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Parents Behaving Badly: A Novel
Scott Gummer’s debut novel is a smart suburban satire that paints an unforgettable portrait of fathers who coach like Patton, mothers who drink like fish, and the children caught in the middle.
An uproarious and poignant satire of American suburbia and youth sports gone wild
When Ben and Jili Holden must move from Manhattan with their three children back to their small hometown of Palace Valley, California, they are forced to reconcile the parents they’ve become with the dreams they once had. After reluctantly stepping up to coach his son’s Little League team, Ben is challenged to finally come to terms with the long shadow of his father, a legendary high school baseball coach who is beloved by generations of players, yet largely a stranger to Ben.
Ben and Jili struggle to connect with their technology-addicted children and grapple with issues of marital fidelity—both at home and in the hotbed of sexual tension that is the Little League park. Among an unforgettable cast are Del, a tyrannical coach; Liza, Ben’s unrequited high school crush; and Cyn, the sultry thong-wearing team mom with the serpent tattoo. Parents Behaving Badly offers a field-level view of the insanity of youth sports today and roasts the lunatic parents and overzealous coaches who all too often ruin it for the kids.
An uproarious and poignant satire of American suburbia and youth sports gone wild
When Ben and Jili Holden must move from Manhattan with their three children back to their small hometown of Palace Valley, California, they are forced to reconcile the parents they’ve become with the dreams they once had. After reluctantly stepping up to coach his son’s Little League team, Ben is challenged to finally come to terms with the long shadow of his father, a legendary high school baseball coach who is beloved by generations of players, yet largely a stranger to Ben.
Ben and Jili struggle to connect with their technology-addicted children and grapple with issues of marital fidelity—both at home and in the hotbed of sexual tension that is the Little League park. Among an unforgettable cast are Del, a tyrannical coach; Liza, Ben’s unrequited high school crush; and Cyn, the sultry thong-wearing team mom with the serpent tattoo. Parents Behaving Badly offers a field-level view of the insanity of youth sports today and roasts the lunatic parents and overzealous coaches who all too often ruin it for the kids.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2011
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245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 3, 2011
This novel had too much on its plate:
a. satire of bland, bored suburban malaise;
b. the mid-life crisis of a whiny protagonist who is supposedly still struggling with moving back to the bland, boring suburban malaise he grew up in;
c. a parody of the excessive competitiveness in youth sports...
I could go on, but the point is that Parents Behaving Badly doesn't succeed on any of these fronts.
a. satire of bland, bored suburban malaise;
b. the mid-life crisis of a whiny protagonist who is supposedly still struggling with moving back to the bland, boring suburban malaise he grew up in;
c. a parody of the excessive competitiveness in youth sports...
I could go on, but the point is that Parents Behaving Badly doesn't succeed on any of these fronts.
April 24, 2011
I won this advance copy in a goodreads giveaway.
Parents Behaving Badly centers around the Holden family. After raising three children in Manhattan, Ben and Jili move the family back to their hometown of Palace Valley, California to care for Jili's aging mother. When Ben's father, a beloved retired high school baseball coach, passes away, Ben's sons ask to join Little League to honor their grandfather's memory. Ben's strained relationship with his father had led him to avoid the sport of baseball his entire life, yet Ben finds himself in the midst of the cutthroat world of Little League baseball. He observes parents doing all kinds of crazy things in the name of winning: Offering bribes ($100, sex with his wife) at registration to get a child into the right district, belittling a son after a poor tryout, paying $400 for a baseball bat.
The managers of the teams are in it to win it at any cost, and none more than Del Mann, who happens to be the manager of Ben's older son Andrew's team. Then halfway through the season, Del loses his temper after a game, kicks his own son in the groin, and is subsequently relieved of his duties. When nobody steps up to manage the team, Ben reluctantly offers despite his scant knowledge of the game. He makes it his mission to make the game less about winning and more about fun, and in the process Ben finds he has more in common with his late father than he ever thought.
