Book Review: You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day (2015)

Synopsis: Homeschooled for "hippie reasons" in the deep south, Felicia Day was a gifted student who was admitted to college at the age of 16 and graduated as valedictorian with a math degree but struggled in social situations unless they were over the internet. After moving to Hollywood to be an actress and struggling to find roles that spoke to her, she with help from friends she met online, decided to create her own web series The Guild, about gaming culture and became an internet star as a result. This memoir tells her story.

Review: While not overly familiar with The Guild, other than watching a few episodes, I am a Felicity Day fan from her time on Supernatural and do follow her on social media. I recently read her graphic novel, The Lost Daughter of Sparta and enjoyed it enough to give her memoir You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) a try. I finished reading it this morning and was glad I did.

Day's life story is an interesting one. She was a brilliant kid who was admitted to college when most teens would be either high school sophomores or juniors, was the smartest kid in her graduating class despite being so young and if it weren't for a passion for performing and choosing to be an actress, could just as easily worked as a mathematician at NASA. At the same time, the things that made her stand out like that also arguably made it harder for her to socialize. 

Her deep dive into gaming culture that was a result of this was intriguing, especially with her quirky humor mixed in with the stories. This included the friends she met online and then in person and a video game addiction that could have easily derailed her career (something I may need to talk to my daughters about).

The stories about her early attempts at breaking into the entertainment industry were equally as interesting and entertaining, whether it was a failed attempt to be a Spanish-language music star, being cast in a terrible independent movie only to have the check bounce or the way agencies kept giving her contradicting opinions about her appearance.

As would be expected, a large portion of the book is spent on The Guild and the history behind how her web series came to be. This was both informative and eye-opening because I honestly never imagined just how much work was involved with creating that show exclusively for YouTube, whether it was borrowing camera and sound equipment, raiding people's garbage for discarded furniture and decor or risking the wrath of landlords who were unhappy with filming the show in someone's apartment (which, in itself was a necessity to avoid needing expensive permits). 

I even ended up re-watching the first couple episodes of the show just to see some of what she described in a new light, making me even more of a fan of her work.

Final Opinion: Day is a good storyteller, and this shows in this memoir. Even if you're not familiar with her work, it is a book that is worth taking the time to read, especially if you're someone who is thinking about creating a web series or trying to make it as an actor/actress.

My Grade: A

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Here are some reviews of other celebrity memoirs:

Book Review: Making it So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart (2023)

Book Review: This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett (2011)

Book Review: All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks (2021)

Book Review: Officer Clemmons by Dr. Francois S. Clemmons (2020)