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!

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West

Happy Book Birthday to Kathleen West, whose debut, Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, hits shelves today!

Drama doesn't begin to describe the happenings at Liston Heights High! With overly involved parents at every turn, teachers, students, and parents all find themselves in the line of fire in this debut. 

Isobel Johnson has received a disturbing voice mail from a "concerned" parent. On her personal phone number, no less. In the message, the parent accuses Isobel of anti-American teachings. And all of that because of an attempt to teach her students to see multiple perspectives and consider what's between the lines in classics such as The Great Gatsby. But opening the eyes of privileged students is a bit too far for the parents of Liston High!

Julia Abbott is just one of those parents. In fact, she herself made a passive-aggressive remark about Isobel's teachings at the recent Sadie Hawkins dance. But Julia doesn't have time to worry about Isobel, not now that she herself is the talk of the school. And all because she got a little too excited about her son's part in the school play. 

Both Isobel and Julia find themselves at the center of some very unwanted attention and the outcome for each of them is seemingly out of their hands!

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes was a bit of a nail-biter and anxiety producer for me, if I'm honest! I was actually seething at Isobel's treatment, something I think a lot of folks in the publishing world can sympathize with as classics new and old come under fire by "concerned" parents!

Julia was a bit harder to sympathize with. She's, at first for sure, the absolute antithesis of Isobel! In fact, Julia comes across not only as an overly involved helicopter parent, but someone who lives their life in hopes that they'll earn endorsements or brand sponsorship for no reason other than that she feels worthy of it!

Julia's behavior is cringeworthy. But by the time it becomes clear that her family has been increasingly trying to deal with mess and fall out as a result of her actions, I found myself warming to her somewhat.

An interesting thing to note, and something that definitely helped in maybe not liking Julia but certainly being more sympathetic to her situation, is the fact that Kathleen West offers up a ton of different perspectives in throughout the story. Isobel and Julia are certainly the main characters, but we get chapters from the principal, Julia's kids, Julia's husband, fellow teachers, and others as the story progresses. Which means that we, the readers, know what's going on behind both Isobel's and Julia's backs!

Whether you're a parent in the thick of school drama or simply a bystander looking for a fun read, Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes is sure to please!