It Sucked and Then I Cried (2009) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 4 stars

“My dog's feet smell like Fritos too... weird.”

• Rated 5 stars

“I've been reading Dooce.com for quite a while. I'd previously read her first book, a collection of stories about fathers from her and other bloggers, called Things I Learned About My Dad (In Therapy). If you're a reader of her blog, there's not a whole lot of new stuff here. However, it's still all very entertaining. If you're a newer reader of her's and haven't read any of her old stuff, this book is for you. She talks very candidly about her struggles with depression and anxiety and her troubles as a new mom. I felt much the same way reading it as I did reading Brooke Shield's Down Came the Rain, though Armstrong's sarcasm and humor are much more to my taste. I'd recommend this to most anyone, but especially to new moms.”

• Rated 5 stars

“I know the reviews on this book are mixed. Critics slam Heather for the seeming lack of organization in the flow of the book and the flightiness of her narration. But let's remember what this book is about: the trials of a woman's life as she faced motherhood and a serious case of post-partum depression. As with real life, sometimes it's messy; sometimes it's clear and well-structured. But her writing itself -- her words that are real and thoughtful and smart and uproariously funny and poignant and inspiring and heartbreakingly honest and strong, all at the same time -- her writing is the redeeming factor and the reason I could not put this book down. A copy of this will be in my bookshelf forever.”

• Rated 2 stars

“I was a bit disappointed, because I've been a long time reader of dooce's blog and this didn't present anything I felt I hadn't read on her Web site.

That said, Armstrong is a talented writer and you're right there with her through the laughter, heartbreak, and near insanity. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“Extremely funny and solidified my belief that I'm not cut out to be a parent.”

• Rated 3 stars

“I had never heard of Heather Armstrong prior to reading this book, I’ve never been to her blog and had no idea what dooce.com was. I do however enjoy books written by women who look at life with a lot of humor and a slightly skewed view of the world, Jen Lanacster, Laurie Notaro, and Chelsea Handler to name a few. So when I read the description of this book, a funny look at pregnancy, birth, motherhood and postpartum depression, all things I have dealt with, I felt sure it would be right my alley. In the end I was disappointed.

There are a number of good things in this book, some laugh out loud moments. Her descriptions of pregnancy and the alien inside your body were extremely funny and her depiction of labor was right on target. Heather’s love of her daughter shines through on every page and the lovely letters she writes to her throughout the book were very sweet and poignant.

There were a number of not so good things in this book too. For one thing it reads just like blog postings, which apparently is where many of the stories in this book originated. There were far too many descriptions of poop and boobs, and way, way too many CAPITAL LETTERS and I grew tired of feeling like I was being screamed at. The post partum depression seemed glossed over a bit, in that it didn’t seem so terrible at times, not worse than many people have dealt with and then suddenly she is in a mental hospital, where she spends four days and comes home all better. It seemed very rushed and although I felt her pain it seemed to happen in a blink of an eye.

I believe Ms. Armstrong has a talent for writing and taking on a subject like the difficulties of motherhood and making you read it and nod your head in agreement, even when she is being way over the top. I would like to see her write an actual book and not just a rehash of her blog entries. I also think that for those looking for a book on postpartum depression Brooke Shields book Down Came the Rain would be far more informative.
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• Rated 5 stars

“I randomly stumbled upon Dooce.com a few years back and became a fan of Heather Armstrong. Some people may not agree with her lifestyle, but I think she's amazing! I love reading her website. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“I've been a fan of dooce.com for a while. I literally found the website by Googling my first name to see what popped up, and Heather Armstrong's website was the third or fourth result. I've been practically addicted since. The way she writes is open, friendly yet snarky, witty, and absolutely hilarious. I consider this book an addition to the blog, since I haven't been reading too long, I wasn't there to witness the pregnancy blogs or even Leta (her daughter) during her first years, so it was interesting to read about them in this book. Heather writes a little about leading up to getting married, about her pregnancy, about the birth, about Leta as a baby, and every horrible experience that came with all of it. Every drooling, slimy, sticky, Morrissey-singing detail, and you're laughing and cringing the entire time. She also writes about her postpartum depression and what she went thru to cure it, and you sit there in complete amazement that she stayed strong throughout what she was dealing with.”

• Rated 0 stars

“Heather's blog makes me laugh daily.”