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Are We There Yet?
"A breezy yet affecting read filled with struggle and hope."—PeopleA Good Day LA PickAmong fake Instagram pages, long-buried family secrets, and the horrors of middle school, one suburban mom searches to find herself. Alice Sullivan feels like she’s finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is struggling in second grade, a call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying throws Alice into a tailspin. When it comes to light that the incident is part of a new behavior pattern for her son, one complete with fake social media profiles with a lot of questionable content, Alice’s social standing is quickly eroded to one of “those moms” who can’t control her kids. Soon she’s facing the very judgement she was all too happy to dole out when she thought no one was looking (or when she thought her house wasn’t made of glass). Then her mother unloads a family secret she’s kept for more than thirty years, and Alice’s entire perception of herself is shattered. As her son’s new reputation polarizes her friendships and her family buzzes with the ramification of her mother’s choices, Alice realizes that she’s been too focused on measuring her success and happiness by everyone else's standards. Now, with all her shortcomings laid bare, she’ll have to figure out to whom to turn for help and decide who she really wants to be.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 485 reviews
March 17, 2021
Are We There Yet by Kathleen West is a drama filled novel about middle schoolers and their mothers. West pulled me into the story right away and I didn’t want to put the book down. The story is told from multiple perspectives of teenagers and their parents. Three women are best friends until their teenagers start misbehaving and their kids are on opposite sides of an issue. Social media plays a big part of the book, and the children say things they wouldn’t say to someone in person. Social media is turned into a way to share secrets with fake Instagram accounts their parents don’t know about. The parents think they know what is going on by checking their kid’s phones. It was interesting to see how the teenagers interacted and reacted to certain events. Then, the parents reacted very differently. There was a mix of strict parents to more relaxed parents. None of the parents will admit their child is at fault which causes a rift in their friendship. I read as a buddy read and enjoyed our discussion and sharing opinions. I was told from parents of middle schoolers how realistic events in the book were. I recommend Are We There Yet for anyone looking for a drama filled novel about women, teenagers, and parenting.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and Edelweiss for Are We There Yet.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
Thank you Berkley Publishing and Edelweiss for Are We There Yet.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
March 16, 2021
It's safe to say that when it comes to books, I have a type. Give me a book about misbehaving kids and their worse behaving cliquey moms and I'm pretty much sure to love it! 'Are We There Yet?' has these elements and it totally did not disappoint!!
Three friends - Nadia, Alice, and Meredith - connected while their children were in kindergarten. Now in seventh grade, the women have remained close though their children have drifted apart and pursued their own friend groups and interests. As troubles arise for each family, the women must decide where their priorities lie and who they can trust.
Nadia, mother to Donovan, has always been the "bad mom," not that any of the women would tell her that. Donovan is a classic "problem child," often in trouble with the principal, prone to learning difficulties, and in therapy. Meredith and Alice are convinced Donovan is the way he is because of Nadia's parenting - what else could it be?
Alice is the successful working mom to Teddy and Aidy and she's coming to grips with recognizing that though she can have it all, she can't seem to have it all at the same time. Just as her interior design company seems to be taking off and getting national attention, Teddy starts showing signs of being a bully, Aidy's reading levels are shown to be clearly behind, and Alice's relationship with her mother starts to crack.
Meredith, mother to Sadie, is the perfectionist. Sadie is her golden child - a talented figure skater, a team player, highly intelligent. But when Sadie gets wrapped up in some drama with Teddy at school and subsequently makes a poor decision on social media, Meredith quickly sees her perfect life crumbling in front of her eyes while at the same time also compromising her daughter's reputation and future.
As the mothers each push to do whatever they think is best for their children, they make plenty of their own bad decisions along the way. Dealing with current and relevant issues related to bullying and social media and parenting in general, I was totally engrossed with the drama of Elm Creek and felt that it was (terrifyingly) realistic. It really showed what a parent is willing to do for his/her child and how hard it can be to be honest with yourself about who your kids really are.
It was easy to see how the kids' impulsive decisions spiraled out of control in the new age of social media and I often found myself thanking my lucky stars Instagram and SnapChat weren't a thing while I was growing up. Though I was frustrated with some of the decision-making, it truly did feel authentic and I have a feeling these situations happen more often than anyone would like to think.
Funnily enough, I didn't love any of the characters all that much and particularly disliked Teddy, Alice, and Meredith. Everyone felt impulsive, judgmental, entitled, and superior, but for me, that made me enjoy the book even more!
I loved the writing and narration style - we heard from the mothers as well as several other characters including Alice's mom, Teddy, and Sadie. I do wish we had heard more from Nadia to balance out the voices of the three moms and because we didn't hear from her, it felt like her character was sidelined a bit.
Some of the storyline was wrapped up a bit abruptly at the end but I did feel there was good closure to the various plotlines.
Overall, I couldn't get enough of this book and I'm looking forward to reading more by West!!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
Three friends - Nadia, Alice, and Meredith - connected while their children were in kindergarten. Now in seventh grade, the women have remained close though their children have drifted apart and pursued their own friend groups and interests. As troubles arise for each family, the women must decide where their priorities lie and who they can trust.
Nadia, mother to Donovan, has always been the "bad mom," not that any of the women would tell her that. Donovan is a classic "problem child," often in trouble with the principal, prone to learning difficulties, and in therapy. Meredith and Alice are convinced Donovan is the way he is because of Nadia's parenting - what else could it be?
