Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Great book - three generations of women struggling to live together in the same house. Teenager (didn't WE struggle in those years!), recently divorced mom who is trying to "find her sea legs" in an advertising job, and the grandmother who has had to move in since the stock market collapse ate through her retirement savings. Very good read, highly recommended. P.S. Austin author - her first "adult" book, was writing for young adult audience. I avoided it as long as it was humanly possible for a reader/writer to avoid. Yes, that's right. Three days before it closed forever, I went and feasted on the dead body that was Borders. I bought this book. I am sad to tell the author that I bought it for 80% off, but I am glad to tell the author that it is worth more. Well, maybe not the full cover price, because if people were willing to pay full cover price, then Borders would not be wormsmeat today. But if I knew about the book, and the author, and her easy, fun, yet sarcastic tone, I would have ordered it from Amazon for half the cover price and felt like I got a deal.So if there is anyone out there who should happen upon this review, it's a worthwhile read. I'll let you know more when I finish. - Mary Okay. Done. Ms. Pennebaker is a good writer. Many clever turns of phrases. Her characters are certainly not cardboard cutouts. They are real with depth.I struggled with my rating because the writing is very good. I would give it a four. But my problem with the book is that overall it's rather depressing. There's a slight uplift at the end, as the title would lead you to hope, but the lives of these women are rather sad. Perhaps realistic, but reading books is also escapism.
What do You think about Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough (2011)?
Melodramatic fluff, but I mean that in a good way...a light read that I enjoyed.
—juniebuggie
Had a sort of dark undertone. I wouldn't read it again.
—cutebubble
Not a really good book, forgettable and very cliche.
—Puddin
Three stock characters behaving predictably.
—elwallace
