🦇 Book Review: I Choose Darkness: A Holiday Essay by Jenny Lawson (Kindle Edition)
A hilariously twisted take on holiday nostalgia—Jenny Lawson turns Halloween into a lifestyle in this short, sharp essay that blends memoir, mischief, and macabre charm.
🧠 Overview
Published in September 2022, I Choose Darkness is a 25-page holiday essay by Jenny Lawson, the bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Known for her sardonic wit and offbeat storytelling, Lawson uses this essay to reflect on her lifelong love of Halloween—and her rejection of traditional holiday cheer.
From haunted dolls under the Christmas tree to trick-or-treating at her own house, Lawson recounts childhood moments that shaped her preference for the spooky over the sparkly. The essay is part memoir, part manifesto, and all Jenny: weird, wonderful, and laugh-out-loud funny.
🎃 Key Themes & Highlights
- 🧛 Halloween as identity: Lawson embraces the eerie and unconventional, turning Halloween into a year-round aesthetic
- 🧠 Dark humor meets nostalgia: Her reflections on growing up in rural Texas are both absurd and oddly touching
- 🧸 Haunted childhood: From creepy costumes to questionable candy, Lawson’s memories are infused with playful paranoia
- 🕯️ Emotional honesty: Beneath the humor lies a deeper commentary on mental health, identity, and finding joy in the unexpected
“Now, she lives in the land of eternal Halloween, as evidenced by her interior decor and general state of darkness.” — Goodreads summary
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.94/5 from over 9,800 ratings
- 📖 Readers love Lawson’s signature voice, eccentric anecdotes, and relatable weirdness
- 🧾 Some wish it were longer, but most agree it’s a perfect bite-sized dose of her humor
- 💬 “I started laughing so hard I could feel my side giving. Her childhood always sounds bonkers—in the best way.” — Cannonball Read review
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 25 pages, it’s a quick read—ideal for fans of Lawson’s blog or previous books
- 📚 Essay style: Not a traditional narrative—more a collection of vivid memories and reflections
- 🧁 Holiday twist: Despite the title, it’s more Halloween than Christmas—perfect for readers who prefer bats to bells
🏁 Final Verdict
I Choose Darkness is a witty, weird, and wonderfully dark holiday essay that showcases Jenny Lawson at her best: irreverent, insightful, and unapologetically herself. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering her work, this Kindle edition is a perfect seasonal treat—especially if your idea of festive includes haunted taxidermy and candy paranoia.
