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Book Cover for: I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: (But I'm Going to Anyway), Chelsea Devantez

I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: (But I'm Going to Anyway)

Chelsea Devantez

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"I could not put this book down. It's so funny" -Ru Paul

"I LOVE this book for its honesty and dark (and light!) comedy" -Rachel Dratch (Instagram)


"It's f*cking great!!! Raw, intimate, hilarious, actually inspiring." -Jon Stewart

A RECOMMENDED READ FROM: NPR * PUREWOW * USWEEKLY * PEOPLE * BUSTLE * SHEREADS * NYLON * BOOKRIOT * AND MORE

The dynamic memoir-in-essays by comedian, screenwriter, and podcaster Chelsea Devantez, detailing her tumultuous upbringing and uproarious career path into Hollywood.

There are things Chelsea Devantez probably shouldn't be telling you. Many of them are in this book: some are embarrassing (like when she tried to break her three year spell of celibacy using a guide of seduction tips). Some are confessional (getting sentenced to the "hell hill" at Mormon church camp). Some are TMI (a series of outrageous doctor visits that ended with one doctor misdiagnosing her as "pregnant." Woopsies!).

Then there are things Chelsea really shouldn't be telling you: like the time her biggest family secret was publicly outed, or about the drive-by shootings and the precipitating domestic violence she survived. Yet through it all, it's the women in Chelsea's life who kept her going - from the lowest points of her childhood when she and her mom had only $100 left to their name, all the way to her career highs as the Emmy-nominated Head Writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart and sensational podcaster deemed "the celebrity memoir whisperer" by her fans.

In I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, Chelsea centers each story around a different woman who shaped her life, taking us on a tour of friends and strangers, fictional characters and celebrities, heroes and villains who will destroy any Netflix algorithm for a "strong female lead." Reading it will feel kinda like that moment at a party when your friend beckons you close, sloshes her martini around, and covertly whispers, "I really shouldn't say this, but..."

Book Details

  • Publisher: Hanover Square Press
  • Publish Date: Jun 4th, 2024
  • Pages: 272
  • Language: English
  • Edition: Original - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.26in - 6.16in - 0.89in - 0.85lb
  • EAN: 9781335455079
  • Categories: Form - EssaysWomenTopic - Celebrity & Popular Culture

About the Author

Devantez, Chelsea: - Chelsea Devantez is an Emmy Award-nominated writer, comedian, director, and host of the podcast Glamorous Trash. Before she entered into an overall television deal with 20th Century Studios, she was Jon Stewart's head writer for Apple TV+'s The Problem with Jon Stewart. Her other television credits include Not Dead Yet, Girls5eva, and Bless This Mess, among others. She grew up in six different states all across the Southwest but will always consider New Mexico home.

Praise for this book

"It's fucking great. She didn't tell me it was gonna be fucking great!!! Figured... some cute essays... anecdotes... holy shit, though. Raw, intimate, hilarious, actually inspiring... what the fuck! Her upbringing reads like Flannery O'Connor or some shit!" -JON STEWART

"Finished it in a single night. Funny, authentic, and unique. Love!" -JENNY LAWSON, bestselling author of Broken (In the Best Possible Way)

"I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is a hilariously honest look at the real life of a person who is frigging out of control. This book is so jam-packed full of truths and unbelievable events that I swear to god it should be eight movies. Her story is incredibly moving and encouraging. It will make you feel more connected to women everywhere as you laugh your butt off." -AMBER RUFFIN, actress, comedian, host of The Amber Ruffin Show, and bestselling author of You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

"This book is raw, insightful, and really fucking funny. It's full of accidental life lessons, and stories so relatable that at times you'll feel like you are reading your own diary--if your diary got punched up by a professional comic. This book will save you so much money on therapy, as you get to benefit from Chelsea's second hand (but if you relate to it too much, you should probably also go to therapy)." -ASHLEY NICOLE BLACK, Emmy-award winning writer for Apple TV+ 's Ted Lasso

"Devantez draws readers in with her conspiratorial voice and uproarious sense of humor." --Bustle

"Incisive and witty. She has a brilliant command of tone and delivers an emotional punch alongside the laughs. A rich, thoughtful, laugh-out-loud memoir, Devantez's debut is a book to devour in one sitting." --Booklist, starred review

"Devantez excels at exploring the interiority of her mind while conjuring a colorful cast of characters." --BookPage

"Funny, sad, overwhelming, and full of good intentions and sound advice." --Kirkus Reviews


"Energetic and revealing, this title will surely please Devantez's listeners and fans. Aficionados of tragicomic, gossip-tinged memoirs will like it too." --Library Journal