Easy read narrated by multiple characters working in the HR department of a medium sized company. I enjoyed it, but it meandered a lot and ended up in places I did not expect it to go.

Easy, breezy, and shockingly relatable, no matter which department you are in at work.

I'd tried reading this last year and really didn't like it. I think I just didn't find the story compelling enough given the writing. I gave it another try after hearing people talk about it more a year later, and I'm glad I did. I appreciate that it's a workplace story and centers on an older woman, while incorporating a diverse set of characters. The alternating viewpoints became a bit mixed to me, and at times they seemed to be channeling an issue the author was particularly interested in, rather than what the character might actually say. Overall, though, I thought the writing was just ok, and the book was compelling but in the end, didn't feel like it amounted to much to me.

It was a slow beginning, but finished strong.

It was a good story, and being in the corporate world, I was able to relate to a lot of it. The one thing I didn't like though (and I don't like this in most fiction novels) were the footnotes on the character Lucy's story. They were distracting and didn't even really add anything to her story. 50+ footnotes over 3 chapters was a bit much.

That being said, it was a quick read and I liked it overall.

At first I was kind of depressed to be reading a book about work when I read to escape the work. It had some really funny moments though and things I highlighted because they made me feel not so alone (ie about work being kind of terrible and dulling down for smart people). Certain points of view were written better than others and I'm not sure if it's because the author had more empathy for those people or if that was the point actually (some people more in touch with their humanity than others). Pretty good quick read, spotted earlier this year at a bookstore on a new release table, took a picture and saved to read. Glad I went for the library waitlist on this one though.

I think this was supposed to be like "The Office" but it wasn't funny and the characters weren't likeable. I ended up skimming through much of it.

In this novel set in the recent past, we meet the fumbling but earnest cast of characters that make up a New York corporate HR department living through the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008. Told from multiple perspectives, we see them struggle to keep their jobs, climb the corporate ladder, maintain stable relationships, navigate work-crushes, friendships, homophobia and burn-out.
Medoff has written a realistic work-place novel that is heartfelt, humorous and layered. Every time we think we know a character she adds another facet that allows us to relate on a deeper level. Likewise, the relationships between characters keep growing in unexpected, complex and satisfying ways.
In the end, this novel sets out to, and ultimately delivers, a nuanced slice of life and office culture narrative.