Alice is the successful working mom to Teddy and Aidy and she's coming to grips with recognizing that though she can have it all, she can't seem to have it all at the same time. Just as her interior design company seems to be taking off and getting national attention, Teddy starts showing signs of being a bully, Aidy's reading levels are shown to be clearly behind, and Alice's relationship with her mother starts to crack.
Meredith, mother to Sadie, is the perfectionist. Sadie is her golden child - a talented figure skater, a team player, highly intelligent. But when Sadie gets wrapped up in some drama with Teddy at school and subsequently makes a poor decision on social media, Meredith quickly sees her perfect life crumbling in front of her eyes while at the same time also compromising her daughter's reputation and future.
As the mothers each push to do whatever they think is best for their children, they make plenty of their own bad decisions along the way. Dealing with current and relevant issues related to bullying and social media and parenting in general, I was totally engrossed with the drama of Elm Creek and felt that it was (terrifyingly) realistic. It really showed what a parent is willing to do for his/her child and how hard it can be to be honest with yourself about who your kids really are.
It was easy to see how the kids' impulsive decisions spiraled out of control in the new age of social media and I often found myself thanking my lucky stars Instagram and SnapChat weren't a thing while I was growing up. Though I was frustrated with some of the decision-making, it truly did feel authentic and I have a feeling these situations happen more often than anyone would like to think.
Funnily enough, I didn't love any of the characters all that much and particularly disliked Teddy, Alice, and Meredith. Everyone felt impulsive, judgmental, entitled, and superior, but for me, that made me enjoy the book even more!
I loved the writing and narration style - we heard from the mothers as well as several other characters including Alice's mom, Teddy, and Sadie. I do wish we had heard more from Nadia to balance out the voices of the three moms and because we didn't hear from her, it felt like her character was sidelined a bit.
Some of the storyline was wrapped up a bit abruptly at the end but I did feel there was good closure to the various plotlines.
Overall, I couldn't get enough of this book and I'm looking forward to reading more by West!!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
March 18, 2021
Favorite Quotes:
She felt as if she were watching a television show. This poor mother, she’d say if she were. How could she be so clueless?
“Okay, sweetie!” her mom shouted after her. “Dad and I are here for you.” Sadie scrambled away as if escaping a monster in a horror film.
My Review:
I wasn’t sure I was going to appreciate this book after finishing the first chapter, as the characters were not immediately likable, in fact, they were rather obnoxious. But the wryly-witty writing style pulled me in like a duck to water, and my curiosity was well and truly tripped. Ms. West is a divinely clever scribe and laced her tale with deliciously spiky humor, which was keenly insightful and at times cringe-worthily in realistically exposing our shallow tendencies, selfish inner musings, and common family foibles. Her characters were well fleshed out, extremely knowable, and lived and breathed as I read their storylines, which made me greatly appreciate the fact that I am not responsible for a tween or teen in this day and age. I’ll gladly be sticking to fur babies until I take my dirt nap.
She felt as if she were watching a television show. This poor mother, she’d say if she were. How could she be so clueless?
“Okay, sweetie!” her mom shouted after her. “Dad and I are here for you.” Sadie scrambled away as if escaping a monster in a horror film.
My Review:
I wasn’t sure I was going to appreciate this book after finishing the first chapter, as the characters were not immediately likable, in fact, they were rather obnoxious. But the wryly-witty writing style pulled me in like a duck to water, and my curiosity was well and truly tripped. Ms. West is a divinely clever scribe and laced her tale with deliciously spiky humor, which was keenly insightful and at times cringe-worthily in realistically exposing our shallow tendencies, selfish inner musings, and common family foibles. Her characters were well fleshed out, extremely knowable, and lived and breathed as I read their storylines, which made me greatly appreciate the fact that I am not responsible for a tween or teen in this day and age. I’ll gladly be sticking to fur babies until I take my dirt nap.
March 10, 2021
Le sigh. It’s so hard for me to write this review. I loved Kathleen’s West previous book, Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes. It was such an engaging and thoughtful exploration of parenting, high school, popularity, family, and connection. I was expecting more of the same from Are We There Yet? And while West did manage to create another engaging, emotionally- and situationally-complex story, in the end, my biggest gripe about Are We There Yet? is that I was so disappointed with where the characters ended up. Poor Alice gets served nothing but a garbage sandwich for the entire book, and even though it was all such a DOWNER, I tolerated it, because I thought she’d have her “Wait! I matter! You can’t treat me like that!” moment. But that moment never came, and I couldn’t understand her decisions, and especially her willingness to be bullied. By, like, everyone. Constantly.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll say that the ending was completely unsatisfying. Yes, there is resolution. But the people who treated Alice so badly never get told what’s up. Alice never stands up for herself in a clear, adult, meaningful way. She just takes the abuse until she throws a tantrum like a toddler, disengages, apologizes to everyone else, and then…that’s it. No one else takes accountability. No one else apologizes. (Don’t even get me started on her mother…) There’s just a weird unspoken acknowledgment that, well, people behaved badly and it’s best not to talk about it. Let’s all move on…separately. I just don’t get it. I finished the book and felt angry and sad for Alice and her family. And irritated about the time I wasted reading this book. I’m sorry to say that I just wasn’t a fan of this one.
Thanks to Net Galley and Berkley for the ARC!
