Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters

by Susanna Fogel

From filmmaker and New Yorker contributor Susanna Fogel comes a comedic novel about a fractured family of New England Jews and their discontents, over the course of three decades. Told entirely in letters to a heroine we never meet, we get to know the Fellers through their check-ins with Julie: their thank-you notes, letters of condolence, family gossip, and good old-fashioned familial passive-aggression.

Together, their missives - some sardonic, others absurd, others heartbreaking - weave a tapestry of a very modern family trying (and often failing) to show one another they care.

The titular "Nuclear Family" includes, among many others:

A narcissistic former-child-prodigy father who has taken up haiku writing in his old age and his new wife, a traditional Chinese woman whose attempts to help her stepdaughter find a man include FedExing her silk gowns from Filene's Basement.

Their six-year-old son, Stuart, whose favorite condiment is truffle oil and who wears suits to bed.

Julie's mother, a psychologist who never remarried but may be in love with her arrogant Rabbi and overshares about everything, including the threesome she had with Dutch grad students in 1972.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary, Novels, Adult Fiction, Comedy, Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2017

About the author

Susanna Fogel is an American director and writer best known for her 2018 film The Spy Who Dumped Me starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon.

Fogel and her writing partner Joni Lefkowitz originally wrote Life Partners as a one act play. They eventually adapted it into a screenplay. The film premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

Feeling boxed in by the work she was getting Fogel wrote the comedy-action thriller The Spy Who Dumped Me. The film was released in 2018 and starred Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, the latter of whom had appeared briefly in Fogel's debut film.

Fogel is a regular contributor to The New Yorker online.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I utterly loved this novel: it is often laugh-out-loud funny, but always astute and insightful into the relationships between parents and children, between siblings, and between daughters and dad’s creepy friends. Also? You’ll love the letters from the perspectives of (not kidding) an IUD and a NordicTrack. I read the novel on the plane between NYC and Amsterdam, and was blissfully happy. Susanna Fogel is a great screenwriter and director, and also a brilliant and inventive novelist.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrators: 4 stars
Story/characters: 3-3.5 stars
---

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

This was another random pick off Overdrive app (been my way lately) when I was looking for something fun to break up my funk. Read the summary and said to myself "Hmm, this might fit the bill"

The full cast of narrators did a great job giving these characters life. Each voice was distinct and never felt off (to me at least).

There were times when I was laughing and giving the side eye to the book at the same time.
(Did I just hear what I thought I did?? ) Made me happy to just be an observer on the sideline at times:).

There were a couple instances where I thought the book was lacking where we never got Julie's opinion directly (not a spoiler, in the blurb) . It didn't tamper the moments really, but the impact of certain things would have been more... powerful methinks.

Certain letters from the beyond were enjoyable to hear.

Letters from inanimate objects were.. puzzling and sometimes uncomfortable. There was one that weird but okay and the rest I didn't get the point of at all even if they were seeming to be a part of Julie's book like it seemed to imply at the end? .
One in particular had me genuinely baffled and I only continued with it and didn't skip ahead because: partly I was curious and two: the narrator made it seem a tiny bit less weird with her delivery.


One letter reached me as a DogMom and I wanted to smack a certain person very much.

The ending is fine, slightly abrupt but not a bad way to end the story. Left me wanting to know more, so there's that.

All in all, a decent read. A short one (5hrs on audiobook) if you are in the mood for something short and offbeat.

Would recommend.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Set during the Thanksgiving holiday for those interested.***

Listened to the audiobook narrated by a full cast. I would recommend it as a nice way to pass a few hours, and it would be particularly fun around Thanksgiving. Ultimately I think it's pretty forgettable though, and the satire was often at 11 when it could have been better at 10.

[Shira · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[SibylM · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I love a good epistolary novel, so was thrilled to win this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher. An honest review was requested.
Although it is billed as "a tragicomic novel," I found it more comic than tragic. This is a very charming and witty novel that takes the heroine, Julie, from early adolescence all the way through her mid-30's, dealing with a bizarre and diverse family, as well as her own career struggles and romantic foibles. Julie's mom was particularly endearing to me, probably because she reminded me so much of my own mom, with her struggles with technology and conviction that the geniuses at the Apple Store can fix everything.
I would have liked to learn more about Julie's thoughts and feelings. We never hear from her (directly), and that is plainly exactly what the author intends. On the one hand, the whole premise of the book feels like it would be ruined if we had Julie's point of view. On the other hand, it was still frustrating to see Julie mostly as merely the reflection of the lives and words of other people in the book (and other narrators entirely, including a gerbil and a treadmill).
Overall a delightful read -- very entertaining and very well-written.

