laurenkd89's review
3.0
This is a super sweet and fun read, something you can enjoy and get through in an afternoon. Sara Schaefer, a 40-year-old comedian with three siblings, has made it a goal to take a trip with each of her family members separately. Her younger sister Ross has chosen a weeklong trip rafting down the Grand Canyon. Thinking that this is a perfect opportunity to step outside her comfort zone have some true bonding moments with her sister, Sara says yes. Oh, but she's also terrified of water and the dangers that whitewater rafting might bring. Besides the point.
Schaefer uses the trip as a lens through which she tells her life story, each chapter rotating between the rafting journey and her life growing up - her childhood, her parents, her college life, and her career.
I had never heard of Sara Schaefer before, but I really enjoyed her writing style, and I found her story to be relatable. She's had some ups and downs, some tragedy and some success, a messy divorce, loss of a loved one - and she's dealt with struggles that are familiar to all of us: imposter syndrome, anxiety, depression, creative paralysis. The Grand Canyon trip doesn't cure her, but it helps her come to terms with some of her struggles, and it gives her the energy to keep going. Everyone can learn something from this book, or you can read it just for a few laughs and poignant reflections. Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC!
Schaefer uses the trip as a lens through which she tells her life story, each chapter rotating between the rafting journey and her life growing up - her childhood, her parents, her college life, and her career.
I had never heard of Sara Schaefer before, but I really enjoyed her writing style, and I found her story to be relatable. She's had some ups and downs, some tragedy and some success, a messy divorce, loss of a loved one - and she's dealt with struggles that are familiar to all of us: imposter syndrome, anxiety, depression, creative paralysis. The Grand Canyon trip doesn't cure her, but it helps her come to terms with some of her struggles, and it gives her the energy to keep going. Everyone can learn something from this book, or you can read it just for a few laughs and poignant reflections. Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC!
emilymaye's review
You have adventure, family drama, laughs! A comedian, upon her fortieth birthday, takes each of her family members on one-on-one vacations and chooses Grand Canyon whitewater rafting for her younger sister. With alternating chapters between treacherous days on the water and divulging her father's scandal that changed everything, it almost reads as fiction. She meets curious characters on her boat and faces some fears while also sharing the road to her comedy career and her struggles with religion and marriage. It tackles so much in such a digestible read!
lbw's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
This was basically two stories: the author on the river and the author growing up. I enjoyed both stories but didn’t quite enjoy the book’s structure, how the stories were woven together. Regardless, there were funny moments throughout.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
jcar03's review
4.0
I received a digital copy of Grand via netgalley for a honest review.
It is a milestone birthday for Sara Schaefer and she has arranged trips with each of her siblings and her father. "Grand" chronicles Sara's trip with her younger sister, Ross, as they head out on a rafting and camping trip through the Grand Canyon. Schaefer moves back and forth often effortlessly from the trip to her life from a young girl weathering a family scandal to her mother's death to her marriage crumbling to her trying to make her way in the comedy world.
It is a milestone birthday for Sara Schaefer and she has arranged trips with each of her siblings and her father. "Grand" chronicles Sara's trip with her younger sister, Ross, as they head out on a rafting and camping trip through the Grand Canyon. Schaefer moves back and forth often effortlessly from the trip to her life from a young girl weathering a family scandal to her mother's death to her marriage crumbling to her trying to make her way in the comedy world.
tomnoor's review against another edition
3.0
Author seemed like a great person to have as a friend but the book, while enjoyable, didn’t feel like it reached any real climax. Admittedly the canyon memoir part was never going to seem as unusual for me as it would for most people. I like the book I just wish there was more to it.
mohawkm's review
4.0
So much of this was good that the bumps felt even more jarring. Schaefer's recounting of the trip down the Colorado River with her sister was excellent - really capturing going through the rapids, stretching one's comfort zone, and the sibling dynamic as they go on this mid-life trip together.