I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll say that the ending was completely unsatisfying. Yes, there is resolution. But the people who treated Alice so badly never get told what’s up. Alice never stands up for herself in a clear, adult, meaningful way. She just takes the abuse until she throws a tantrum like a toddler, disengages, apologizes to everyone else, and then…that’s it. No one else takes accountability. No one else apologizes. (Don’t even get me started on her mother…) There’s just a weird unspoken acknowledgment that, well, people behaved badly and it’s best not to talk about it. Let’s all move on…separately. I just don’t get it. I finished the book and felt angry and sad for Alice and her family. And irritated about the time I wasted reading this book. I’m sorry to say that I just wasn’t a fan of this one.
Thanks to Net Galley and Berkley for the ARC!
February 17, 2021
This was my first Kathleen West novel and while there were some things I did enjoy about this book overall, I got a sense of where is this going? and I am not sure we ended up anywhere. There is a lot to unpack with Are We There Yet?
I did like the writing style and that the story is told through multiple points of view, it was an interesting way to keep the story moving and share slices of each character’s perspective. I thought the views from the teenagers were well done and often made me wish the adult characters could understand them a bit better, such as in real life. There are a few concepts that were really interesting, social media on teens, parenting the modern world. Adopted families and how certain things can affect those children through out life. I think the author was just a bit ambitious with all this thoughts to really hone in a couple and showcase them to their full potential.
Which leads to, things that were more of a miss for me include. The number of ideas bouncing around in this book, so many characters to keep track of with several stories lines that I didn’t think were necessary, some never even got addressed by the end of the book. Most of the characters were not likeable, relatable, or even enjoyable. I found our main characters mother’s actions and motivations to be a bit confusing and unrealistic. Every male character in the book was a completely dud. All the friendships were toxic with no chance for characters to redeem themselves.
Never have I read a book with so much going on while the book goes nowhere at all. I like a good domestic drama as much as the next person but unfortunately for me when I reflect on this book I can’t think of a single person I’d recommend it to which for me is the true mark of a good read.
I did like the writing style and that the story is told through multiple points of view, it was an interesting way to keep the story moving and share slices of each character’s perspective. I thought the views from the teenagers were well done and often made me wish the adult characters could understand them a bit better, such as in real life. There are a few concepts that were really interesting, social media on teens, parenting the modern world. Adopted families and how certain things can affect those children through out life. I think the author was just a bit ambitious with all this thoughts to really hone in a couple and showcase them to their full potential.
Which leads to, things that were more of a miss for me include. The number of ideas bouncing around in this book, so many characters to keep track of with several stories lines that I didn’t think were necessary, some never even got addressed by the end of the book. Most of the characters were not likeable, relatable, or even enjoyable. I found our main characters mother’s actions and motivations to be a bit confusing and unrealistic. Every male character in the book was a completely dud. All the friendships were toxic with no chance for characters to redeem themselves.
Never have I read a book with so much going on while the book goes nowhere at all. I like a good domestic drama as much as the next person but unfortunately for me when I reflect on this book I can’t think of a single person I’d recommend it to which for me is the true mark of a good read.
April 1, 2022
Do you ever feel like everyone else has it more together than you? Are We There Yet tells the story of a group of mothers caught up in the never ending pursuit of balance between work, motherhood, marriage, and friendship. I laughed, I empathized, and ultimately I loved seeing the journey of these flawed but relatable women.
I really loved Kathleen West’s last book so I was excited to read Are We There Yet! Similar to her previous novel, West takes a sharp, witty, and ultimately thought-provoking look at the so-called “perfect” mothers and the way a “scandal” can ostracize the parent and the child from their community. One thing that differed in this book was the central mother (there are alternating narrators, but I’d consider Alice to be the main character of the book) started out already feeling very rootable. Alice’s biggest flaw is that she tries to do everything and realizes she has missed some of the small but important things her kids need.
But when an incident between her son, another child, and her best friend’s daughter escalates, Alice soon finds herself on the outs. Suddenly she is a parent of one of the “bad kids” and she feels shame and loneliness as she tries to navigate out of the situation. Alice quickly learns what its like to be on the other side of the judgment she used to place on other parents.
Meanwhile, Alice’s complicated but content relationship with her mother is rocked when her mother tells Alice a secret she has been keeping from her throughout Alice’s entire life. While Alice’s husband is traveling for a big work case, and Alice’s boss is increasingly pushing her out at work due to Alice’s unpredictable schedule with her children, Alice finds herself wondering how her life could have possibly gone so far off track.
There are characters in this book that I never felt fully redeemed themselves, characters in this book who I loved from page one, and characters who grew on me as I read their stories. This is a book full of all the messy imperfect parts of life, and what happens when you realize that the path you are on isn’t the one you thought you wanted, but it might be the one you needed.
Funny, heart-warming, and cathartic—don’t skip this book!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
I really loved Kathleen West’s last book so I was excited to read Are We There Yet! Similar to her previous novel, West takes a sharp, witty, and ultimately thought-provoking look at the so-called “perfect” mothers and the way a “scandal” can ostracize the parent and the child from their community. One thing that differed in this book was the central mother (there are alternating narrators, but I’d consider Alice to be the main character of the book) started out already feeling very rootable. Alice’s biggest flaw is that she tries to do everything and realizes she has missed some of the small but important things her kids need.
But when an incident between her son, another child, and her best friend’s daughter escalates, Alice soon finds herself on the outs. Suddenly she is a parent of one of the “bad kids” and she feels shame and loneliness as she tries to navigate out of the situation. Alice quickly learns what its like to be on the other side of the judgment she used to place on other parents.
Meanwhile, Alice’s complicated but content relationship with her mother is rocked when her mother tells Alice a secret she has been keeping from her throughout Alice’s entire life. While Alice’s husband is traveling for a big work case, and Alice’s boss is increasingly pushing her out at work due to Alice’s unpredictable schedule with her children, Alice finds herself wondering how her life could have possibly gone so far off track.
