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janp's review
2.0
Jello-O Girls is a memoir by a descendant of the people who bought the Jell-O patent in 1899. From then until the present, though the family has been financially set and immensely privileged, Rowbottom posits that a "curse" beset the family and manifested itself in suicides, cancer, alcoholism and mysterious ailments. To me, that could be the story of many families, but without the Jell-O connection. And I had trouble relating her personal family story to the impact of Jell-O not only in their lives but the lives of Americans, especially to women and "the female experience". A disappointing read.
readalot662f9's review
2.0
This reminded me of my reaction to Devil in the White City. Everyone was fascinated by the serial killer and I was more interested in the Chicago World's Fair and history. They struggles of a spoiled, wealthy family was of little interest (nothing special there), but the role of Jell-o in the United States, the early marketing and branding of a product, what lives and the perception of women were at the time were fascinating. Great cultural history. I almost didn't finish this, but the history was so fascinating I struggled through the family story.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
eager_reader_'s review
2.0
Do not recommend. I love a good family drama, but this was snoozeville. This is the actual story of the Jell-O dynasty apparently. The women are "cursed." ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZzzz The author also did the narration and nearly put me to sleep. If you read this one, I don't recommend the audio.
geriatricgretch's review
4.0
What a weird book - I really liked it, but I could see others not feeling as strongly. Equal parts tragic/gothic family history and the history of Jell-o/the women's movement in the 20th century, this was strange and off-putting but in a way that appealed to me deeply. Rowbottom is a punchy writer, and her tutelage under Maggie Nelson makes a lot of sense.
rachel_from_avid_bookshop's review
5.0
This is the second masterful memoir I've read in 2018 about the impact of the complicated and fascinating relationships between mothers and daughters (see also THE ELECTRIC WOMAN by Tessa Fontaine). Allie Rowbottom shares the history of her family's business (Jell-O) while also detailing the lives of generations of women oppressed by the patriarchy and dismissed as hysterical. Highly addictive, JELL-O GIRLS is the perfect book club pick, especially if you want to dive into the mother witch archetype and disrupting the patriarchy.
theromanticace's review
1.0
I hate to be so critical, but why was this a story that someone felt needed to tell? I really disliked this book, as it clearly came from a place of privilege and all the parts didn’t make sense molded together. Truly wish I could have that time spent reading back.
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