‘Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure’ Book Review

So, growing up in the ’80s was pretty awesome. We had great video games, great movies, we could play outside without fear, and we had “choose your own adventure” books. Growing up means losing our youthful innocence and finding out that life is really like those old choose your own adventure books, but unfortunately it’s much harder go back if the path you chose ends up in a bad place. Okay, not to let this get too dark about dashed hopes and dreams, those choose your own adventure books were great because they provided so many stories and let you build your character the way you saw fit.

CYOM Authors

Fast forward 30 years and those great books are back. Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure lets you take on the terrifying world of corporate employment. That’s right; for all of you who once read your way through exotic and sometimes scary worlds in the old books, you can now experience one just as scary for the adult you. Written by Mike MacDonald and Jill Gagnon this is a great and silly way to look at the world we live in today.

Like any good choose your own adventure book, there are many different stories for you to enjoy during your office adventure. Like most of us, the first choice you make is whether you want to get up on time for work or hit that snooze button. There really is no bigger question in the world today. Those precious extra minutes of sleep can make all the difference, in either a good way or a bad way. The decisions are pretty recognizable: how to handle your hangover, how to handle a flirtatious coworker, and the best way to give a presentation to your boss when you haven’t prepared–stuff like that.

CYOM Book

The best part about this book is the humor. As I was reading this book I found myself laughing several times and getting sideways looks from the people around me. There are snarky receptionists, perfect coworkers, and the one you’re attracted to. If you’ve ever had an office job you’ll see all the ache-types you’re used to, pulled out to an extreme, maybe, but they’re all there.

The options are also pretty funny. You can choose to lie, cheat, and steal or you can choose apathy. Pretty much, our brave hero of the corporate world has had the life sucked out of him by the daily monotony and is looking for a way out. The choices lead you down raucous and sometimes ridiculous paths. Some of these paths get to the end quickly (spoiler-ish warning: even if it’s a little bit of a Groundhog Day-type ending), and some of them take longer but they are all entertaining.

CYOM Option

Overall, this is a fun book and worth the read if you’re on a business trip and stuck on a plane with “that one coworker.” A quick and easy read through many different adventures, Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure would make a fantastic gift for someone you know who’s running the rat race, or maybe bring it to that office holiday party (as long as your coworkers have a sense of humor).

BRAND PARTNERS
Recent Posts