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Family and Other Catastrophes
A delightfully quirky debut about family bonds and the chaos that ensues when nature and lack of nurture collide.
Emily Glass knows she’s neurotic. But she’s got it under control. Sort of. She dons compression socks when she flies (because, you know, deep vein thrombosis) and responds to people routinely overestimating her age with more Lifespin classes and less gluten. Thankfully, she also has David, the wonderful man she’ll soon call husband—assuming they can survive wedding week with her wildly dysfunctional family.
Emily’s therapist mother, Marla, who’s been diagnosing her children since they were in diapers, sees their homecoming as the perfect opportunity for long-overdue family therapy sessions. Less enthused are Emily and her two siblings: ardently feminist older sister Lauren, who doesn’t think the wedding party should have defined gender roles, and recently divorced brother Jason, whose overzealous return to singlehood is only tempered by his puzzling friendship with David’s Renaissance Faire—enthusiast brother.
As the week comes to a tumultuous head, Emily wants nothing more than to get married and get as far away from her crazy relatives as possible. But that’s easier said than done when Marla’s meddling breathes new life into old secrets. After all, the ties that bind family together may bend, but they aren’t so easily broken.
Laugh-out-loud funny and endearingly raw, Family and Other Catastrophes is as entertaining as your favorite sitcom and introduces Alexandra Borowitz as an outstanding new voice in humorous fiction.
Emily Glass knows she’s neurotic. But she’s got it under control. Sort of. She dons compression socks when she flies (because, you know, deep vein thrombosis) and responds to people routinely overestimating her age with more Lifespin classes and less gluten. Thankfully, she also has David, the wonderful man she’ll soon call husband—assuming they can survive wedding week with her wildly dysfunctional family.
Emily’s therapist mother, Marla, who’s been diagnosing her children since they were in diapers, sees their homecoming as the perfect opportunity for long-overdue family therapy sessions. Less enthused are Emily and her two siblings: ardently feminist older sister Lauren, who doesn’t think the wedding party should have defined gender roles, and recently divorced brother Jason, whose overzealous return to singlehood is only tempered by his puzzling friendship with David’s Renaissance Faire—enthusiast brother.
As the week comes to a tumultuous head, Emily wants nothing more than to get married and get as far away from her crazy relatives as possible. But that’s easier said than done when Marla’s meddling breathes new life into old secrets. After all, the ties that bind family together may bend, but they aren’t so easily broken.
Laugh-out-loud funny and endearingly raw, Family and Other Catastrophes is as entertaining as your favorite sitcom and introduces Alexandra Borowitz as an outstanding new voice in humorous fiction.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
April 3, 2018
If you think your family is slightly insane and highly dysfunctional then you probably haven’t met the Glass family. They are all SO messed up, reading this was like watching a train wreck, but I could not get enough of this bizarre family with dynamics and kooky behavior that simultaneously made me snort with laughter and shake my head in disgust.
Emily heads home the week before her wedding and this book is divided into sections, one for each day leading up to her wedding. Right from the start, you know you’re in for a good time, Emily may as well be the definition of neurotic and the rest of her family is just as unique and quirky. Her sister, Lauren was obnoxious, she takes the term social justice warrior to a whole new level, she’s contrary just for the sake of it and the stuff that came out of her mouth was horrifyingly hilarious. My other favorite character, (I use favorite loosely here, these people are no one I would actually want to meet, but they were amazingly entertaining) was Nathan, David’s brother. He was just such a weirdo, he spoke like some bizarre throwback to medieval times and had the social graces of a bull. I’m giggling again just thinking about his flirting.
This was laugh out loud funny with some heartfelt, endearing moments thrown in for good measure. Fun is the best way to describe my experience reading this little gem and the characters totally made the book for me, they’re insane and quirky and just what I needed to read over Easter weekend as I spent time with my own extended family! 😜
Family and Other Catastrophes in three words: Hilarious, Risqué and Eccentric.
