The book synopsis calls this a personal novel but I felt like it read more like a personal essay. It’s a quick read. I didn’t enjoy the main character, or the writing. The only reason this is getting two stars is because I reserve one star reviews for books I didn’t finish or were totally offensive in content.

This one was hard to get through. While the overall message is to appreciate what you have, live in the now, and assess critically what it is you need for happiness, the events that unfold felt almost rote and too dramatic. its one thing after another and a lot of repetitive dialogue in between that made it hard to remain empathetic to or connected with Elizabeth.

The writing style was also hard to get in to and through the pacing off for me as its a series of internal monologue and stream of consciousness. I think this would have worked better on audio for me or if I had given myself more time with the book to appreciate each chapter, As a reading in 2 sitting, it just felt like a lot and a bit muddied.

Want is a book about the struggles of everyday life. Juggling child care, work, bills and personal relationships consumed us. Making time for ourselves is selfish. Willing to give up career dreams so we can be home with our children is unthinkable. When do we stop caring about what everyone thinks of us and start living?

I noticed that the narrator, Elizabeth, never says the names of the people in her every day life. It's almost like they're just the background in her life's picture. She's too tired, and beaten down by life to really see what she has. Elizabeth's life long friend, Sasha, is what she measures her worth by. Even though their friendship is long distance, and they may communicate once a year, Elizabeth fixates on her life. She constantly wants to help Sasha, even though Sasha doesn't offer anything in return. But it's always easier to fix somebody else instead of admitting you need fixing yourself. The fact that Sasha's name is the only other name used in the whole book, shows how big her influence is.
The relationship Elizabeth has with her parents is infuriating. They have to have control of their daughter even when she is adult. Her choice to take a break from them was probably the most healthy thing she had ever done. Time away makes everyone think about what's important to them. I think Elizabeth's ability to give just a little, to say thanks, is momumental. I don't know if I could have done it.
I found this book to be honest, sad and very personal. I hate to say that the book was depressing, but I don't think the story's point would have been made it it wasnt. Nothing in Elizabeth's life is sugar coated, which is completely relatable. This book is a heavy read that weighs on your heart.

A very New York book! A married couple with young children, struggling financially in the city. They are Ivy League educated, but still can't quite cover their bills, have no health care, and do not want to rely on the wealth of their family, as there are strings attached. Themes include: longing, privilege, marriage, motherhood, forgiveness, and more.

Discussed in more detail on episode 102 of the Book Cougars podcast.
https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2020/episode102

DNF at 20%. It’s hard to know how much our current mood/environment is impacting our reading - but I think I would have appreciated this book a lot more if I was reading it in a different year. In our current pandemic world - this isn’t the right book for me so I’m going to stop for now. Thank you to Brilliance Audio, Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading and listening copies.

Elizabeth is a wife, mother, and teacher in New York City, struggling under the weight of all those roles. Over-educated and under-employed–yet working constantly as a high school teacher by day and adjunct faculty member at Columbia (unnamed, but it’s clear) by night–she and her husband have declared bankruptcy.

Drowning under the weight of her responsibilities and the frustration of her “teach-to-the-test” day job, she begins leaving work and wandering, mulling over her path to this point, her neglected friendships, and her deep love of her children.

At times, this somewhat stream-of-consciousness book feels a little claustrophobic, but that’s also part of the point, and it will feel familiar to any woman who has felt overwhelmed while trying to balance it all.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.*

This is the first book I've read by Lynn Steger Strong. I came across it on a list of books to look for by young female authors and I was interested.

I struggled a lot with this book. It is written like a giant stream of consciousness journal. It is difficult to get a real sense of plot, and there aren't any definable arcs or crucial moments. It just all seems kind of manic and rushed. I got to the last few pages of the book before the protagonist's name registered with me.

I feel like I would have enjoyed the story more if it were broken into some form of chapters with distinguishable shifts in the protagonist's focus I would have connected more to it. As it stood it just left me feeling empty.