I didn't love this book. There were a few parts where I laughed out loud. I did like, in the last few chapters, reading about Ben's clumsy attempts at coaching and to turn around the attitudes of his team members/former manager Del Mann/the rest of the league. However, I do not have kids and I do not like baseball and I have no experience with Little League, so I found myself extremely bored when Gummer went on for paragraphs giving play-by-play descriptions of the baseball games or explaining a Little League baseball rule. Also, there were SO many characters that I couldn't keep the names straight. Right off the bat, in a scene where youngest son Tommy has a birthday party, we are introduced by name to aunts, uncles, cousins, classmates. Then we have to keep track of Andrew's entire baseball team, all of their parents, many of the coaches, etc. I gave up trying to picture each character in my head.
I suppose if you are a parent of children who play organized sports, or even if you are a parent in general or a sports fan, you might find some connection to this satire of Little League life. Being none of these things, I did not.
Parents Behaving Badly centers around the Holden family. After raising three children in Manhattan, Ben and Jili move the family back to their hometown of Palace Valley, California to care for Jili's aging mother. When Ben's father, a beloved retired high school baseball coach, passes away, Ben's sons ask to join Little League to honor their grandfather's memory. Ben's strained relationship with his father had led him to avoid the sport of baseball his entire life, yet Ben finds himself in the midst of the cutthroat world of Little League baseball. He observes parents doing all kinds of crazy things in the name of winning: Offering bribes ($100, sex with his wife) at registration to get a child into the right district, belittling a son after a poor tryout, paying $400 for a baseball bat.
The managers of the teams are in it to win it at any cost, and none more than Del Mann, who happens to be the manager of Ben's older son Andrew's team. Then halfway through the season, Del loses his temper after a game, kicks his own son in the groin, and is subsequently relieved of his duties. When nobody steps up to manage the team, Ben reluctantly offers despite his scant knowledge of the game. He makes it his mission to make the game less about winning and more about fun, and in the process Ben finds he has more in common with his late father than he ever thought.
I didn't love this book. There were a few parts where I laughed out loud. I did like, in the last few chapters, reading about Ben's clumsy attempts at coaching and to turn around the attitudes of his team members/former manager Del Mann/the rest of the league. However, I do not have kids and I do not like baseball and I have no experience with Little League, so I found myself extremely bored when Gummer went on for paragraphs giving play-by-play descriptions of the baseball games or explaining a Little League baseball rule. Also, there were SO many characters that I couldn't keep the names straight. Right off the bat, in a scene where youngest son Tommy has a birthday party, we are introduced by name to aunts, uncles, cousins, classmates. Then we have to keep track of Andrew's entire baseball team, all of their parents, many of the coaches, etc. I gave up trying to picture each character in my head.
I suppose if you are a parent of children who play organized sports, or even if you are a parent in general or a sports fan, you might find some connection to this satire of Little League life. Being none of these things, I did not.
March 20, 2011
Here's the main reason I didn't like this book: I find the topic of Little League Baseball to be quite boring. So the vast majority of the novel did not hold my interest one bit. I kept hoping maybe things would turn around and get interesting.
What's more, Parents Behaving Badly read, well, badly. At the beginning of the book I had a hard time keeping straight which character was which. Part of the problem is the author never really spent any time telling me who was who and the other part of the problem was they all had boring and generic names. Anyway, I kept reading without trying to figure it out because I didn't really care.
The title suggests the parents in this book are going to be behaving badly. But there wasn't much of that going on. They thought a bit about cheating, but they thought about it passively and never actually considered going out and cheating. That's not actually behaving badly so much as it is contemplating behaving badly. Snore. Then there was a little incident at the end of the book, but other than that, there wasn't much behaving badly going on that I noticed.
On the plus side, though it was a very, very minor part of the plot, I did have to admire the family for moving across the country when Grandma starting getting really forgetful. Not too many families would do that that these days.
This book might be excellent for some people, and I'm sure there are people who would find this book hilarious (I giggled once or twice) and relatable, but overall, it just wasn't for me.
*Disclaimer: I won an advanced copy of this novel through a Goodreads giveaway. Trust me, that fact did not influence my review in any way.
