What To Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide To The First Three Trimesters (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I was going back and forth between two and three stars for this one. I "like" a lot of the books I read, but don't feel compelled to read them again (which is when I would give something 4 or 5 stars), and I decided I liked this book at least a little less than most other books I read, which is why I gave it two stars. If there had been less liberal use of the f word to describe sexual intercourse and other profanities strewn throughout the book, I may have rated it higher. I just don't feel all the coarse language was necessary, and it detracted from instead of added to the humor. When the jokes worked, they were often quite humorous, but sometimes the "jokes" just fell flat. I did enjoy looking at many of the figures and the accompanying captions throughout the book, which often brought an out loud chuckle. I didn't realize the author was a former Daily Show writer, but I can see similarities between the style of humor on the show and the writing. So, if you dislike The Daily Show, you probably won't like the book at all, and if you love it, you may forgive the author for some of his weaker humor attempts. I bought this book because I saw the author on The Daily Show, and, well, we are expecting, so it seemed to make sense. David Javerbaum was absolutely hysterical on TV so I figured the book would be equally funny. I found the book to be generally enjoyable, but I'm not sure where it fits. I've already read "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and the book does follow a very similar structure - taking you through each month, listing the changes that the fetus goes through and some other points of discussion.While I found the book to be funny, and it did have some LOL moments, it wasn't as funny as I thought. It obviously isn't intended as a replacement for "What to Expect When You're Expecting" so I guess it's more of a funny companion. I think the book is best read as an accompaniment to that book, or maybe as a substitute if one of the parents isn't willing to read the 'real' book. Some of the language and topics can be coarse so it's not something you could read to an older child expecting a younger sibling. It does provide some laughs, so maybe it would be best as a way to take a break from the 'seriousness' of expecting a child? I guess not every book needs a place, and this one was enjoyable enough to be worth reading anyway.
What do You think about What To Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide To The First Three Trimesters (2009)?
Very entertaining and way less scary than other pregnancy books.
—caci_icac
Clever concept---decent, but not great, execution.
—MaK
