Stofzuigen in het donker

Pretend I'm Dead #2

by Jen Beagin, Astrid Huisman (Translator), Roos van de Wardt (Translator)

De Nederlandse uitgave Stofzuigen in het donker bevat beide Mona-romans.

De zesentwintigjarige Mona is schoonmaker van beroep. Ze is onlangs verhuisd van de Oostkust van Amerika naar New Mexico voor een frisse start (na een ongezonde liefdesaffaire – een junk met de naam Mr. Getver, lang verhaal), maar haar pogingen om haar leven op de rails te krijgen, zijn vooralsnog mislukt. Om te beginnen is er een nieuwe ongezonde liefdesaffaire, ditmaal met de ietwat labiele Mr. Duister – toevallig getrouwd met een van Mona’s schoonmaakcliënten. Dan is er het Hongaarse kunstenaars­echtpaar, ook cliënten, dat kennelijk meer wil van Mona dan alleen een fonkelend aanrecht. Die getroebleerde verhouding doet Mona weer denken aan de minder plezierige kanten van haar eigen jeugd (gescheiden ouders, pleeggezin, lang verhaal). Heel even dreigt het cirkeltje helemaal rond te komen dankzij Mr. Duister – ware het niet voor de onverwachte veerkracht van Mona, een van de meest onaangepaste, hilarische hoofdpersonages in hedendaagse fictie.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, LGBT, Adult

520 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2019

About the author

Jen Beagin holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine, and is a recipient of a 2017 Whiting Award in fiction. She is the author of Pretend I'm Dead and Vacuum in the Dark. A former cleaning lady, she lives in Hudson, New York.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beagin’s debut which I read back when it appeared on Netgalley was quite something. Her darkly humorous take on the life of a genuinely singular cleaning lady was a strangely pleasurable read. And one I’d never imagine getting a sequel. And yet…here we are. And the cleaning lady is still at it, vacuuming in the dark, which is not only an occasionally apt job description, but a nice metaphor for her life, no less messed up, confusing or confused since the last time, despite tucking a few more years under the apron’s belt. More places to clean, still no personal boundaries, resolving in bizarre relationships and attachments. This novel is structured as a quartet of sequential and almost self contained stories (which also do a nice job of refreshing the first book for the reader), each one a different situation, a different environment, a different love story in a way, from romantic to parental. Essentially what it does is peel off the layers and Beagin’s protagonist is one odd onion. Or maybe it’s more like the nesting dolls, each one stranger than the last. Either way, the author dips far enough into the past to explain certain present behaviors and tendencies, but after a while it does get slightly frustrating…and while explanations might be provided, there doesn’t seem to be any closure or changes or maturity. The cleaning lady stays consistently quirky and odd and, while I appreciate consistency in real life, fictional ones are usually improved by transformations. Mind you, Beagin’s created a genuinely terrific original character, but how long can you hit that piñata and appreciate all the weirdness that emerges? That sort of thing tends to get old. But yet the book is such an entertaining and funny read. There’s no reason for it to exist really, but for the author’s reluctance to leave the character behind or possibly due to the fact that both books are quite short and should have been one long one to begin with, but it’s fun while it lasts and I’d probably even check out the further adventures of the cleaning lady if the author comes up with any. The book’s ending certainly makes you think she might. Much like a thing cleaned over and over again no matter how well it doesn’t quite have the luster and freshness of the original. Fun read though, for cleaning tips, for weird love stories and clever badinage with imaginary friends and all that. Easily done in one sitting too. Thanks Netgalley.

[Dennis]

I’m going to have to put this one down for now. It’s just not the type of book I know would resonate with me.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beagin has a singular voice, and like her stellar first book, Pretend I'm Dead, this is a fun, quirky, sui generis romp. If I didn't rate it quite as highly, it's because, as with many (most?) sequels, this suffers just a tiny bit from sophomore slump ... cleaning lady Mona was such a surprising, unique character the first time around, that encountering her again doesn't have quite the same impact. It's more like running into an old friend, and though you're grateful for the encounter, you're just somehow NOT quite as excited as you were initially. Still, should there be a third volume of Mona's exploits (and the ending here certainly indicates that IS an option), I'd definitely be up for the ride! Or really, wherever Beagin wants to take me next.

