Robert Kingett reviewed I'm special by Ryan O'Connell
Disability babble
1 star
This is one of those cases where the TV show, Special, is better than the book. I was hoping the book would teach something about Disabilities and self acceptance wrapped up in humor, but I didn't laugh once throughout this book.
One of the many reasons is because, on every page, he attempts to have an observation about the Y generation. I became so tired of hearing the words, "millennial generation this, Y generation that," that I started skipping chapters just to get rid of him saying millennial. This book has also convinced me that everybody is wrong about generational observations and every opinion about whatever generation is caked in ageism.
The tone is a prolonged skit. The funny parts are supposed to arise from ironic skits, or skits with off color dialog. I didn't laugh once because these skits didn't have a comedic touch. They did, it just painted …
This is one of those cases where the TV show, Special, is better than the book. I was hoping the book would teach something about Disabilities and self acceptance wrapped up in humor, but I didn't laugh once throughout this book.
One of the many reasons is because, on every page, he attempts to have an observation about the Y generation. I became so tired of hearing the words, "millennial generation this, Y generation that," that I started skipping chapters just to get rid of him saying millennial. This book has also convinced me that everybody is wrong about generational observations and every opinion about whatever generation is caked in ageism.
The tone is a prolonged skit. The funny parts are supposed to arise from ironic skits, or skits with off color dialog. I didn't laugh once because these skits didn't have a comedic touch. They did, it just painted the author as above everybody else, and therefore, an absolute millennial sociologist without an ounce of self reflection.
I wish he would have examined the internalized ableism presented in the beginning of the book, but instead, a new skit must happen to make the audience laugh before moving onto the next skit.
In short, I guess you could say that I'm tired of generation observations and humor without examination or reflection, especially in the Disability space.
Watch the TV show. It's far better and more introspective. Even better? Characters don't say millennial every other word.