What's more, Parents Behaving Badly read, well, badly. At the beginning of the book I had a hard time keeping straight which character was which. Part of the problem is the author never really spent any time telling me who was who and the other part of the problem was they all had boring and generic names. Anyway, I kept reading without trying to figure it out because I didn't really care.
The title suggests the parents in this book are going to be behaving badly. But there wasn't much of that going on. They thought a bit about cheating, but they thought about it passively and never actually considered going out and cheating. That's not actually behaving badly so much as it is contemplating behaving badly. Snore. Then there was a little incident at the end of the book, but other than that, there wasn't much behaving badly going on that I noticed.
On the plus side, though it was a very, very minor part of the plot, I did have to admire the family for moving across the country when Grandma starting getting really forgetful. Not too many families would do that that these days.
This book might be excellent for some people, and I'm sure there are people who would find this book hilarious (I giggled once or twice) and relatable, but overall, it just wasn't for me.
*Disclaimer: I won an advanced copy of this novel through a Goodreads giveaway. Trust me, that fact did not influence my review in any way.
March 22, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Even though it was the busiest time for me to stop and read, I made this book a priority, keeping it nearby to finish. Why? Because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. If you have ever been a parent or a child experiencing little league baseball ; you will read this book, reminising about the parents and yes coaches, you remember behaving badly. The fact that Mr Gummer was a sports writer comes through very strong in this book, with the detailed descriptions of some crucial games in the playoffs, but it is not overdone.
A major part of this book is the struggles that the parents, Jili and Ben Holden encounter as they return home to Palace Valley California from successful careers in New York. How they re-connect with old high school friends, lovers and enemies is equally entertaining. There is a sweetness to this book as they try to maintain their sanity, egos and loving relationship with each other and their children.
It's a little bit crude humor in spots than I like to read; but forgive the author and get over it because the predominent humor and conclusion to the book is well done.
A major part of this book is the struggles that the parents, Jili and Ben Holden encounter as they return home to Palace Valley California from successful careers in New York. How they re-connect with old high school friends, lovers and enemies is equally entertaining. There is a sweetness to this book as they try to maintain their sanity, egos and loving relationship with each other and their children.
It's a little bit crude humor in spots than I like to read; but forgive the author and get over it because the predominent humor and conclusion to the book is well done.
April 24, 2011
I started out mostly annoyed by the numerous grammatical errors. Let's just hope there's a final edit before the book is released. Then, I was annoyed by the total lack of reality the story line possessed, mainly the wife. You could tell this book was written by a MAN because of the overly horny wife and the overbearing details of every second of the actual baseball. The use of celebrities was also overplayed and so far from reality that I almost laughed evertime the author brought in the notion again and again. Needless to say, I could not wait for this book to end and now that I am, it's heading for my recycle bin. Sorry, but I did not enjoy even a second of this book.
July 28, 2011
Well, this was definately a pleasant surprise!How does an author mix a satirical behind the scenes look at Parents Gone Mad little league action with a look inside the life of a middle-aged couple uprooted from their big city East Coast life, returning to their small town West Coast roots? How does that same author make this combination a hard-to-put-down, page turner? Well, you'll have to read Parents Behaving Badly to find out!
I was not sure if I truly wanted to read this book, I kept overlooking it as I scanned the goodreads book giveaways; finally, at the last moment, I enetered and won. This was a very easy read, definatly pinning the not-so-awesome qualities of humans.
I was not sure if I truly wanted to read this book, I kept overlooking it as I scanned the goodreads book giveaways; finally, at the last moment, I enetered and won. This was a very easy read, definatly pinning the not-so-awesome qualities of humans.
April 24, 2011
When I first started this book I wasn't sure if I could finish it. I'm glad I stuck with it. Scott Gummer pulled me in and made the characters believable to me. I loved Gummer's humor and his story. Having had a child in Little League baseball, I can tell you that Gummer is "spot on" when he talks about the parent's behavior.
