Mallory Reynolds is not okay.
Ever feel like you’re just slowly rotating on a microwave plate in someone else's life?
Meet Mallory Reynolds: thirty-nine, spiritually comatose, and staring down the final piece of a fast-food combo in her un-tinted Corolla. In that greasy moment of existential dread, she hits a wall and realizes a terrible truth: I am this nugget.
Chicken Nugget Girl & Other Midlife Traumas is a raw, hilarious, and deeply conversational collection of essays about surviving a modern corporate burnout. Instead of faking polite interest in data migration and toxic workplace synergy, Mallory chronicles her beautifully messy road back to herself.
From dodging HR’s passive-aggressive "wellness week" interventions to sitting barefoot on a city curb scrubbing tequila-soaked heels with a bottle of Windex, debut author Kate Torode handles adulthood's magnificent disasters with a pitch-perfect wit.
If you have ever sobbed into a drive-thru napkin, questioned your sanity during a quarterly goals meeting, or felt like you were just two bad Zoom invites away from staging your own disappearance, this book is your ultimate permission slip to completely fall apart, and laugh your way through the wreckage.
Perfect for fans of Jenny Lawson, Nora Ephron, and anyone who’s ever whispered, “Is it too early to nap?” while rethinking their entire life.
Laura R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous twist on the REAL days of our lives 😆
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2025
This book is relatable to women and men. It delves into life happenings and experiences we all go through from college years to crappy jobs and the jobs we have today and everything in between. Ups and downs and all presented in a humorous manner. You’ll want to read it then, share it with your friends and family. It would make a great book club read and discussion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Laura V.
5.0 out of 5 stars Relatable, Engaging, and Funny
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2025
Chicken Nugget Girl and Other Midlife Traumas is a sharp, witty look at the ups and downs of midlife. The author's conversational style makes the book engaging and easy to read. Her humor is self-aware and authentic, offering genuine laughs as she finds the ridiculous side of life’s challenges. Quick to read and consistently entertaining, this collection is perfect for anyone seeking reassurance and laughter amid the messiness of midlife. Highly recommended for a humorous, relatable escape. Looking forward to additional stories from this author.
Brad S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2025
This book is absolutely hilarious!!! I have recommended it to all of my friends. Honestly, if you want to actually laugh out loud, this is the book!
Tammy Alls
5.0 out of 5 stars
OMG this book!!! I didn't blink, I didn't pee... I just read!!! Laugh out loud funny!!!Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2025Kate Torode first time author for me and I certainly enjoyed the story.....interesting humour as well easy style! Fun to read. Can't wait to read the next book! Hope it's just as fun! Fingers crossed! This book hooks you in right away. The story is fast paced, well laid out and addictive. There is plenty of humor and heart. I couldn’t put the book down.
About the Author
Kate Torode is a writer, mixed-media painter, and recovering spreadsheet sorceress living her second act on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis. Her writing blends wit, warmth, and an affinity for existential snack food. When not building worlds or reworking punchlines, she’s painting, trapezing, being a self-proclaimed master puppeteer and laughing with her husband and five cats and navigating creative life with a mug of something warm and a strong local art community.
This is her debut novel. She's already working on the sequel—whether anyone asked her to or not.