Published by Henry Holt & Company Genres: General Fiction
Format: eBook
Source: netgalley
To: Fellow Readers
From: C Arzu
Date: 10/6
RE: You’ve Been Volunteered Book Review
Hi, Fellow Bibliophiles! I have to admit Class Mom by Laurie Gelman was my guilty pleasure read of 2018. At first, I was skeptical as the subject matter was about the goings-on of a class mom to kindergartners. My Daughter Is in college, how could I ever relate to this? Those days were distant memories. What eventually changed my mind was the fact that the protagonist Jen Dixon was a “middle-aged” woman with two grown daughters. My first thought was, “Is she crazy?”. I was over the moon when I discovered the sequel on NetGalley and requested it right away.
You’ve Been Volunteered begins three years later, and Jen is the class mom (after rocky first run) of Mrs. Randazzo’s third-grade class. Mrs. Randazzo also happened to be the same teacher her Daughters Vivs and Laura had. Jen’s emails are less snarky, but still entertaining this time around. This time we are following her through trials and tribulations of being in charge of Safety Patrol, her Mother’s recovery from Breast Cancer, the ongoing drama with her Daughters, a pregnancy scare, and an exciting proposition.
There is something so refreshing about Laurie Gelman’s writing. Reading You’ve Been Volunteered made me miss the times of being a class mom and involved in the PTA. Her friends seemed genuine and supportive of all the craziness, and I think they’d be a great bunch to have a glass of wine with.
There is a nee Mom on the block with a son that could have played the lead in the Problem Child movies. Soon her shell begins to crack, and we see what her backstory is and why she harbors so much resentment. The story arc of her Husband’s business seemed to drag on a bit, and I was wondering how it would tie into the main story plot.
You’ve Been Volunteered was a delightful read. I loved both books so much; I also listened to them on audio. The author narrates both and gives another dimension to the stories. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. There will be a next one, right? Your Bookish in Midlife Reviewer, Crystal
Thank You to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company Publishing for the ARC copy of this book in exchange of my honest review