March 23, 2011
I found this book very easy to read from the time I picked it up until I put it down, finished a few hours later. The topic hit very close to home. Keeping me very much inclined to turn the next page seeing how the author could some how peek into my own life yet again. I liked it enough to want to find and read his first book. A light read but very enjoyable.
December 13, 2019
If you are a man with dreams of baseball you might like this but mostly a complete waste of paper.
October 14, 2021
Looking for a 210-page book that feels like a 700 pager? This is it. I hated the characters and the relentlessly boring plot concerning little league baseball and a reluctant couch. The book is smarmy in its handling of extramarital flirting, and mostly just tedious. The attempts at squeezing in hip hop concerts and a professional athlete coming out made me wince. When an author seems to needlessly dwell on gaybashing insults, I kept thinking “hmmmm. Cheap, needless and somewhat vicious content here.” Pass on this book… I only bought the paperback because it had a plug from Tom Perrotta on it, an author I usually enjoy.
June 19, 2018
A very fun read full of humanity and snark. A great dig at Little League today and the way adults have ruined it. Moving scenes of the complications of parenting. Many LOL moments, sharp language, surprising, evocative description and a subtle rant about texting. A very enjoyable read. The POV moves in surprising ways at times, though I never got lost. The books opens with a very full stage that continues to get fuller, everyone in the book gets a name, so pay attention. I found myself having to go and check characters against names through much of the first 1/3 or the book.
September 10, 2015
Parents Behaving Badly, by Scott Gummer, is a fun read. Several scenes are hilarious, but the sweet, tender side to this story makes it most memorable.
Ben and Jili move back to their hometown, where many broken and unfulfilled dreams are buried. As they adjust to their once familiar surroundings, they learn to deal with the ghosts of their pasts. Old flames flicker, secrets are revealed, and unspoken questions receive answers.
To be honest, I feel the beginning of the story is a little slow and confusing—too many characters to follow and not enough background to feel grounded in the story. That quickly changes when the characters burst to life and the storyline becomes infused with humor. That’s not to say the entire story is fun and games. It also touches on the frustrations, insecurities, temptations and questions that Ben and Jili’s marriage faces.
The author does a great job of projecting imagery through his words. Although the physical descriptions of the characters (with an exception here and there) are not as crisp as I would have liked, the scenes are vivid, lively and full of color.
I’m not a baseball fan, so many of the coaching references, plays, and strategies go over my head; but my lack of knowledge does little to thwart my enjoyment of the story and its satirical undertone. There are two basic storylines: Ben’s relationships with his family and friends, and the mad goings-on of little league baseball. The tales meld together nicely; glued together by pain, frustration, fear and laughter.
As a parent, even though my children did not participate in team sports in school, I can relate to a large part of this story. The small town of Palace Valley contains residents with big problems. There are several characters I swear live down the street from me ... the middle-aged Barbie wannabe, the obsessed and obnoxious little league coach, the gorgeous temptress who wants nothing more than to steal someone else’s man, and the insufferable know-it-all. Let’s not forget the children caught in the middle of the madness, forced to live the dreams of their parents.
*I received this book as a goodreads early release. It did not influence my review or rating.
Ben and Jili move back to their hometown, where many broken and unfulfilled dreams are buried. As they adjust to their once familiar surroundings, they learn to deal with the ghosts of their pasts. Old flames flicker, secrets are revealed, and unspoken questions receive answers.
To be honest, I feel the beginning of the story is a little slow and confusing—too many characters to follow and not enough background to feel grounded in the story. That quickly changes when the characters burst to life and the storyline becomes infused with humor. That’s not to say the entire story is fun and games. It also touches on the frustrations, insecurities, temptations and questions that Ben and Jili’s marriage faces.
The author does a great job of projecting imagery through his words. Although the physical descriptions of the characters (with an exception here and there) are not as crisp as I would have liked, the scenes are vivid, lively and full of color.
I’m not a baseball fan, so many of the coaching references, plays, and strategies go over my head; but my lack of knowledge does little to thwart my enjoyment of the story and its satirical undertone. There are two basic storylines: Ben’s relationships with his family and friends, and the mad goings-on of little league baseball. The tales meld together nicely; glued together by pain, frustration, fear and laughter.