Emily heads home the week before her wedding and this book is divided into sections, one for each day leading up to her wedding. Right from the start, you know you’re in for a good time, Emily may as well be the definition of neurotic and the rest of her family is just as unique and quirky. Her sister, Lauren was obnoxious, she takes the term social justice warrior to a whole new level, she’s contrary just for the sake of it and the stuff that came out of her mouth was horrifyingly hilarious. My other favorite character, (I use favorite loosely here, these people are no one I would actually want to meet, but they were amazingly entertaining) was Nathan, David’s brother. He was just such a weirdo, he spoke like some bizarre throwback to medieval times and had the social graces of a bull. I’m giggling again just thinking about his flirting.
This was laugh out loud funny with some heartfelt, endearing moments thrown in for good measure. Fun is the best way to describe my experience reading this little gem and the characters totally made the book for me, they’re insane and quirky and just what I needed to read over Easter weekend as I spent time with my own extended family! 😜
Family and Other Catastrophes in three words: Hilarious, Risqué and Eccentric.
April 10, 2018
This book is laugh out loud funny. I can't even remember a time when another book has literally had me giggling to myself late at night. The characters are quirky and well-described. The things that the character Emily says and does hit too close to home for me.
April 14, 2018
This is a quick read about a couple and their families in the week before their wedding. In real life I would have zero tolerance for the behaviors they are putting up with, but they're stuck together so they have to find a way.
If you're getting married this summer, I think you should read this, but maybe afterwards. :)
3.5 stars rounded up.
This book came out April 10, and thanks to the publisher for providing early access to the title via Edelweiss.
If you're getting married this summer, I think you should read this, but maybe afterwards. :)
3.5 stars rounded up.
This book came out April 10, and thanks to the publisher for providing early access to the title via Edelweiss.
January 11, 2018
Family and Other Catastrophes is so laugh-out-loud funny that your significant other isn't going to get any sleep if you read it at night.
If you've ever cried over a haircut, you'll like this book.
If you've ever been given dubious compliments, you'll like this book.
If you've ever had anxieties that even you thought were weird, you'll like this book.
If you've ever thought your family is the craziest around--read this book. The Glasses will change your mind.
Family and Other Catastrophes is fresh, and all the characters' actions and banter with each other is unexpected and new. I've never read characters like this before! Who else is putting a PUA and an ardent feminist in the same book, and making them siblings, no less? The book is told from multiple POVs, and each character is completely unique, even the large cast of secondary characters (including the two little children!). I bet Borowitz even has full backstories for the relatives who are mentioned but never appear in the book.
The first half of the book is more about introducing the characters (their issues and desires), and having them collide with each other as the wedding party arrives in suburban New York. The plot thickens in the second half of the book as Emily makes a shocking discovery, and her fiance David gets hit with two gut punches, all of which threaten to ruin the wedding. I enjoyed the first half of the book because the characters are so strong, but I couldn't put down the second half of the book, waiting to see how it all came together. No spoilers, but I loved the ending and thought it fit perfectly.
Looking forward to reading more by Alexandra Borowitz!
If you've ever cried over a haircut, you'll like this book.
If you've ever been given dubious compliments, you'll like this book.
If you've ever had anxieties that even you thought were weird, you'll like this book.
If you've ever thought your family is the craziest around--read this book. The Glasses will change your mind.
Family and Other Catastrophes is fresh, and all the characters' actions and banter with each other is unexpected and new. I've never read characters like this before! Who else is putting a PUA and an ardent feminist in the same book, and making them siblings, no less? The book is told from multiple POVs, and each character is completely unique, even the large cast of secondary characters (including the two little children!). I bet Borowitz even has full backstories for the relatives who are mentioned but never appear in the book.
The first half of the book is more about introducing the characters (their issues and desires), and having them collide with each other as the wedding party arrives in suburban New York. The plot thickens in the second half of the book as Emily makes a shocking discovery, and her fiance David gets hit with two gut punches, all of which threaten to ruin the wedding. I enjoyed the first half of the book because the characters are so strong, but I couldn't put down the second half of the book, waiting to see how it all came together. No spoilers, but I loved the ending and thought it fit perfectly.
Looking forward to reading more by Alexandra Borowitz!