A solid "meh" for me.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was hard to read. Want covers how hard it is to be young or young-ish in any current climate category that you can think of, but in particular the American economy, healthcare system, and university setup. Elizabeth got a PhD and aspires to be tenured faculty, join the club. Partly, this is why this book was so hard to swallow. That and the fact that Elizabeth and her husband cannot afford to buy a house, they watch their friends become increasingly successful while they wallow in jobs that they are overqualified for. Although, I lost some sympathy for them when they talk about the husband giving up a well paying job in order to follow his dream of being a bespoke furniture maker. I have to say that this sort of thing is what gives Millenials a bad name - I am one and I would love to follow my dream job and eschew any worries about money but... Life doesn't really work like that. I went between 3 and 4 stars, partly because I sometimes could not get past the whiny tone of Elizabeth, which makes me feel like a terrible person but it is true. In the end I felt that the writing was too good for 3 stars, but the story itself was a bit of a let down.

I saw some stellar reviews for this book, read its blurb, and was excited about it. Thank you, NetGalley, I thought as I cranked up my Kindle app.

And that's about the end of any joy I had.

Your main character, Elizabeth, is a miserable wretch. I felt for her clear depression, but she's also a bit of a snob and far too self-involved for me to sympathize too deeply. Her husband and children are props, there to make you feel her frustration over having to declare bankruptcy. Into this comes Sasha, a friend from Elizabeth's teen years with whom she is obsessed. OBSESSED. I was obsessed too, but my obsession was over why Sasha would give Elizabeth the tiniest amount of time as opposed to Sasha's glamour and charisma.

Nearly every scene felt flat and dull. You follow Elizabeth to her teaching jobs, and you see her cuddle her children. You are there for conversations with her husband, and you hold your breath for Sasha as the two rekindle their friendship. The hope that Sasha would wake the hell up and kick Elizabeth to the curb in a spectacular fashion kept me reading.

The litany of glowing reviews is a head-scratcher for sure. I am convinced I read a different book than those people because this one was underwhelming and uninspired. Except for Sasha. Thank goodness for her.

3.5 stars ...

The feeling of this book is an eternal suspenseful sadness, I felt at all times like the main character was always battling with her feelings and her own demons, I never felt any happiness or joy in her life

No matter what was happening Elizabeth always felt out of sorts, she was determined to find happiness even if that meant remembering her past at all times what she did and what she wanted to do. I felt at times like Elizabeth was living her life in autopilot, no enjoy, not fun, nothing that really made her feel alive, her marriage and kids were there but her mind was always in another place and time.

I had a hard time reading this book not because it wasn't enjoyable, it was more because the sadness of Elizabeth was like a permanent fixture and feeling in the book and that somehow made it hard to read.

Want is the story of two friends that have become strangers due to life and circumstances, Elizabeth wants to reconnect with Sasha her long lost friend, she is married and having a new life, and apparently happy but not everything is what it seems, and she will learn that sooner or later.

Want is the story of a character that is struggling to survive this cruel world, juggling many jobs, filing bankruptcy, and many things that are making Elizabeth's life a living hell and not enjoyable.

I really felt for Elizabeth, she was doing everything in her power to succeed and life kept throwing balls to her.

it was a good book, I did enjoy it, I only rated 3.5 because I never felt any smile or joy while reading the book it was like reading an interminable sad story. but other than that the writing was good, the characters were good.. it had so much to give.

Want by Lynn Steger Strong was one of my most anticipated summer 2020 reads. When I read the glowing reviews I couldn't wait to start it. A deep dive into a woman's life that looks enviable from the outside while the turmoil inside is quicky unfolding...sign me up!

Unfortunately, the writing style just didn't work for me. I found it tedious and the characters frustrating especially the privileged venting page after page. There were so much yearning and angst yet very little movement forward.

I know the stream of consciousness writing style is quite trendy right now, but I found this just insufferable. While I can appreciate the inner turmoil of adulthood this was just too much for me. I wanted to share my thoughts but I cannot give my full review as I gave up on this one midway.

I can appreciate all have different reading perspectives (it is one of my favorite parts about books) and I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book. As always, all thoughts are my own.

Want was a book that fell into my hands at the perfect time. It drew me in with familiarity and resonated with me in a way that I truly did not expect prior to reading. The story is about a woman in New York City who feels directionless and that she's failed to succeed in her life. In the book, she reflects on how she got to this point. She has lost touch with her best friend, Sasha, and throughout the book slowly recalls their relationship and the distance that seems to keep growing between them.

As a reader, I generally prefer books that have strong characters and Lynn Steger Strong delivers on this with her protagonist, Elizabeth. The book is written from her perspective and touches on many heavy topics such as: loss of friendship, career ambition, economic disparities/bankruptsy, motherhood, fertility, death, privilege, aging, sexual misconduct, and more. While so much was covered throughout the story, I appreciated that their inclusion felt seamless and realistic rather than as though the author was trying to "tick off boxes" of important topics.