As a parent, even though my children did not participate in team sports in school, I can relate to a large part of this story. The small town of Palace Valley contains residents with big problems. There are several characters I swear live down the street from me ... the middle-aged Barbie wannabe, the obsessed and obnoxious little league coach, the gorgeous temptress who wants nothing more than to steal someone else’s man, and the insufferable know-it-all. Let’s not forget the children caught in the middle of the madness, forced to live the dreams of their parents.
*I received this book as a goodreads early release. It did not influence my review or rating.
April 4, 2011
Got this as a Goodreads giveaway and I was very excited to read it. My two children had been though the local soccer program and I was anxious to see if any of the bad behaving parents from the book seemed familiar. While our soccer program had the occasional parent/coach who put his child above others or the parents who used the program for a babysitter, that now seems tame compared to this story.
This is the story of Ben and his wife Jili. They were living the good life in New York until they moved back to California to be near their aging parents.
After the death of his father “Coach”, Ben and Jili’s two sons wanted to sign up for the local baseball program. Suddenly Ben, who was a little introverted, found himself pulled into a cast of characters he would have rather stayed away from. There was the over zealous coach who bent the rules in his favor, put his own child’s well-being on the line to win games, and who was responsible for the local “promgate”. There was the local MILF, who shamelessly flirted with Ben and wouldn’t share her cevichi recipe as promised. There was the boy who’s mother married his father’s father and who’s father married his mother’s twin sister, making his grandfather his step-father and his aunt his step-mother. This book is about how Ben and Jili navigate their way through all these crazy people and keep their own lives intact.
This was a great book, except for one little thing - I don’t know much about baseball. Every so often I had to go to my husband to explain a baseball term for me. If he wasn’t around I could have easily skimmed over those parts and it wouldn’t have affected the story line, but I think my husband enjoyed my sudden sports interest. I think he may even read the book - when baseball season is over.
This is the story of Ben and his wife Jili. They were living the good life in New York until they moved back to California to be near their aging parents.
After the death of his father “Coach”, Ben and Jili’s two sons wanted to sign up for the local baseball program. Suddenly Ben, who was a little introverted, found himself pulled into a cast of characters he would have rather stayed away from. There was the over zealous coach who bent the rules in his favor, put his own child’s well-being on the line to win games, and who was responsible for the local “promgate”. There was the local MILF, who shamelessly flirted with Ben and wouldn’t share her cevichi recipe as promised. There was the boy who’s mother married his father’s father and who’s father married his mother’s twin sister, making his grandfather his step-father and his aunt his step-mother. This book is about how Ben and Jili navigate their way through all these crazy people and keep their own lives intact.
This was a great book, except for one little thing - I don’t know much about baseball. Every so often I had to go to my husband to explain a baseball term for me. If he wasn’t around I could have easily skimmed over those parts and it wouldn’t have affected the story line, but I think my husband enjoyed my sudden sports interest. I think he may even read the book - when baseball season is over.
April 14, 2011
I won this book from Goodreads and thought it would mainly be about little league baseball parents, and a good part of it was. The writing about little league was VERY spot on. I grew up watching my older brothers play baseball and I've also seen my son play baseball and things have changed over the past 20 years. Gummer did an excellent job describing different kinds of players and parents. I very much enjoyed that part of this story, though I do think the ending was a little too "hunky-dory" and unrealistic.
I thought the main focus of the book though was on Ben and Jili's relationship with each other and their family members. I did really like Jili's character but Ben (the main character) bothered me a bit. He seemed like a nice guy...but the sexual fantasies about another woman got old. I don't care if that is realistic, women don't want to read about husbands thinking about cheating.
I also felt like the book was not organized very well. The plot and setting kept changing and you were left trying to figure out if this was the present day or a flashback. I don't mind flashbacks and telling a story in different glimpses, but this novel was too disorganized.
That being said, about halfway through the book I started to care about the characters more and I did want to finish it.