There are characters in this book that I never felt fully redeemed themselves, characters in this book who I loved from page one, and characters who grew on me as I read their stories. This is a book full of all the messy imperfect parts of life, and what happens when you realize that the path you are on isn’t the one you thought you wanted, but it might be the one you needed.
Funny, heart-warming, and cathartic—don’t skip this book!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
June 28, 2021
A heartfelt look at parenting and growing up
Alice Sullivan is an interior designer and mom whose nearly perfect life goes off the rails when her son Teddy gets in trouble bullying at school. The same day she learns her daughter Adrian is having trouble keeping up in second grade. Soon Alice learns Teddy is caught up in a social media battle with another kid and she's rapidly being subjected to the judgement of the other moms. This includes her good friend, Meredith, whose daughter Sadie may be more involved than Meredith realizes. Then, Alice finds herself reeling further when her mom, Evelyn, reveals a long-held secret. Alice needs to stop caring what other people think--and starting focusing on her family. Fast.
This book was one of those happy surprises, where it was even better than I expected. It was real and captivating, highlighting how difficult it is to be both a parent and kid in the digital age. The story is expertly told from a variety of perspectives--Alice, Meredith, Teddy, Evelyn, and Sadie.
West does such a great job of portraying the interconnected people, both kids and parents, in her tale. All are mostly trying their best but often failing while some are judging others. Yet it seems like their world falls apart anyway. Everyone's story was told in such a unique voice, and I could not help but feel so sorry for these kids trying to survive in a digital age, and their parents attempting to maintain some type of control.
Overall, this is excellent book--very timely, realistic, and both heartbreaking and hopeful. 4.25 stars.
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Alice Sullivan is an interior designer and mom whose nearly perfect life goes off the rails when her son Teddy gets in trouble bullying at school. The same day she learns her daughter Adrian is having trouble keeping up in second grade. Soon Alice learns Teddy is caught up in a social media battle with another kid and she's rapidly being subjected to the judgement of the other moms. This includes her good friend, Meredith, whose daughter Sadie may be more involved than Meredith realizes. Then, Alice finds herself reeling further when her mom, Evelyn, reveals a long-held secret. Alice needs to stop caring what other people think--and starting focusing on her family. Fast.
This book was one of those happy surprises, where it was even better than I expected. It was real and captivating, highlighting how difficult it is to be both a parent and kid in the digital age. The story is expertly told from a variety of perspectives--Alice, Meredith, Teddy, Evelyn, and Sadie.
West does such a great job of portraying the interconnected people, both kids and parents, in her tale. All are mostly trying their best but often failing while some are judging others. Yet it seems like their world falls apart anyway. Everyone's story was told in such a unique voice, and I could not help but feel so sorry for these kids trying to survive in a digital age, and their parents attempting to maintain some type of control.
Overall, this is excellent book--very timely, realistic, and both heartbreaking and hopeful. 4.25 stars.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ PaperBackSwap ~ Smashbomb
September 14, 2022
I am but a simple man, you give me moms trying to be there for their children while dealing with personal issues and their jobs? I'm here for it. You give me kids being young and reckless on the internet? I am eating it up. So while the content of the book was something that I vibed with, there was something about the execution that felt a little lacking for me, something that just pulled me back from giving this a four star read.
I do think that having Ted's situation being the first domino in an unexpected chain reaction was pretty smart, I liked how that one character was able to really expose this larger plot happening in this friend group and the lives of everyone else.
At times the narrative did feel a little insular, the scope felt a little tight more for plot convenience than anything else. There were also certain elements of Alice's relationship with her own mother that I wish had played out differently or the nuance and texture of those scenes had been massaged a little more to give something that felt more consistently satisfying.
Ultimately though id id have a good time. I enjoyed the book about as much as I thought I would after having refreshed my memory as to what the book was going to be about. It's one that I would definitely recommend if someone was in the market for this kind of book.
More thoughts found in my reading vlog.
I do think that having Ted's situation being the first domino in an unexpected chain reaction was pretty smart, I liked how that one character was able to really expose this larger plot happening in this friend group and the lives of everyone else.
At times the narrative did feel a little insular, the scope felt a little tight more for plot convenience than anything else. There were also certain elements of Alice's relationship with her own mother that I wish had played out differently or the nuance and texture of those scenes had been massaged a little more to give something that felt more consistently satisfying.
Ultimately though id id have a good time. I enjoyed the book about as much as I thought I would after having refreshed my memory as to what the book was going to be about. It's one that I would definitely recommend if someone was in the market for this kind of book.
More thoughts found in my reading vlog.
June 8, 2021
Though interesting enough to read to the end, this book lost points with me for its clumsiness surrounding adoption issues. The situation presented in this novel warrants a great deal more attention than it received (not to mention being potentially far more interesting than many of the things the author wrote about in detail instead, like interior design). The idea that Evelyn, a psychologist, would think and behave in the ways she did, with virtually no understanding of Alice’s feelings and reactions, was absurd. I hung on ‘til the end, expecting a resolution that included Evelyn exhibiting some measure of introspection and remorse... but unfortunately, no.
