Weird but Normal

May 1, 2020
Mercado grew up biracial in the very white Midwest, and she has thoughts on asking people about their race: in short, don't. She also hilariously recounts the mental gymnastics of allegedly well-meaning friends as they try to get a different answer out of her. This is a pretty good summary of Mercado's first collection of essays: wry, cutting, often silly takes on serious topics like racism, mental health, and the patriarchy. She is more often the subject of her own derision, poking fun at her attempts to live in a racist, sexist world while battling crippling depression, an inferiority complex, and an insidious mustache. She explores the evolution of her online presence via AIM usernames, regrets quitting a boring-but-reliable job, and is proudly ashamed of her devotion to Bath & Body Works. Standout essays cover her brief experience with the National American Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Wisconsin pageant and a prayer to birth control that reveals her own sexual history. Fans of Samantha Irby and Sloane Crosley will want to take a look at this feminist, millennial, and comedic delight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)