[Maha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il est possible que comme moi, vous ayez un certains problème avec les romans épistolaires. Pour moi, ça remonte à mon adolescence et à ma découverte de Dracula de Bram Stocker. J’avais gardé pour le genre une certaine aversion, une certaine idée de l’ennui, une certaine contemplation de la vacuité de l’existence. J’étais ado et je m’attendais à quelque chose d’au moins aussi cool que les films. Trop jeune, trop d’attentes … peut-être qu’un jour je retenterais le coup. Ou peut-être jamais.

Et puis je suis tombée sur cette couverture géniale qui m’a tout de suite interpellé. J’ai feuilleté, je me suis dis … j’y vais, j’y vais pas ?
Bref … à notre deuxième rencontre, je l’ai pris. Sans grande conviction.

Et au final, je me retrouve à vous parler d’un gros coup de coeur !

Vous suivez l’évolution d’une famille nucléaire de la fin de l’enfance de Julie dans les années 1990, l’aînée de la famille jusqu’à ses 35-36 ans. Pourtant vous ne rencontrerez jamais Julie. Le roman est constitué de toutes les lettres, mails, texto, notes, qu’elle a pu recevoir durant cette période de sa vie de tous les membres de sa famille : soeur, oncle, parents, cousin, belle-mère, hamster, grand-mère, simulateur de ski, membres défunts de sa famille, stérilet, etc …

C’est un roman choral remplis de personnalités drôles, curieuses, flamboyantes, que nous avons parfois même croisé dans nos propres familles au sens large. Il est constitué de moments de vie vraiment bien présenté et aborde des sujets multiples avec bienveillance et humour : le divorce des parents, les premiers émois, la pression de la société pour procréer ou pour avoir accomplis une liste de choses avant tel âge, l’université, comment faire son coming out dans sa famille, la découverte des nouvelles technologies par nos aînés, et j’en passe …

« Mamie Rose ne supporte plus sa copine qui déballe sa vie sexuelle

Julie – ta mère est passée dîner hier soir. […]
Ta mère vient dîner très souvent. Elle ne veut pas que je me sente seule, c’est m’explication qu’elle me donne, mais personne n’est dupe. L’avantage de ses visites, c’est que je ne suis pas obligée de manger à la même table que Maureen. Maureen me rabat toujours les oreilles avec la même histoire. La fois où, en entrant dans la salle de bains elle est tombée sur Walter qui se changeait après le yoga. et ils ont joué à la bête à deux dos. La belle affaire. Elle enlèverait son dentier pour le premier venu, celle là. »
Les Feller, Susanna Fogel

On découvre les choix de vie de Julie aux travers les lettres de ses proches, ses sentiments, sa personnalité et progressivement on se prend au jeu de ces lettres et on finit par répondre aux lettres dans notre tête à la place de Julie, à parier sur ses choix à venir.

J’ai trouvé ce roman brillant et original par le fond et la forme. Il est bourré d’humour. Ma lettre préférée, c’est celle du Hamster Rocket Feller mort trop tôt lors des Jeux Olympiques organisés par Julie. Je trouve que l’auteur a tellement bien restitué la personnalité de cet Hamster ! J’ai cru voir le mien, qui est toujours vivant, soit dit en passant !

Pour conclure, je vous dirais que c’est un roman épistolaire sincère, drôle et abouti que vous pouvez lire d’une traite ou de temps en temps pour faire une coupure. C’est une lecture rafraîchissante qui vous laisse le sentiment d’avoir binge-watché une série vraiment sympa sur Netflix !

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters by Susanna Fogel is a very highly recommended, hilarious, wonderfully quirky, entertaining debut novel. I loved and adored it!

This epistolary novel is a collection of letters/emails written to Julie by her dysfunctional, fractured Jewish family, as well as a few surprising sources that don't normally write letters. We never actually hear directly from Julie, but we meet her through what her family has written to her. The letters begin when Julie is a teen and end when she is in her mid-thirties and publishing a book about her family. Most letters are from her younger sister, Jane, and her mother, but her father, grandmother, uncle, and other family members also write.