My sincere thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for the ARC, in exchange for this honest (and enthusiastic) review!

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'While her parents were busy ruining their marriage, she’d spent three or four days a week with her paternal grandfather, Woody Boyle, a mild-mannered man, an avid reader and functional alcoholic. But he’d taught her all of life’s essentials: how to spit like a man, take a good photograph, drive stick, make a stiff drink, swim butterfly, French-braid, and, perhaps most importantly, how to play dumb.'

Mona’s voice is always entertaining for me as it’s unfiltered. In Pretend I’m Dead it was all about her love for drug addict Mr. Disgusting and his “creepy honesty.” She staunchly remains messy, keeps her cracks like we all do and isn’t going to transform into a perfect human ideal giggling under some rainbow because she has it all figured out. Does anyone ever truly do this in real life? Wherever you go, there you are whether you’ve gained wisdom or not, you’re still you! So Mr. Disgusting is out, what does she do? Takes up with a married man she calls Dark, of course, which isn’t really a step up from chasing after her dead junkie boyfriend. Still cleaning other’s filth, she spends her days swooning over the love notes he brazenly leaves behind for her to find on her cleaning days at his home. The stupor their love-making puts her in dissipates when Rose, his wife, enlightens her about the true state of their marriage. Then there is the mystery pooh, yep… poop. Jen Beagin can spin some of the strangest situations for Mona, darkly hilarious, she seems to witness people at their lowest. I shouldn’t grin like a lunatic when I read her books but I do. This novel is a great escape from the usual writing out there.

Soon she meets the barbarians, cats owned by the Kosas, a pill popping Hungarian couple. The murderous cats are as exotic as Lena and Paul, both artists with a house that feels like a lover waiting to be explored by Mona. Explore it she does, making her own art, taking photographs while talking to herself (Terry, her subconscious or imaginary friend), crossing boundaries, as always. We learn more about Mona’s past in this book. Yoko and Yoko (Shiori and Nigel) are still telling her to ‘stay curious’ but she isn’t curious enough about her childhood, would rather leave what is hiding in that dark abyss untouched. Lena and Paul convince her to pose nude for them, but it’s the way Lena helps Mona feel carefree enough to ‘bare’ herself that bonds them as much as Lena’s “war stories”. Then there are the pills, no big deal… Lena can mentor her, help her get her foot into the art world, do something with her photographs. Lena helps her give birth to the meaning behind her pictures, which tell a story Mona hadn’t been paying attention to until Lena’s keen eye comes along. Their intimacy happens fast, Mona is finally opening herself up to someone, telling Lena a story she buried long ago, making her vulnerable in a way she has never been and just like that, Lena is gone, a sudden abrupt departure.

Mona is left alone to pose for Paul as Lena is called away for work at the gallery, props are firing off memories of her past better left untouched. She discovers through Paul that Lena hasn’t been as open and forthcoming as she seems. There is something about Mona that has inspired Lena to pull her into their world, that has Lena praying for her and for rain, rain in a clear sky. Paul wants too much from her, it begins to feel wrong, and to the surface the muck of her long-held shame rises. The couple may be a catalyst forcing her to understand that her long held beliefs about her relationships have been skewed, always forcing her into the role of villain.

Licking her wounds from betrayal, her biological mother calls and asks her to come out to LA and pick up the boxes she has kept. Returning feels like regressing, and her mother and stepfather Frank seem to have ‘gone to the birds’. Drug abuse, mental illness… all sorts of troubles in her family genetics, but things can change, people can sober up and face their pain. It’s never too late for one’s mother to take her rightful place in your life, is it? For Mona, it’s ‘mercy’ that brings her to tears, and tough Frank may surprise her as much as her ‘reformed’ mother. The forces of nature lead her to a man named Kurt and Bakersfield but old habits die hard, Mona doesn’t always do the right thing for herself, and she sometimes figures things out too late, but some people take the long way home. Mona likes to chase her own tail, but by the end she may find direction and clarity.

