Ponder Post: Girls

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I read I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern hence I did not put the full title in the post header. But I am also chagrined at how few books I have been reading in 2016 and truthfully this pads the numbers. Actually embarrassed is not quite the appropriate word to use with this book. The better word is awkward.

I Suck at Girls is a coming of age story of a young male revealing his timidity and his self-conscious, fumbling attempts at developing relationships (sexual and non-sexual) with the opposite gender, starting as early as his elementary grade school years. Told in a humorous, self-deprecating manner, I laughed, but also cringed, along with the author as he candidly reveals some of this thoughts and clumsy actions in getting closer to the opposite sex. The language is seldom squeaky clean, but the sentiments expressed and self-doubt nuggets revealed are actually quite courageous. In addition, I found the blunt no-nonsense but supportive relationship of Justin's father with his son gruffly heartwarming. I was enough engaged in the book I read it in one sitting.

The book has a positive review by Jimmy Kimmel and I generally do not like Kimmel's crude humor. But looking beyond the sporadic indelicate language, I think the candor of Justin Halpern's one-track minded mini autobiography is well worth the read. The short, easy-to-digest messages may very well give some puberty challenged males out there an empathetic insight into their struggles and comfort them that they are not alone in their self-imposed angst. The tale may give the older audience pause and a bit of nostalgic reflection as to how they personally survived those somewhat painful experiences.