Scrappy Little Nobody

By Anna Kendrick

A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.
  I’m excited to publish my first book, and because I get uncomfortable when people have high expectations, I'd like to use this opportunity to showcase my ineptitude, pettiness, and the frequency with which I embarrass myself. And while many of my female inspirations who have become authors are incredibly well-educated and accomplished comedy writers, I'm very, very funny on Twitter, according to Buzzfeed and my mom, so I feel like this is a great idea. Quick question: are run-on sentences still frowned upon? Wait, is ending a sentence with a preposition still frowned upon? I mean, upon frowned? Dammit!  Anna Kendrick
  Anna Kendrick’s autobiographical collection of essays amusingly recounts memorable moments throughout her life, from her middle-class upbringing in New England to the blockbuster movies that have made her one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses today. Expanding upon the witty and ironic dispatches for which she is known, Anna Kendrick’s essays offer her one-of-a-kind commentary on the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Nov 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781471156847

Anna Kendrick

Born and raised in Portland, Maine, Anna Kendrick made her Broadway debut at the age of twelve in her Tony-nominated performance for the musical High Society. Since her Academy Award–nominated role as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air, she has made numerous theatrical appearances, including starring roles in Into the Woods, the Twilight saga, and the Pitch Perfect film franchise. In 2013, she achieved musical success with the triple-platinum hit song “Cups (When I’m Gone),” featured in Pitch Perfect. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Scrappy Little Nobody

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this especially with Anna reading the book. I didn't know she is such a new actress to Hollywood. I thought she had been around longer and probably had more money than she does. The things you assume when you don't know the person. I really like Anna. She seems to be really down to earth and just trying to live a normal life and acting is her job.

[daumari · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Short, brisk read (which I guess is what happens when you write an autobiography shortly after hitting the 30s)- quite funny without trying hard, and definitely seems like something written without a ghostwriter.

As a nerd-adjacent to theater kids (I was a band geek), tales of being a child (theater) actor and geeking out over Sondheim are relatable to me. Also relatable: being a late-bloomer in terms of sexuality but not necessarily kissing and telling.

It would seem that an A-lister autobiography like this is supposed to make them #relatable, but she seems like the real deal (I find her Twitter @annakendrick47 an easy follow).

[mcelhra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like Anna Kendrick but I don’t consider myself a huge fan. I chose to listen to her book because she has a reputation for being funny on Twitter and I thought it would be funny. Parts of it were funny but it was full of self-deprecating humor that rang false. She paints herself as a helpless idiot stumbling through life but a person can’t make it to where she is in the entertainment industry if they are as dumb as she makes herself out to be. Weirdly, she comes off as decidedly smug at the same time. Most of her attempts at sarcasm or irony fall flat. Unfortunately, there isn’t any celebrity dirt to make up for all of that! George Clooney is so nice, Tina Fey is so nice, and so on.I listened to the audiobook of Scrappy Little Nobody and Anna reads it herself. Perhaps that amplified her personality and I would have liked the book more in print. What I learned from this book is that sometimes it’s harder to be funny in an essay format than in 280 characters.

[kerilynned · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Anna Kendrick and her book doesn't disappoint! She speaks on boys, childhood, becoming an adult, working in movies, being famous and fashion. She's a little bit odd but I think that's what makes her fun! She's very real and has no problem being truthful about everything! She knows she has flaws, she accepts them and continues to be herself no matter what happens! Her book is written as if she is talking to an old friend! I hope she writes another!

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A humorous read with a nice chatty tone.

It did remind me of that viral PSA on social media where you see the young woman having fun in five or six different pictures, but then you're supposed to catch on that she is holding an alcoholic beverage in each one and may have a drinking problem.

[askelmore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I will see any film if Anna Kendrick is involved. I’ve watched Pitch Perfect at least monthly since it was released on blu-ray (and three times in theaters before that); I watch videos online of her appearances on late night TV when I’m in a shit mood and need a boost. So obviously, I pre-ordered the shit out of this book.

It did not disappoint. Unfortunately, it came out a week after the election, so it is possible that it didn’t get the attention it deserved, since we are all (rightfully) freaking the fuck out about actual neo-Nazis in the White House. But if you need a mental health break from calling and writing your representatives, or marching in support of Black Lives Matter or protesting the DAPL, I would like to recommend this to you.

Her essays are laid out in (mostly) chronological order; some are quite intimate, but none delve into the uncomfortable. But the best part is that they all sound exactly like her – or at least the her we see in the media. I don’t know Ms. Kendrick, so theoretically this could all be an elaborately maintained ruse, but more than likely this is just an example of a clever, self-deprecating, strong but at times insecure woman living her life. Yes, she might have a job that is slightly more glamorous from the outside than, say, literally every other job, but she manages to make the challenges she faces as a well-known actress as relatable as her days with no money and no car trying to make it in Los Angeles.

I think the fact that she is incredibly self-aware helps. She doesn’t sell herself short in unbelievable ways, she doesn’t fish for pity or accolades, she is just sharing some stories that readers will find endearing or entertaining (and usually both).

Near the end of the book, she mentions writing a tell-all when she is 70 and done with her career. Again, I’d like to pre-order that one now, because if I’m alive then, I’m going to read that one, and I have no doubt it will be delicious.

[jhullie-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well who would have thought it...the girl can write! I loved this book, it was so funny, I mean laugh out loud and scare the people nearby kind of funny. It felt like listening to Anna talking just to me, and boy, are we great friends. I'm off to watch Pitch Perfect with a new appreciation for the riff-off scene.

[cathishaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. And to be fair, I took forever to finish it, which is not my normal modus operandi when I love a book. Those of you who read my reviews know that I usually devour books I love. But this one I savoured ... like a fine wine.Okay, straight up, for the last year-and-a-half this has been my bathroom book. Not just for sitting on the toilet but also bubble baths and hiding in there when I'm entertaining people I need a break from. I pre-ordered this book and started reading it as soon as it came but immediately recognized it as a collection of wonderful vignettes that I wanted to enjoy slowly. In the toilet. (And I'm SURE I had many guests who saw the book sitting on the counter and helped themselves to some Anna humour).Anna is hilarious and REAL. She's one of those famous people who you want to meet not to ask for an autograph but to hang out with just to ask her about how weird it is to be famous.I first saw her in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and for years afterward thought she was sooo cool and I was really proud she was a Canadian actress (yeah, she's not Canadian ... but she's cool enough to be Canadian). And I didn't first see her in Scott Pilgrim ... I kinda forgot she was in Twilight (sorry, Anna). Beyond learning that she is indeed an American actress, I loved hearing about feisty young Anna going for her dreams.And she includes lots of fun extras in this book. I particularly loved her special afterward for book clubs. And her About the Author page (I also am shorter in real life).I could go on and on about how much I adored Anna's voice in this book but I'll start to be repetitive. Just go and get it (you know you need a bathroom book). Now I have an empty spot on the vanity in the bathroom ...

[kiddboyblue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not since Mindy Kaling have I wanted to be best friends with a celebrity more. Anna Kendrick seems to have remained very down to earth despite her huge rise to fame, and her first memoir, is not surprisingly very charming and not in the least self centered. If anything, it's self depricating, which I find insanely endearing. I have found, as I read more and more celebrity memoirs that they tend to fall on a spectrum of "I'm way better than you are, here let me tell you about all my famous friends and all the amazing things I get to do because I'm so famous," on one end, and "I'm basically just a normal human being who has the same fears and insecurities as you, only I'm a movie star and I get to go to award shows." on the other end. Kendrick's is the latter. She allows herself to be vulnerable in a way that other celebrities don't seem to be able to, and/or don't want to. It comes across in a way that makes me feel she is un-concerned with being perfect, and more concerned with remaining a normal person despite her celebrity status. She openly talks about insecurities, annoyances, embarrassing stories, etc. in a way that makes it clear, being a celebrity does not mean she doesn't still deal with many of the same day to day crap we all deal with. I never found the memoir insanely funny, but rather found it extremely witty and smartly funny. It never felt like she was trying to get a laugh, but rather felt like she was just writing as herself, and herself is just a wise ass that happens to be very funny. There was a lot of heart, humor, truth, and charm to her writing. It was a refreshing read, and overall a good memoir. I have always been a huge fan of hers, since I first saw her in "Camp," and this book was not a let down. Just a great addition to the reasons why I love her.My favorite line in the book, one in which I think captures her personality so well, was: "Oh man. Is my Wikipedia page going to say "author" now? That's gonna make me look like such a dick."

[mt256 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Scrappy Little Nobody is a collection of essays by Anna Kendrick. The topics range from early childhood recollections, life as a penniless actor, and Hollywood stardom. I'm usually not big on celebrity memoirs, but I thought I'd give this one a shot since I enjoyed some of her movies. I think the first movie I saw her in was Twilight. However, the movie that made me a fan was Pitch Perfect. I didn't really know much about Kendrick's life before listening to this audiobook. I had no idea she was a child actor or that she performed on Broadway. She even won a Tony. As you can tell, I was totally in the dark as far as Anna Kendrick was concerned.Kendrick is the narrator of her book and she does a superb job. It has a casual tone that makes you feel like it's just the two of you in a conversation. Scrappy Little Nobody has the same edgy snarkiness that Kendrick's characters often portray in movies. I often wondered if it's her actual personality or if she's giving the people what they want--so to speak. But despite my misgivings, the audiobook was interesting and entertaining. It does feel as if she's being mostly honest with her readers. She doesn't gloss over the bumpy road to stardom or make it sound easy. Scrappy Little Nobody is must for Anna Kendrick fans who want to get to know her better.

[1greenprof · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fair warning to all - I never would have picked up this book, but one of my daughters gave it to me as a Christmas gag gift and a running joke between us regarding the 'cups' girl.

I read it fast, and was expecting yet again another book by a self-absorbed, famous, millennial.

I found myself surprised as she was very self-effacing and mostly humble as she recounted her story. The book was fairly well-written, and in many places fun!

I leave the book with respect for Ms. Kendrick, and see her in a whole other light. She seems very, very 'normal,' and a decent human being...bravo. She shows her warts and all...just don't call her nice (read it and you'll understand).

Enjoy the easy read, and support a 'Hollywood-type' who has earned my respect.

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Very average. The style is like her tweets -- hilarious and offbeat -- but there isn't enough content to write about. She talks about her start as a child theater actor in New York, going to Hollywood, living like all new actresses do, being starstruck by fame, yucky guys she met, and so on. The big thing is that she suffered no obstacles on her road to stardom. No ill effects. Amy Poehler spent years struggling in improv, Tina Fey was responsible for bringing SNL out of the lean years of Norm MacDonald and heralded the coming of the SNL Women (Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, etc), and then THE maker for a nine-season TV show. Lindsey Stirling failed America's Got Talent, had an eating disorder, and tours the world without a major label backing. Felicia Day was homeschooled, addicted to WoW, and became an actress after graduating college at 18 as a classical violinist. But nothing bad ever happened to Anna Kendrick (besides the standard new-to-Los-Angeles-living-hand-to-mouth stuff) because she was cute and spunky. And Hollywood loves cute and spunky. She's never been rejected -- she got handpicked for the biggest money-maker of the decade (Twilight) PLUS the most critically-acclaimed (Up In the Air).I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give this one. Two means it doesn't make it to my desert island (where I don't bring anything I wouldn't read again, but no limit on the number I can bring), but three feels like too much. It's got great humor, but she's too young for even a memoir. You got to have SOMETHING interesting in your life, something with CONFLICT, before you should consider committing pen to paper (or fingers to keys). I would love to see a book by her about something other than herself (like Aziz Ansari did for Modern Romance). But in this one, the stakes are no bigger than unwashed hair.

[alanteder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was sometimes an interesting view behind the scenes of the Broadway musical and Hollywood film industry helped along by Kendrick not taking herself very seriously. It felt padded by the end though with chapters about a boat cruise to a Pirate-themed weekend and a whole chapter on imaginary party events, none of which seemed at all interesting.

[katkealy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining - especially if you love movies and Broadway. I had forgotten about some of her accomplishments and it was really interesting to read about the process.

[mindea_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was pretty excited to get this book. I feel like Anna Kendrick is a down to Earth, funny person. I find her movies hit or miss, but generally like her. I find this book at times funny (actually would laugh out loud) but at other times found it a little rambling. I think if I had found it under Memoirs instead of Humor my expectations may have been a little different. Overall this was OK, but not sure I would really recommend it...but not sure.....

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read from November 15 to 20, 2016I feel the only way to truly appreciate this book is to listen to Anna Kendrick read it to you. How else will you get all the right inflections and hear the snark in all the right place? She reads it well.There were chapters that reminded me of my friend April. I swear, Anna said it the exact same way April would say it. Other chapters were filled with topics I'm fairly certain I discussed with Shannon in high school or have discussed since. Basically, if Anna ever feels like she wants to leave her house and make a new friend, I might be able to fit her into my very full social calendar. Great listen!

[dcoward_6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A rather thin memoir. Some of her Hollywood stories are amusing, but for the most part, this was a bit boring.

[justacatandabook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Anna Kendrick has been acting (and singing) since childhood, and her autobiography chronicles her growth as an actress and person, as told in little snippets and essays. Grouped in assorted themes, we hear from various stages of Anna's life, spanning her childhood to present day, and learn how Anna, a tiny scrappy kid, became a famous, Oscar-nominated actress. The book touches on her fame, as well as her personal thoughts and feelings.

I've always enjoyed Kendrick and have seen several of her films (and heard her sing about a million times, thanks to my young children and the popularity of the film, Trolls) but didn't know a lot about her early career. Her autobiography does a good job of filling in some of the gaps of Anna's childhood career (working on Broadway at twelve - who knew?!), but isn't told in any chronological order, so we don't get a sense of any real span of her career from Point A to B. Most of the book is told in short little bits. Many of them are quite funny stories, and there are some truly laugh out loud moments. In many cases, Kendrick is a very relatable person, who seems like the type of friend you'd like to hang out with. At other points, she seemed a bit whiny, and for me, the book spent too much time with her protesting about some of the travails of being in the celebrity industry. I can only take so much "woe is me" from famous people who write books about their lives.

The book is on more solid ground when we're reading about Anna's early life, where you gain a true admiration for her talent, and with her silly and snarky stories about her misanthropic personality (misanthropes unite!). Still, the jumping back and forth in time makes it hard to get a true trace on the arc of her life at times, and beyond some of the complaining and expounding on the travails of award shows, press junkets, and the like, there wasn't as much about her post-fame life as I was interested in.

If you like Kendrick's films, or her twitter feed, you'll probably enjoy the book and its organization, even if you find yourself wishing for a little more at the end. She's led an interesting life so far, and I'm sure another autobiography down the road would be quite intriguing.

[mickyfine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Anna Kendrick's memoir covers her childhood, her experiences breaking into acting, the realities of being a young adult in LA, and memories of working on various films. While the writing can be a bit uneven at times, Kendrick is funny and the book is a quick fun read. If you're a fan of her acting or if you've ever watched an interview with her and thought she'd be fun to hang out with for a bit, you should definitely give this book a whirl.

[bingereader87 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just like with Felicia Day's book, I found this book incredibly helpful for dealing with anxiety. Before this book, I was guilty of thinking of Anna Kendrick as a bit of a nobody, only getting various supporting roles, being the friend of a friend or the quirky girl. I realized, through this, that I relate to her anxiety issues and her humor.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say, definitely read this book, or better yet, listen to the audiobook. The audiobook gives you so much more of her personality and wit. Fair warning, there is a fair amount of sexual content in it, so be prepared for that.

[preston.kringle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything that you Expect

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick is look inside of the life of Kendrick herself. Full of stories, some pictures, memories, and everything that makes Anna so relatable to most. She lets her personality flow through the pages making this a fun read and makes the reader smile and laugh along at things that she writes about.

[sarah220-732610 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audio book which was recorded by the author. Anna Kendrick brought her energy and comedic delivery in full force to the recording studio. She's adorable, funny, and a bit cray-cray but incredibly fun to listen to. Wrote a review of a book I loved? Check.

[juniestars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We'd be friends

Having read this and seen quite a few of the movies Anna is in, I imagine in real life she's most like her character in Pitch Perfect. This was an easy read. Fun to hear her inner thinking's. She's just as sarcastic and crass as I imagined she's be.

[vickimarie2002 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was sort of a fan of Anna Kendrick before reading this and now I'm a huge fan!! She's so hilarious and so REAL!! I feel like when you read this, you are reading exactly how she would say it. Like she was sitting down with me and telling me her stories. It's definitely worth the read and can be read really quickly.

[shahnareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this. I’ve always liked Anna Kendrick, she’s funny.

She’s alright at writing and it kept me hooked enough to read the whole thing in one day.

I always like reading autobiographies. I’m nosey and I wanna know what people do every day.

[itchyfeetreader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am usually suspicious of memoirs written by celebrities in their early years as there is just not enough material. However, I really enjoyed the first half of this book where Anna reflects on her family life, her experiences as a child actor and the dichotomy of that with schooling in an average town in Maine. The second half post her move to LA was of less interest to me but there the ‘humorous essays’ of the marketing blurb came to the forefront. I found the writing to be a good mix of sincere, including some interesting observations on women in Hollywood, and yet also reasonably self depreciating. An easy enjoyable listen.

[varwenea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I admit that I was drawn to the book because of its title, and I admit I like her silly movies too. (What can I say?) Scrappily survived my youth, definitely little size-wise, and feeling like a nobody on most days, I was curious to her version of a SLN. I wasn’t expecting any epic revelations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much can be said about her 30-ish years of life. Written with humor, honesty, and a healthy amount of self-depreciation (and profanity), Kendrick’s story reveals the struggles of trying to get into showbiz and expectations of being a celebrity. As a self-proclaimed “apple polisher” (i.e. goody two shoes), Kendrick nonetheless experimented with underage drinking and sampled every type of drugs possible, typically under the tutelage of her older brother, who originated her scrappy, little nobody title since youth. For a memoir to be appreciated by the reader, it needs to be relatable and believable, and frankly, entertaining. This hit all three for me, a bit of surprise on the ‘relatable’ part. Kendrick had a passage about being ‘nice’, the opposite of which is ‘difficult’ in her industry. She is in a men’s world as am I, and I found her thoughts meaningful. “Nicety percent of the people I’ve worked with who are disruptive or lazy or unskilled or addicts or likely to throw a tantrum are men. Ninety percent of the ones who get called ‘difficult’ are women.” … “I gave up on being Nice. I started putting more value on other qualities instead: passion, bravery, intelligence, practicality, humor, patience, fairness, sensitivity.” In my world, women who choose to do things their own way are more likely to be punished, and more often than not, the women’s approach is simply one that the men choose to not appreciate, and it irritates the shit out of me that it is ‘wrong’ or in Kendrick’s case, ‘difficult’. Fuck ‘nice’!Back to the book, another relatable theme was the imposter syndrome. Despite having been nominated for a Tony at the age of twelve, and an Oscar for “Up in the Air”, that not-belonging feeling never quite goes away. The fear of not having a next job and the fear of not becoming that self-possessed woman lingers. Despite whatever bravado façade, most women I know in the workplace still feel out-of-place on most days.Well, read about her youthful adventures into New York to audition for Broadway roles, being slut-shamed in her dating life, her first paparazzi encounter after the Oscar nomination, and the barely surviving IKEA lifestyle through her days of Twilight (steady paycheck) and “Up in the Air” (Indie movies don’t pay much). It’s a lifestyle that most of us would not know otherwise.

[othemts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anna Kendrick is a talented actor, singer, dancer, and writer who also happens to be funny and very attractive, so it's reassuring to read her memoir where she shares her insecurity and feelings that she is a misfit.  On the other hand one my wonder why someone who is a  talented actor, singer, dancer, and writer who also happens to be funny and very attractive has anything to complain about.  Luckily, Kendrick's memoir is full of humor and perspective on her life story.  She tells of being a child actor on Broadway commuting from Maine to New York for auditions and living in a tar-stained Los Angeles apartment with several roommates even as her fame grew, but she'd still not seen the financial reward.  There's a lot of insight on her relationship to boys and men and how she's grown to assert herself.  And then there's her hilarious takes on celebrity life such as the ridiculous things a woman has to go through for photoshoots and red carpet occasions.  It's a different type of celebrity memoir, funny, honest, and beneath the surface, a little bit sad, but ultimately persistent.

[bonniemarjorie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While Anna Kendrick discovered a love for acting at an early age, this certainly didn’t help her popularity with the other kids. What middle schooler even knows what the hell Sundance is anyways? Scrappy Little Nobody is a collection of brilliantly amusing episodes of her life from the time she was in a community theater production of Annie (Annie is brought up frequently, for which she apologizes for), flashing forward to the time she was typically referred to as “Number 44” on the set of Twilight, and the time she was “high off her face” at the Spirit Awards. Interspersed between these anecdotes are stories of growing up as a normal (yet very small) child in Maine, struggling to make ends meet even after becoming “a star”, and her eternal love of sweatpants.“I love rules and I love following them, unless that rule is stupid.”I’ve read more celebrity memoirs in the past year than I have in my entire life. There was the gorgeously written Dear Mr. You (Mary Louise Parker), the inspirational Year of Yes (Shonda Rhimes) and Yes, Please (Amy Poehler), and the hilarious The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (Amy Schumer). There’s something unreasonably astonishing, yet still refreshing, about reading celebrity memoirs and finding yourself taken aback at what normal people they are. While it could be argued that they’re simply trying to appear like normal people, Anna Kendrick’s stories come off as very authentic and candid. While her witty sense of humor is flawless, having her read this only enhanced the story. Her narration showcases her distinctive voice and her cleverly written zingers are even more hilarious when read out loud. At a mere six hours of audiobook time, her intimate recap of her thirty-one years of life leaves you wishing for more of her comical tidbits.“So now, when I’m standing in a patch of wet moss in open-toed shoes and a strapless chiffon sundress, watching my breath fog in front of my face, I think: You are a fucking Navy SEAL, Kendrick! You will get through this scene, you will say the stupid joke, and if you lose a nipple to frostbite in the process it will be for art!“