April 20, 2018
Family & Other Catastrophes is the quirky tale of Emily Glass and her dysfunctional family. Emily and her fiancé travel to her hometown for their wedding and hijinks ensues. Emily is neurotic but her family brings it to a whole other level! Her mother is a therapist who feels the need to diagnose everyone, yet in reality could use a therapist herself. The week leading up to the wedding is filled with chaos and drama, and all Emily wants to do is get married and get out of there! Filled with quirky characters, this was at times laugh out loud funny. I had an intense disliking of so many characters, it was hard for me to get into it. Thank you @harlequinbooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
August 23, 2018
If your family is truly dysfunctional - and not in the same way that a person is "depressed" because their favorite show was pulled from Netflix - you might consider skipping this read.
Plain and simple, I couldn't finish this. It made me too angry. I do admire the author's talent for satire. She set out to create hyperbolic characters, and she succeeded. The first several pages with each character was entertaining, seeing such horrifically one-dimensional perspectives and laughing/cringing at the kernel of reality they all held. But by page 150 (of less than 300) it was just too much of the same, with no chance of redemption in sight for any of the characters. I'm sure my perspective might be different had I actually finished the book. But again, I made it halfway through, and at that point there had been zero hint of any kind of character arc, no suggestion that any of these characters had the potential for change.
It was exhausting and infuriating, and for that I give the author credit. I felt as physically uncomfortable as I'm sure Emily, the main character, surely did herself. But for me personally, it simply wasn't an enjoyable read.
Plain and simple, I couldn't finish this. It made me too angry. I do admire the author's talent for satire. She set out to create hyperbolic characters, and she succeeded. The first several pages with each character was entertaining, seeing such horrifically one-dimensional perspectives and laughing/cringing at the kernel of reality they all held. But by page 150 (of less than 300) it was just too much of the same, with no chance of redemption in sight for any of the characters. I'm sure my perspective might be different had I actually finished the book. But again, I made it halfway through, and at that point there had been zero hint of any kind of character arc, no suggestion that any of these characters had the potential for change.
It was exhausting and infuriating, and for that I give the author credit. I felt as physically uncomfortable as I'm sure Emily, the main character, surely did herself. But for me personally, it simply wasn't an enjoyable read.
January 6, 2018
This book was hilarious, it honestly felt like watching a comedic TV show but in book form. There's the PUA older brother, the radical feminist sister who's raising her (white) son with a "healthy fear of whiteness" and of course, Marla, the psychologist mother who routinely gaslights and diagnoses her children. Emily is a flawed main character, but that makes her easy to relate to (especially if you deal with physical insecurities and anxiety.) My only complaint is that with so many characters, there are scenes of dialogue where I have to re-read to make sure I know who is saying what. But each of the character is so funny that it really didn't bother me. I laughed out loud many times.
July 20, 2018
This book started off with a bang and then became insufferable. I really enjoyed the first third of it the book, laughing aloud at several parts. But then the language and topics of conversation got so crass that it made it hard to read. Also, there was a ton of build up and character development throughout the majority of the book, which all amounted to nothing - there was very little resolution for any of the characters (least of all the family unit referred to in the title) and for those characters that did experience change, it came about so quickly at the very end of the book that it didn’t seem believable.
February 9, 2019
I so seldom give a book one star just because if I don't like it, I don't finish it and it would not get this far. I finished this one only because I hoped it would redeem itself. If the people in this book are based on real life, it really is a catastrophe. This goes way beyond dysfunctional; all the characters are the extreme version of the hypochondriac, narcissist mom, social misfit brother, passive father/husband, feminist (overweight) sister, etc. The only character approaching "normal" was the protagonist's fiance'. He gave the correct speech at the end for redemption, but then, he didn't need altering in the first place. I don't recommend; but maybe it's me.
January 17, 2019
3 and 1/2 stars for this humorous Jewish family book which I loved.
Thanks to Susan C. for giving me this book.
All I can say is what a neurotic Jewish family this is and it's fun to be part of it.
First there's Emily, the bride, whose wedding is in a week. She's the most neurotic one of all about everything. Lauren, her sister, totally opposite in every way but has her issues too; mom, Marlene, who's a psychotherapist, always analyzing them, even in public; brother Jason, divorced and sex on his brain. Then there's Steven, the father of them all, who seems sort of normal compared to his family.
