Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book was delightful and fun. I really wanted to love it, and I did! The cover is perfect in my opinion, which is always a nice bonus as well.
I put a lot of thought into this review, and I hope it is well articulated and enjoyable.
Synopsis: 14 year old Mary Jane gets a summer job nannying for a psychiatrist and his wife. While working there, Dr. Cone started treating a recovering addict named Jimmy, who also happens to be one of the most famous rockstars in America. His wife, television star Sheba, comes with him, and the couple moves into the third floor of the Cone house. While nannying, Mary Jane observes and learns from a family who is nothing like her own and develops an unforgettable bond with the adorable 5 year old Izzy.
There are many standout elements in this book. The first thing is the voice of Mary Jane. We spend the whole book in her head, as it’s first person POV, and I think the author could teach a masterclass in perspective writing and unique stylistic voice. While I read, I just kept thinking about how much I enjoyed Mary Jane’s voice, and how much it felt like a true coming of age novel. It is funny, tenderhearted, and believable. This is the kind of text I would study before writing my own first person POV novel. Mary Jane is very sweet and the opposite of the stereotypical teenager in many novels. It was a nice change.
The relationship between Mary Jane and Izzy was also a stand out. I feel that it is very difficult to write children in stories who are the perfect mixture of childlike whimsical, funny, and believable. Many times, young children are written as a brat or as overly simplistic, but that was not the case here. Izzy was hilarious, and I loved her. The relationship between her and Mary Jane was the foundation of the story and my favorite part.
I really enjoyed how Mary Jane was able to sort of come into herself through spending time with the Cones, and how we got to watch her come to many realizations about the way the world actually was and not the way that her parents had presented to her in her very sheltered 14 years of life. She learns about racism, prejudice, love, and standing up for what you believe. It felt real and organic.
This is truly a slice of life novel, and I do think that some people will find it to be too slow moving for their taste. However, I enjoyed it, and I was not bored by it. I think that the characters are compelling enough that it drives forward your need to want to see what happens to them.
Now, for some critiques:
I do not think that the book presented enough opportunity for the reader to criticize both households. There are obvious reasons to criticize and dislike Mary Jane‘s family, such as their racist and prejudiced attitudes towards many different people, and the way that they do not give any affection or praise to their own daughter. It’s uncomfortable and enraging to read, which is the point. That part was easy to criticize and seemed like an accurate representation of many white, traditional families back in the 1970s based on my knowledge of the 70s. However, the Cone family, where Mary Jane was nannying over the summer, had many issues as well, but I felt that the issues were not placed in a negative light or discussed in Mary Jane’s mind enough.
I understand that the core of this novel is the juxtaposition between the two households, and for the most part I think it was done very well. I enjoyed that Mary Jane got to learn what love feels like and she also got to learn how to be herself, stand up for what is right, and form her own opinions. But, the Cone family had issues!! For example, they were at times neglectful of their five-year-old child. When Mary Jane comes to stay with them, the house is essentially filthy with no sense of cleanliness or order. There is no food in the fridge and what is there is rotten or moldy. Izzy says that no one ever cooks dinner and that they usually just eat takeout. Izzy also is only given a bath by Mary Jane, and she will go days without being bathed by her own parents.
Not only that but the Cone family, Jimmy, and his wife Sheba openly discuss very graphic sexual things in front of their 14-year-old nanny I do not think this is appropriate and although I understand how it is being utilized in the story, I do not think that there was enough discourse amongst them or in Mary Jane’s mind about how maybe you shouldn’t talk about those things in front of 14-year-old who is uncomfortable with them and has not consented to this conversation. That part to me felt very uncomfortable, and I did not like how they did not even try to ask themselves if this was a conversation that was appropriate to be having in front of their nanny. Perhaps the author intended for the reader to think this way, but there were no thoughts from Mary Jane about whether or not this was right, and there were about other issues at the Cone house.
