Publisher: Wednesday Books
Series: None
Format: e-ARC
Source: Netgalley & Publisher
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Eloise “Lou” Hansen is graduating from Columbia University summa cum laude, and she's ready to conquer the world. Just a few minor problems: she has no job, no prospects, and she’s moving back into her childhood bedroom. Lou is grimly determined to stick to a rigorous schedule to get a job and get out of her parents’ house. Shelly “Mama Shell” Hansen, on the other hand, is ecstatic, and just as determined to keep her at home. Who else will help her hide her latest binge-shopping purchases from her husband, go to SoulCycle with her, and hold her hand during Botox shots?
Smothered is a hilarious roman à clef told via journal entries, text messages, emails, bills, receipts, tweets, doctor’s prescriptions, job applications and rejections, parking tickets, and pug pictures, chronicling the year that Lou moves back home after college. Told from Lou’s point-of-view, Smothered tells the story of two young(ish) women, just trying to get it right, and learning that just because we all grow up doesn’t mean we necessarily have to grow old. (After all, what is Juvaderm for?)
**Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.**
If you're looking for a lighthearted and funny book that reads similar to Sophie Kinsella, then you will most likely enjoy Smothered.
First off, I love how the story was told. Most of the book is chronicled through Lou's personal journal entries, but there are also text messages, e-mails, tweets, Instagram posts, etc. It was something unique and refreshing and it also added to the fun nature of the book.
Character wise, Lou and her family are extremely privileged. They are considerably wealthy which is obvious from Mama Shell's super extravagant spending habits. So I didn't really relate to Lou's constant whining about not having a job and having to live at home even though she graduated from Columbia. Honestly, I know she was stressed about what she was going to do with her life, but I would have been happy living at a house where I didn't have to do anything.
Lou also lied to her family for 9 months and then expects everything to be normal when she gets caught. After all, she made up an elaborate lie that ended up making national headlines so I don't understand why she was shocked when everyone got mad at her. Her character at the end does get better when she realizes the full extent of what she did, but it shouldn't have taken her the entire book to figure that out.
Mama Shell was seemingly over the top with her antics. She was constantly tracking all her family members and forcing them to go on those ridiculous juice cleanses and fad diets that she reads about in magazines. But she did seem to mean well even with trying to turn Lou into the younger version of herself. I think she was trying to live vicariously through her younger daughters by acting the way she did and dressing like she did. There are actually moms out there that do that, so it was believable. But like I said, her antics were over the top, especially the part where the Hansen's go to Temple.
Some of the situations that the Hansen's found themselves in were pretty ridiculous and not really believable, but considering this is a fictional book I let it pass. They were pretty funny to read about though.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a fast and light read about mother/daughter dynamics, you will probably enjoy this one!
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