The groom is David, who tends to handle Emily's neuroses very well and very patient and kind. His brother Nathan is so strange, it's funny, with his dressing weirdly, and his Renaissance way of talking and his stepsister Maddyson, who is only 18 and has her own little quirks. His step-mom seems normal enough and so does his father Nick.
Right before the wedding, something unexpected happens which didn't surprise me in the least.
Thanks to Susan C. for giving me this book.
All I can say is what a neurotic Jewish family this is and it's fun to be part of it.
First there's Emily, the bride, whose wedding is in a week. She's the most neurotic one of all about everything. Lauren, her sister, totally opposite in every way but has her issues too; mom, Marlene, who's a psychotherapist, always analyzing them, even in public; brother Jason, divorced and sex on his brain. Then there's Steven, the father of them all, who seems sort of normal compared to his family.
The groom is David, who tends to handle Emily's neuroses very well and very patient and kind. His brother Nathan is so strange, it's funny, with his dressing weirdly, and his Renaissance way of talking and his stepsister Maddyson, who is only 18 and has her own little quirks. His step-mom seems normal enough and so does his father Nick.
Right before the wedding, something unexpected happens which didn't surprise me in the least.
April 13, 2018
I won this book in a giveaway through Goodreads.
This book was hilarious! Emily Glass and her fiance David fly home to spend the week leading up to their wedding with family. And what a kooky family they both have. My favorite is Nathan and my least favorite is Lauren who is extremely annoying. I highly recommend for a ROFL experience. I will absolutely be on the lookout for future books by this author.
This book was hilarious! Emily Glass and her fiance David fly home to spend the week leading up to their wedding with family. And what a kooky family they both have. My favorite is Nathan and my least favorite is Lauren who is extremely annoying. I highly recommend for a ROFL experience. I will absolutely be on the lookout for future books by this author.
August 8, 2020
"Life had to win every single day. Death only had to win once."
This book was supposed to be hilarious with a protagonist who makes a mountain of a molehill and her dysfunctional family drama. It was everything except hilarious.
Usually, no matter how boring I find a book, I refrain from outright hatred towards it. I think the author deserves some credit irrespective of whether I liked the story or not. But this time I had a very difficult time say anything good about the book. The protagonist, Emily, has anxiety issues. But I didn't find them funny. Dealing with such issues day in and day out can be quite endearing. I didn't like any of the other main characters either (maybe except David, the groom). Everyone was constantly wining and complaining. I get that Emily had anxiety issues, but inspite of that she wasn't very likeable. She was always jealous of everyone around her. If not jealous, she found faults in everybody. I don't know if that comes with anxiety, she just didn't appeal to me. Jason, Emily's brother, was simply hateful. Nathan, who was an adult, constantly pretended he was in some Medieval video game. I seriously felt he should have been seeing a therapist. Basically I kept finding faults with all the characters.
This book was supposed to be hilarious with a protagonist who makes a mountain of a molehill and her dysfunctional family drama. It was everything except hilarious.
Usually, no matter how boring I find a book, I refrain from outright hatred towards it. I think the author deserves some credit irrespective of whether I liked the story or not. But this time I had a very difficult time say anything good about the book. The protagonist, Emily, has anxiety issues. But I didn't find them funny. Dealing with such issues day in and day out can be quite endearing. I didn't like any of the other main characters either (maybe except David, the groom). Everyone was constantly wining and complaining. I get that Emily had anxiety issues, but inspite of that she wasn't very likeable. She was always jealous of everyone around her. If not jealous, she found faults in everybody. I don't know if that comes with anxiety, she just didn't appeal to me. Jason, Emily's brother, was simply hateful. Nathan, who was an adult, constantly pretended he was in some Medieval video game. I seriously felt he should have been seeing a therapist. Basically I kept finding faults with all the characters.
March 27, 2018
I was a First Read Winner of this book and I really enjoyed it. Talk about a dysfunctional family, with lots of drama and issues, yet very funny at the same time. It does have some adult language and sexual situations, so if you are easily offended about that this book might not be for you. I could easily see this being made into a movie, since it had such fun dialog between the siblings. Very entertaining read.