The letters all have a title/heading. Here are some examples: "Your Sister, Who has Questions about Your Uncle Ken's Lifestyle, Has a Great Idea for His Birthday Gift"; "Your Grandma Rose Is Still Not Feeling This E-mail Thing"; "Your Stepmother Has Some Theories about Why You're Still Single"; "Your Dad, Who Asked Your Last Boyfriend If He Watches Porn, Is Wondering Why He Hasn't Met Your New Guy"; "Your Mother's Goddaughter, Who Crashed with You for Many Days, Is Sorry She Didn't Have Any Time to Hang Out"; "Your Dad, Who Lacks Boundaries, Wants to Talk about Your Body"; "Your Dad's Six-Year-Old Son from His Second Marriage Discusses His Superior Childhood"; "Your Mom has Some New Judgements She'd Like to Share"; "Your Mom is having Some Issues with Regularity"; "Your Sister, Who has Two Exes in Jail, Agrees That You Gotta Do You."

I loved every minute spent reading Nuclear Family! It is clever and humorous, from the titles to the letters themselves, and I laughed aloud through the whole novel. The titles preceding the letters can be just as comical as the letters themselves. The letter writers are clearly clueless as to what their letters are actually conveying and often over-sharing. Each family member has their own voice when writing, for example Jane writes her letters in text-speak, which adds a clever layer to the mix. You'll be surprised at how much of a story these letters tell about Julie's life - enough that you might want to look back at your own correspondence to see what stories are hidden there.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Henry Holt & Company via Library Thing
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/0...

[Mina Lockheart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je remercie les éditions Harper Collins pour l’envoi de ce roman que j’ai lu dans le cadre du challenge Netgalley 2018 ! Le première chose qui a attiré mon attention fut la couverture que je trouvais amusante avec ces petits personnages. D’autant plus que le résumé a éveillé ma curiosité tant il semblait original et prometteur. J’avoue que je m’attendais à mieux mais j’ai tout de même trouvé ce roman plutôt sympathique à lire !

L’originalité de ce livre réside dans le fait que l’auteur a choisi une narration épistolaire. En effet, c’est au travers de courriers envoyés à Julie par sa famille entre autres que l’on en apprend davantage sur le parcours de la jeune femme depuis son adolescence jusqu’à l’âge adulte. Un concept intéressant et assez troublant au début car à aucun moment nous n’avons le point de vue de Julie. Tout est donc dévoilé via les messages de ses proches qui nous permettent de suivre son évolution au fil des années.

Concernant l’histoire en soi, l’intrigue suit un chemin assez linéaire vu qu’il s’agit uniquement d’une succession de mails. J’avoue avoir eu un peu de mal au début n’ayant pas l’habitude de ce style de récit mais, la plume de l’auteur est agréable et son humour rend le texte plus rythmé et entraînant. Certaines correspondances m’ont plus amusée que d’autres même si au bout d’un moment j’ai eu l’impression que ça tournait un peu en rond à l’instar de la vie de Julie qui était au point mort. Toutefois, l’ensemble reste globalement divertissant et frais.

Pour ce qui est des personnages, on se retrouve face à une palette de personnalités hautes en couleurs et un brin caricaturales mais C’est ce qui les rend plutôt attachants. Que ça soit les parents de Julie, sa soeur ou sa grand mère, chacun d’eux est déjanté à sa manière et ils ne manquent pas de de montrer quelque peu intrusifs et sans tact lorsqu’il s’agit de la vie privée de la jeune femme. Il n’est pas difficile de s’y identifier par moments tant certaines situations nous semblent familiaires et peuvent faire écho à nos propres expériences.

En bref, Les Feller est un roman qui se lit bien même s’il lui manque un petit quelque chose pour le rendre plus marquant. Susanna Fogel a pris des risques avec sa narration atypique qui ne permet pas toujours d’apprécier pleinement le récit. Cependant, son humour et sa plume ont su alléger, en ce qui me concerne, certaines longueurs au cours de ma lecture !

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 4 out of 5]

U romanu NUCLEAR FAMILY: A TRAGICOMIC NOVEL IN LETTERS Susanna Fogel piše jedan pseudoepistolarni roman, u kom glavna junakinja nema - odnosno spisateljica ne objavljuje njene - odgovore.

Dakle, epistola je jednosmerna i bazira se isključivo na pismima koja glavnoj junakinji piše njena porodica i još neki ljudi koje sreće na svom putu sazrevanja u pokušaju da napiše i objavi svoj prvi roman (pogađate, ispostaviće se da čitamo baš taj roman koji ona piše).

