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From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

In a crowd of Fox News blondes, Megyn Kelly has always stood out. She's smart. She's sassy. She's nobody's fool. In her highly anticipated memoir, Kelly explains exactly why this is. She's not afraid to address the controversy surrounding former Fox chairman Roger Ailes, the backlash from her critics, and, of course, her bizarre squabble with Donald Trump. Thanks to the pervasive nature of social media, even those without much interest in politics were forced to watch the odd war that developed between Kelly and Trump unfold as she interviewed him on her show, The Kelly File, and later moderated one of the presidential primary debates. Here, Kelly describes how Trump went from sending her notes and inviting her to his Florida resort to calling her a disgrace and a lightweight who had blood coming out of her wherever. She seems to take it all in stride, which is intriguing, but not surprising, given her background and personal life. In the bulk of the book (18 chapters leading up to the Trump mess), Kelly recounts her formative years, from growing up in upstate New York in a family she describes as honest and simple It doesn't get more Norman Rockwell than us, she quips to her first marriage, her law career, her second husband and her children, and her rise to the top of Fox News. She lovingly describes her parents and two siblings, relates some childhood tales, including one about being bullied, and then moves swiftly into some of her family's darker days after her father passed away from a sudden heart attack. Then it's right into law school, where readers see the tough-girl persona emerge. Kelly is keenly aware that her looks make her a target for dumb blonde jokes but notes that being underestimated is a gift in many ways. After her law career left her feeling burned-out and lonely, she decided to shift gears and go into journalism. Her lucky break came when an acquaintance in Chicago introduced her to an NBC-affiliate camera operator, who agreed to help her make an audition tape. Readers looking for behind-the-scenes dish about Fox News will be a bit disappointed there is some here and there, but Kelly's memoir truly is her life story, not an exposé of the network. She's well aware of the snake pit she works in (her words) and dismisses those who would question her choices, with a self-confidence that's hard to beat. Even her retelling of the Trump controversy seems like it's just another chapter in her varied and interesting life. Liberal-leaning readers may find themselves wondering how things might be if Kelly was on their side, but there is a surprising lack of political proselytizing here, making it a winning memoir for readers of any party.--Vnuk, Rebecca Copyright 2016 Booklist