I thought the main focus of the book though was on Ben and Jili's relationship with each other and their family members. I did really like Jili's character but Ben (the main character) bothered me a bit. He seemed like a nice guy...but the sexual fantasies about another woman got old. I don't care if that is realistic, women don't want to read about husbands thinking about cheating.
I also felt like the book was not organized very well. The plot and setting kept changing and you were left trying to figure out if this was the present day or a flashback. I don't mind flashbacks and telling a story in different glimpses, but this novel was too disorganized.
That being said, about halfway through the book I started to care about the characters more and I did want to finish it.
April 12, 2011
Disclaimer: I got this book from the Goodreads First Reads....
The first chapter introduced too many characters right off the bat that I couldn't keep track of until the 3rd chapter or so. It does portray sports parents in a very real way & the reader is just as appalled at their behavior as are the main characters. Eventually you figure out who is who among the characters. You find yourself rooting for the main characters - Jilli and Ben - to work things out & rise above the behavior of their peers, but there are characters who seem to be just thrown in without any real substantive affect on the overall story. Ben & Jilli's daughter is highly undeveloped, kind of thrown in as an afterthought.
Overall, it was an entertaining book, but not a literary genuis. Also, though it was an unpublished version, there were about 6 major errors that the editors seemed to miss.
Spoiler....
The ending is a bit unrealistic, since the "bad guy" turns into a bit of a softy, and it's all wrapped up nicely. But it's a "feel good" book & it finishes allowing the reader to find hope in America's sport parents.
The first chapter introduced too many characters right off the bat that I couldn't keep track of until the 3rd chapter or so. It does portray sports parents in a very real way & the reader is just as appalled at their behavior as are the main characters. Eventually you figure out who is who among the characters. You find yourself rooting for the main characters - Jilli and Ben - to work things out & rise above the behavior of their peers, but there are characters who seem to be just thrown in without any real substantive affect on the overall story. Ben & Jilli's daughter is highly undeveloped, kind of thrown in as an afterthought.
Overall, it was an entertaining book, but not a literary genuis. Also, though it was an unpublished version, there were about 6 major errors that the editors seemed to miss.
Spoiler....
The ending is a bit unrealistic, since the "bad guy" turns into a bit of a softy, and it's all wrapped up nicely. But it's a "feel good" book & it finishes allowing the reader to find hope in America's sport parents.
March 29, 2011
I won this as a giveaway so I really wanted to just love it. But I didn't. Maybe I set myself up for not liking it by having such high expectations, I don't know. There were 3 different story lines going on at once, Ben's relationship with his now dead father, his relationship with his wife, and coaching the baseball team. The strongest of those was his relationship with his wife. All of them were good stories, but none of them were developed enough for me. I wanted a little more depth. If he had limited it to 2 of the story lines he could have focused more on the remaining ones. The weakest story was his relationship with his father. It was really kind of lame. Kid never understands his dad, dad dies and kid now understands him more. I didn't get the whole purpose of Homer's story, other than the fake coins. And I'm sorry, Del would never, ever break down and cry and hug Ben like that. Too sappy, even for me, and I can really love sap sometimes. I loved the playfulness of Ben and Jili, I think their relationship was very well-developed. Their interactions stole the book away from everything else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2012
I loved this book! It takes place mainly from Paul's, a mid-age dad, son, brother, and husband, perspective. He has a teenage daughter and 2 sons, both that are foraying into Little League baseball upon their recent move back from Manhattan to the small CA town where he and his wife grew up. It delves into the relationship he had with his dad, a local legend as a State Champion high school baseball coach (but no too much that it becomes the focal point of the story). At the heart is the family and a realistic look at marriage and the debacle that kids' sports have become in light of competitiveness and being the best and asking so much at a young age. Humor is infused throughout the book. As Paul is asked to step in to replace his average-playing son's coach mid-season, his approach becomes one of what is best for the kids, which is not received well by the parents or a few of the kids themselves. I think the tone of the book was set best by its dedication: For all the parents that live for - not through - their kids. It is a good read and very relatable.