Susanna Fogel smatrada je u ovom romanu "varala" jer iako je ovo skup pisama, ipak je to u suštini zapravo niz monologa kroz koje se izlažu karakteri, iznosi sudbina i glavne junakinje posredno i naravno prati tok priče, u širem smislu.

Dakle, forma jeste prozna ali suština izraza je dramska, i Susanna Fogel se jeste prilagodila svom prirodnom ambijentu scenarija, istovremeno uspevajući da unese duh svoje komediografije u nešto što nesporno jeste književnost, a ne samo repromaterijal za dramsko izvođenje.

Ono što bi čitaoci koje zanima pisanje, ali i oni koje zanima film, mogli da nauče iz ovog romana jeste da je Susanna Fogel ne samo postavila stvari onako kako joj odgovaraju, dakle u formi niza monologa, odnosno dramski već je maestralno iskoristila elipse.

U tom pogledu, ono što je dramski ovde jeste monolog ali ono što je baš dramski u najčistijem smislu jeste upravo elipsa i način kako je briljantno upotrebljena.

Naime, "monolozi" kao forma na koju se oslanjaju epistolarni romani nisu novost i Susanna Fogel se tu snašla kao iskusan komediograf i napravila je solidnu prozu. Međutim, način na koji koristi elipse i kako stvari koje se ne opisuju ili ne pominju diretkno stižu do nas - e to je zapravo ono po čemu se ovaj roman izdvaja.

Humor ovog romana je neprekidan i konzistentan i meni je blizak, ali ja sam inače fan rad ove autorke. Njen saradnik na scenarijima David Iserson napisao je konvencionalniji ali i još ambiciozniji i rekao bih savršeniji roman od nje. Ako imamo u vidu da je Susanna Fogel znatan deo svog rada bazirala zapravo na prozi, možemo reći da je ona u stvari sjajno prikriveni literata američkog filma. Uostalom zahvalnica na ovom romanu jeste mali who's who raznih proznih žanrova danas.

Ovaj roman je grower, sve mi je bolji što mislim o njemu i verujem da ću jednog dana žaliti što mu nisam dao još višu ocenu.

[Lewerentz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*
Pas mal; original mais un peu redondant. Ce recueil est un assemblage de billets écrits sous forme de lettres et mails à une certaine Julie par ses parents (divorcés), sa soeur (adoptée), sa grand-mère et différents autres membres de sa famille, mais aussi des amis et, plus surprenant, quelques appareils et objets (ces lettres-là ne m'ont pas plu). Le ton est drôle entre la soeur complètement barrée, la mère psychanalyste dans un trip judaïsme, le père neurologue qui use et abuse de l'expression "ceci étant posé" (ce qui donne le ton de ses lettres), et la grand-mère qui semble la seule personne à peu près normale de cette famille. En filigrane se dessine donc le portrait de Julie dont le lecteur ne connaît jamais les réponses. Un portrait aussi des Etats-Unis d'aujourd'hui, de son système de santé et de sa politique migratoire entre autres. Si l'assemblage en un recueil permet certainement de mieux cerner tout cela, j'ai trouvé que c'est quand même répétitif et je n'étais pas fâchée d'arriver au bout. A mon avis, le mieux et de livre ce livre par petits bouts, en prenant son temps, et pas forcément d'une traite.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of epistolary novels (aka books written in the form of a series of letters, emails, etc), as I find them to be quick and easy reads, and this book was in fact that. There is decent character development through the series of communication between mostly family and some friends with one central character (the only character who I feel the author failed to develop), and the story is both humorous yet relatable. The only parts I could have done without were the letters from inanimate objects (which I believe the author knew would turn some people off, based on the final letter from the father to the main character). All in all, if you enjoy this form of novel, I don't think you'll be disappointed by this book.
*I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley*

[Kaitlyn Concilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm usually wary of epistolary novels - in the back of my head, English lit canon snoozefests loom large. No worries about that here, as the novel is both good and an excellent use of the form - I don't think the same story could have been told this well any other way.

Nuclear Family is thoroughly modem and consistently funny. It builds really well, using a number of different narrators (live, dead and inanimate) to advance the stories and characters, each imbued with a unique voice. Definitely worth a read.

[Grace Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, but I don’t think I’ll remember it, hence the four instead of five.

