REVIEW: No Shame (Tom Allen)

Book: No Shame

Author: Tom Allen

My rating: 3/5.

Premise: 'When I was 16 I dressed in Victorian clothing in a bid to distract people from the fact that I was gay. It was a flawed plan.' No Shame is a very funny, candid and emotional ride of a memoir by one of our most beloved comedians. The working-class son of a coach driver, and the youngest member of the Noel Coward Society, Tom Allen grew up in 90s suburbia as the eternal outsider.

I love Tom Allen so when I found out he'd written a book, I had to read it. This wasn't quite what I expected if I'm honest. I learnt so much about what it's like to grow up gay, keeping your sexuality a secret due to social expectations. There were many moments where I wanted to go give Tom a hug or yell at the stupid bullies. Of course Tom keeps the humour going throughout, however I wonder if it might work a bit better as an audiobook - sometimes the delivery just adds a bit extra to the humour. If you haven't seen Tom doing standup before, go check him out! A fun and surprisingly insightful read.