April 2, 2021
You know those books you plow through quickly hoping for a satisfying ending to justify the time you just spent engrossedly reading? This was not that book. Instead, it was a HUGE disappointment - although I did get through it very quickly. I wanted to like it because it's privileged "woke" moms who are clueless about their own kids and their unassuming husbands. The husbands were non-existent and protagonist had the personality of a wet towel. Everyone walked all over her and she never understood why her same choices led to the same outcome!! Isn't that the definition of "crazy"? She didn't stand up for herself except in occasional outbursts and expected her toxic friendships to sooth her problems. While I don't mind multiple POVs, the mother/grandmother's POV was absolutely irrelevant to the storyline. And only once (maybe twice) were the readers treated to the one mutual mother's POV. Why include it at all? It was lazy writing on West's part. There was so much potential for this book - who doesn't love to watch a helicopter, snowplow, tiger mom parent get her comeuppance? But this was not the author to tell that story.
March 11, 2021
With a twelve year old daughter set to be a seventh grader next year this one read a bit like a cautionary tale to me. I don’t mean that in a bad way, more like it brought all my worst fears to life but in a very relatable, witty and entertaining way. It tackles some very relevant and timely topics and I think many parents will be super engaged with this one.
I love a family drama, and even better for me is when there are multiple points of view and this one has several. You have from Alice and her son Teddy, and her mom Evelyn. Then there’s Meredith and her daughter Sadie and a couple of random chapters from other characters that I don’t want to spoil. It provided a delicious birds eye view of the events that unfolded in an insightful way and I was totally wrapped up in the drama of all of the characters. A really engaging read that surprisingly gave me a lot to think about.
I love a family drama, and even better for me is when there are multiple points of view and this one has several. You have from Alice and her son Teddy, and her mom Evelyn. Then there’s Meredith and her daughter Sadie and a couple of random chapters from other characters that I don’t want to spoil. It provided a delicious birds eye view of the events that unfolded in an insightful way and I was totally wrapped up in the drama of all of the characters. A really engaging read that surprisingly gave me a lot to think about.
February 27, 2021
In this book that explores the dynamic of family when it comes to troubled kids, we have a story that is mostly told in the viewpoint of Alice Sullivan. However, as the chapters develop in this story, there are five other characters who have chapters. As Alice is in conference with her daughter's teaching, she is shocked to learn that her young daughter Adrian is very far behind in reading, that is disturbing enough. However, finding out that her son Teddy is the class bully is incomprehensible. Her friends Nadia and Meredith also have children of the same age and have been friends for years. Alice always that her children were a cut above the others.
Alice may be friends with Nadia and Meredith, but things certainly are on shaky ground. For one thing, Alice always felt that Nadia's son Donovan was the bad boy, and now Alice is pretty much forced to completely rethink that with her current problems with Teddy. Then there is Meredith and her daughter Sadie and the role she played in things in this book. Meanwhile, Alice's mother Evelyn has something to tell Alice. This is something that will no doubt shake Alice's world and could possibly cause detrimental effects to their relationship.
One thing proves quite true in this book. The preteens in this book all have access to social media. For the most part, the parents have exercised caution with their children, but these kids are smarter than their parents when it comes to technology, and this indeed proves to create untold problems that have devastating effects.
As a parent of six and grandmother of nine, I admit to having gotten frustrated with this book more than once. I know what I did to protect my children of the dangers of the internet and and I found the decisions made by the children as well as the parents often to be quite disappointing. But my experiences are certainly my own, so I tried to put myself into the minds of the parents when it came to what they were dealing with their children.
The narration of this book was definitely on point. I loved that so many characters had their own voice, especially when it came to bring in the multigenerational situation that concerned Evelyn, all while Alice and the other mothers coped with the difficulties their children faced. This was my first book by Kathleen West and I am glad for the opportunity. I definitely look forward to reading some of her other books.
Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Alice may be friends with Nadia and Meredith, but things certainly are on shaky ground. For one thing, Alice always felt that Nadia's son Donovan was the bad boy, and now Alice is pretty much forced to completely rethink that with her current problems with Teddy. Then there is Meredith and her daughter Sadie and the role she played in things in this book. Meanwhile, Alice's mother Evelyn has something to tell Alice. This is something that will no doubt shake Alice's world and could possibly cause detrimental effects to their relationship.
One thing proves quite true in this book. The preteens in this book all have access to social media. For the most part, the parents have exercised caution with their children, but these kids are smarter than their parents when it comes to technology, and this indeed proves to create untold problems that have devastating effects.
As a parent of six and grandmother of nine, I admit to having gotten frustrated with this book more than once. I know what I did to protect my children of the dangers of the internet and and I found the decisions made by the children as well as the parents often to be quite disappointing. But my experiences are certainly my own, so I tried to put myself into the minds of the parents when it came to what they were dealing with their children.
The narration of this book was definitely on point. I loved that so many characters had their own voice, especially when it came to bring in the multigenerational situation that concerned Evelyn, all while Alice and the other mothers coped with the difficulties their children faced. This was my first book by Kathleen West and I am glad for the opportunity. I definitely look forward to reading some of her other books.
Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
March 16, 2021
Kathleen West has done it again! I was already obsessed with her debut, MINOR DRAMAS & OTHER CATASTROPHES, and now, with her stellar follow-up, ARE WE THERE YET? she’s become an auto-buy author for me. This book revolves around mothers Alice and Meredith as their children, Teddy and Sadie respectively, get caught up in middle school drama and scandals (and criminal activity?) that throw each family for a loop. Add to that a secret that Alice’s mother has been keeping for decades—one she decides to spill at a particularly fraught moment for Alice—and you have a perfect storm of problems for seemingly perfect families. I love how this novel explores the idea of what it means to be a “good kid,” and how, when a child upsets the expectations of that label, it not only disrupts how social groups see and relate to them, but the way their parents see themselves as well. Kathleen West expertly depicts the snowballing drama that can arise when adolescents—and adults—feel displaced from their comfort zones, and she also showcases the slippery slope of social media, how it can actually derail people and relationships, instead of connect them. While the kids have their Finstas and Snapchats, the adults have NextDoor, and all three apps can whip up a world of trouble. I can’t overstate how absorbing this book is, how complex and real the characters feel, even and especially when they’re making bad choices. When I saw I only had about ten pages left in the book, I actually said “Nooooooo” out loud, because I wanted to stay in this story forever. With that said, it had a lovely and satisfying ending, so if I HAAAAADDDDD to stop reading it (said in my whiniest voice possible), I’m happy about where the characters ultimately end up. Each one endured growing pains—and a lot of growth—and I loved every second of their story.
March 14, 2021
I don't know why this book didn't quite do it for me. Could be several reasons. First- I'm literally living the life of having middle schoolers and figuring things out and taking kids to soccer and having a husband who is going all the time...so maybe it's not so fun reading about things when you are in the middle of it?
I also found all of the characters pretty unlikeable and pretentious. What the heck was it with Meredith's obsession with Sadie being thin and obsessing over what she feeds her? Yuck. The characters kind of all just thought they were better than each other and spent the whole time secretly judging one another. And yes, there was some growth by the end, but it just didn't redeem anyone for me.
I felt similarly about Abbi Waxman's Other People's Houses and Bruce Holsinger's The Gifted School. I'm simply not a fan of reading books about spoiled, privileged, pretentious people and their problems.
I also found all of the characters pretty unlikeable and pretentious. What the heck was it with Meredith's obsession with Sadie being thin and obsessing over what she feeds her? Yuck. The characters kind of all just thought they were better than each other and spent the whole time secretly judging one another. And yes, there was some growth by the end, but it just didn't redeem anyone for me.
I felt similarly about Abbi Waxman's Other People's Houses and Bruce Holsinger's The Gifted School. I'm simply not a fan of reading books about spoiled, privileged, pretentious people and their problems.
April 19, 2021
I can see why people like this book, but the whole thing fell flat for me. The plot was predictable, and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. The moms all felt one-dimensional; the kids were not interesting; the dads were nonexistent/duds. I’m a middle-aged mom with a daughter in middle school, so this book and the plot should have resonated with me, but it completely missed the mark. Meh.
I’ll try another book by this author, but this one was not for me.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC. Book is available as of 3/16/21.
I’ll try another book by this author, but this one was not for me.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC. Book is available as of 3/16/21.
March 3, 2021
Kathleen West wrote a book that read like an HBO mini series.
Quick chapters with each one leaving you wanting more information. The character flow was phenomenal. The realness of Motherhood and expectations was great. She also did great connecting us with the two tween characters in the story.
This book is almost an entertaining manual to raising tweens/teens today.
Quick chapters with each one leaving you wanting more information. The character flow was phenomenal. The realness of Motherhood and expectations was great. She also did great connecting us with the two tween characters in the story.
This book is almost an entertaining manual to raising tweens/teens today.
February 28, 2022
Goof story but it did ramble on a bit.
March 3, 2021
Wow. Kathleen West does a bang-up job of recreating the junior high years, which without a doubt are THE MOST stressful years of parenting that you will endure. And they suck for the kids, too. (If your kids are still young, I apologize for freaking you out. But I speak the truth.)
This book is told from several different perspectives, mainly three adult women who have been friends since their kids were in elementary school, along with their children and one of the women’s mother. It was a little hard to keep track of everyone at first, and some of the transitions were a little rough, but overall I really enjoyed the format and reading from the different perspectives.
Our main character is Alice. Alice feels like she's finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is falling behind in second grade, she gets call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying.
When it comes to light that the incident is part of a new behavior pattern for her son, one complete with fake social media profiles with a lot of questionable content, Alice's social standing is quickly eroded to one of "those moms" who can't control her kids. Soon she's facing the very judgement she was previously all too happy to dole out.
Then her mother unloads a family secret she's kept for more than thirty years, and Alice's entire perception of herself is shattered.
As her son's new reputation polarizes her friendships and her family buzzes with the ramification of her mother's choices, Alice realizes that she's been too focused on measuring her success and happiness by everyone else's standards. Now, with all her shortcomings laid bare, she'll have to figure out to whom to turn for help and decide who she really wants to be.
This book is like "Girls with Bright Futures" for the junior high set, with more moms behaving badly. I absolutely loved it (although it made me fervently thankful that my kids have both passed the junior high stage).
This book is told from several different perspectives, mainly three adult women who have been friends since their kids were in elementary school, along with their children and one of the women’s mother. It was a little hard to keep track of everyone at first, and some of the transitions were a little rough, but overall I really enjoyed the format and reading from the different perspectives.
Our main character is Alice. Alice feels like she's finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is falling behind in second grade, she gets call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying.
When it comes to light that the incident is part of a new behavior pattern for her son, one complete with fake social media profiles with a lot of questionable content, Alice's social standing is quickly eroded to one of "those moms" who can't control her kids. Soon she's facing the very judgement she was previously all too happy to dole out.
Then her mother unloads a family secret she's kept for more than thirty years, and Alice's entire perception of herself is shattered.
