I love Sebastian Maniscalco’s stand-up. It’s fun, hilarious and is far too relatable sometimes. I have family members who are Italian, so seeing Sebastian do spot on impressions of my family really makes me smile. Before the pandemic started, I had bought tickets to one of his shows. Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance since to go see him live (which I saved up for YEARS to be able to go on a vacation and see a comedian live), but I’m sure eventually that opportunity will pop up again. For now, I will enjoy his specials on Netflix and grin as I watched him on my tv.
This book is a biography of Sebastian’s life. It’s a great read if you’re interested in how he got to where he is today. His struggles, his family, and his work are all littered throughout the book. It was inspiring to read about how hard he worked and how he didn’t just magically become famous. Sebastian had to work very hard to get where he is today. I had no idea all of his back story, so it made me very proud of him! Life anywhere it tough, but seeing him stick through it and do the hard work made me realize we’re all in a similar boat. We all have to work hard, and some people just get lucky really early on.
His comments about his wife and kid made me smile too. He obviously loves his family! In many biographies I’ve read, the family always seems to be a source of “getting in the way” or “they totally helped my career take off.” This book wasn’t like that. Sebastian shared how he loves his family and funny anecdotes of being a new parent, or facing struggles with your significant other by your side. They didn’t feel like accessories to the story – they are apart of his story.
I will say – if you read this book and haven’t watched Sebastian live, – do it. Sebastian’s comedy style has a lot of facial emotions and body language. The book is fantastic and you can totally hear him when you read it, but it’s nothing without those visual cues. His comedy is hilarious, but the physical movements he portrays up the value by significant amounts.
Overall, this is a relatable memoir from a spectacular comedian. Sebastian Maniscalco has only just started, so you can be sure there will be more laughs and jokes to come. I can’t wait to read the next memoir, to hear about his crazy family or wild tour hijinks.
Four out of five stars.
Want to pick up this book? Here are some useful links to help you read more reviews and maybe even buy it:
Goodreads – Stay Hungry
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Indigo
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Looking for more comedy and biographies to fill up your TBR shelf? I’ve got some on my blog that will fit the bill:
Life Seemed Good But… by Richard Bell
You’re Doing Great! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive by Tom Papa
The Edge of Whiteness by Joe Montaperto
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Briar's Reviews 
Nice review! I love Sebastian’s standup. I found him by accident, I’d been watching something on Comedy Central and fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and one of his specials was on and I wrote his name down real quick so I’d remember in the morning haha
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