Furthermore, the Cone family hired Mary Jane as their nanny, not housekeeper, however that is essentially what she becomes, and everyone in the family unit accepts that Mary Jane cleans the house, cooks for them every night, and essentially keeps the house from falling into disarray and chaos like it was before. Now these are all things that Mary Jane enjoys, and she finds ways to involve Izzy, which I thought was sweet, but there’s no indication that she is given any sort of raise for doing these extra duties, and I find it very irresponsible of the parents to just accept that their housekeeper/nanny will do everything for them, and the minute that she is gone for even a couple days things start to fall apart again. This should not fall on the shoulders of a 14-year-old, and while I do understand that this is highlighting that irresponsibility immaturity and dysfunction of the Cone household, I do not feel that it was painted in a way that was viewed as problematic enough, where the reader was supposed to think, hmmm, maybe this isn’t right. It seemed like the reader was supposed to embrace this and accept it as the almost perfect alternative to Mary Jane’s own house. And Mary Jane settled into this thought process as well! “This is just how they are and good thing that I get to work with them because they’re so interesting and loving.” Which yes they were interesting and loving, and I really liked their family, but at the same time there were things about them that rubbed me the wrong way that felt like they could just be brushed under the rug because Jimmy and Sheba were famous and they were just out here living freely with no regard for consequences. A lot was excused in this book because the person doing the action was famous.
Overall, however, I loved this book and I do think it is a great coming-of-age novel however it is not YA, and if it is marketed as such, ignore that. I have to mention one interesting thing that I came across while I was reading reviews of this book in preparation for my own review. I saw one reviewer say that “the antisemitic comments about Jewish people were not it” and what I’d like to say to that person is…did you miss the entire point of the book? I am glad that you feel that way about these comments, as you should, but once again, did you miss the entire part point of the book? Furthermore, you didn’t also mention your dislike for the comments against Black individuals. So, did you miss… you can fill in the blank here.
I put a lot of thought into this review, and I hope it is well articulated and enjoyable.
Synopsis: 14 year old Mary Jane gets a summer job nannying for a psychiatrist and his wife. While working there, Dr. Cone started treating a recovering addict named Jimmy, who also happens to be one of the most famous rockstars in America. His wife, television star Sheba, comes with him, and the couple moves into the third floor of the Cone house. While nannying, Mary Jane observes and learns from a family who is nothing like her own and develops an unforgettable bond with the adorable 5 year old Izzy.
There are many standout elements in this book. The first thing is the voice of Mary Jane. We spend the whole book in her head, as it’s first person POV, and I think the author could teach a masterclass in perspective writing and unique stylistic voice. While I read, I just kept thinking about how much I enjoyed Mary Jane’s voice, and how much it felt like a true coming of age novel. It is funny, tenderhearted, and believable. This is the kind of text I would study before writing my own first person POV novel. Mary Jane is very sweet and the opposite of the stereotypical teenager in many novels. It was a nice change.
The relationship between Mary Jane and Izzy was also a stand out. I feel that it is very difficult to write children in stories who are the perfect mixture of childlike whimsical, funny, and believable. Many times, young children are written as a brat or as overly simplistic, but that was not the case here. Izzy was hilarious, and I loved her. The relationship between her and Mary Jane was the foundation of the story and my favorite part.
I really enjoyed how Mary Jane was able to sort of come into herself through spending time with the Cones, and how we got to watch her come to many realizations about the way the world actually was and not the way that her parents had presented to her in her very sheltered 14 years of life. She learns about racism, prejudice, love, and standing up for what you believe. It felt real and organic.
This is truly a slice of life novel, and I do think that some people will find it to be too slow moving for their taste. However, I enjoyed it, and I was not bored by it. I think that the characters are compelling enough that it drives forward your need to want to see what happens to them.
Now, for some critiques:
I do not think that the book presented enough opportunity for the reader to criticize both households. There are obvious reasons to criticize and dislike Mary Jane‘s family, such as their racist and prejudiced attitudes towards many different people, and the way that they do not give any affection or praise to their own daughter. It’s uncomfortable and enraging to read, which is the point. That part was easy to criticize and seemed like an accurate representation of many white, traditional families back in the 1970s based on my knowledge of the 70s. However, the Cone family, where Mary Jane was nannying over the summer, had many issues as well, but I felt that the issues were not placed in a negative light or discussed in Mary Jane’s mind enough.
I understand that the core of this novel is the juxtaposition between the two households, and for the most part I think it was done very well. I enjoyed that Mary Jane got to learn what love feels like and she also got to learn how to be herself, stand up for what is right, and form her own opinions. But, the Cone family had issues!! For example, they were at times neglectful of their five-year-old child. When Mary Jane comes to stay with them, the house is essentially filthy with no sense of cleanliness or order. There is no food in the fridge and what is there is rotten or moldy. Izzy says that no one ever cooks dinner and that they usually just eat takeout. Izzy also is only given a bath by Mary Jane, and she will go days without being bathed by her own parents.
