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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Ever since the election, Ethan and Zo's lives have been off kilter.
Once upon a time, Ethan was part of a guerrilla marketing company that made a pretty big name for itself. But he sold his shares and the couple moved to a small town to start a family.
Zo is a filmmaker whose recent involvement with an activism group has commanded all of her attention. As such, Ethan is feeling disconnected and uncertain where their relationship is heading.
As it turns out, their lives are on a bit of a collision course with current events. How everything will shake out is the question.
I'm going to be totally honest and say that if the most recent election hadn't played out as it did, this book would have been a painful read!
The Smash-Up is set in 2018, right smack dab in the middle of #MeToo, Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court, and, of course, Trump's presidency.
When we meet Ethan and Zo, Ethan's former business partner has called him to let him know that he's been accused of sexual harassment. This thread continues through the book, with Ethan—who is basically a decent guy—having to make some pretty difficult decisions.
These decisions involve his livelihood, his relationship, his daughter, and his life in general. And the book actually begins towards the end, so the reader knows that things have been turned upside down. What we don't know is how or why.
This book was recommended to me by our local Random House rep and I am so glad that she brought it to my attention. I started on a regular evening but found that it was actually a pretty insomnia-heavy night. Fortunately, I was so invested in Ethan's story (I admit, I much preferred him over Zo!), that I read through the wee hours and ended up finishing this in one day.
I am not typically someone who reads a lot of truly character-driven novels. As evidenced by the books I tend to review, I read a lot of genre fiction that is generally majority plot driven. Just my personal preference.
The Smash-Up is smart. And the characters are so brilliantly drawn through Benjamin's narrative that I can't help but think there are things about their story that will resonate with just about any reader.
For some, the story may still be too soon and the events that take place in the background too fresh in peoples' minds. But I think for many, there will be so many things they can relate to and empathize with as well. And this was definitely the case with me!
Once upon a time, Ethan was part of a guerrilla marketing company that made a pretty big name for itself. But he sold his shares and the couple moved to a small town to start a family.
Zo is a filmmaker whose recent involvement with an activism group has commanded all of her attention. As such, Ethan is feeling disconnected and uncertain where their relationship is heading.
As it turns out, their lives are on a bit of a collision course with current events. How everything will shake out is the question.
I'm going to be totally honest and say that if the most recent election hadn't played out as it did, this book would have been a painful read!
The Smash-Up is set in 2018, right smack dab in the middle of #MeToo, Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court, and, of course, Trump's presidency.
When we meet Ethan and Zo, Ethan's former business partner has called him to let him know that he's been accused of sexual harassment. This thread continues through the book, with Ethan—who is basically a decent guy—having to make some pretty difficult decisions.
These decisions involve his livelihood, his relationship, his daughter, and his life in general. And the book actually begins towards the end, so the reader knows that things have been turned upside down. What we don't know is how or why.
This book was recommended to me by our local Random House rep and I am so glad that she brought it to my attention. I started on a regular evening but found that it was actually a pretty insomnia-heavy night. Fortunately, I was so invested in Ethan's story (I admit, I much preferred him over Zo!), that I read through the wee hours and ended up finishing this in one day.
I am not typically someone who reads a lot of truly character-driven novels. As evidenced by the books I tend to review, I read a lot of genre fiction that is generally majority plot driven. Just my personal preference.
The Smash-Up is smart. And the characters are so brilliantly drawn through Benjamin's narrative that I can't help but think there are things about their story that will resonate with just about any reader.
For some, the story may still be too soon and the events that take place in the background too fresh in peoples' minds. But I think for many, there will be so many things they can relate to and empathize with as well. And this was definitely the case with me!
This book definitely grew on me with time. To start, it's a challenge to re-live the Trump years, ESPECIALLY at the time of the Kavanaugh confirmation. It hurts to revisit those feelings. I think for me, many elements of Zo's feelings feel similar: The constant questioning of the men around you; the sudden exacerbated distrust and reevaluation of every single man you know, even the ones you thought you could trust; and above all, the rage. I remember vividly the outrage I felt as Dr. Blasey Found was disrespected and discounted by elected officials, by the abomination we called a president, and by Americans at large. I remember watching her tell her story -- and then watching Kavanaugh follow up, and screaming and spitting, furious that his white male entitlement was being questioned as he sought a seat he does not deserve. For all these reasons, I understood a lot of what Zo was feeling.