I think Jen Beagin is fantastic because maybe I enjoy my characters shell-shocked by their life experiences, it is easier to relate to imperfection. I loved it!

Publication Date: February 26, 2019

Scribner

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vacuum In The Dark by Jen Beagin certainly has an eye opening book. Mona is 26 and cleans people's houses for a living. Mona certainly knows about her clients and never afraid to say anything at all to her clients or suggest something. What I liked about this cleaning lady Mona is that she's very funny. Also by Jen Beagin is Pretend I'm Dead. I do hope we will hear more of Mona, as I think that the author Jen Beagin is sitting on gold mine with this fresh and different unforgettable funny, Mona, the house cleaning young lady.

[Kelsey]

A little obsessed with this and her. I went from laughing out loud to feeling intensely physically uncomfortable and back again. Insanely dark and yet not depressing, in fact kind of delightful. So fricken weird and wonderful

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

When I first got this book I had no idea that it was connected to a previous book (Pretend I'm Dead). I thought about reading the first book. But then decided to just read this book and see if it could stand on its own. It definitely does. Although the main character Mona's story does apparently begin in the first book.

This book is divided into four parts. It's basically four different stories that are connected and all narrated by Mona.

This is a very adult book. The humor is at times dark. The narrator is Mona. She is 26 years old and a cleaning lady. There were definitely times when things in this book piqued my interest. But this story really is unlike anything I normally read. The first section was about someone pooping all over a house she was cleaning. And truthfully I did not find this funny. There is a chapter about her mother, which I also didn't love. There are lots of mentions of incest and rape. And parts of the story were a bit crude and vulgar to me. And then the book just ends. The book is different and interesting, but just not for me.




Thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for allowing me to read this book.

[Donna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free and early, thanks to Net Galley and Scribner. It will be available to the public February 26, 2019.

The cover grabbed my attention right away since I like sassy working class fiction. I haven’t read the author’s first book, but this one doesn’t rely on back story, so that is no problem.

The promotional blurb says this is laugh-out-loud funny, and it did make me laugh out loud right away. The protagonist Mona is a housecleaner, and as she is wiping down the various surfaces in the bathroom, she comes across a human turd on a soap dish. The hell? But she resolves not to say anything about it, because she tells us once you mention it, they win. I howled with laughter. This is great stuff. Every now and then she tosses in a cleaning tip, and for some reason it works with the narrative. Maybe it’s because she already uses such an eccentric style that it seems consistent with the rest of the story.

As the first of the book’s four sections moves forward, she recollects the oddball things that she’s found while cleaning other people’s homes, and then we see the reward she gives herself at the end, after several hours of cleaning a large, expensive home: she paws through the residents’ clothing, selects some, and tries it on. She photographs herself in their clothes, and she also photographs herself mostly nude with their more remarkable possessions.

But one day she is interrupted in this ritual by the homeowner, and a truly bizarre relationship develops which includes his wife as well, and just like that we moved out of my comfort zone, but I promised to read and review this thing, so I forged onward.

I knew this would be edgy humor when I requested the galley, and perhaps I should have read between the lines a little more thoroughly. The narrative contains a goodly amount of explicit sexual content—much of it twisted--not to mention a rape that Mona recounts, a scarring episode from her past. But in all of it, I don’t see any character development to speak of. The plot seems like more of a framework that’s been constructed in order to contain the various bits of humor that the author wants to include. And here, I also have to wonder why, why, why would anyone include the horrific suicide of a family member in an otherwise raunchily funny book? It was unexpected and made my gut flip over, the snide things she thinks about how the couple has dealt with the death of their daughter, the disposition of the ashes. Once you have read something you can’t unread it, and in all honesty I won’t read anything by this writer again.

At the same time, there are readers that loved her first book and I’ll bet you a dollar that they will love this one too. It bears the hallmark of a cult classic. I have no doubt that many readers will love it, but I do not.

Recommended to readers that read and enjoyed the author’s first book.

[leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really enjoyed pretend i'm dead and was excited to read this sequel/companion novel, but after finishing it, i'm not really sure it was necessary. mona was an interesting character in the first book, but it feels like this one was just a way to dump more trauma on her and make her dark past even more gratuitous. i think pretend i'm dead suffices as a standalone book for this character's story.

still enjoy jen beagin's writing though - and her most recent book big swiss is still one of my favourites of the year!

[2.75]

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit is nu de derde keer in korte tijd dat ik me heb laten verleiden door marketingpraatjes als 'een van de meest onaangepaste, hilarische hoofdpersonages in de hedendaagse literatuur'. Wat mij betreft past Stofzuigen in het donker in het rijtje van boeken als Je weet dat je dit wilt (Kristen Roupenian) en Maak er een feest van (Nicole Flattery). Ik ga me hier niet meer door laten vangen, want ik heb nu toch echt geleerd dat boeken die aangekondigd worden als 'hilarisch' meestal niet mijn humor hebben en dat 'onaangepaste vrouwelijke hoofdpersonages' en ik absoluut geen vriendinnen zullen worden. Debuutromans van jonge, gewaagde, humoristische schrijfsters zijn misschien gewoon niet mijn genre. En dat kan.

Mona uit Doen alsof ik dood ben en Stofzuigen in het donker - ja, dit boek bundelt direct twee Mona-romans - heeft een moeilijke jeugd gehad. Ze is in aanraking gekomen met seksueel misbruik, aanranding en verkrachting. Haar ouders hadden bovendien een gewelddadige relatie en daarom werd ze op een gegeven moment toevertrouwd aan een nicht die ze nauwelijks kende. Hier bouwde ze haar nieuwe leven als schoonmaakster op. Schoonmaken, en dan vooral stofzuigen, geeft Mona rust. Ze houdt van de regelmaat en het rondkijken in andermans huizen. Tegelijkertijd plakt ze hier voor zichzelf een kunstproject aan vast: ze fotografeert zichzelf in de huizen van haar klanten, soms naakt, soms in kledingstukken die ze daar uit de kasten plukt. Met veel van haar klanten bouwt ze een soort vreemde relatie op. Met de ene persoon neemt ze samen drugs, voor de ander poseert ze als naaktmodel, ... Ondertussen wordt ze verliefd op foute mannen als meneer Getver en meneer Duister.

Dit klinkt misschien allemaal nog behoorlijk interessant, maar het verhaal deed me niets behalve luidop uitroepen van verveling. Ik vond de vele seksscènes bovendien allesbehalve smaakvol geschreven ("Voor ze het wist had hij haar lievelingsslipje kapotgescheurd en zich bij haar naar binnen geduwd."), begreep niet waarom Mona zich alsmaar verder in de afgrond wilde laten vallen en vijftig pagina's naar aanleiding van drollen op onverklaarbare plaatsen in een huis waar Mona schoonmaakt waren me echt te veel van het goede.

Hoewel Jen Beagin met dit boek zowel het stereotiepe rond de schoonmaakster als onze heteronormatieve samenleving aan de kaak stelt heb ik Stofzuigen in het donker met veel tegenzin uitgelezen.

Mijn complete recensie lees je op Boekvinder.be.

[Kathryn in FL · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a whimsical drama that is connected by a central character, Mona, a house cleaner in Taos, New Mexico. Each chapter is a vignette of an experience Mona has had with one of her clients interspersed with remembrances of lovers past and sometimes those in the present. The last chapter focuses on her retrospection of her childhood with her mother, Darlene, whom she calls Clare (because she likes the name better) and Darlene's husband. The stories are clever though rife with sexual commentary and scenes which show how troubled and unstable both Mona, her two major loves, and even her clients are at their deepest marrow.

Though each story has its share of angst, it is interlaced with dark humor and sardonic wit galore. I found some of her observations truly funny to the point of laughing out loud unexpectedly. It is the writing that propelled it forward and kept it from being overly depressing, which it was at various twists and turns.