Lynn Steger Strong did an amazing job of speaking to an audience in their late 20s to early 40s who may feel as though their life hasn't gone as planned. Even though I am not a mother, I felt the pressure of the protagonist having two kids and being stressed about financials. Her confusion mirrored my own as a job seeker. The author's way of writing the narrative as a stream of consciousness made it seem as though I was listening to a friend tell me about her life story. The characters were peripheral but painted with dimension enough to slowly unravel how Elizabeth got to this point in her life. I also greatly appreciated her acknowledgement of her own privilege throughout and her exploration of what that meant.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by Lynn Steger Strong's unique narrative voice. I would recommend this book to any readers who feel alone or lost in the years following university, marriage, and/or having kids and need a reminder that they're not alone. For readers who prefer a dramatic build-up and neat storylines with a clear beginning, middle, and end, this may not be for you.

This book deals with a common situation for many millenials; the way the author gives very few characters names means that the reader can just put themselves into the story. I do think that some of the descriptions of the main character;s daily life seems to go on for too long, but maybe that is because the author wants us to feel like her. I wanted more of an ending, but that is just me...

This book is a study of comparative sadness, of motherhood and friendship, of needing someone and needing the idea of someone. It’s so many wonderful things all wrapped up neatly in one short novel that I ate up rapidly. Strong’s writing is intimate, clear and honest. I felt devastated and at times relieved to know that there are characters who can feel the same things I do, at my most shameful, my most avoidant. I loved Want, and I could read literature like this over and over again and discover something new with yeah passing.

Want

Want is a stream of consciousness that refuses to take a breath. Reading like an introspective confessional, I’m surprised it didn’t open with “Dear Heavenly Father…”

Elizabeth’s life was premised on an upsettingly false sense of security, and now she exists in a haze of white social disillusionment. Though she experiences life’s tragedies through two degrees of separation, she is still existentially unhappy. Her wealthy parents undermine her motherhood, she just filed bankruptcy with her husband, and….she is compulsively obsessed with her estranged best friend, Sasha. Elizabeth’s childhood friendship with Sasha transformed to possessive in college; she *needed* Sasha to make her feel seen, beautiful and interesting by association. However, the friendship unfurled years ago when Elizabeth left Sasha when she needed her most. Nowadays, Elizabeth disassociates from her friends, skips out on work, hires sitters she can’t afford, and she compulsively checks Sasha’s social media. In this life, Elizabeth is not failing at her dreams or hopes – she failed to ever have them in the first place.

I didn’t particularly love the novel thematically, but the writing style was absorbing and it was on the nose about millennial disillusionment. Overeducated and underpaid, white millennials thought being themselves was enough of a safety net. Instead, reality seems like a parallel universe where mediocrity and bad luck can take their toll. Still, their whiteness is a small handhold that will always guarantee the sun rises another day.

Read this if you like: Sally Rooney, being mooned by character flaws, intricacies of social relationships, a fractured sense of self, the intimacies of mom-on-mom friendships

3.5/5

Source: Won in a giveaway from @nerdybooknurse

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review:

“Want” by Lynn Steger Strong is a novel that I found to be a very emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. We meet Elizabeth who comes from a very affluent family and grows up with little to know loving touches and words. Her parents are attorney’s and expect that Elizabeth and her sister Leah need to be the best and exhibit no outward flaws. Although we are made profoundly aware the flaws do exist and are kept hidden from the world.

When Elizabeth is a young girl she becomes friends with a girl named Sasha. Sasha is everything Elizabeth is not. Sasha is pretty and popular and only wants to be loved by everyone and Elizabeth is not as giving and loving and is not popular but more of the “bookish nerd.” They have a close bond throughout their lives but each has needs that the other is unable to fulfill. They don’t speak sometimes for years on end but when they do over time each learns what they can expect from the other. Often Liz is not the giving and kind person she wishes to be with her friend but realizes that this is who she is at various periods of time and does what she can with the tools she has to cope with.

Elizabeth eventually receives a PhD and becomes an Adjunct Professor of Literature as well as teaching HS children in a poor area. As she puts it “ I am an Ivy League Adjunct Professor failing to make a living wage.” Elizabeth is now married with 2 children and filing for bankruptcy. She has had to “unlearn having money.” Not something that is easy for her. She was spoiled as a child and now as an adult is struggling to survive with her family and make ends meet. When she asks for help from her mother and father she is often reminded of “all I’ve done wrong.”

