Book Review: Look Alive Out There By Sloane Crosley
Look Alive Out There Is A Welcomed Collection Of Essays From Author Sloane Crosley
I am quite possibly a day late and a dollar short with this review, but I felt compelled to share my thoughts.
Sloane Crosley has received incredible praise for her recent compilation of essays titled Look Alive Out There. Released in early April, critics and editors alike have marveled at Crosley's stories.
I have been a fan of Crosley's since I read, I Was Told There'd Be Cake and the introduction to her writing was welcomed with open arms. The short but sweet chapters Crosley so effortlessly laid out meant I could devour the book in one sitting.
Praise For Look Alive Out There
If you haven't read Crosley's writing, I feel sorry for you. And I'm confused by you. The internet exists! Start reading! She's written for various publications from a little newspaper by the name of the New York Times, to an even smaller website titled, Vanity Fair.
Steve Martin loves her! He was quoted (Q-U-O-T-E-D, I tell you) praising the collection:
"Sloane Crosley does the impossible. She stays consistently funny and delivers a book that is alive and jumping."
While I am envious of Crosley's writing, I am also inspired to emulate her prose. Her soft but credible sentences get to the point quickly while simultaneously setting up a story you don't want to end. There is a lack of obnoxiousness that is very much welcomed, because it is a trait I find too common in modern day essays.
She's been dubbed "the millennial Nora Ephron", an accolade I wouldn't know what to do with, but one that is so well deserved. It's true, and Look Alive Out There is tangible, book bound, proof.
In her second essay, Outside Voices, Crosley recounts an issue she had with a very loud neighbor, and the believe-it-or-not hijinks that ensued. Renters and home owners alike are spoken for in one simple essay that teeters between funny and horrifying. Yet, Crosley still seems to be the most level-headed friend I've never met.
Look Alive Out There is absolutely worth your time because it's swift. It's swift to the point without rushing you out the door and each essay is tied up neatly, allowing your attention to shift to the next story Crosley has laid out perfectly. There's something addictive about Crosley and her writing, and aren't we lucky that we get to gawk openly?