March 3, 2020
CHALLENGE # 32-I CAN RELATE
I could relate to Emily & her anxieties. We’ve all been there. I could identify w/crazy family, spreading out your visits, trying to plan a wedding around all that.
I liked David & Emily. The humor was present.
I liked the part in the beginning where Emily thinks she’s wearing the best “travel outfit” w/perfect organization/bags & then gets to the airport and starts to feel inferior when observing the other women there. I do that every time I travel. In my warbled view I become envious of everyone else at the airport.
Emily's mother means well, but she's constantly criticizing her. ( i can relate. my mom does that all the time w/out realizing it)
But my gosh, it was sooooo freaking wordy. I mean seriously, rambling on & on…(while I do that also at times in person, I don’t want to trudge thru it in a book narrative)I skim/sped read the middle.
The biggest negative was that none of the other characters were likable. You could see how the writer meant for them to be quirky but they just came off as terrible people. I related to how Emily was holding it in for the sake of her wedding but I would of blown up way sooner than her & told everyone off. And I did like her speech at the end.
I’m not sure if this was the writers first book or not but that’s the impression I got. She needs to edit her prose more so the humor & characters can shine thru better.
To be honest, I was disappointed with this b/c based on the reviews I thought it would be better. And I can’t believe I ended up reading the whole thing but I think it was b/c I kept waiting for Emily to lose her cool & to see how that ended.
Overall,there were shades to humor & relatability but I didn’t like it.
I could relate to Emily & her anxieties. We’ve all been there. I could identify w/crazy family, spreading out your visits, trying to plan a wedding around all that.
I liked David & Emily. The humor was present.
I liked the part in the beginning where Emily thinks she’s wearing the best “travel outfit” w/perfect organization/bags & then gets to the airport and starts to feel inferior when observing the other women there. I do that every time I travel. In my warbled view I become envious of everyone else at the airport.
Emily's mother means well, but she's constantly criticizing her. ( i can relate. my mom does that all the time w/out realizing it)
But my gosh, it was sooooo freaking wordy. I mean seriously, rambling on & on…(while I do that also at times in person, I don’t want to trudge thru it in a book narrative)I skim/sped read the middle.
The biggest negative was that none of the other characters were likable. You could see how the writer meant for them to be quirky but they just came off as terrible people. I related to how Emily was holding it in for the sake of her wedding but I would of blown up way sooner than her & told everyone off. And I did like her speech at the end.
I’m not sure if this was the writers first book or not but that’s the impression I got. She needs to edit her prose more so the humor & characters can shine thru better.
To be honest, I was disappointed with this b/c based on the reviews I thought it would be better. And I can’t believe I ended up reading the whole thing but I think it was b/c I kept waiting for Emily to lose her cool & to see how that ended.
Overall,there were shades to humor & relatability but I didn’t like it.
November 14, 2018
The best part of this book was making me realize how tame the drama related to my wedding was (in comparison). Of course this book was fiction and most of the characters were caricatures of caricatures. Would that be stereotypes of caricatures or caricatures of stereotypes? Otherwise the cliche of characters and situations was a bit too much for me to stomach. The bride's sister being an over the top feminist and PC diversity crazy person and her brother and brother-in-law to be both being disgusting horny perverts were too much and lost any humor they were providing. If nothing else, this book is a good reason for eloping, changing your name, and moving somewhere without telling your family.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2018
Family dynamics in all its dysfunctional glory.
I think the cover is perfect. The upside-down house with, what looks like confetti, falling out. Is exactly how I see these characters; they've all been turned upside down and are spewing their drama on the reader, and when you think they're done, another windfall of drama ensues.
This isn't a book I would recommend to everyone. But if you want an easy and entertaining read and you don't get easily offended do it! This book will make any dysfunctional family look a little more functional
I think the cover is perfect. The upside-down house with, what looks like confetti, falling out. Is exactly how I see these characters; they've all been turned upside down and are spewing their drama on the reader, and when you think they're done, another windfall of drama ensues.