I picked it up because I was looking for something short to read at the library (clearly took me longer than expected to get through—finals week will do that) and I haven’t really read any adult books so it was definitely a change from what I’m used to.

The format was interesting and unique, and I loved all the little jokes and comments and how the author made every character shine through separately. It was definitely a good read, even if the timeline was a little confusing.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I took a chance on this debut novel! It was a thoroughly entertaining read, the funniest book I’ve read in a long time. I’ve always liked epistolary books, and it somehow was even more fun only reading one side of the correspondence and trying to fill in the blanks for the main character. The book had a great cast of characters, sometimes stereotypical, but with an original twist here and there. This was a refreshing change of pace for me, and I highly recommend the book.

[Trye Bn Gr8t · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost DNF'd because there were so many characters and it was confusing.
But then I wrote down who was who and it was more interesting and easy to follow. The names of the chapters were funny.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious. It's one of those books where I could just keep reading and reading because it wasn't about anything deep. Just makes you laugh!

[Gal · Rating 4 out of 5]

חמוד, שנון, ומשעשע.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stereotypical sit-com Jewish characters. Feh!

[Xine Segalas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susanna Fogel's Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters offers a refreshingly unique and humorous look at a young woman's life through letters from her family, friends, and even inanimate objects. The audiobook, narrated by a talented cast including Gabra Zackman, Bailey Carr, Oliver Wyman, Dara Rosenberg, Michael David Axtell, Allison Hiroto, and Scott Aiello, brings these letters to life with distinct and engaging voices. The varied perspectives, including amusing contributions from objects like a treadmill, add depth and personality to the protagonist.

Fogel masterfully blends humor with emotional depth, creating moments that are both funny and poignant. Each letter, whether from a parent or a sibling, contributes to a rich tapestry of the protagonist's life. However, the innovative format can sometimes feel disjointed, with the constant shift in narrators and perspectives challenging the connection with the protagonist. Some letters are more compelling than others, leading to occasional dips in engagement.

For those who enjoy contemporary stories about family dynamics, Nuclear Family is particularly engaging. The audiobook cast excels in bringing the diverse characters to life, with dynamic and nuanced performances that enhance the listening experience. Despite occasional disruptions in flow, Nuclear Family's humor and emotional depth make it a worthwhile listen, especially for those who appreciate unconventional storytelling. 3.5 - rounded up to 4 stars

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up serendipitously while weeding, and read it for our reading challenge for the year which includes an epistolatory novel.

What was good: This book has an interesting and effective literary mechanic, where we understand the protagonist through letters (mostly e-mails) sent by her family and the occasional letter from an inanimate object like a treadmill or an IUD. I loved how getting to know the character and seeing the story of her life unfolded in this way, not through her own voice, but through her family's reactions to the big events in her life.

The writing was witty and relatable with just an extra punch of satire to make you smile through topics that might otherwise be tough ones. I enjoyed the characters that make up our narrator's family immensely. It definitely walks the tightrope of being recognizable (my own family is very different, but all the same I felt very seen by this book) and pushing the boundary just far enough to be ridiculous and therefore funny.

The not great: I was a little uncomfortable, especially in this moment in history, with how the only Asian character is treated in this book, although she has one of the best letters in the book showing an understanding and reliability that I just loved. But in humor folks always say punch up, and I am not 100% sure the author didn't punch down a bit with this character.

I am also not sure that this book would be funny or relatable to anyone who isn't a middle-class white woman in her 30s, but for those of you who are, this is a fast and funny read with enough bite to feel the substance under the satire. Short chapters make it easy to pick up and put down, and it is breezy reading so grab a bottle of wine and enjoy.

[Thyda Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

C'est un roman épistolaire, drôle dès la première lettre. Je sens déjà que je vais beaucoup m'attacher à cette famille loufoque !

C'est plus précisément un ensemble de courriers, de mails et autres notes, à la fois de la famille proche de Julie, de parents plus éloignés et même de choses (une des premières lettres vient du tapis roulant dont plus personne ne se sert, étrange hein ?). Chaque 'lettre' commence par une phrase qui nous explique vaguement de quoi va parler la lettre à venir.
J'ai beaucoup aimé les différents styles d'écriture : celui pompeux et condescendant du père, celui plus loufoque et embarrassant de la mère, .... Je ne vous en dis pas plus, mais les personnages sont vraiment différents, certains plus attachants que d'autres ! 

