Book Review: ‘In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some’ by Josh Gad
Everyone’s favorite snowman is pretty good at giving us life lessons wrapped up in innocent little packages, and it turns out the man who gives him life, Josh Gad, is pretty good at doing that too! In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some is the sorta autobiography of Josh Gad with a whole lot of introspection thrown in. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll wish you could be friends with this sweet, hard-working guy who’s really not that different from the rest of us.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Gallery Books for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some contains some spoilers!]
Josh Gad’s life has been a winding road
Gad was born in Florida 43 years ago, and really, that kinda says it all. His tell-some is chock full of stories that, while not necessarily dangerous or stupid, are surprising and unbelievable, which is honestly the heart of a Florida Man story. I don’t want to spoil the fun of discovering these stories on your own, so I won’t give details here, but his life has been a strange combination of “no way,” “that really happened?,” and “that’s amazing”. The common thread that runs through every story, though, is Gad’s perseverance and work ethic. Once he had a goal in mind, he worked his butt off to reach that goal. Sometimes it was years in the making (in the case of a certain snowman, it was a literal lifetime of reaching), but Gad never gave up on his dreams, and that’s why we get to enjoy his work today.
Not only is Gad talented, hard-working, and determined, but he’s also an incredibly nice guy. Again and again, it becomes clear in his stories that he actually cares about other people. He knows what it’s like to feel less-than, and he tries hard to make sure no one else ever thinks that about themselves. Some of his work (looking at you, The Book of Mormon) might feel like it’s offensive, but the actual intention isn’t to offend but to entertain while forcing introspection. Sure, not everyone walks away with that enlightenment, but if just a few people do each night, then his work is done. Gad doesn’t just use his work to be nice, though; he’s a genuinely good guy who wants to build not just a career, but a legacy, and he’s doing a great job of that!
Josh Gad is very open about some complex subjects in In Gad We Trust
Gad discusses a wide range of topics in his book. Some are just plain funny, some are sad, and some are even sadder, making them difficult for someone of his age to discuss. The two subjects that stood out to me are his mental health and his early family life. Gad’s father cheated on their mother, had a second family, and eventually left them for that second family. This might not sound particularly special now, but in the 1980s, it was, if not a new thing, at least an unusual one. Not many people came from what was then termed “broken homes”. Beyond just the mental and emotional pain of having your father reject you and choose another family, the stigma of not being a nuclear family was challenging back then. Now, it’s almost more common to have a complicated family tree, but back then, it wasn’t. If you did have unusual circumstances at home, you did your best to hide them. Being able to talk about his difficult home life is nice for those who also grew up during that time to hear. It lets them know that they weren’t so alone. It might not help what’s already happened, but it can help them normalize it in the present.
The other thing Gad talks about throughout the book is his mental health. Unsurprisingly, his mental health problems started with the whole father situation (I told you it was different back then). And he’s continued to deal with them his entire life. Now mental health isn’t so hush-hush. Just about everyone has a diagnosis, and the younger generation prioritizes taking care of their mental health. But for people of Gad’s age, mental health wasn’t just not talked about; it wasn’t considered at all. And if you did have a problem, it was shameful and you hid it. So for him to talk so openly about it is nice. And he stresses that he’s not so much talking about it for himself as he is for others who may be suffering, so that they’ll know they’re not alone and it’s okay to get help (because again, for his generation it wasn’t really okay). Because of the stigma attached to these subjects for someone of Gad’s age, I was pleased to see him be so open about them. It’s not only good for him, but for others (just like he says in his book). His humor about the situations helped make them go down easier, but it was nice to see a celebrity sharing a difficult past without feeling like it was an attention grab (which it never felt like with Gad).
In Gad We Trust is a fun read that goes down quick
If you’re looking for an uplifting read that you can get through in a weekend, In Gad We Trust is perfect for you. Gad’s easy humor makes this book enjoyable and hard to put down, whether you know Gad from his Broadway work, such as The Book of Mormon, or the more recent Gutenberg! The Musical!, or as the loveable snowman from Disney’s Frozen, you’ll love to get to know him even better. Check out In Gad We Trust today for a great read.
My Rating: 9/10
In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some by Josh Gad is available now for purchase! Have you read this book before? What did you think? Let us know on social media @BoxSeatBabes!
Gutenberg! The Musical! is a Two-Man Show of Hilarious Wonder