As her son's new reputation polarizes her friendships and her family buzzes with the ramification of her mother's choices, Alice realizes that she's been too focused on measuring her success and happiness by everyone else's standards. Now, with all her shortcomings laid bare, she'll have to figure out to whom to turn for help and decide who she really wants to be.
This book is like "Girls with Bright Futures" for the junior high set, with more moms behaving badly. I absolutely loved it (although it made me fervently thankful that my kids have both passed the junior high stage).
March 18, 2021
If you were ever worried about the effect of phones and apps on kids, then look no further than this book. We get a look into the lives of three women that forged a friendship when their children were in kindergarten, but now they have hit junior high and things aren't quite the same for any of them especially where the children are concerned. This book includes bullying, the influence of social media, hormones in teenage boys and girls, and just life in today's world.
Outside of the mess the children get into, there is friction between these three women because of their children. Alice is very high-strung and a bit of a perfectionist. This trait does not bode well for her when her mother springs a surprise on her that is hard to digest. I did not like her mother, Evelyn, because while I understood how she felt about this situation, Evelyn was very selfish and only wanted what she wanted and didn't take Alice's feelings into consideration. This was actually surprising since Evelyn is a therapist. But Alice does learn something about herself and what she is willing to put up with from her family and even her job.
The kids are out of control in this book - finsta accounts (fake Instagram), bullying, sexting, and so much more. There is a lot that children have to deal with today and this book cuts to the core of those issues. While everything is resolved, it is based on reality and situations are not swept under the rug or "prettied" for the benefit of the reader.
I enjoyed the book and liked how the chapters were from different character's points of view. I felt like we got the full picture versus just part of the story from one perspective.
We give this book 4 paws up.
Outside of the mess the children get into, there is friction between these three women because of their children. Alice is very high-strung and a bit of a perfectionist. This trait does not bode well for her when her mother springs a surprise on her that is hard to digest. I did not like her mother, Evelyn, because while I understood how she felt about this situation, Evelyn was very selfish and only wanted what she wanted and didn't take Alice's feelings into consideration. This was actually surprising since Evelyn is a therapist. But Alice does learn something about herself and what she is willing to put up with from her family and even her job.
The kids are out of control in this book - finsta accounts (fake Instagram), bullying, sexting, and so much more. There is a lot that children have to deal with today and this book cuts to the core of those issues. While everything is resolved, it is based on reality and situations are not swept under the rug or "prettied" for the benefit of the reader.
I enjoyed the book and liked how the chapters were from different character's points of view. I felt like we got the full picture versus just part of the story from one perspective.
We give this book 4 paws up.
February 5, 2021
I just don't know what to say about this book. It sure held my attention! While I was tempted to DNF during the first quarter of this book, I'm glad I persevered. I wasn't quite sure if this book was supposed to be a farce or not, but the more I read, the more I understood that this is serious business for some mothers -especially the two-income parents and the 'helicopter' style of parenting. Of course, this is just my opinion only, so don't get too ticked at me!
It all starts with a misunderstanding and evolves into what can be called bullying and then devolves into a sort of child pornography case. We have three (and more) mothers who have been friends for quite a while who now are taking sides in this mess. Oh! And don't forget that these are only 12-year-olds! Tweens! Yikes!
Now add to this mess, Alice's mother (she is the main female character) lets her know during this time of upheaval that she had been holding back a major secret for 37 years! Evelyn ( the mother's name) does some things that I really took exception to. Actually, I really disliked her and would love to talk about her, but this is just a review and not a book club!
So would I recommend this book? I sure would, even if you are my age and never had to worry about most of these issues that stem from social media. Sure, we had bullying way back when in my day, but not on this level. I would also recommend this to mothers of tweeners and even those who want to read a good juicy back-stabbing novel~!
*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss. Many thanks!
It all starts with a misunderstanding and evolves into what can be called bullying and then devolves into a sort of child pornography case. We have three (and more) mothers who have been friends for quite a while who now are taking sides in this mess. Oh! And don't forget that these are only 12-year-olds! Tweens! Yikes!
Now add to this mess, Alice's mother (she is the main female character) lets her know during this time of upheaval that she had been holding back a major secret for 37 years! Evelyn ( the mother's name) does some things that I really took exception to. Actually, I really disliked her and would love to talk about her, but this is just a review and not a book club!
So would I recommend this book? I sure would, even if you are my age and never had to worry about most of these issues that stem from social media. Sure, we had bullying way back when in my day, but not on this level. I would also recommend this to mothers of tweeners and even those who want to read a good juicy back-stabbing novel~!
*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss. Many thanks!
August 23, 2021
“there but for the grace of God go I” is a phrase I find myself thinking on a regular basis despite my decidedly non-Christian belief system, especially when hearing about teens and social media missteps. I’m all too aware that I’m one tiptoe away from my teens being in the same situations and that I have absolutely no right to ever think I’m immune from that particular parenting nightmare. That’s why THIS BOOK hit me so damn hard. It is absolute perfection for me and my life ~ teens and absent (due to work) spouse, school and social media and soccer and messy family life. I absolutely loved every word of it and am so grateful to a friend for recommending it. Highly recommend for parents of teens especially!!
March 16, 2021
ARE WE THERE YET? by Kathleen West is a timely and often far too realistic view of parenting and family dysfunctions in a contemporary society that seems to put self and appearances before all else. Three friends, three families with their own set of problems open to judgement and one mother will have her perception of perfect crushed as her “issues” are exposed in a world where the ugly warts and raw frailties of humanity and selfishness as those who judge are now judged themselves.