I wondered if any portion might be autobiographical since the author has worked as a house cleaner, herself. I do not want to paint her with such a brush. I cleaned houses to put myself through college so I do not begrudge her for using her experiences to create such consuming tales (I certainly enjoyed her side kick in her head, "Terry" from NPR, whom helps her keep a healthy perspective on what she sees and does). I too needed to process some rather filthy scenes that were quite abhorrent and way way way above my pay grade. Ms. Beagin created a rather interesting view into the life of Mona and her thought processes. I believe that women will find this far more entertaining and enlightening than men. That is not an arbitrary statement but rather an observation that men tend to enjoy a different flavor of fiction.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel we needed. Mona is back and is as weird and wonderful as ever. This was complete brilliance and cements Beagin as a major voice. You must read Pretend I’m Dead first I think so you meet Mona a couple of years before this novel takes place. .......................................
“‘Trigger finger’ is the medical term,” he said. “It just means the tendon is irritated. Are you hard on your hands?”
“I treat my fingers like little barbarians,” she said.
“So, you hold things with a firm grip for long periods of time?” he asked.
She nodded. My despair, she thought. And my vacuum. Oh, and my shovel.

[Louis Pigeon-Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satanic Turkish cats, a blind therapist, two pill-popping Hungarian artists, one rundown motel named Little Sweden and a whole lot of daddy issues feature in this beautiful and acerbic return to form by Jen Beagin. Your favourite sardonic anti-heroine Mona is back to navigate some of the most reprehensible and uncomfortable situations in the history of literature with wit, snark and just a touch of poetry. Think Peep Show as penned by Sylvia Plath.

[Martha Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quirky character that totally has my heart, Mona is one strange bird. The fact that she talks to Terry Gross from Fresh Air in her head nearly constantly just makes her more adorable. This is a follow-up to the novel "Pretend I'm Dead". This book is not for everyone, it's filled with shocking stuff but it's presented in the guise of dark humor (which I love). Thanks Jen, you did it again!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this woman’s writing and I will read her until the end of time.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0⭐️

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘All sexed up with no place to go!’

More crazy episodes in the off-the-wall love life adventures of Mona the cleaning lady, in all its ‘hippy-trippy’ glory.

Fantastic characters and some absolutely brilliant random comments made this a fun adventure from start to finish.

More please, Jen - loved it!!

Rating: 4.3 glittering balls of pure stardust.

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been dying to read this since I finished Pretend I'm Dead in early May, and it truly met and surpassed my expectations once it was finally my turn to check it out of the library.

I would certainly read another book starring Mona. Since I am 28 and I believe 27-28 to be the most transformative years for a young woman, I would LOVE another novel full of Mona's continued misadventures as she reaches her Saturn Return.

These books have inspired me to feel ready begin to writing my own story, which is not all too different from Mona's crazy life.

Hopefully I can catch up on actual reviews one day, as Jen Beagin's books deserve that from me. Until then...

4.5//5 stars

[Janet Newport · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this arc.

?????
What...……..????
"Constantly surprising, laugh out loud funny... ...dealing with some of the most universal in America today..."

I must be inhabiting a different America. I requested this book based on the publisher's blurb. The first book of this series had received somewhat mixed reviews (I've not read it), but seemed to have settled around 3.5 stars. So I thought I'd try this one.....

3-D rating from me. Desperate....Depressing... Dismal. And I skipped through some of the repetitive pages.

[Alex H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piñon’s true origin story is revealed at last!!!! If I could bottle the feeling of reuniting with him I’d drink it every day. I really need this author to publish another book ASAP because her writing style feels like the inside of my brain. As in, Mona (and Greta’s) thoughts really vindicate my own.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second book by Beagin.

Mona is a recovering addict who works as a cleaner. Her life is chaotic and she keeps getting into interesting situations.

Mona's current aim is to find out who keeps leaving turds out in the open in her latest Clients house. There is a scene with hand soap that isn't that is gross and laugh out loud funny at the same time.

I will look out for more by this author.

[Gaele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Metaphorically, the title works on two levels, as Mona is often cleaning in dark/dim areas and she herself seems to be moving through life in a shaded and often light-bereft manner. She even lives in a shade-side apartment, and isn’t particularly good at examining her own life, particularly moments that are emotional. Not knowing that Mona was introduced in an earlier book, and finding this story bringing her character forward to carry the novel through the four parts of the story, I will say that everything here is a surprise. Dark, often juvenile humor that dances with very adult subjects, Mona is a not always reliably contextual narrator of her life, and her voice, while intriguing with the pointed and often clever questions asked by the ”Terry in her head” don’t seem to bear any relationship to Mona’s own levels of self-awareness.

