Book Review: I Was Told There'd Be Cake

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you read the quotes that adorn the front and back covers of Sloane Crosley's "I was Told There'd be Cake" the you can see that she's compared to humorists Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris. These are dangerous comparisons for some writers as they are high standards to live up to. Does Crosley sit on that same level? Sometimes. When she's on, she's on, but there were also some essays that just missed he mark completely.

Part of this book reads as a love letter to New York City, but for me, someone who has never been and does not live there, references to common locations often went over my head and occasionally made me feel like I wasn't "in the know."She opens strong with a tale about plastic ponies that sets the bizarre and silly tone for the rest of the book, however, the rest of the essays that follow either exceed the first in quality or falter altogether.

I highly enjoyed her tales about suffering through a distant friend's wedding as a bridesmaid, as well as her story about working for a publisher, and laughed my way through the mystery to uncover which of her friends may have poo'ed on her floor one night after a dessert party. Some essays fell flat and I was unable to relate either because I'm not, nor do I ever plan to be a woman, or because I am not a vegetarian. The style in which the essays are delivered are conversational, as if she's a friend telling you the story in person, but there are often quick and confusing cuts between thoughts, and her humor is mainly situational and you have to look for the irony in the situations she gets herself into. Her attempts at straightforward jokes are sparse and often feel forced and out of place.

Overall I found the book amusing and perhaps better suited to a female audience, but I think Sloane has a ton of potential. I've heard that she has a new book on he horizon, and based off of my experience with "Cake," I will more than likely give it a read as I'm sure that she has had more time to find her voice and develop her style a bit more. I look forward to seeing her grow as a writer.

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