Rating: 
Summary: UGH, I reallllly wanted to like this, but....
Review: Shannon was far too whiny and neurotic to take. Seriously, does this girl not have any friends?? I put it down after 100 pages intending never to pick it up again...I did, however, figuring Shannon has to show some growth, figuring there had to be some character arc in the story...No, there never was.On the plus side, I enjoyed the writer's style and I will buy her next book. I just hope the main character has a life.
Rating: 
Summary: so much fun
Review: what a trip. i moved back and forth from mother to daughter all the way through this book. it's so me. it's my mom. it's my daughter. she's got us pegged. and while she was at it, she got the guys too. boyfriends. dads. brothers. shannon olson has a keen psychological eye, well transferred to fiction. i can't wait for more.
Rating:
Summary: A delightfully engrossing book
Review: It took me less than a day to read Welcome to My Planet as I simply couldn't put it down. The main reason the book is so enjoyable is that the narrator/central character is wonderful. Shannon Olson (the character, not the author, which caused me some momentary confusion about the blurry line between fiction/non-fiction) tells the story of her life, her relationship with her family, her mother and men, her experiences in therapy (boy does she have a good counselor) and graduate school, with humor and insight. As a reader, I felt as though I was peeking into a real life because the details and writing is so engaging. Aside from Shannon, the other characters are incredibly well-developed, particularly that of her mother, Flo, with whom Shannon has a very intense connection. Despite the fact that all the information provided comes through Shannon's narration, you still get clear picture of the other characters, who in the end seem just as real as Shannon. This is not a book with lots of action or an intricate plot or any surprise twists or ending. It is simply about one character's life and experiences and her interaction with the people around her. But it is utterly delightful, stocked with characters so real and wonderful that I sometimes felt as though I was reading about someone's life. However difficult a time I'm having conveying what I liked so much about this book, what it boils down to is that it's great and everyone should read it. Perhaps I should have found a more coherent way to say that!
Rating:
Summary: English Major Angst
Review: Any one that has grown up in the midwest would find this funny. I think that this should be required reading for anyone who majors in English or who has dated a bum or two. I hope that Shannon's next book continues the story of Shannon. I was left wondering at the end how life turns out for the characters and I hope that we learn more about them!
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I think every thirty-something single female will glean something from this book, and, dare I say, also relate to some part of Shannon. Some of the negative reviews say that Shannon whines too much yet has nothing to complain about. Haven't most of us experienced that at some point? If you have always known your path in life and followed it to a "t", this book is probably not for you. But, to every 30+ single woman who has ever said "I don't know what I want to do when I grow up" read this book. You'll feel that you are not alone!
Rating: 
Summary: IF YOU CONSIDER EXCESSIVE PSYCHOBABBLE FUNNY...
Review: Funny? I don't think so. It starts out halfway promising, but then quickly collapses into a couple hundred pages of excessive self-analysis and relentless psychobabble. I don't see where she even tries to disguise the psychobabble as humor; maybe other readers see something that I missed. I guess that kind of thing sells in this day and age of self help and and angst, especially among the privileged. Let's take a look at Shannon: What does she really have to be depressed about? With a mother as insightful as Flo, why does she even NEED a shrink! She has the safety and security of a picturebook family and a potentially bright future, judging from her educational level. This angst is manufactured. Countless people would kill to trade places with Shannon. She has too many choices. People who are forced to make a living at that age in order to survive don't have that much time to wallow in manufactured misery. They just go out and do it and are happier for it because they don't have the luxury of THINKING so much. If you want a truly funny AND insightful novel about twentysomethings, read "Emma Who Saved My Live" by Wilton Barnhardt. That's timeless writing. Humor mixed with true insight. This Shannon Book does not even come close.
Rating:
Summary: Boring and Disappointing
Review: From the title and the book description, I was hoping Shannon Olson's "autobiographical novel" would be witty and poignant, and speak to me, another newly 30-year-old, in a way that was relevant and entertaining. Was I wrong! Instead, this is one of the most DISAPPOINTING books I've read in a while. Olson tries so hard to be funny, but she rarely is, and the few times that she almost succeeds, she repeats those jokes, like a bad sitcom rerun. More important, though, Shannon (or her alter ego)is unlikable, self-centered, whiney, annoying, and stupid -- and I just didn't find my own or my friends' experiences in this book. She/the character fails to gain any meaningful insight, and the whining never stops. I kept reading thinking it would get better, or she would CHANGE somehow, but I finished it thinking, "And that was it?" Yep. Not entertaining, not insightful, and boring. Don't waste your time with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not very interesting
Review: I started reading this book, and 100 pages in, i had to stop. Shannon is a huge whiner, and this book is just her ranting about how bad her life is. Personally, I thought it was a waste of time and i would not recommend it, even for a beach book.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing special
Review: This is yet another angst-ridden (but trying to be funny) account of a directionless woman dealing with approaching thirty spawned by Bridget Jones. This territory has been covered before with more wit, style, originality and humor (by Elinor Lipman and Laura Zigman for example). Unlike other readers, I could not relate to Shannon at all despite sharing many similarities with her. I found her boring and irritating. Based on the other reviews, I had been hoping for and expecting much more. Don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: bland
Review: I too read this book quickly... devoured even. But it doesn't stick. I didn't like the main character... or hate her for that matter. I needed to feel one of those emotions. In my opinion, Shannon is a whiner (character not author). I couldn't figure out what her problems were. I wish that people in my age group wrote books that had some lasting resonance. This feels like a fad of a book that won't be remembered after a few years. Which is too bad, cause being a 30 something Minnesotan who attended the University of Minnesota and is a bit overwhelmed by life from time to time, I should have been this book's most ardent fan.
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