I Was Told There'd Be Cake

Book #24
I Was Told There'd Be Cake
Sloane Crosley
Nonfiction; humor; short stories
230 pages


This debut essay collection is full of sardonic wit and charm, and Crosley effortlessly transforms what could have been stereotypical tales of mid-20s life into a breezy series of vignettes with uproariously unpredictable outcomes. From the opening The Pony Problem to the hilarious Bring-Your-Machete-to-Work Day (which will ring true for any child of the early 1990s who played the first Oregon Trail computer game), Crosley is equal parts self-deprecating and endearing as she recounts her secret obsession with plastic ponies and the joys of exacting revenge via a pixilated wagon ride. In less capable hands, the subjects tackled—from unpleasant weddings of long-forgotten friends to horrendous first jobs—could have been a litany of complaints from yet another rich girl from the suburbs. But Crosley, who grew up in Westchester and currently lives in Manhattan, makes the experiences her own with a plethora of amusing twists: a volunteer job at the American Museum of Natural History leads to a moral quandary, and a simple Upper West Side move becomes anything but. Fans of Sarah Vowell's razor-sharp tongue will love this original new voice.

I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, there were quite a few humourous short stories that one could easily relate to. However, I found Crosley to be quite unlikeable, honestly. She just seemed like she was quite the snob and I had a difficult time empathizing with her in certain stories. However, I did love the short story "The Ursula Cookie" because I was in a similar job situation and know how nerve wracking so mean bosses can be. That being said, I am glad that I read this book, but I am also glad that I borrowed it from a friend instead of buying it!

Books read this year: 24/50.
Pages read this year: 9025/15000