Reviews - The Smash-Up | The StoryGraph

120 reviews for:

The Smash-Up

Ali Benjamin

3.61 AVERAGE

hellohihunter's review

slow-paced

i would not have finished this book if not for my unread bookshelf project

bethnellvaccaro's review

3.0

I had no idea this was a retelling of Ethan Frome when I started reading, but I quickly got suspicious and googled. So just be prepared for the Smash Up.

jo_22's review against another edition

2.75

challenging emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Idk what to think about this really. I liked the premise and the last 10-20% was good. But I did not like the characters and didn’t like the pacing of the book, it was almost stressful/irritating at times because issues the characters face could’ve been made easier if they just communicated with each other.

aimeekrs's review

4.0

I wasn’t a big fan of the Ethan Frome angle but otherwise this was a good book. The descriptions of events such as election night 2016 and the Supreme Court nominations were so accurate (for me at least) and all the anger and hurt and everything else that many of us felt and continued to feel.

jilliebeanreads's review

2.0

Wow. I had high hopes for “The Smash-Up.” But this book fell short for me on many levels. Unfortunately, I didn’t get into the story or characters despite the cool premise about the cultural wars, social activism and the #metoo movement.

Ethan and Zo are married and have a young daughter, Alex, who is ostracized at school. Zo is an over-the-top activist and Ethan is trying to put up with both while thinking way too much about the live-in nanny, Maddy. Then Ethan’s egocentric and super-annoying business partner, Randy, gets caught up in a #metoo scandal and drags Ethan into the fray.

While I’m interested in the fact that this book refers to the 2016 presidential election, feminist rights, mass shootings, and the Brett Kavanaugh hearing, I was disconnected. These characters were all unlikeable so I didn’t have anyone to root for. Then the ending, which describes “the smash-up” didn’t move me, either.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced readers copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.