Book Review: My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

In My Squirrel Days, Ellie Kemper shares anecdotes from her childhood and in Hollywood.

Ellie Kemper is more known for her roles in Bridesmaids, The Office, and Kimmy Schmidt. She’s the cute, bubbly, somewhat naive character who manages to bring a touch of manic energy to those in her presence.

This book won’t be the place to find deep, seedy confessions or stories. It is, after all, titled My Squirrel Days. These are the chippy, fluffy anecdotes of the good things in her life.

She shares stories such as the time she scrubbed her Dad’s car with an SOS pad to clean it. Or the fun she had with her improv group. And the strange friendship she had with a squirrel. The best part for me is her story of auditioning for Saturday Night Live, plus her time on The Office and Kimmy Schmidt.

Think of it as a sort of literary, word-based Instagram feed. It shows the choice snapshots of her most happy, picture-worthy times, all presented with aesthetically-pleasing filters.

Look at my first headshot in which I still look perfectly pretty – ugh, so awkward! #TBT to my stuffed walrus, Wally, and the teacher I loved the most. Check out my short stint in Oxford! Cheerio, pip pip! Here are the costars I’ve worked with or met casually for five seconds – love you allllll! #BFFsforlife

Of course, I’m being sarcastic…sort of. If you come looking for an edgier, more adult version of Erin from The Office or Kimmy Schmidt, you won’t find it here. Instead, you’ll find a more intelligent but still just as wacky version of those characters, who I now see are very much modeled in Kemper’s image.

And that’s okay.

Comparatively speaking, I think about the difference between this and Tiffany Haddish’s autobiography, The Last Black Unicorn, and how she laid her darkest moments in front of us. It’s raw and heartbreaking and still manages to be funny. That’s her truth.

And this is Kemper’s truth. Surely she faces struggles and obstacles (maybe?), but her days and temperaments are largely squirrelly, and that’s a big part of her charm.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Squirrel Days
Ellie Kemper
Published October 2018
Scribner