The synopsis calls this a hilarious and edgy, one of a kind story. And like much else, the humor and the edginess are decided by the reader and their reaction to the story, and personally, it often felt like a piece of ‘art’ from an artist dreaming up imagery (in this case using words, situations and emotionally triggering events) to push for a reaction. It was a near constant onslaught of ‘meant to be shocking moments’ that did little more than annoy after overexposure and endless topical analysis. I’m not sure to whom this book would hold appeal, it was, for me, a clear instance of expectation far exceeding the actual story, and leaving me with several head scratching moments. Sure, having Terry Gross as your imaginary friend and voice of reason is a brilliant concept, and I can even hear her voicing her own ‘dialogue’ in the book, but that one moment that shines in a story that then becomes an overload of noise with events and words meant to shock and draw notice just doesn’t hold up.

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 < a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aiV/” > I am, Indeed

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beagin's "Vacuum", is the most satisfying novel I've read since, "The Art of Racing in the Rain," by Garth Stein. Her darkness glistens like a black rainbow.

I adored this book and am sorry I will never have a first time with it again.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

An every day life account of a cleaning woman; her clients, her family, her lovers.

There is humor in her story telling of her personal accounts and clients.

I learned a couple of cleaning tips from the book, like how to naturally remove a rust stain. 😐

Everyone has a life story and this is Mona’s. It is a different spin, though not anything outstanding to remember or to model by.
It just is, a story. Two stars.

[Kath Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jen Beagin's debut novel, Pretend I'm Dead, last year and eventhough I had quite a hard time getting into the story at first, I still ended up enjoying it. In Vacuum in the Dark, we continue following the story of Mona who works as a cleaning lady in New Mexico. She is still doing her "photography project" wherein she takes pictures of herself while cleaning or while wearing/using some of her clients' valued possessions. She got herself involved in a bad relationship again and has encountered new and very strange clients. I honestly thought that this will end up just like its predecessor but I was wrong. I actually prefer this book more because of the additional characters who are part of Mona's life and we also get deeper into her past. Mona is eccentric, raw, and honest. Her conversations with Terry Gross, a voice in her head and her imaginary friend, are one of my favorites. She is definitely one of those characters that I will remember for a very long time. But I still think that this book is not for everyone. While there are hilarious scenes in this book, there are also obscene, uncomfortable, and heavy ones. This is truly a poignant, dark, and humorous read that will stay with me for awhile. Also, I learned some cleaning tips.

Trigger warnings: childhood trauma, drug addiction/abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual assault/rape.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 certainly. 4 chapters, that made up this mad hatter of a novel. Vacuum in the dark and Mona are the most deliciously weird things that have entered my life lately. There was a book before this one, and I'm hoping there's going to be a book after this one because where we left off was one tick shy of a grave in the desert. Jen Beagin strings together words into sentences that my brain would never even think belonged on the same page, but they're beautiful in their entirety. Taken one sentence at a time they're just weird, but as a whole they're achingly wonderful. She's 26, she's a cleaning lady, she gets involved in one love story after another, she's got trauma galore, and somehow this just turned into the Little Mermaid theme song. Any way I write it is going to make is sound mundane and it's anything but. I'll be waiting for the next novel on tenterhooks.

[Leonora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know where exactly the funny parts can be found in this book. For me, it wasn‘t an easy read, but a confrontation with some serious issues.

[Audrey Steinburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - I love Beagin’s writing, it sucks you in fast. Her style is visual and descriptive and gets under your skin. Her characters are so odd but fully fleshed and uncomfortably kind of relatable, and I can’t wait for the next one. I read this before Pretend I’m Dead (didn’t know it was the same series), and holds up as a stand alone.

[Ylenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[kait zinnecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love these books! i love Mona! i love Jen Beagin!! please never stop writing fucked up cleaning lady books. you have put my heart on paper !!