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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Family dynamics are explored through complex characters in this fast-paced, entertaining novel. However, author Stephen McCauley uses the dramatic title and eye-catching cover to pull a bait-and-switch on his readers. The accusatory title alluded to more conflict, more resentment than what was there. And for a novel about familial relationships, the plot was instead driven by endings. Characters are struggling with present and looming losses. Perhaps due to the shifting narrative focus, the handling of their emotions as they navigated these conflicts felt shallow. Engrossing with both comedic and tender moments, but neither profound nor deep.
The book took me a long time to get through. I kept going because I was interested enough in the characters but by the end of the book I was glad to be done. Just an okay read. I have a promising TBR pile.
I've been reading more adult releases this year and this one was on my radar. While it wasn't the best book, I found the characters to be intriguing.
You Only Call When You're in Trouble follows family members Tom, Cecily, and Dorothy. Tom has been a support system for Cecily and Dorothy for years and desperately wants to be able to do something for himself. Just when he's in a place where he can focus on his major architectural project, he finds out that Cecily is under Title IX investigation with her university and Dorothy suddenly wants to reveal to Cecily the true identity of her father.
What Worked: I love a book about family mess, and this definitely has plenty of it. From the relationship that Tom has with his sister and niece to the dynamics they all share with their friends, the reveals in this book left my jaw unhinged. I also think that McCauley did a wonderful job addressing the complexity of academia. Cecily is under a Title IX investigation for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student. The investigation is, in a lot of ways flawed, but pushes Cecily to recognize what would most benefit her in her career. There were also some hilarious moments. I'm not sure if that was the intention of McCauley, but there were moments where I found myself chuckling at the characters especially those that included Dorothy.
What Didn't Work: Like other reviewers have stated before me, I felt like there was a gap in character development. While a lot of the personality traits that we find in each character are realistic, I feel like there were some full circle moments that were missing. The book also has some pacing issues. While I was ultimately intrigued by Cecily's narrative, Tom and Dorothy fell apart for me as I got closer to the end of the novel. It's almost as if the reveal of Cecily's father slowed down the potential development of them as characters. The dynamic between Cecily and Tom is endearing and I loved how much he cared for his niece; however, he's a piece of work and is probably the least likable character out of the three of them.
Overall, a solid read and I'll be checking out more from McCauley in the future.
You Only Call When You're in Trouble follows family members Tom, Cecily, and Dorothy. Tom has been a support system for Cecily and Dorothy for years and desperately wants to be able to do something for himself. Just when he's in a place where he can focus on his major architectural project, he finds out that Cecily is under Title IX investigation with her university and Dorothy suddenly wants to reveal to Cecily the true identity of her father.
What Worked: I love a book about family mess, and this definitely has plenty of it. From the relationship that Tom has with his sister and niece to the dynamics they all share with their friends, the reveals in this book left my jaw unhinged. I also think that McCauley did a wonderful job addressing the complexity of academia. Cecily is under a Title IX investigation for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student. The investigation is, in a lot of ways flawed, but pushes Cecily to recognize what would most benefit her in her career. There were also some hilarious moments. I'm not sure if that was the intention of McCauley, but there were moments where I found myself chuckling at the characters especially those that included Dorothy.
What Didn't Work: Like other reviewers have stated before me, I felt like there was a gap in character development. While a lot of the personality traits that we find in each character are realistic, I feel like there were some full circle moments that were missing. The book also has some pacing issues. While I was ultimately intrigued by Cecily's narrative, Tom and Dorothy fell apart for me as I got closer to the end of the novel. It's almost as if the reveal of Cecily's father slowed down the potential development of them as characters. The dynamic between Cecily and Tom is endearing and I loved how much he cared for his niece; however, he's a piece of work and is probably the least likable character out of the three of them.
Overall, a solid read and I'll be checking out more from McCauley in the future.
You Only Call When You're in Trouble by Stephen McCauley peeled back the layers of a family in a perpetual state of chaos.