March 27, 2011
I was lucky to receive this book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was very excited to start reading it. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectation. I may be biased with this review because I don't know anything about baseball, therefore, I didn't understand half the book and I found myself skipping paragraphs. I thought the book would be about parents behaving badly and would have a story of some great revelation, as the title suggests, but instead the plot completely revolved around baseball. The book also didn't read very well. The author skipped topics like stones. The only things that save this book are the relationship between the two main likeable characters and the author's great sense of humour. I have to admit, the book did make me laugh out loud numerous times. While I was reading the book, I kept imagining the characters in a movie, but I think the movie in this case would fare far better than the novel.
April 11, 2015
I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Full disclosure, I entered to win this book mostly because I was in the mood to read about parents behaving like what I’ve seen on the fields when my own children were in youth sports (badly!)
There were so many characters introduced at first I could barely keep up, but eventually I fell into mildly following Ben and Jill, and that’s about it. This may just be me, I have no interest in baseball itself and baseball is almost a character itself in this book. I will admit in skimming through parts of this book. I just never got pulled in. I will also admit I walked away and it took me a long time to pick this book back up and finish. By time I did finish- I didn’t love the ending, just wrapped up too nicely for my taste. It just wasn't a book for me.
Full disclosure, I entered to win this book mostly because I was in the mood to read about parents behaving like what I’ve seen on the fields when my own children were in youth sports (badly!)
There were so many characters introduced at first I could barely keep up, but eventually I fell into mildly following Ben and Jill, and that’s about it. This may just be me, I have no interest in baseball itself and baseball is almost a character itself in this book. I will admit in skimming through parts of this book. I just never got pulled in. I will also admit I walked away and it took me a long time to pick this book back up and finish. By time I did finish- I didn’t love the ending, just wrapped up too nicely for my taste. It just wasn't a book for me.
April 5, 2011
This book should be required reading for any parent signing up their precious little one for sports as well as anyone contemplating coaching! An enjoyable and quick read, it has a nice "people-watching" feel to it as it explores just how messed-up suburban families can be. I wanted the plot to dig a little deeper...the conflicts were almost watered down, but sometimes it's nice to have a light read. I also liked hearing the story from the male perspective. Parents Behaving Badly will appeal just as much to men as it does women, especially the detailed accounts of dramatic Little League games. There is a good balance between humor and sentiment -- would make a great foundation for a television sit-com.
Please note that I was provided an advance reading copy of this book by the publisher which has not affected my review.
Please note that I was provided an advance reading copy of this book by the publisher which has not affected my review.
October 2, 2011
I picked up this book because an author I deeply love, Tom Perrotta, recommended it. And to be honest, I have mixed emotions about this book. I really wanted to like it - and I did - but not as much as I wanted to. A few times, I wanted to just put it down and walk away because it just wasn't doing it for me, but I insisted on keeping it going because I wanted it to work. Here's the deal - if you like books about parents and midlife crisis and kids, you're in the right department. But then you have to really, and I mean really, like baseball and Little League and sports. Which I don't. Because of this, I was a bit lost much of the time. When baseball was not part of the equation, I was all over this book. So, you have to like chick lit, mid life crisis type stuff, and baseball - a tall order, I think, but maybe not. I'll leave that up for you to decide.
March 31, 2011
This book started out catching my attention, describing the typical American family. Then somewhere along the line it lost my attention. The topic would change, and be totally on a different subject on the same page. The story line was good, but felt that the writer could have added on more about the relationship with his father.
The little league scenes got old after awhile, and there were alot of little fillers.
I found Jilli, and Cyn, as the most interesting characters. I loved Jilli's outward behavior, and if Cyn hadn't been in the book, it would have been a total bore.
Would I recommend this book to my book club, or my friends? No, I probably would not have finished this book, but it was an advanced reader and I wanted to give an honest review.
The little league scenes got old after awhile, and there were alot of little fillers.
I found Jilli, and Cyn, as the most interesting characters. I loved Jilli's outward behavior, and if Cyn hadn't been in the book, it would have been a total bore.
Would I recommend this book to my book club, or my friends? No, I probably would not have finished this book, but it was an advanced reader and I wanted to give an honest review.
