Tom Perrotta

In this novel, Perrotta explores modern sexual mores, from pornography to gender, and its manifestations in generations, from experiential Gen-Xers to open-minded Gen-Zs. While there are some funny and tender moments, the book tries to cram a little too much: Eve going on a sexual odyssey, (very unlikable) Brendan who must face his abhorrent behaviour and the cast of supporting characters, each representing an aspect of today's discourse (the transgender teacher, gay vet, queer assistant, etc.). The ending, therefore, comes as a bit of a vanilla surprise with a Perrotta twist.
Overall I did enjoy it, but it's definitely a book of its time and one that tries a bit too much to address gender issues rather than develop the characters. I did appreciate the resources in the annex for those who might be curious to know more about the LGBTQ+ community.… (meer)

Funny. Timely. Provocative.

Tom Perrotta is a master at exposing the secrets of suburbia. In his latest novel, Perrotta creates memorable characters -- all ripe for a juicy book club discussion. There's Eve Fletcher, the not young, but not old mom who just sent her only son off to college. Brendan, the entitled, POS son. Amber, the struggling feminist. Amanda, the millenial stuck in and dead-end job. And a whole other cast of multi-dimensional characters.

What makes Perotta's books so enjoyable is not just the wit and good storytelling, but the interwoven social commentary. In this novel he broaches the subjects of porn, transgender rights, texting/sexting, and relationships between young men and women on college campus. Perotta covers these in a "no holds barred" fashion. I was wishing I had read this as part of a group because there was so much I wanted to discuss!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

hmmmm...not quite a flop, but maybe my least favorite in my tom perrotta completion journey. i didn't love the switch to first person for brendan's chapters, that was a weird choice to me and i don't think it offered anything special that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. something i typically love about perrotta's characters is how they're all so tangible and human and you GET IT even when they're making all the wrong choices, but in this story i just didn't feel as connected to them or like we had those moments that pulled you in deeper. well, let me rephrase actually: eve certainly had standout moments that were little breadcrumbs i could follow in my mind and really think about her as a character. everyone else sort of fell flat for me in that regard. and the ending just did not hit for me idk… (meer)