I also think it's important to keep in mind that the experience in this book is very, very, very white. Extremely. White. Zo has a lot of learning and growth to accomplish in her activism, and there is a moment when she comes to realize that, but I was bothered that Ethan, who was extremely self-absorbed and had a major case of Nice Guy-itis going on, was the person that presented that to her. That moment didn't feel like an instance of him saying "we need to center voices of color in this moment" but rather him trying to undermine her feelings, her experiences, and her activism. Even though the point was on the right track, his intentions were only selfish and centered himself.
As a whole, I liked the intimate look this book took at a marriage and a family that is deeply affected by the political landscape. I loved Alex's character as well, the overall style of the book took me a second to grow used to, but I came to enjoy it. I would be interested to see the author do more with this and hone it even more. I do wish that this had not been from Ethan's perspective because it made me feel a little gross all the time. Centering Ethan, I feel, was a mistake because it almost feels like it demands you empathize with him to the point of wanting Zo to stay at the end.
I also think it's important to keep in mind that the experience in this book is very, very, very white. Extremely. White. Zo has a lot of learning and growth to accomplish in her activism, and there is a moment when she comes to realize that, but I was bothered that Ethan, who was extremely self-absorbed and had a major case of Nice Guy-itis going on, was the person that presented that to her. That moment didn't feel like an instance of him saying "we need to center voices of color in this moment" but rather him trying to undermine her feelings, her experiences, and her activism. Even though the point was on the right track, his intentions were only selfish and centered himself.
As a whole, I liked the intimate look this book took at a marriage and a family that is deeply affected by the political landscape. I loved Alex's character as well, the overall style of the book took me a second to grow used to, but I came to enjoy it. I would be interested to see the author do more with this and hone it even more. I do wish that this had not been from Ethan's perspective because it made me feel a little gross all the time. Centering Ethan, I feel, was a mistake because it almost feels like it demands you empathize with him to the point of wanting Zo to stay at the end.
I really liked the lead character- a man- but found all the other characters flat, one dimensional caricatures of people. Of liberal women. Of hyperactive kids. Of millennials. The author tries hard add the nuance and depth in the very end of the book, but it’s far too little, far too late.
By the end of the book, I was enjoying it much more than at the beginning. Somehow the presentation really made me struggle to connect. Then, of course, we are trying to connect with two people who aren't comfortable in themselves. Ethan is stagnant with no real focus for his life and about to lose his income source due to sexual harassment charges at his former company. His wife, Zenobia, is in the midst of a political transformation following the 2016 election and the subsequent appointment of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Do the character names sound familiar? Yes, the book is loosely based on Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. It is even located in the same town, Starkfield. Sadly, I enjoyed this modern interpretation about as much as I did the original. Maybe a bit more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
🍦🍦🍦 (Three stars as rated in dirty leprechaun flavored ice cream from Cone Heads with extra rainbow sprinkles on top.)
Ethan and his wife Zo have moved from New York City to the town of Starkfield, Massachusetts where they now live with their enigmatically spirited and neurodiverse daughter, Alex. In the wake of a Judge Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court, and a series of other high profile sexual assault cases, Zo and Ethan Frome's lives are upended by their own respective associations with the #MeToo movement. As storylines converge, and their once uncomplicated life spirals more and more off the rails, only one thing is certain - the road they're on is leading to one hell of a "Smash-Up."
Based on Edith Wharton's short story, Ethan Frome, in which a visitor to the town of Starkfield, Massachusetts describes the titled character's daily life as well as his being somewhat of a "fixture" of the town, The Smash Up seeks to modernize and build off its predecessor by imagining Ethan as actually being the narrator in his story, while- one could argue - not actually being the main character anymore.