What we learn in time is like her father Liz suffers from depression and for most of her life is not a happy person. As Liz puts it “ so much of life is flat and boring” and “their is no fixing anyone or making them better.” She drifts through her job and marriage. She loves her children and her husband but has a very complex relationship with her parents as noted above and as one witnesses throughout this book.

Over time Liz learns to accept her life and finds a way to ask her parents for help without fear of retribution. She realizes that she is a good mother, wife, daughter and friend. This she prefaces with the reality that she is not alone and that everyone in this world has limitations.

Verdict:

Ms. Strong has written a novel that goes from past to present to past etc.within chapters. This often caused me to feel that the overall flow of this book was often disjointed. Liz is not a very likable character overall which did not make for great reading since the entire book came from her perspective. This book was not my cup of tea and so I am giving this book 3.5/5 stars.

This is one of those stories in which very "average" things happen in a very beautiful, introspective way. I find it apropos that we don't learn the main character's name until the very end of the book because throughout, she is involved in figuring out her role in the world with others as - friend, wife, co-worker, daughter, woman.
Elizabeth is relating a journey that will be familiar to many: young professional feeling trapped by institutions but unsure how to break free. Added in are navigating bankruptcy, parenthood, and rekindling old friendships and relations with her parents. Her at times detached but ever-feeling and brutally honest nature was super relatable in more ways than I expected. I love this relatability of the author's writing and love that this made me want to also read her first novel!

I thought this was a story about the main character's situation leading up to and going through a bankruptcy. While we see some unfortunate circumstances as well as poor spending choices, this is a grown woman's diary about her ongoing bad choices that she doesn't even generally realize are poor choices and her obsession with a previous friend.

This was not for me. It may be for you if you love stream of conscious type writing, with topics and time frames changing between paragraphs with no transition, with very little plot.

DNF at 25%. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc.

An incredibly introspective look at a modern white woman, Elizabeth, caught between motherhood, career, friendship, her spouse, her family, etc. Rarely is a book so stream-of-conscious and engaging at the same time. The story loosely wraps around a friendship that started in high school, but fizzled over the course of about 15 years. Now, the idea of motherhood forces Elizabeth to revisit the friendship and its outcome within the context of her own life and current circumstances. At times, Elizabeth seems a bit out of touch and her voice is self-absorbed (almost no one is given a name) but perhaps that's the point. Still, modern women are likely to find a mirror in at least some of the sentiments expressed here if they stick around through all the interior thoughts.

My review posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3402083175

**Spoilers**

I feel like an asshole for not liking this book. I'm really tired of and not interested in reading books that showcase privileged-middle-class-NYC-straight/married-white women with rich parents perspectives. I kept hoping this would turn into a "lesbians reunited" love story with Sasha, but despite the narrator regularly describing Sasha in underwear, this never came to pass. Bummer.

This may have been to convey the narrator's depression, but whew boy, reading this book felt like staring at a metronome for three hours. I kept grasping for a hint of heart and soul but rarely found it. The story seems to go nowhere and ultimately goes nowhere. I didn't care about the narrator Elizabeth or her family. As a result the points where I assume the author meant to land a gut punch for readers didn't land for me. Because we know that Elizabeth grew up in a rich family (I think she claims to have grown up middle class??? In what world??), we know that none of the problems she thinks are real are going to go unresolved.

To the narrator, most people don't have names but rather ages or nationalities. Elizabeth condescendingly refers to her colleagues as "the twenty-three year old" or "the twenty-five year old." Her two Black colleagues are simply referred to as her two Black colleagues. Okay. My personal favorite of her no-name friends and colleagues is her "quadrilingual friend" who she mentions multiple times. Well, all right. Good on her, bro.

Oh god, and the "Chilean writer" who also doesn't warrant a name. The Chilean writer felt more like a foil for the narrator to further expound her woes on readers rather than an actual character. The Chilean writer exists as the receptacle for this privileged, white woman's pain. The conversations are almost always one sided.

I liked the lost friendship storyline with Sasha best. Kept hoping Sasha would fly in, in her underwear preferably, and steal Elizabeth away from her boring husband and her boring life. Ah, well.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.