Reviews

I am not a middle aged woman in a failed marriage with a teenage boy. So I cannot relate to any of the feelings the main character is dealing with. So this is just not for me with this phase of life

shannonw19's review against another edition

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5.0

There is a reason this is one of the most anticipated books of the year. Separation Anxiety is funny. And sad. And real. Judy Vogel wrote a hugely successful children's book that was turned into a PBS series. Her next two books were flops. She and her husband, Gary, are separated, but they live in the same house because they cannot afford to have separate houses and because they don't want to disrupt their son, Teddy's, life.

Separation anxiety touches on all those things that middle aged women go through - feeling ineffectual, disconnected, disappointed, and alone in the world. It does so with humor and grace. Despite some bad things happening to Judy and the people she loves, the overriding message is that everything may not work out the way you want, but it will be okay.

My favorite part of this book is when she and Gary end up at this creativity retreat hosted by an Instagram-famous guru. It's such a pitch-perfect jab at lifestyle gurus, social media "influencers" and those who fall for social media perfection. I adored it.

I adored Judy. She is like me and most of my friends - wanting to do more, wanting to be more, wanting to accomplish more. I really liked this book. It was funny and warm and touching. Judy is flawed and imperfect in a perfect way. I especially liked Judy's relationship with her best friend, Glenn, who is dying of cancer. It sounds depressing, but I left this book feeling a little bit better about things and about my life.

I won this book from Goodreads and received no compensation in exchange for this review. The opinions contained are mine and mine alone.

terridube's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

allysonstaley's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

4.0

alyssiatsmith's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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