En bref, on suit la vie de Julie, un peu de loin. Sauf que le style d'écriture, de narration : des lettres adressées à Julie par ses différents proches fait qu'on a l'impression d'être à la place de Julie, que justement, ces lettres nous sont adressées. Par le biais des lettres, on vit la vie de Julie. On commence à l'adolescence, par quelques extraits, mais les années passent vite et la plupart des lettres se concentrent sur les 25-35 ans de Julie. On comprend qu'elle est une jeune trentenaire, souvent célibataire et qu'elle a du mal à percer dans son projet d'écrivain. 
Je me suis beaucoup attachée à Julie, sans jamais avoir eu son point de vue. Ce roman est plutôt orignal et rafraichissant ! De plus, il est plutôt court et permet de s'évader pour quelques petites heures de lecture, loin de nos tracas quotidiens !

[Brigitte Alouqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dans sa globalité, c’est vrai que c’est un roman intéressant à découvrir, mais j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à entrer dans l’histoire, ou alors je suis passée complètement à côté de ce que l’auteure a voulu faire passer comme message.
Impossible de m’attacher aux différents personnages, un découpage un peu étrange mais qui donne une rapidité de lecture, un humour que je trouve parfois tiré par les cheveux même pour moi qui suis assez large d’esprit. Je ne vous cite ici que les principaux soucis que j’ai rencontré lors de ma lecture. Je vous avoue que j’ai été jusqu’à lire certains passages en diagonale, cela ne m’a pourtant pas gênée pour la compréhension de la suite du déroulement.
Au final, si ce n’est que l’histoire est intéressante dans sa globalité, je ne vois pas quoi sortir de réellement positif de ma lecture. Je peux aussi souligner que le style de l’auteure est facile à lire, qu’il n’est pas commun, ce qui est un point relativement positif, vu que cela m’a permis de mettre une note supérieure à la moitié. Ce roman est un peu trop caricatural pour moi, ou alors, comme dit plus haut, c’est moi qui n’ai absolument rien compris, ce qui est une possibilité envisageable, je serais d’ailleurs ravie de discuter avec l’auteure de mon ressenti.
Quoi qu’il en soit, vous le savez, ce n’est que mon avis, mon ressenti, il ne sera pas le vôtre, en tout cas, je le souhaite pour les heures que l’auteure a dû passer à l’écriture et tout ce qui tourne autour de son livre.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is told entirely through letters to Julie from her family and some, uh, not family. We hear from her oblivious, condescending father, well-meaning and passive-aggressive mother, hot cousin, gun-happy sister who is leap-frogging across retail jobs, her mother's bitchy goddaughter, her grandmothers, and so many more who have wisdom to share. You track Julie's life (very quickly) through her childhood, college years, early adulthood in LA, and into her late thirties, through her failures and triumphs, good things and disappointing things. I loved the format, the fun voices of each letter, the snarky titles, like "Your Sister, Who is Sleeping with Her Supervisor at T.J. Maxx, Needs a Favor", and the emotional resonance of may episodes of her and the ones in her life.

I picked up the book for the title, cover, and fun description. It completely delivered, with a bonus of magical realism sprinkled in just enough to be interesting. I wish it had strayed a little more from the parental stereotypes and the black and white depictions of some of the characters, but I don't hold it against the book. I really liked it, and would recommend for a quick fun read about dysfunctional families.

-I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.-

[R Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so, so glad that won this book in a goodreads giveaway! I laughed out loud for the first time on the third page, and burst out into sporadic fits of giggling throughout the rest of it.

Fogel writes with such sardonic humor— and each of the characters in the family (including the elusive Julie, our never heard from protag who we simultaneously feel a kinship to and as though we are her, which is a lovely combo that is difficult to pull off; Fogel did it very nicely) has their own quirks, neuroses, and idiosyncrasies that don't overwhelm the reader, but instead feel entirely natural to real humans. Fogel manages to write over-the-top, yet highly realistic, characters without making them feel like characters at all.

The only character who I found myself not really liking by the end, was Julie's father— but I suppose there has to exist at least one person in life (or in a novel) that you just don't like, or was seemingly insufferable, and he is that character to me. (This is, of course, discounting a myriad of secondary characters, most of whom seem to be just insufferable.)

I have to give this novel a five-star rating— it was one of the funniest books I've read in quite some time and, as it's a quick read, I'll probably find myself reading it again at some point when I need a laugh.

[Molli B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. It is absolutely over the top, but there is something—much—about each character that is very real and relatable. We all have these people in our lives.

