Review: Where's My Wand: One Boy's Magical Triumph over Alienation and Shag Carpeting

by Eric Poole
Memoir (May 27, 2010)

My Synopsis

Hilarious memoir about the author's life growing up with a mom who was an obsessive clean-freak, a dad who gladly let her wear the pants, and the author's desire to wear her dress. Or something like that.

My Thoughts

I saw this book highlighted in People magazine and then read The Girl from the Ghetto's review , and I had to get it. Since I've been reading so many depressing memoirs lately, I was ready for some humor. So ready, in fact, that I spent full price on it at Borders. $24.95 plus tax. (Why is it that when I have a coupon I don't want a book, and when I want a book I don't have a coupon?)

Murphy's Law - which also applies to the above coupon dilemma - says that if I buy a book at full price I usually end up hating it. But this one was good. Some people may find the one liners a bit much, but it was just what I needed.

Eric Poole is from St. Louis, and I had fun reading about his high school, his hometown (Florissant), the street he lived on, and the local hospital where my son was born. It felt homey :) But besides that, the stories he told were hilarious. My favorite story was when he and his sister went camping with their aunt and found out they had to poop where the bears poop. Poole also makes fun of his gay-ness, his mom's OCD-fueled rants to keep the shag carpet raked at all times, and his unpopularity in school. Really, you can't help but laugh.

He has been mentioned along the likes of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs. I agree with the Augusten Burroughs comparison; Sedaris I have not yet read (I know, I know...accepting title recommendations in comments).

Do I Recommend?

Yes

Source

I bought my copy from Borders.

My Rating

4/5 (I enjoyed it)

Other reviews

The Girl from the Ghetto

Beth Fish Reads - Not a review but she highlights it here