I almost stopped reading this one as I found very few of the many characters likeable, yet as the story unfolds, I hoped for some great change, some great revelation and for the focus to be where it belonged, on the children, as opposed to how society viewed the parent.
Edgy, highly charged with angst, for many, this will be an in-depth view of how mothers push their children hard on one end, yet ignore what they need most all for the sake of appearances. I found myself never able to connect.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher : Berkley (March 16, 2021)
Genre: Women's Fiction
Print length : 348 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
I almost stopped reading this one as I found very few of the many characters likeable, yet as the story unfolds, I hoped for some great change, some great revelation and for the focus to be where it belonged, on the children, as opposed to how society viewed the parent.
Edgy, highly charged with angst, for many, this will be an in-depth view of how mothers push their children hard on one end, yet ignore what they need most all for the sake of appearances. I found myself never able to connect.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher : Berkley (March 16, 2021)
Genre: Women's Fiction
Print length : 348 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
October 16, 2024
I enjoyed this one. I used it for my nighttime reading, but ended up taking a break for some other priorities. But I enjoyed the characters and liked the depiction of motherhood and trying and wanting the best for your kids. It was good!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy to read.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy to read.
March 28, 2021
This book was basically about every parent’s life that I know with a middle schooler plus a tiny bit of additional drama and judgmental “friends” that no one needs. The characters showed growth at the end of the book, but most of them were pretty unlikeable and self-absorbed throughout. I think the author was going for flawed and nuanced, but took it a bit too far in my opinion. Not too much happened in this book, and it has left me feeling kind of blah. 4.75/10.
March 23, 2021
If you liked West’s debut novel, you’ll love her second! It’s clever, witty and relevant. Kids make mistakes, parenting is hard and that’s real life!
April 11, 2021
I was looking forward to reading this but unfortunately it fell flat for me. There were multiple POVs and characters which made it hard to follow at times.
Alice and her friends meet on a regular basis and chat about their kids. She suddenly learns her son, Teddy, is bullying other kids.
I enjoyed the drama part of the book but overall it missed the mark for me.
Alice and her friends meet on a regular basis and chat about their kids. She suddenly learns her son, Teddy, is bullying other kids.
I enjoyed the drama part of the book but overall it missed the mark for me.
February 5, 2022
From the beginning of reading this book, I started to get a headache and as I got more into it, it got worse. The headache? Or the story? Well, both. The characters, the plot and the individuals’ drama were just not interesting for me to finish.
May 7, 2021
This was an interesting look at parenting middle schoolers during the age of Instagram and Snapchat. It was hard to put down and will make for a great discussion with my book club next month!
March 3, 2021
West excels at bringing peoples messy imperfections to life in a way that feels totally real. This book was every bit as fantastic as her first.
May 29, 2021
*** Disclaimer: Many thanks to Stephanie @Berkley for providing review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***
Interesting women’s fiction and family drama about mothers struggling with their kids’ precarious junior high transition. It was about parenting, new age, misuse of phone and social media, insecurity, dysfunctional family, friendship.
🌷What I liked-
↪Writing- engaging and gripping.
↪Short chapters fast pace.
↪multiple third person narrative making it easy to know each character better.
↪character driven, realistic, relatable and reflective.
↪mainly focused on Alice but we also see life of her friends- Meredith and Nadia- Three mom best friends.
↪characters weren’t written to be likable but to understand their situation, mindset, mistakes, and how they rectified it. They had their own voice and made me feel differently about them as story progressed.
↪ Alice- I felt for her for going through crisis alone. I admired how she didn’t wait to make changes in their routine, took steps to make things right. At the same time, I found her selfish, overreacting and was being childish than thinking things rationally.
↪Meredith was most arrogant helicopter mother, too controlling and pushing.
↪Nadia was most likable. I wish there were more chapters for her.
↪The way author presented mothers’ insecurity, teenage life, child psychology, therapy, parenting, social media and technology.
↪There wasn’t big surprise and yet I enjoyed reading till the end.
↪End was perfect, feel good and uplifting.
🌷Overall, #AreWeThereYet? Was fast paced, engaging, and reflective women’s fiction. Perfect #bookclubread with many things to discuss about.
🌷Read full review by following this link - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2021/0...
Interesting women’s fiction and family drama about mothers struggling with their kids’ precarious junior high transition. It was about parenting, new age, misuse of phone and social media, insecurity, dysfunctional family, friendship.
🌷What I liked-
↪Writing- engaging and gripping.
↪Short chapters fast pace.
↪multiple third person narrative making it easy to know each character better.
↪character driven, realistic, relatable and reflective.
↪mainly focused on Alice but we also see life of her friends- Meredith and Nadia- Three mom best friends.
↪characters weren’t written to be likable but to understand their situation, mindset, mistakes, and how they rectified it. They had their own voice and made me feel differently about them as story progressed.
↪ Alice- I felt for her for going through crisis alone. I admired how she didn’t wait to make changes in their routine, took steps to make things right. At the same time, I found her selfish, overreacting and was being childish than thinking things rationally.
↪Meredith was most arrogant helicopter mother, too controlling and pushing.
↪Nadia was most likable. I wish there were more chapters for her.
↪The way author presented mothers’ insecurity, teenage life, child psychology, therapy, parenting, social media and technology.
↪There wasn’t big surprise and yet I enjoyed reading till the end.
↪End was perfect, feel good and uplifting.
🌷Overall, #AreWeThereYet? Was fast paced, engaging, and reflective women’s fiction. Perfect #bookclubread with many things to discuss about.
🌷Read full review by following this link - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2021/0...
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