This isn't a book I would recommend to everyone. But if you want an easy and entertaining read and you don't get easily offended do it! This book will make any dysfunctional family look a little more functional
June 2, 2018
This was a book club pick fail :( There were times that I was certain I would rate this book 1 star but there were a couple of mildly amusing parts. Mostly I just wanted to punch the characters. I think Borowitz was trying to go for funny by making an entirely over the top cast but I was ultimately annoyed instead of amused.
Read
November 3, 2018Marked "read" so I don't accidentally check this out again. I didn't make it through the first full "day."
April 16, 2018
Sharp, funny and perfectly told as long as it’s not your family in the crosshairs – Borowitz manages to craft a story that has readers unable to turn away, even as the dysfunction can reach head-shaking levels. This is Emily’s story in the lead up to her wedding: told in time with each day before the wedding being a unique series of moments and interactions.
Understand that Emily is more than a touch neurotic and a worrier – and this is only exacerbated by the outrageous and often inappropriate actions of her family members. Her mother and siblings are probably most responsible for her “everything must go perfectly” attitude, and her penchant for checking, double-checking and obsession with events. Raised by Myra – she is, of herself, a story. Myra is a psychologist, prone to diagnosing (wrongly) and gaslighting her children for effect – the effect being that occasionally she often has new input for her diagnosis. Emily’s sister Lauren is the uber-Feminist that you don’t want to meet: jumping on the next hot social media trend like Boudicca versus the Romans. Prone to horrifyingly hilarious (and wholly bereft of self-knowledge) pronouncements, she’s busily inserting herself with regularity to great effect. Emily’s brother is horribly socially inept with his odd comments and a tendency to speak (and behave) as if he were a medieval jester without the benefit of the awareness that comes from actual interactions. His flirting is painful, if hilarious for anyone not in the crosshairs, and while his comments are strange, in some ways they are often very apt and fit the situation, after you’ve had time to digest.
What Borowitz has done is trotted the Glass family out onto the front porch for all to revel in their craziness – a quirky, clever series of reveals as the wedding nears, the love best at a distance feelings that Emily has for her family is clear – and surely every reader can find a correlation to someone in their own family, if not as extreme. It’s rare that I find a title that screams to my love of Monty Python-esque satire and humor – dancing the line between horrifyingly dark and pure fun – and this ticked all of those boxes. Grab a copy, plan on this before the next big family gathering (or during – I’m not going to judge) and enjoy.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Understand that Emily is more than a touch neurotic and a worrier – and this is only exacerbated by the outrageous and often inappropriate actions of her family members. Her mother and siblings are probably most responsible for her “everything must go perfectly” attitude, and her penchant for checking, double-checking and obsession with events. Raised by Myra – she is, of herself, a story. Myra is a psychologist, prone to diagnosing (wrongly) and gaslighting her children for effect – the effect being that occasionally she often has new input for her diagnosis. Emily’s sister Lauren is the uber-Feminist that you don’t want to meet: jumping on the next hot social media trend like Boudicca versus the Romans. Prone to horrifyingly hilarious (and wholly bereft of self-knowledge) pronouncements, she’s busily inserting herself with regularity to great effect. Emily’s brother is horribly socially inept with his odd comments and a tendency to speak (and behave) as if he were a medieval jester without the benefit of the awareness that comes from actual interactions. His flirting is painful, if hilarious for anyone not in the crosshairs, and while his comments are strange, in some ways they are often very apt and fit the situation, after you’ve had time to digest.
What Borowitz has done is trotted the Glass family out onto the front porch for all to revel in their craziness – a quirky, clever series of reveals as the wedding nears, the love best at a distance feelings that Emily has for her family is clear – and surely every reader can find a correlation to someone in their own family, if not as extreme. It’s rare that I find a title that screams to my love of Monty Python-esque satire and humor – dancing the line between horrifyingly dark and pure fun – and this ticked all of those boxes. Grab a copy, plan on this before the next big family gathering (or during – I’m not going to judge) and enjoy.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
September 12, 2024
It's one week until her wedding day and Emily and her fiancé David arrive at her family home to craziness and disfunction. Emily's sister Lauren is a raging feminist who can't resist slinging barbs about the subjugation of women who marry. Her brother Jason, newly divorced, is completely gross and crass as he chases anything with a skirt. Emily's mother, a psychologist, never misses a chance to regale everyone with stories of Emily's childhood psychoses. And Emily herself is a mess suffering from extreme anxiety, worrying about every little thing and dealing with major self doubt. There are plenty of funny moments, but at times I did want to say, "really?"