The mom and sister were my favorites. The mom is like everyone's mom times ten. I think her parts made me laugh out loud the most—every time she talked about going to the Apple Store to have them reprogram her computer so it won't do [insert bad behavior here], I almost died. And her utter lack of self-awareness is just perfect. Julie was also amazing—her voice is spot on. I felt as if I was reading emails or texts from some of my friends.

Each character in this book truly has a unique voice. You could pull any piece out of the book and be able to identify the writer—even the IUD or treadmill or hummus, if you knew they were options ;) And there's something about letters that works so well for my brain—I really cared about these people, just from their letters (well, except maybe Rachel, because yikes). And it's interesting that this ended up being the inverse of Dear Committee Members, which I read last year: that was all letters FROM the same guy, this is all letters TO the same person. Done right, they both work perfectly.

Very happy I stumbled on this book.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness, this book is incredible! It's an epistolary where you learn about the life of the protagonist, Julie, from her family, close family friends, and a few unusual items and characters (like her boyfriend's dog and her IUD).

The most impressive aspect of Fogels' writing is that she masterfully evokes specific voices for each character. Most writers slap a new character name on a letter and think that's enough, but Fogel manages to make each letter have a very specific character voice and style of expression.

Structure aside, THIS BOOK IS HILARIOUS! I was laughing out loud the whole time! And perhaps as a Jewish person, I felt especially drawn to this style of humor, as it taps into that seemingly rude humor, but it always comes from a place of love. So passive aggressive! I cringed. I pitied. I laughed so hard.

[Liz Englund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading Nuclear Family, by Susanna Fogel. I received a free copy of a proof of the book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, in exchange for a review on that site. Had to add one here. Just because. Because this book is just so effing FUNNY. It's an epistolary novel (which I like) done really well. Told entirely in letters, notes and emails from family and others (including certain dead and/or inanimate writers), we never hear directly from Julie, to whom all of the correspondence is directed. Sounds odd, right? Trust me, it all makes sense. It's a fast read, and keeps moving through a couple of decades of family disfunction and passive-aggressive communications. My only regret is that it wasn't longer.....

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of letters/emails/messages that the fictional Julie Fellers has received over the course of 3 decades. What makes this book unique is that the reader never gets to see Julie respond directly to her family. Oh, and sometimes the letters aren't from her family but from her long-forgotten dead gerbil or her birth control device. (Yes, that sounds weird, but trust me those letters are just as hilarious as the ones from family.)

This book is perfect for when you want a good laugh. I'm not sure which character was my favorite; the passive-aggressive father or the clueless mother. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever enjoyed The Thanksgiving Letter that was posted at Awkward Family photos. The not so subtle digs by the father to Julie remind me of Marney.

I received a free ARC from Henry Holt and Company and was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious novel about a family just like yours.

Nuclear Family is a collection of letters and emails to Julie from her teenage years to her 30s from her loved ones. There are letters from her over serious father, her oversharing mother and her free-spirited sister. More unusual are letters from her boyfriend's dog, her teenage Nordic Track and her IUD.

It took me about an hour to find this book funny. I think you have to be familiar with the characters first. However, after that I found myself frequently laughing out loud. I particularly liked the two very different grandmothers and the creepy peer of Julie's father.

Overall, this is a short funny book about family that would be a good vacation read.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway but that has not impacted my review.

[LaBibliodeCaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Convaincue par le pitch loufoque, j’ai sollicité ce roman sur NetGalley en pensant qu’il m’assurerait un bon moment de détente. Ce livre se distingue par son format original et insolite. L’héroïne principale est en réalité « absente ». On la découvre à travers l’ensemble de lettres et d’emails envoyés par ses proches plus excentriques les uns que les autres. Le lecteur n’a donc jamais accès directement à sa « voix », mais le ressort narratif a le mérite d’être singulier. Le ton est globalement drôle et parfois même subversif. On découvre que tous les membres de la famille dysfonctionnelle des Feller et leur entourage sont tous farfelus à leur manière.

C’est un livre assez court qui se lit presque d’une traite. L’écriture très visuelle permet de voir les frasques se dérouler avec aisance. Parfois, j’avais presque l’impression de regarder une nouvelle version des films de type Mon beau-père et moi avec les rebondissements comiques en chaîne. Je n’ai certes pas été happée par ce roman, mais sans être un coup de cœur, cela reste une lecture sympathique et fantaisiste.