Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West

Happy Book Birthday to Kathleen West whose latest, Are We There Yet? hits shelves today!

Alice, Meredith, and Nadia have been friends since their kids started kindergarten together. But now, with all three in middle school, the dynamic has changed. 

Alice's son has been accused of bullying and the neighbors are ready to pin defacement of property on him as well. Meredith's daughter is caught in the middle and Meredith isn't willing to do anything to risk her daughter's well being. Nadia's son has long been viewed as the troublemaker of the bunch, but she too is caught in the middle when tension between Alice and Meredith comes to a head. 

But while the kids are facing their own drama, Alice herself is facing increased drama as well when her own mother reveals a secret she's been sitting on for decades! 

I don't think I can adequately sum up everything going on in this book in a quick little synopsis, but I tried!

This book was such a stressful read!

Like her debut, Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, Are We There Yet? features lots of over involved parents and schoolyard drama. 

Alice is feeling the pressure as a parent almost as soon as the book begins, attending a parent/teacher conference—alone—and pinched for time on a client meeting. But it's her son who quickly becomes the source of her stress. Her son and her job.

Meredith is the picture of an over involved parent. Her one and only daughter is the focus of ALL of her attention. And that means spending ample time on the school app, checking on her daughter's grades, obsessing about said grades, obsessing about her daughter's diet, obsessing about her daughter's activities...And the thing is, her daughter is a good kid. 

Meanwhile, Nadia has been a bit on the outside of the trio for a while. The judgement both moms lump on her is clear in the opening chapter when she expresses concern about something her son mentioned regarding Alice's son. 

Oh, the drama! 

But it's not just the moms that get all the attention here. West focuses part of the book on the kids as well, giving readers a chance to see the full picture as the story unfolds. Who said what and why and how it affected who...

So first, re the parents, I thought this kind of mess got left behind when you left school. Now that I have a kid and I realize that's not the case...And holy crap the things kids do to one another! I had the benefit of growing up WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA! And how I really wish it didn't exist today, especially when it becomes the basis for a book like this. 

Yeah, this book had me thinking about ALL THE THINGS I'll have to worry about as my own kid gets older. 

If you're a fan of contemporary fiction/suburban drama, you should definitely dip into Wests's novels. They're full of heart (and anxiety) and tension surrounding family dynamics (I didn't even get into the subplot...). But maybe, if you have kids of your own, it'll make you step back a bit and think before acting the way her characters do...

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!