Malala. Amanda Gorman . . . you know what, I take it back.” — Jimmy Fallon
"I love this brilliant debut collection from two hilarious, and let’s face it, strange minds. It was such a joy to read!" — Mindy Kaling
“Ben and Rebecca give brilliant voice to their generation. It’s a generation that needs to be loved, and made fun of, and these two do both in the equal measure. They have no right to be this funny and wise at their age, but isn’t that the problem with their generation? So I guess what I’m saying is that they are the problem. And perhaps the problem is the solution? Bottom line is there are very funny writers and I wish they had punched up this blurb.” — Nick Kroll
"Comedy gold. An entertainingly zany collection of sketches poking fun at the foibles of contemporary life at every age." — Kirkus Reviews
actor Will Ferrell
Ben and Rebecca’s collection of shorts is incredibly original, bizarre, and funny.”
Kirkus Reviews
2023-10-13
Two comic writers join forces in this collection of satirical scenarios and verses.
Dynamic duo Shaw and Kronengold met at Yale in 2014. Since then, they’ve become a sensation as the youngest-ever writers for the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Their debut volume assembles an array of pieces separated into the stages of human life, from childhood through college and adulthood. An immediate standout is the opening story, “We Have Your Son,” in which a youth kidnapping-and-ransom operation is hilariously hijacked by indifferent parents (“Keep him!”). Throughout, it’s clear that the authors consistently let their imaginations run wild. Some pieces are effervescently silly (“Dr. Seuss Teaches Safe Sex”); some are freeform and whimsical; others are more creatively inspired glimpses into unwieldy fantasies and modern dilemmas of postgraduate life. The authors are particularly successful in their portrayal of adolescence, from melodramatic dispatches from summer camp and a horror satire featuring a courageous girl who finds herself in Hell, which she recognized “because it was very hot and ‘Moves Like Jagger’ was playing on a loop.” Some of the collection’s more personal pieces are also the most engaging and memorable, including “College Stories Fact Check,” in which the authors share amusing memories from their time together as Yale students; others include a transcript of text conversations with their drug dealer and an assessment of their shared experience in Hollywood as “skilled practitioners of asskissery.” The text contains more than 30 stories, perhaps best read over numerous sittings. In any such book, a few pieces fall flat, but each one contains at least some flashes of comic brilliance, making it clear this is a hyper-creative pair with immense potential. Saturated with creative energy and a healthy funny bone, these stories are comedy gold.
An entertainingly zany collection of sketches poking fun at the foibles of contemporary life at every age.