Cecily was raised by her single mother, Dorothy, and uncle, Tom. Dorothy is a free spirited wild child that never left the Hippie era behind and Tom is an environmentally conscious architect that specializes in tiny homes. Despite his success, providing for Cecily has cost him nearly everything. When Dorothy decides to open up a wellness retreat with has-been self-help author Fiona, a secret comes out that changes the dynamic of the family.
Cecily tries hard to be everything her mother is not, but when she makes a questionable choice in her career, she finds out that she is more like her mother than she realized. While Tom must make peace with where he is in life and his relationship with Dorothy.
There is not a single character in You Only Call When You're in Trouble that isn't deeply flawed, which provides a level of realism that is equally relatable and unsettling. The author chose to tie up some lose ends with the ending while leaving, perhaps, one of the biggest questions unanswered. While I do feel it fit where the book went, it irked me just a bit to not know how the investigation finished.
Thank you Henry Holt Books for the gifted ARC & Macmillian Audio for the gifted ALC.
Cecily was raised by her single mother, Dorothy, and uncle, Tom. Dorothy is a free spirited wild child that never left the Hippie era behind and Tom is an environmentally conscious architect that specializes in tiny homes. Despite his success, providing for Cecily has cost him nearly everything. When Dorothy decides to open up a wellness retreat with has-been self-help author Fiona, a secret comes out that changes the dynamic of the family.
Cecily tries hard to be everything her mother is not, but when she makes a questionable choice in her career, she finds out that she is more like her mother than she realized. While Tom must make peace with where he is in life and his relationship with Dorothy.
There is not a single character in You Only Call When You're in Trouble that isn't deeply flawed, which provides a level of realism that is equally relatable and unsettling. The author chose to tie up some lose ends with the ending while leaving, perhaps, one of the biggest questions unanswered. While I do feel it fit where the book went, it irked me just a bit to not know how the investigation finished.
Thank you Henry Holt Books for the gifted ARC & Macmillian Audio for the gifted ALC.
2.5 ? I always want to love a Stephen McCauley book because he wrote one of my all-time favorites, The Object of My Affection. Here, I only liked one of the storylines, Cecily's. And so much of her story is left hanging. An entire novel could have been filled up with more about the stalker student, the investigation, her friend Molly, even her run-ins with the boyfriend's mother, who I thought was a great character. I found both Tom and Dorothy to be rather sad-sack bores, and I had no interest in Oliver and Charlotte, or Fiona. So, it has moments, but overall I was disappointed.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sue out in January 2024. Read as galley on Edelweiss.
Gone are the days of defining a family as a mother and father and 2.5 kids. Families today are amalgamations made up of blood ties, emotional ties, lasting relationships, and relationships with people who bounce in and out of our lives. No one captures the beauty of these types of families like Stephen McCauley. My takeaway: Families are imperfect and fail us in so many different ways, but these imperfections can sometimes be parlayed into our greatest strengths if our hearts are open.
Recommended for book groups who like to discuss family dynamics.
Gone are the days of defining a family as a mother and father and 2.5 kids. Families today are amalgamations made up of blood ties, emotional ties, lasting relationships, and relationships with people who bounce in and out of our lives. No one captures the beauty of these types of families like Stephen McCauley. My takeaway: Families are imperfect and fail us in so many different ways, but these imperfections can sometimes be parlayed into our greatest strengths if our hearts are open.
Recommended for book groups who like to discuss family dynamics.
You Only Call When You’re In Trouble is an emotionally charged family drama. The flawed characters are relatable and the story gives you insight into each one’s thoughts around their intertwined lives. There are secrets and trauma. There is love and loss. There is laughter and tears.
I love a cliffhanger but the ending on this one left me wanting more and feeling that it ended too abruptly with too many unresolved issues to be satisfying.
I love a cliffhanger but the ending on this one left me wanting more and feeling that it ended too abruptly with too many unresolved issues to be satisfying.