Her description of her early life is fascinating too, it's not a tale often told, and it could have easily wrapped into some lessons about forgiveness and about selfless generosity that would have been really satisfying. However, towards the end, she turns to explaining her setbacks as an adult. These sections just felt rushed and like she was squirming away from really learning anything through it - including a sexual encounter with a "D-list" celebrity similar to Aziz Ansari's unveiling a couple years ago. This would have been a good moment to talk about what she would have done to warn other women and to make clear it isn't OK with other men, but that's not really covered, just that she feels weird about the standup joke about it now.
There's enough good here though that I'd likely read work of Schaefer's in the future, as I bet she's still finding her own way.
Her description of her early life is fascinating too, it's not a tale often told, and it could have easily wrapped into some lessons about forgiveness and about selfless generosity that would have been really satisfying. However, towards the end, she turns to explaining her setbacks as an adult. These sections just felt rushed and like she was squirming away from really learning anything through it - including a sexual encounter with a "D-list" celebrity similar to Aziz Ansari's unveiling a couple years ago. This would have been a good moment to talk about what she would have done to warn other women and to make clear it isn't OK with other men, but that's not really covered, just that she feels weird about the standup joke about it now.
There's enough good here though that I'd likely read work of Schaefer's in the future, as I bet she's still finding her own way.
eagerloff's review
4.0
Highly recommend the audio version—Sara’s voice adds a wonderful element to this humorous and touching memoir. My career is quite different than that OFA comedian, but I related so strongly to her experiences with anxiety and perceived failures.
p0tat0's review
4.0
A memoir about self-discovery and healing that was actually as funny as it was earnest.
casssavage's review
5.0
Bias alert. I really like Sara Schaefer. She discussed this book on her podcast which is why I picked it up.
I really enjoyed her style of telling you about her life around this rafting trip. It was fun, funny, sad at times and thoughtful.
No “girl boss” vibes or motivational speaker tones. This was a genuine feminine story I could relate to. Really liked it.
I really enjoyed her style of telling you about her life around this rafting trip. It was fun, funny, sad at times and thoughtful.
No “girl boss” vibes or motivational speaker tones. This was a genuine feminine story I could relate to. Really liked it.
samanthabooks19's review
4.0
Received arc in a giveaway!
I loved this book. It was so much more than just a regular old story about a trip through the Grand Canyon. This book holds emotions, lessons, and accounts that will touch the reader. At certain points I laughed and at others I cried. I felt connected to the author. She told her story in a way that made it as if she were talking to a friend.
This is a book that you just can't put down. You want to see what will happen next. How will the author overcome her next battle? This book held trials that many people, myself included, can relate in some way to.
The format of this book was an excellent choice. I loved the back and forth between the author's journey through the Canyon and her metaphoric journey through life. Going every other chapter between one of the time lines made it easy to follow. We always knew when in time we were, which is good to have in a memoir.
The author made every aspect of this book well balanced. Whether it was pacing, being plot focused, being character focused, opinions, fact, emotions, connection, etc; we got it all. I would recommend this to everyone I come in contact with if I could.
I loved this book. It was so much more than just a regular old story about a trip through the Grand Canyon. This book holds emotions, lessons, and accounts that will touch the reader. At certain points I laughed and at others I cried. I felt connected to the author. She told her story in a way that made it as if she were talking to a friend.
This is a book that you just can't put down. You want to see what will happen next. How will the author overcome her next battle? This book held trials that many people, myself included, can relate in some way to.
The format of this book was an excellent choice. I loved the back and forth between the author's journey through the Canyon and her metaphoric journey through life. Going every other chapter between one of the time lines made it easy to follow. We always knew when in time we were, which is good to have in a memoir.
The author made every aspect of this book well balanced. Whether it was pacing, being plot focused, being character focused, opinions, fact, emotions, connection, etc; we got it all. I would recommend this to everyone I come in contact with if I could.