The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo Book Critique

Schumer, Amy. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. New York: Harper, 2016. Print.

    If you think your life is a joke, do not fret because Amy Schumer’s biography will make you laugh so hard that your life will seem dull in comparison. Just kidding. In her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy Schumer gives you a candid, hilarious recount of the highs and lows of her life that are not only relatable to readers of all ages, but infused with humor that makes even her darkest days seem brighter. Through her adolescent years, relationships, mistakes, and comebacks, Amy bares her soul while taking her readers on a night out in town for an unforgettable adventure full of rib-aching laughs and cries. I would genuinely recommend this book to those seeking laughter in the midnight hours or those simply trying to find their way because Amy’s wit and refreshing writing can shed light onto anyone’s path.

    In this book, Amy Schumer introduces us to everyone important in her life and strangers that helped her on her journey of accepting herself. We are introduced to her loving parents, her brother and sister whom she loves most in the world, and her boyfriend, Dan. Most of the book takes place in New York City, where Amy currently lives. Each chapter in the novel covers different aspects of Amy’s life, ranging from childhood crushes, hate lists, work experiences, and embarrassing moments. Amy writes from her present point of view and looks back at all her mistakes from a more mature state of mind, and candidly acknowledges the difference between her past and present thinking.

    Amy artfully wove the theme of learning from your mistakes into her stories of joy, disappointment, and enlightenment. As the title of the biography states, Amy got a random tattoo on her lower back when she was sixteen. She does not remember why she got it or what it means, and regretted it for many years. Now, she sees her tattoo as a reminder of her past mistakes and how she has grown from them. She intertwines this constant reminder to learn from her mistakes in all of her stories, and she looks back into her past feeling optimistic of how far she has come. Amy’s honest stories of growing up taught me that every failure and setback has a positive reciprocal in my life because I can only grow with each obstacle I persevere through.

    My only critique of Amy is the fact that the messages in her stories sometimes came across too feminist. Although I applaud Amy for being confident in being a woman, I found that she would try to force feminist slogans and values when in reality, she may not have had those empowering thoughts in the actual situation, “I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong,” (143).  I would have preferred if she was more candid about the negative feelings that all women go through, and then upon later reflection, address the situation from a more feminist viewpoint.

    I thought Amy did a magnificent job recounting her stories with such honesty and sarcasm, that I could see myself telling these same stories to my own friends with the same humor, emotion, and language that she used. Her writing style is very informal, like she is talking directly to you, a close friend, at some coffee shop, “...we still hope that someone who is killer with a guitar or puck will hold the key to eternal self-love at the tip of their tip. No? Just me?” (193). When Amy goes on tangents and releases the crazy contents of her mind, she lowers herself onto the reader’s level, and together, we delve into her mind and try to make sense of that one friend with the unbelievably absurd stories.

    I wholeheartedly would give this book a thumbs up. If I could see myself writing a biography, it would be a lot like Amy’s. Our stories would not be the same, but in order to share the truth, I would write in the sarcastic and humorous way Amy did, because sometimes saying personal, serious, intimate moments of your life to strangers is hard. I found myself in Amy Schumer, and I am glad I did because she told me that everything is going to be okay. I think this biography is best suited for women of all ages because it was written by a feminist comedian with a deep love for her body, which might gross out some men when she shares intimate details about her femininity. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo has the power to uplift and brighten anyone’s day with its satirical humor and honesty. Everyone has regrets and makes mistakes. The only difference between us, is whether or not you view these mistakes as scars on your body or symbols of growth. (809)