Jennifer Close (1)

From the first page, I felt like I was sitting down with a friend and commiserating about all that seemed to be going wrong with the world (especially with all the post-2016 election talk). There was also enough 1990s-nostalgia that there were moments when I felt like I was simultaneously watching those pioneer episodes of The Real World and the cult classic Reality Bites. Regardless of friend or fantastic ‘90s entertainment, I felt right at home from the beginning of this middle-America drama about a family (the Sullivans, not the Ketchups) who is living through several implausible moments: the sudden death of their beloved patriarch, Bud Sullivan; the World Series win of their revered Chicago Cubs; and the unthinkable, unimaginable 2016 election results. Through each of these episodes, we watch how one family responds to life—all those magical moments married together with those cruel moments, learning how to move forward in the midst of such change.

There was so much that worked for me with this book (even though I was reluctant due to under-stellar GoodReads reviews; shame on me, I know), but I’m so glad I gave it a go because it had me laughing out loud through so much of it. As someone who worked as a waitress through college, I loved the authentic restaurant atmosphere—the camaraderie and dysfunction of a full wait staff. The three primary perspectives—Jane, Gretchen, and Teddy—were all witty and relatable and complex. The family drama and political conversations also engaged me throughout it all. It was honestly a five-star read until the end. Endings are so crucial, and this one just stayed a bit stagnant. In a world where our reality can seem like it’s going nowhere (good), I wanted some solid resolutions—cheating partners and abusive, high school jocks to get what they deserved. I want it real, yes, but maybe because it hit so close to home, I wanted a bit of fantasy, too.
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