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mishale1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I will admit to being one of the people who bought this book cause I thought it would be like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Aside from our main character Franny being a Jewish female comedian in a certain timeframe, it’s a very different story.
I enjoyed the story but it’s strange at times. I marked it as magical realism too because of the showstopper storyline.
We meet Franny as a teenager who sneaks into a club to see a comedian and experience “the showstopper”. I personally thought “the showstopper” referred to the comedian’s big break or even their hit joke. The showstopper is neither of those things. It’s a type of magic that happens to the audience when the comedian tells her jokes.
At this particular nightclub only women are allowed and that’s fine because showstoppers only work on women.
Franny has a rough night that night and tries to go back to some semblance of a normal life after her brother goes missing in action during the war.
A few years pass and the storyline picks up with Franny in her twenties. She’s trying to figure out what she wants in life. She didn’t go to college and she didn’t get married and she’s not sure she wants to.
She winds up back at that same nightclub after her childhood best friend’s wedding. Seeing her friend’s brother is traumatic for Franny but no one knows , so Franny isn’t able to avoid him.
It’s hard to tell who the good guys are in this story sometimes. Sometimes Franny’s jokes are unkind. Sometimes the club owner Lottie seems kind of untrustworthy and other times you root for her. I did like Franny’s parents and her friend Mary Kate.
There’s definitely a big message in here about needing laughter to help you through the hard times in your life. I really liked that and I think that’s true.
I enjoyed the story but it’s strange at times. I marked it as magical realism too because of the showstopper storyline.
We meet Franny as a teenager who sneaks into a club to see a comedian and experience “the showstopper”. I personally thought “the showstopper” referred to the comedian’s big break or even their hit joke. The showstopper is neither of those things. It’s a type of magic that happens to the audience when the comedian tells her jokes.
At this particular nightclub only women are allowed and that’s fine because showstoppers only work on women.
Franny has a rough night that night and tries to go back to some semblance of a normal life after her brother goes missing in action during the war.
A few years pass and the storyline picks up with Franny in her twenties. She’s trying to figure out what she wants in life. She didn’t go to college and she didn’t get married and she’s not sure she wants to.
She winds up back at that same nightclub after her childhood best friend’s wedding. Seeing her friend’s brother is traumatic for Franny but no one knows , so Franny isn’t able to avoid him.
It’s hard to tell who the good guys are in this story sometimes. Sometimes Franny’s jokes are unkind. Sometimes the club owner Lottie seems kind of untrustworthy and other times you root for her. I did like Franny’s parents and her friend Mary Kate.
There’s definitely a big message in here about needing laughter to help you through the hard times in your life. I really liked that and I think that’s true.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: War
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