January 1, 2019
I laughed right out loud several times while listening to this book. Yeah, I know my sense of humor is a bit suspect at times, but the characters were fun and over-the-top. Do you need any more motivation?
April 7, 2018
The characters in this book were hilarious. I actually chuckled. Out loud, several times. I found this book's overall tone very similar to that of one of my favorite tv shows, Casual. As a reader of slightly off kilter fiction, I really appreciated the ridiculousness of this family's dynamic and Emily's instability.
March 30, 2018
This book was truly hysterical in reading. I realize that everyone has some sort of dysfunctional family member or the entire family but the Glass family had me literally chuckling into the late night. I really enjoyed reading this book and finding humor that each character had. Thank you for an extremely fun read.
March 31, 2018
Writer has a way of creating characters that are relatable and so freaking hilarious!
April 20, 2018
This book was a breath of fresh air. There was one night while reading in bed my husband had to move to guest room because of my laughing out loud. An hysterical book about an outrageous family getting ready to get together for a wedding. Great book for book club
March 12, 2018
Funniest conglomerate of characters I have ever seen and extremely relevant for today's culture. All the hype this book is getting is very well deserved!!
December 18, 2017
2.5 stars. I am sorry to say that I thought this sounded fun, funny, interesting, but it turned out to have all the family drama with none of the character development and very little plot. Emily is getting married to David this week so they go home to get ready for the wedding. Their siblings and parents are all screwed up on every level, their relationship with each other is totally bizarre. I just couldn't find a lot to love about this one.....
March 7, 2018
Quirky, fun, uplifting, funny, insightful, relatable and absolutely awesome. Great read.
October 30, 2018
October 30, 2018
Full book review is now up here on Word Revel.
_________
October 28, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Initial thoughts: So, I had to reread Family and Other Catastrophes because I didn't take down any notes, nor did I type out my thoughts after reading it the first time. I didn't want to write a review without remembering most of the details. What I do remember is that at the end of the book I felt the same way — this book is entertaining in the most cringeworthy way. It makes you laugh at how the characters are larger than life but also cringe at the train wreck that basically unfolded in the lead-up to Emily's wedding because her family is extremely dysfunctional. At the same time, Borowitz managed to remain sensitive towards mental health and feminist advocacy, even as she used these in painting her caricatures. If you need a light-hearted book that shows you things could be worse in life, Family and Other Catastrophes might just be the book for.
Full book review is now up here on Word Revel.
_________
October 28, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Initial thoughts: So, I had to reread Family and Other Catastrophes because I didn't take down any notes, nor did I type out my thoughts after reading it the first time. I didn't want to write a review without remembering most of the details. What I do remember is that at the end of the book I felt the same way — this book is entertaining in the most cringeworthy way. It makes you laugh at how the characters are larger than life but also cringe at the train wreck that basically unfolded in the lead-up to Emily's wedding because her family is extremely dysfunctional. At the same time, Borowitz managed to remain sensitive towards mental health and feminist advocacy, even as she used these in painting her caricatures. If you need a light-hearted book that shows you things could be worse in life, Family and Other Catastrophes might just be the book for.
October 14, 2021
Honestly, I only finished this book because I’ve set a goal to read everything on my book shelf. Otherwise I would have stopped reading after a few chapters. Parts of the book are laugh out loud funny, but the author works so hard at making everyone “quirky” and “dysfunctional”. All the main characters come off deeply, deeply unlikeable. While having some unlikable characters would make sense, given the story line, there is not one character that is likeable. A few of the minor characters at best could be described as bland, but they aren’t given enough attention to rise to even mildly interesting. The main cast have no redeeming qualities and no growth or change to their character arc. The book ended with all the characters still mired in their own neuroses and narcissism, making it very unsatisfying. As such, I would not recommend this book.
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