March 28, 2011
I won this book as a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway and immediately started reading it.
Based on the title of the book, I was expecting some scandalous activity from suburban parents. Not so much. I found the beginning of the book to be clumsy. Too many characters were introduced too quickly, along with detailed information that seemed completely irrelevant to what was going on. It was like the author was trying too hard to lay the groundwork for their personalities instead of just letting it come naturally.
Unfortunately for me, the main focus of this book was little league baseball. Personally, I have ZERO interest in baseball, no matter what age group is playing it.
I'm sure some people will be able to completely identify with this book. I was not one of them.
Based on the title of the book, I was expecting some scandalous activity from suburban parents. Not so much. I found the beginning of the book to be clumsy. Too many characters were introduced too quickly, along with detailed information that seemed completely irrelevant to what was going on. It was like the author was trying too hard to lay the groundwork for their personalities instead of just letting it come naturally.
Unfortunately for me, the main focus of this book was little league baseball. Personally, I have ZERO interest in baseball, no matter what age group is playing it.
I'm sure some people will be able to completely identify with this book. I was not one of them.
April 5, 2011
I received this book from the GoodReads Giveaway. I really enjoyed this book, to my surprise. It was a quick read, with a great story that moved along steadily and wrapped up nicely. I don't know a whole lot about baseball, so I did get a little lost at times, but I was still drawn into the games and the players' interactions with each other and their coaches. There were some parts of the story that I would've liked to see fleshed out a little more, and other parts that didn't seem terrible important. But all in all, it was a fun read, and I'm glad I was able to receive it as a giveaway, since I probably wouldn't have come across it otherwise.
May 25, 2011
Scott Gummer has nailed it with his book "Parents Behaving Badly". The book is very, very funny, laugh out loud funny in places, but it's a touching view of the constantly evolving relationships between husband and wife and parents and children. But what I loved most about this book is that while done with a humorous approach, Scott has created a story that everyone can find themselves in, whether as a parent, a former Little Leaguer, a teenager whose parents just don't get them. It is a short, fun, and touching read. HIGHLY recommend it.
February 4, 2013
If you are a parent with a child in any sport, then you know how badly some parents can act. My son has been a baseball player for years, so I could relate to quite a bit of the scenarios in the book. The kids just want to have fun, but some parents look at their kid's playing as a life or death experience. I think we all know at least one parent who has exhibited this type of behavior at their children't games. An OK read, but I found it a bit lacking. I started it three times before I could finally finish it.
December 13, 2013
I really liked this book. It gave a good look into the dark side of little league baseball( not too much but just enough) The secondary story lines really were good as well with Ben's relationship with friends and family. His relationship with Gilly was great and gave good insight to mind of the middle aged man (oh, come on guys, you know you have thought some of the same things Ben did). I found myself laughing out loud at the jokes and couldn't wait for the story to unfold. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
August 22, 2011
This book captures perfectly how completely out of hand some Little League parents and coaches get when they lose perspective. Ben Holden, son of the town's most famous baseball coach (who expires at the beginning of the book) has spent his life trying not to be like his Dad, but finds that he has more in common with him than he thought.
Things get wrapped up way too neatly, but this was still a decent read. I wouldn't mind watching a game with Ben.
Things get wrapped up way too neatly, but this was still a decent read. I wouldn't mind watching a game with Ben.
October 5, 2011
I picked this up as a whim at Borders last year, because the title made me laugh. It was a funny read and the perfect transition book for me after reading the intense Hunger Games series. The book has a very observational tone and takes place over the course of a season of Little League in a fictional California town. In some places, it would have been nice to have a little more depth, but it's just not that kind of book. Once you've accepted that, you can enjoy the ride.
February 28, 2013
This book was an insult to my intelligence and a waste of time. I think high school students could write a better novel. It came recommended from friends who know the author and we thought we could sit down with him and discuss it. After reading this book I wasn't interested in meeting him. The worst thing I've read in years. People kept saying it was funny but I only laughed once and I almost forced myself, looking for a laugh. I found it ridiculous.
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