A review by jackiehorne
All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

3.0

Weiner covers pretty well-trod ground in this story of a privileged Jewish woman who avoids confronting her dissatisfaction with her life after motherhood and a move to the suburbs, as well as her struggles to "do it all," by taking increasingly large numbers of prescription painkillers. Allison's difficult daughter, distant mother, job-disappointed husband, and father struggling with Alzheimer's make her turn to drugs plausible, and give us a reason to sympathize with her, despite her occasional whininess and snarky/mean comments about others. She doesn't have much of a distinct personality, beyond the whininess and snarkiness, though, which makes her story not as engaging as it might have been.

The part I enjoyed most was Weiner's depiction of life in rehab; both the dehumanization of the rehabbers, and the humor Allison musters to deal with the institution itself, seems quite similar to Cannie's response to dealing with the weight loss industry in GOOD IN BED. Lord, how I wish we'd actually gotten to see the SOUNDS OF REHAB talent show...