Not only that but the Cone family, Jimmy, and his wife Sheba openly discuss very graphic sexual things in front of their 14-year-old nanny I do not think this is appropriate and although I understand how it is being utilized in the story, I do not think that there was enough discourse amongst them or in Mary Jane’s mind about how maybe you shouldn’t talk about those things in front of 14-year-old who is uncomfortable with them and has not consented to this conversation. That part to me felt very uncomfortable, and I did not like how they did not even try to ask themselves if this was a conversation that was appropriate to be having in front of their nanny. Perhaps the author intended for the reader to think this way, but there were no thoughts from Mary Jane about whether or not this was right, and there were about other issues at the Cone house.
Furthermore, the Cone family hired Mary Jane as their nanny, not housekeeper, however that is essentially what she becomes, and everyone in the family unit accepts that Mary Jane cleans the house, cooks for them every night, and essentially keeps the house from falling into disarray and chaos like it was before. Now these are all things that Mary Jane enjoys, and she finds ways to involve Izzy, which I thought was sweet, but there’s no indication that she is given any sort of raise for doing these extra duties, and I find it very irresponsible of the parents to just accept that their housekeeper/nanny will do everything for them, and the minute that she is gone for even a couple days things start to fall apart again. This should not fall on the shoulders of a 14-year-old, and while I do understand that this is highlighting that irresponsibility immaturity and dysfunction of the Cone household, I do not feel that it was painted in a way that was viewed as problematic enough, where the reader was supposed to think, hmmm, maybe this isn’t right. It seemed like the reader was supposed to embrace this and accept it as the almost perfect alternative to Mary Jane’s own house. And Mary Jane settled into this thought process as well! “This is just how they are and good thing that I get to work with them because they’re so interesting and loving.” Which yes they were interesting and loving, and I really liked their family, but at the same time there were things about them that rubbed me the wrong way that felt like they could just be brushed under the rug because Jimmy and Sheba were famous and they were just out here living freely with no regard for consequences. A lot was excused in this book because the person doing the action was famous.
Overall, however, I loved this book and I do think it is a great coming-of-age novel however it is not YA, and if it is marketed as such, ignore that. I have to mention one interesting thing that I came across while I was reading reviews of this book in preparation for my own review. I saw one reviewer say that “the antisemitic comments about Jewish people were not it” and what I’d like to say to that person is…did you miss the entire point of the book? I am glad that you feel that way about these comments, as you should, but once again, did you miss the entire part point of the book? Furthermore, you didn’t also mention your dislike for the comments against Black individuals. So, did you miss… you can fill in the blank here.
emotional
funny
hopeful
I have no expectations going into this book. This coming of age story was amazing. I am sad to have finished as I want to keep living through these characters. I listened to the audio book, the narration was fantastic. It really felt like I was experiencing this story through the eyes of a 14 year old girl. The author did a fantastic job depicting the essence of a 14 year old girl just learning that not all families are the same. You never know how people live behind their own closed doors and you can't judge people that you don't understand.
I highly recommend this book to anybody and everybody.
I highly recommend this book to anybody and everybody.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I stumbled across this book to fulfill a prompt for a reading challenge (a teenaged main character). What a pleasant surprise! This was such a cozy read with a lot of funny observations from a sheltered teen perspective. I listened to the audiobook, which was also very enjoyable.
Almost 5 stars. It was a 5-star book with a 4-star ending. But it was still a really fun read. The mood and style of this one reminded me of “City of Girls” or “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” if you took either of those books’ narrators and made them way younger. This one has been likened to “Daisy Jones and the Six,” and I can see the resemblance. It’s got a strong music vibe, and Mary Jane has an innocence that’s really endearing. Yet, like any good coming of age story, this story is full of moments where the world she thinks she knows is turned upside down. I appreciate Blau’s refusal to turn famous characters into one dimensional jerks. Everyone here is flawed, and everyone evolves (well, except one), but everyone is also quite likable. In the end, this was the perfect end of summer read.
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
I loved the voice and youth of the main character, but I would never want my daughters to be in such a situation, so that kind of ruined it for me. I guess I related too much to the uptight mother.