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A review by kwn
None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.
Fans of Maria Semple will likely enjoy the prose and set-up of Carolyn Prusa's debut novel. Prusa's lead, Ramona, is a great encapsulation of a mother of two young ones just....trying to do her best in the face of many trials (exploitative job, unhelpful and cheating husband, really terrible kids, and an impending Category 4 hurricane). I enjoyed this book, but I also found every character (minus her neighbor Bailey and delightful gay college friend Christopher) incredibly frustrating. To ignore a mandatory evacuation warning is really hard to get past, especially when you throw non-consenting kids into the mix. I also found it dragging a bit in the middle--lots of thought tangents that didn't really matter too much. It's a cute book! But it's a bit forgettable and also made me never want to have kids...ever. The Prince tie-in wasn't really necessary, more add and stir than fully part of the plot.
3.5 stars.
Fans of Maria Semple will likely enjoy the prose and set-up of Carolyn Prusa's debut novel. Prusa's lead, Ramona, is a great encapsulation of a mother of two young ones just....trying to do her best in the face of many trials (exploitative job, unhelpful and cheating husband, really terrible kids, and an impending Category 4 hurricane). I enjoyed this book, but I also found every character (minus her neighbor Bailey and delightful gay college friend Christopher) incredibly frustrating. To ignore a mandatory evacuation warning is really hard to get past, especially when you throw non-consenting kids into the mix. I also found it dragging a bit in the middle--lots of thought tangents that didn't really matter too much. It's a cute book! But it's a bit forgettable and also made me never want to have kids...ever. The Prince tie-in wasn't really necessary, more add and stir than fully part of the plot.