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mbenzz 's review for:
Marrying the Ketchups
by Jennifer Close
When I picked this book up, I thought I was getting a fairly light and funny fiction story about a family that runs a restaurant in Chicago.
Instead, what I got was a VERY liberal Trump-bashing story about a rather unlikable family. I would feel just as annoyed if this was a conservative Hillary-bashing story as I DESPISE politics, and I have zero tolerance for other people shoving their opinions (whatever they may be) down my throat, especially when they're planted in a novel being touted as an 'An irresistible comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicago restaurant family'. So keep that in mind if you choose to read this. Extreme left-wing liberals will love this (which is very obviously what Jennifer Close is), and extreme right-wing conservatives will hate it. Also, this is no comedy. Not by a long shot.
As for the family, they were irritating and immature. Gretchen is in her mid-30's with no direction and the maturity of a teenager.
Teddy is also mid 30's and extremely judgemental and snobby for someone carrying on an affair with his soon-to-be-married ex-boyfriend.
Jane is in her early 40's (I think), and for someone who's so 'progressive' and all for women's rights and carrying on about how women need to make their voices heard, she sure does roll over and take her husbands' crappy behavior for a huge chunk of the book.
Riley is an out-of-control 16-year-old high schooler who needs some SERIOUS therapy and is basically abandoned by her mother, though no one seems to address this. Her story has no conclusion and is completely unnecessary to the book.
The rest of the cast is faceless parents and friends, all of whom were very difficult to keep track of. I could never remember which parents belonged to which character or who were cousins and who were siblings.
Overall, this was a very disappointing story that seemed to lack any direction whatsoever, and the ONLY reason I didn't DNF it (which I almost did every time political opinions were shoved down my throat) was to see where these people ended up.
It is a decision I now regret.
Instead, what I got was a VERY liberal Trump-bashing story about a rather unlikable family. I would feel just as annoyed if this was a conservative Hillary-bashing story as I DESPISE politics, and I have zero tolerance for other people shoving their opinions (whatever they may be) down my throat, especially when they're planted in a novel being touted as an 'An irresistible comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicago restaurant family'. So keep that in mind if you choose to read this. Extreme left-wing liberals will love this (which is very obviously what Jennifer Close is), and extreme right-wing conservatives will hate it. Also, this is no comedy. Not by a long shot.
As for the family, they were irritating and immature. Gretchen is in her mid-30's with no direction and the maturity of a teenager.
Teddy is also mid 30's and extremely judgemental and snobby for someone carrying on an affair with his soon-to-be-married ex-boyfriend.
Jane is in her early 40's (I think), and for someone who's so 'progressive' and all for women's rights and carrying on about how women need to make their voices heard, she sure does roll over and take her husbands' crappy behavior for a huge chunk of the book.
Riley is an out-of-control 16-year-old high schooler who needs some SERIOUS therapy and is basically abandoned by her mother, though no one seems to address this. Her story has no conclusion and is completely unnecessary to the book.
The rest of the cast is faceless parents and friends, all of whom were very difficult to keep track of. I could never remember which parents belonged to which character or who were cousins and who were siblings.
Overall, this was a very disappointing story that seemed to lack any direction whatsoever, and the ONLY reason I didn't DNF it (which I almost did every time political opinions were shoved down my throat) was to see where these people ended up.
It is a decision I now regret.