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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Timely, emotional, and a good read! I received this book from NetGalley in exchange fro my review but ended up listening to it on audio and enjoyed that version as well.
A sucker punch from the first page and impossible to put down, "The Smash-Up" is truly something special. It's a commentary for our times; the zeitgeist in book form. It's about the world and marriage, family and friendships, the state of politics. It's about activism and anger - a literary feminist firecracker. Brilliant, brave and current, Benjamin's book beautifully articulates what most of us are thinking. She also presents an unflinchingly honest depiction of living with a child with ADHD and the terror of watching them navigate the world. "The ones who" sections are extremely powerful. Every woman needs an All Them Witches group - a diverse bunch of women coming together for a common goal. I did not expect to end this book in tears yet here we are. And Zo's two book proposals? We need those too. "The Smash-Up" is a phenomenal debut. I read most of it without knowing anything of Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome" which inspired this novel but it didn't diminish the experience. Read it and pass it on.
This is an IMPORTANT book. Taking place in the height of the #metoo movement and around the 2016 American election, this book tackles REAL issues that need REAL solutions both in book and in real life.
The writing was top-notch. Really. I'll probably read anything else this author writes. I just...didn't feel anything for the characters. Like, I was not at all emotionally invested in their lives. Ethan just had this push over, wet towel personality that I just kept feeling sorry for and Zo's activism felt grating (what kind of person would demand that the police arrest her for not being black?).
All of that aside, this is not a terrible book. It just wasn't for me.
I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
The writing was top-notch. Really. I'll probably read anything else this author writes. I just...didn't feel anything for the characters. Like, I was not at all emotionally invested in their lives. Ethan just had this push over, wet towel personality that I just kept feeling sorry for and Zo's activism felt grating (what kind of person would demand that the police arrest her for not being black?).
All of that aside, this is not a terrible book. It just wasn't for me.
I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
The Smash-Up had a lot of Little Fires Everywhere vibes for me: the themes of suburban discontent, the "what am I doing with my life/what the heck is happening around me?" unreality, but set in present-day America, steeped in an oh-too-familiar political climate and centering around matters of social justice and narrative. It's kinda intense, and has some really unlikable characters -- but they're all people we recognize, and I've found myself thinking about them weeks after finishing the book. And if you're a fan of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (like I am), DEFINITELY read this! It's referenced throughout and started me on a fresh Eliot kick.
Spoilers
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
(Kinda)
The ending caught me totally off-guard, in a good way.
Spoilers
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
(Kinda)
The ending caught me totally off-guard, in a good way.
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book sits in a space of discomfort. Who is a "good guy" and what do you do when the people in your life do bad things? It's tough but addresses topics that we should consider more, and tries to be realistic about the fact that most people are complex.
I think Benjamin really succeeds in capturing the unique nightmare of the Trump era but the prose didn't always connect with me.
The Smash-Up is a modern retelling of the 1911 novel 'Ethan Frome' by Edith Wharton, not one that I've read before.
Ethan and Zo (Zenobia) live in Starkfield, Massachusetts after moving there from New York 16 years ago. Zo is a filmmaker and Ethan sold his shares in his company that he co-founded with friend Randy. Randy wanted to move the business to LA whilst Zo wanted to stay in New York so Ethan chose her.
In present day, they have an 11 year old daughter called Alex who has ADHD and have recently moved in a girl in her early twenties, Maddy, to help with babysitting.
Trump has just been elected President, Harvey Weinstein has been arrested and Zo is part of an activist group with the local women called All Them Witches. This gives Zo a purpose but it is affecting her and Ethan's relationship. It doesn't help when Randy has accusations made against him and asks for Ethan's help.
I'll be honest and say that I struggled with this book. The main plot of the story is very important but I just think the writing style wasn't for me, combined with the slow pace of the book and the fact that I didn't particularly like any of the characters, aside from Alex. I must say that the sensory issues were written extremely well with regards to her.
The last 20% really turned it around. The ending was very well done and did surprise me.
Ethan and Zo (Zenobia) live in Starkfield, Massachusetts after moving there from New York 16 years ago. Zo is a filmmaker and Ethan sold his shares in his company that he co-founded with friend Randy. Randy wanted to move the business to LA whilst Zo wanted to stay in New York so Ethan chose her.
In present day, they have an 11 year old daughter called Alex who has ADHD and have recently moved in a girl in her early twenties, Maddy, to help with babysitting.
Trump has just been elected President, Harvey Weinstein has been arrested and Zo is part of an activist group with the local women called All Them Witches. This gives Zo a purpose but it is affecting her and Ethan's relationship. It doesn't help when Randy has accusations made against him and asks for Ethan's help.
I'll be honest and say that I struggled with this book. The main plot of the story is very important but I just think the writing style wasn't for me, combined with the slow pace of the book and the fact that I didn't particularly like any of the characters, aside from Alex. I must say that the sensory issues were written extremely well with regards to her.
The last 20% really turned it around. The ending was very well done and did surprise me.
A modern take on Ethan Frome, a book I really like, and it feels perhaps a little overdone at times in its efforts to use current events for an analogue. Still, a really solid read.
I liked several parts of this book, especially the way Benjamin captured the general mood of that period in 2018, but I didn’t love the way that it all fit together.
A fun, modern twist on Ethan Frome,' set against the backdrop of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in a small, rich, white, suburban town. Fans of Wharton's novel will appreciate all of the subtle and overt nods to her original work, but I think this book stands on its own for those who have not read the inspiration.
It's a less than likable cast of characters. Ethan is a sad sack with little awareness of his own agency, Zo is essentially all the problems with white feminism personified, and Maddie is a walking millennial stereotype wrapped up in a blue-haired bow. While they frustrated me at times, I really enjoyed the parts they played in highlighting the unrest around current events.
The #MeToo movement was its own character in a way, but wasn't the only thing the characters grappled with. This was only one lens through which we saw the characters struggling to fit into their own lives. Ethan's backstory, and his reflection upon it given the current climate, was one of the most engaging parts of the novel for me.
There were a couple plot points that didn't quite land for me - for example, I found the way the Randy storyline played out a bit too neat and clean, given his characterization throughout the rest of the novel.
However, I LOVED the writing style - it was quirky, witty, and unsettling at times. I will absolutely read whatever Benjamin produces next.
Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!
It's a less than likable cast of characters. Ethan is a sad sack with little awareness of his own agency, Zo is essentially all the problems with white feminism personified, and Maddie is a walking millennial stereotype wrapped up in a blue-haired bow. While they frustrated me at times, I really enjoyed the parts they played in highlighting the unrest around current events.
The #MeToo movement was its own character in a way, but wasn't the only thing the characters grappled with. This was only one lens through which we saw the characters struggling to fit into their own lives. Ethan's backstory, and his reflection upon it given the current climate, was one of the most engaging parts of the novel for me.
There were a couple plot points that didn't quite land for me - for example, I found the way the Randy storyline played out a bit too neat and clean, given his characterization throughout the rest of the novel.
However, I LOVED the writing style - it was quirky, witty, and unsettling at times. I will absolutely read whatever Benjamin produces next.
Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!