Name: Teresa Bonifácio's review of This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
Item: This Will Only Hurt a Little
Rating: 3
Author: Teresa Bonifácio

Busy Philipps

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, and Cougar Town who has become “the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru” (The New Yorker). “You guys!! Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell. This book is honest, funny, intimate, and well-observed by a person who has observed some sh*t.” —Tina Fey “Judy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona. On the page, Philipps’ toughness shines through—a rare and feminine ethical code; devoted and blunt. It’s a thrill to watch her stumble right up until the very moment she storms the f*cking gates.” —Miranda July There’s no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and “aced out in her nudes” to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn’t always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little. In this stunningly candid memoir, Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood. But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humor and the unshakeable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way—even when she’s knocked down both figuratively and literally (from a knee injury at her seventh-grade dance to a violent encounter on the set of Freaks and Geeks). The rough patches in her life are tempered by times of hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impression of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men–themed hallucination, and more. Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood. Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From film to television to Instagram and now to the page, Busy delightfully showcases her wry humor and her willingness to bare it all. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to write this book. I’m just so grateful someone asked. Otherwise, what was the point of any of it??”

This Will Only Hurt a Little

Annie H

A hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir and New York Times bestseller by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, and Cougar Town who has become “the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru” (The New Yorker). There’s no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and “aced out in her nudes” to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn’t always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little. In a memoir “that often reads like a Real World confessional or an open diary” (Kirkus Reviews), Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood. But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humor and the unshakeable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way—even when she’s knocked down both figuratively and literally (from a knee injury at her seventh-grade dance to a violent encounter on the set of Freaks and Geeks). The rough patches in her life are tempered by times of hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impression of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men–themed hallucination, and of course, how her Instagram stories became “the most addictive thing on the internet right now” (Cosmopolitan). Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood—“if you think you know Busy from her Instagram stories, you don’t know the half of it” (Jenni Konner). Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From “candid tales of celebrity life, mom life, and general Busy-ness” (W Magazine), This Will Only Hurt a Little “is everything we’ve been dying to hear about” (Bustle).

Teresa Bonifácio

It's hard to make a review on a memoir because we end up reviewing someone else's life and I'm not going to talk about her life choices because those belong to her.

Busy is a talented storyteller. She know's how to tell the story in a way that we really want to hear her tell more. However, I think it always lacks some kind of self introspect or some kind of real closure! 

I never followed Busy's career that much but I always thought that she was a good actress and know I know she's also a great storyteller!

Izza

Raquel I.

I loved how Busy tells her stories throughout the book. She’s so relatable and honest, even when talking about her insane encounters with fellow celebrities or the wild things she did as a teenager. There are some very heartfelt and intense moments but she always lightens it up with her humor which made this a very fun and easy read!

Alexa Jade

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. 

This was so good!!!!!!!! I didn’t expect to love it so much.

Elise Harris

I love Busy Philipps even more now!! She is the most open & honest person!

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK! Busy is like the friend who has lived a thousand lives and has answers for you. Love her and this book is a must read

laura

I really loved this audio book so much. I really love reading books by actors about their experience in the lime light. I found this book to be such a fast pace read and just was really touched by the honesty and how real this story came across. Busy did a really good job at making her life a open book for both the good, the bad and the ugly. I highly rec listening to this book because It made the story even more impactful. It did deal with harder issues so some trigger warnings but overall a great listen!

Michelle Boyea

I had never heard of Busy Phillips before I started listening to this book. But I’m glad I picked it up anyways. 

This book was funny to listen to, especially the parts where she acted out dialog between herself and her mother. 

Her experiences were impactful, especially her high school years. And really shows how hard those situations are to deal with.

Eryn Morgan 

Gosh, I just love her vigour for life. Honestly, this book is just like her IG stories, only the background to it. A how to collect cool friends and keep.  on. going.. even if the world kept trying to dull her glow. Busy Philipps is a treasure. 

Stephanie dOtreppe

I listened to the audiobook and I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I had read it. Listening to the author reading it brought more emotion and entertainment to the story, which made me feel more connected to her. I wouldn’t call it a groundbreaking book or anything, but certainly an enjoyable audiobook.

Annie H &
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps

Reviews

Join the club

Annie H &This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps

Reviews

Join the club

Annie H &
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps