Matt McAvoy Book Review

A very professional and well-polished book, Anjali has spared no expense with this glossy motivational monologue which lives up to the “fun” in its title – colourful and jolly, with flawless styling and some beautifully vivid cartoon illustrations.  It presents as a self-help guide but, perhaps a touch more personal than that, it feels rather more of a prolonged affirmation by the author, as Anjali shares her advice for dealing with the highs and particularly the debilitating lows of life, based on her own experience.  She appears to be a woman who has struggled a fair amount with the relentless trial of self-actualization, being a jobbing actor – a profession, of course, very well known for the hardships associated with it, both financial and mental.  Rather, I Am Fun Size could instead be considered open therapy for Anjali herself, as she comes to terms with and subsequently shares her own cheerful coping mechanisms to deal with the gloom hidden deep below. 

Books are generally written for three reasons, and often catharsis is one of them, rather more for the writer than the reader – and there’s nothing wrong with that, for Anjali clearly has something valuable and generally enjoyable to add to the literary arena.  She is a good writer with a fine message, and she is inspirational merely for the fact of writing this book in the first place.  I won’t comment on my opinion of Anjali’s message or her method, nor if I think it might work for her or her readers; it would be rude and inappropriate of me to do so, I think.  Suffice to say, I think that we should be grateful that there are skilled, professional writers like Anjali willing to share their life journey with us, good and bad, and how they flipped it from one to the other, in order to present a spirit of help and warmth to their fellow human.  Any scepticism I might have about the effectiveness of self-help books like this one may say more about cynical me than the book or its writer, I will admit.

While a touch lengthy, it is an interesting read, though I would suggest it will be of more worth to Anjali’s fellow soul-searching funsters (though be advised that it is incredibly subjective, and perhaps primarily autobiographical in genre); those after a less light-hearted, more laborious motivational guide may find themselves not quite matching the author’s enthusiasm.  It is, as mentioned, rather more of an affirmation for those who are already making headway on their way to mental actualization, and having “fun” doing so.  If you’re like Anjali in this respect, then give it a go.