Ethan and his wife Zo have moved from New York City to the town of Starkfield, Massachusetts where they now live with their enigmatically spirited and neurodiverse daughter, Alex. In the wake of a Judge Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court, and a series of other high profile sexual assault cases, Zo and Ethan Frome's lives are upended by their own respective associations with the #MeToo movement. As storylines converge, and their once uncomplicated life spirals more and more off the rails, only one thing is certain - the road they're on is leading to one hell of a "Smash-Up."
Based on Edith Wharton's short story, Ethan Frome, in which a visitor to the town of Starkfield, Massachusetts describes the titled character's daily life as well as his being somewhat of a "fixture" of the town, The Smash Up seeks to modernize and build off its predecessor by imagining Ethan as actually being the narrator in his story, while- one could argue - not actually being the main character anymore.
"What exactly is the point of a tiny protest in the middle of nowhere seen by almost no one? The point is that the person who does see might need exactly this, exactly now. The point is her individual belief can become part of a collective one. The point is this may or may not change the world but it will almost certainly change her."
There are layers to this book. It should be stated up front, though, that this is a book that really feels like it was written for white people. That isn't necessarily a bad thing as there are certainly concepts - particularly concerning racism - that white people need to hear more than POC do (for obvious reason). But before I get into all that I want to visit the two points that I felt Ali Benjamin totally nailed with this story:
The first is the absolutely atrocious way that even the most progressive and liberally minded people treat neurodiversity and disability; our systems are set up to punish anyone that is different (like Alex) and the roadblocks and downright cruelty she faces because of that are expertly illustrated in The Smash Up.
The second point is that white people pay witness to a lot of problematic behavior by other white people without mustering the strength to call it out. The preference for "maintaining civility and comfortability" with other white people above all else —even in the presence of inflammatory or potentially inciting behavior— is something that, it would seem, is finally being confronted in certain white circles. Especially since it turns out that sometimes silence can lead to a mob of white people storming the Capitol building. 👀
The Smash-Up could be simply summarized as *SPOILER ALERT* a story about white people who are passive to bad behavior by other white people for a so long that the problematic person they all knew was problematic finally goes off the rails and kills someone for the exactly the reason he always said he would. Unfortunately, there is never really an expressed sense of accountability about this from the witnessing characters. And I can't help but think that was a real opportunity missed.
It takes a lot of contextual understanding to keep us from being the villain in someone else's story. And without open mindedness concerning the trauma of others, we are all essentially an interruption away from doing something horrendous. I really wish this concept as well had been explored more deeply. In Zo's anger she conflates her experience with the police to that of a woman that was sexually assaulted by a supreme court nominee— an act that ends up carrying the potential to actually damage the integrity of other survivors. For his part, and in his willful ignorance about his friend and business partner's true character, Ethan bears witness to numerous instances of sexually predatory behavior, some of which are implied to even have been physically assaulting. There is no real reckoning for this by either Ethan or Zo. In fact, there never seem to be any real consequences for anyone except Maddie; the one character who was actually a victim in the thing that she was ultimately punished for! If Ali Benjamin's purpose with these respective arcs was to prove that financially stable white American's can basically get away with whatever they want, then give this book an award. Around every renowned predator are all the witnesses - like Ethan - that could have spoken up at any point but either didn't notice anything was wrong or just didn't care to get involved. And I can't say which option is worse.
I think the biggest tragedy about this story by far, however, was all that remained completely unsaid. For example, Zo's rage at not being able to protect Alex from the predators of the world is understandable. Could that not have been related to what every Black mother experiences in knowing how likely it is that their child will be the victim of a hate crime or sanctioned police violence? While there are moments of profound realization by all characters in The Smash-Up, there is a clear veil of white feminism in the way of true intersectionality. At the end of the day, and despite my trying to see the best in it from page one, this is a book is about middle class white people arriving too late to the outrage that more marginalized communities have been describing for generations.
✨ Rep in this book: Neurodiverse supporting character
✨ Content warnings for this book: bullying, sexual violence, sexual assault, cursing, drug use, depression, suicide, death, trauma, medical stuff, car accident
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
This book looks at who we are as a society - how the news and media and social media have changed and how they change us. It looks at truth - what is it? It looks at one particular marriage.
