There are some people you just can’t please. No matter how spectacular you are, they’ll never have a kind thing to say. Not once. Now, most people ignore the sour lemons these common malcontents fling. But not Amber Share. Oh, no. She not only loves the lemons; she accepts them as involuntary donations. Then she squeezes them into refreshing lemonade — served with ice-cold irony. The lemons are bad national park reviews. And the lemonade is one of our favorite road-trip reads: Subpar Parks.
Point blank, Subpar Parks is a compilation of one-star reviews of the national parks laid over Share’s own gorgeous, original artwork of the park itself. No joke: It will have you laughing out loud. Which is why this book is equally at home on a coffee table, in the passenger seat, or on a bookshelf.
Quite frankly, I couldn’t get enough. So, let’s dive a little deeper into this wry, little RV read.
The Comic Beauty of Understatement
Share’s formula started out on Instagram, making posters for America’s national parks. Her art showcased the wonder and beauty of the parks, highlighted by hilarious one-star reviews people had given them. My personal favorite is the review of Joshua Tree National Park, where apparently, “The only thing to do here is walk around the desert.” But there are so many good ones. Sequoia National Park? “There are bugs and they will bite you on the face.” Kenai Fjords National Park? Apparently it has a whale-corralling problem.
Small wonder, Share didn’t have to wait long to see a response. People not only loved her work. They wanted to buy the posters as prints. It is clear that Share obviously loves these parks — and the irony of her graphics is not missed. National park lovers (and comedy lovers) everywhere have become followers. And after creating so many graphics of national and state parks, Share decided to combine the two into a book.
More Than Just Laughs
In her book Subpar Parks, Share strikes an expert balance between humor, information, and critique. Many of the reviews online, and even on Share’s personal website, focus only on her art and the reviews. So, I was completely unprepared for the depth of information she included inside. Her text is witty and casual, but it’s clear that she knows her stuff. She includes information about the parks’ histories, geography, attractions, and more. Each one gets equal attention with a title page, illustration, and tips divided into the regions each park occupies.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It’s funny, useful, and makes a great gift that travelers will actually appreciate. The minimal artwork is stunning and fits in well with official NPS designs, and supporting her is easy and affordable.
Start Turning the Pages
As always, accessibility is key. While there is an audiobook version available, don’t kid yourself: This book is best enjoyed visually. For readers with low vision, I would recommend the electronic copy of the book so you can zoom in or adjust the brightness as needed. Subpar Parks would be a great read for groups or families, who could make a game out of writing their own “one star reviews” for their travels. (They could even plan trips based on their favorite posters.) Share also has a tear-out postcard version of the book called Subpar Parks Postcards for those who are wanting a coffee table book. (And she’s just released Subpar Planet for those craving more.)
Anyone who loves her artwork should head over to AmberShareDesign.com where she has each design featured in her books and more available as calendars, stickers, playing cards, and more. The enterprise is run by just her and her husband, so I would recommend giving orders plenty of time to process and ordering any gifts earlier than you think.
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