Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Genre: fiction
Review: Books like these make me so grateful for my own mom-friends. Like the women in this book, we met when our kids were in preschool and kindergarten. Unlike the women in this book, we are genuinely caring and supportive of each other. These characters care about appearances as much as they care about their kids (to be fair, they all care for and about their kids a lot). The fact that, Alice, the mom from whom we hear the most, is an interior decorator, is a little too on-the-nose, a fact that doesn't go unremarked upon in the book.
When Alice learns that her 2nd grader is reading significantly below grade level and her 7th grader is acting like a bully, she is equally concerned with how her "friends" will react with how to actually help her children. To be fair, she does step up and do the hard work to help her kids get back on track. But following along as she perserverates about other people's perceptions was quite a slog (at least as bad as reading about all the brand-name accessories she uses to decorate her own and her clients' homes). Alice's other problem is her mother, who is about to drop a bomb on her in the midst of all this. Alice's mother a child psychologist, and I can only say that I'm glad not all child therapists are as selfish as she is.
The short version: You might not actually like any of these characters, but you might recognize them. You'll almost certainly recognize their struggles, if you have kids. You might not actually sympathize with them, though, or enjoy reading their inner monologues, but if you're in a book group, especially with your mom-friends, you'll definitely have a lot to talk about.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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