I had trouble getting started with this book. It's a framed book, and because of the frame it took me a little while to grab the context and characters.
Something I found interesting about the book is that a LOT of it is about Zo and how she is/was changed by the Trump election and accompanying events....but it's told through the eyes of her husband, Ethan. (who does have his own plotline).
I had trouble getting started with this book. It's a framed book, and because of the frame it took me a little while to grab the context and characters.
Something I found interesting about the book is that a LOT of it is about Zo and how she is/was changed by the Trump election and accompanying events....but it's told through the eyes of her husband, Ethan. (who does have his own plotline).
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really wasn't a fan of this book that felt like it was trying too hard. I might have enjoyed it more if I'd read the original Wharton novella but to me it felt disjointed with every single one of the characters unlikeable.
I didn't have any real issue with the writing style, per se, in fact it was quite a clever way to get us to ponder just what is going on in the world at the minute, but I didn't feel a connection
I didn't have any real issue with the writing style, per se, in fact it was quite a clever way to get us to ponder just what is going on in the world at the minute, but I didn't feel a connection
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Car accident
This is a book you can love or hate, it's not an easy read but once you are hooked you don't put it down.
The story is a satire that talks about our times and it's really realistic.
You can love or hate the characters but I don't think you can feel nothing.
The background is political, a realistic and bitter description of USA that reminds life in other countries.
I liked the style of writing and was fascinated by the charachters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The story is a satire that talks about our times and it's really realistic.
You can love or hate the characters but I don't think you can feel nothing.
The background is political, a realistic and bitter description of USA that reminds life in other countries.
I liked the style of writing and was fascinated by the charachters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
This book was quite the challenge for me to get into. If I'm being honest, I wasn't interested in the story until about 90% in.
All of the characters really suck. The story takes place around Brett Kavanaugh's hearing, which I never wanted to relive (seriously, fuck that guy). Even though this is a frame story told from an unknown narrator, you mostly see through Ethan's POV, and I couldn't stand him. Not liking the main character really puts me off. They don't even have to be a good person, just give me something redeemable, ya know?
What really helped me get through the roughness was reading up on Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome, which is the novel this book is replicating. Although I admire Wharton and her work, there's no way I will ever read Ethan Frome after reading this modern retelling. A major critique of the original is how bleak it is and how there are no morally good characters. I get that it's a reflection of reality, but holy shit that makes it difficult to read.
This book was on it's way to a one-star read, possibly even a DNF, but I pushed through, and I'm glad I did. That ending. Oh, man. That ending. I absolutely loved it. I loved it so much that I actually retroactively enjoyed the previous 90% of the novel. I even cried.
Not sure if a strong ending is enough for most people to push through a pretty bleak novel, but if that's your thing, this is the book for you.
Happy reading, fellow feminists!
This book was quite the challenge for me to get into. If I'm being honest, I wasn't interested in the story until about 90% in.
All of the characters really suck. The story takes place around Brett Kavanaugh's hearing, which I never wanted to relive (seriously, fuck that guy). Even though this is a frame story told from an unknown narrator, you mostly see through Ethan's POV, and I couldn't stand him. Not liking the main character really puts me off. They don't even have to be a good person, just give me something redeemable, ya know?
What really helped me get through the roughness was reading up on Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome, which is the novel this book is replicating. Although I admire Wharton and her work, there's no way I will ever read Ethan Frome after reading this modern retelling. A major critique of the original is how bleak it is and how there are no morally good characters. I get that it's a reflection of reality, but holy shit that makes it difficult to read.
This book was on it's way to a one-star read, possibly even a DNF, but I pushed through, and I'm glad I did. That ending. Oh, man. That ending. I absolutely loved it. I loved it so much that I actually retroactively enjoyed the previous 90% of the novel. I even cried.
Not sure if a strong ending is enough for most people to push through a pretty bleak novel, but if that's your thing, this is the book for you.
Happy reading, fellow feminists!