The Smash-Up is a loose modernization of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton--a novella that ignited my love of reading literature when I was in high school. It may seem strange that such a sad, stark, and lonely book would be the story that would pique a teenager’s interest, but I became intrigued by Wharton’s writing, the very adult-like themes, and the morally grey characters. And all that snow! While The Smash-Up lacks the snow, the author still succeeds in keeping Wharton’s bleak tone and questionable characters.

I first read Ali Benjamin years ago when I was approved for an ARC of her middle grade book, The Thing About Jellyfish. And I was so impressed with it. It didn’t read like a middle grade book at all. The writing was beautiful and the characters were fleshed out. While that’s about the only similarities I can find between these two books—even though it has been years since I read Jellyfish—I was once again impressed with the depth and clarity the author brought to the story.

The Smash-Up will probably be a divisive book. Most of the characters may be considered unlikeable, but for me that was the point. Much like Ethan Frome. But Benjamin has brought these characters into the turbulent present.

Ethan is a bit aimless, relying on his past accomplishments, lacking much desire to create something new, spending most of his time focused on his exuberant daughter diagnosed with ADHD. Zo, his wife, a filmmaker who hasn’t created anything new herself, is devoting all her time and energy to her friends and their efforts to support the #metoo movement. And Maddy is the young woman they have invited into their home to help with their daughter.

Ethan feels pulled toward Maddy’s carefree ways, missing the closeness he used to have with Zo who no longer makes time for him. When their daughter’s private school is ready to push her out, Zo is gearing up for a protest rally, and Ethan’s past comes back to haunt him, things come to a boiling point for this family.

Even though it’s not a happy novel, I did enjoy this one. There’s much to think and debate about. It would make an excellent book club book. My past college student self would have enjoyed researching and writing an essay comparing The Smash-Up with its original inspiration.

I hope readers give this one a chance and don’t immediately close themselves off to it. It’s a reminder that we’re all human. And while it’s easy to think we should avoid those who think and believe differently than we do, it’s really not the healthy thing to do. It only perpetuates the circle of ignorance and apathy toward each other.

“What happened is people were hurting. What happened is people were afraid. What happened is that anger is stronger than fear, and so, for that matter, is hate. But it is easier to know what you want to burn down than it is to imagine what you might grow in its place.”

I'm going to start by saying this book (which is sort of a modern take on the Edith Wharton classic, Ethan Frome) won't be for everyone. It's political and focuses on a lot of issues that are still dividing our country so if you're looking to escape that or you're not happy with who's currently occupying the White House, this may not be for you. But if you're looking for a thought-provoking take on how what's happening in the world can affect a marriage, a family and a town, The Smash-Up is excellent.

Have you ever started a book and just been wowed by the writing? That was me from the start of this novel. Ali Benjamin spins words in such a unique way and her storytelling brims with biting humor, sometimes brutal honesty and a lot of heart. The main characters, Ethan and Zo, have been married for about 10 years and left New York City to live a quieter life in the Berkshires where they have a daughter with ADHD and both of their careers are at a crossroads. The story unfolds during the week of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing when Ethan realizes just how far he and Zo, whose anger over Trump's election has turned her into a passionate social justice crusader, have grown apart. Benjamin does an amazing job at showing how a marriage can slowly change into something almost unrecognizable and her take on protest culture and #MeToo is also sharp and insightful. The characters aren't always likable and some of their behavior may be off-putting but so many of their feelings and frustration at what was going on then are relatable and authentic. The Smash-Up is powerful and sometimes unsettling commentary on a very specific period that's sure to generate a lot of discussion.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a copy to review.

"What Happened?"

Perfect question to not only begin this novel but to acknowledge what we have all been asking over the last four years.

In The Smash-Up by debut novelist Ali Benjamin we are introduced to middle age couple Ethan and Zo who seem to be the couple who have it all. He is starting his own media company and she is an up and coming documentary filmmaker. They move to suburbia with their ADHD 11 year old daughter and hire teen Maddy to help care for their special needs child.

However, it is 2018 and the world has turned upside-down. As Zo becomes immersed in the #MeToo movement and the intensity of the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh, Ethan is caught up with the realties of sexual harassment in the work place and corporate response to it. As they drift apart, Zo angry with the political climate and Ethan fearing it, their daughter is far from the center of their world until near the end of the book when she becomes the only thing that matters.

Another name for this book could be the mash up. It is a mash up of many themes from politics, being overwhelmed, midlife crisis, and marital problems. All of this at once is almost too much to bear but, then again, isn't that what happened to all of us these past 4 years? The absurdities of the news from the White House, the separation of the United States, the prejudice, the anger, the hatred and then to top it off a deadly pandemic. This story is almost non fiction in its premise.

This is a book that will make you think and react. From Zo's women group, All Them Witches, Ethan's lusting after the young nanny to real life consequences that effect our children The Smash-Up hits almost too close to reality.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my

By the end of the book, I was enjoying it much more than at the beginning. Somehow the presentation really made me struggle to connect. Then, of course, we are trying to connect with two people who aren't comfortable in themselves. Ethan is stagnant with no real focus for his life and about to lose his income source due to sexual harassment charges at his former company. His wife, Zenobia, is in the midst of a political transformation following the 2016 election and the subsequent appointment of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Do the character names sound familiar? Yes, the book is loosely based on Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. It is even located in the same town, Starkfield. Sadly, I enjoyed this modern interpretation about as much as I did the original. Maybe a bit more.

a great diversion during these crazy times and a well-done rewrite of Ethan Frome. Will recommend this one.

23 // “Even here, even in this quiet nowhere, what happened had fractured even the quietest of lives.”

inspired by an Edith Wharton novella, THE SMASH-UP is an examination of the demise of a marriage in light of the cultural and political issues that can fracture us both collectively and personally. I loved the premise of a strained marriage in a small town with the backdrop of the national political scene, but I never connected with any of the characters. my favorite part of the book was actually the epilogue, so I think the narration of the rest of the novel never really clicked for me. however, I do think this would make a great selection for a book club! lots to discuss in this one! I’m curious to know what others think, so share your thoughts if you’ve read it! 3/5⭐️—it was fine.

After 9/11, Ethan, co founder of a successful media firm who has sold his share of the business and Zo, a documentary filmmaker, escape from Brooklyn to rural Massachusetts. Here they start a new life with their challenging ADHD daughter, Alex. It is now 2018, and Zo has banded together with fellow female resisters after the shocking election of 2016, while Ethan is questioning his life and Alex is on the verge of being kicked out of her very expensive private school. As the country seems to spiral out of control, so does their life together in this modern take on the classic novel, Ethan Frome.

I really liked this book. I felt the author accurately captured and portrayed the time and the feelings of many. Her thoughts on aging, the world we live in and scary revelations about what social media is doing to us are perception and provocative, as is her question about what kind of world is being left for the next generation. The book begins with the question, “what happened?” and Ali Benjamin does a good job in showing how we got to where we are today and what has become of our society.

It is difficult to satirize current events that are already beyond belief. It is really a stretch to take a standard classic from high school and attempt to re-fit it for modern, inexplicable times. It would have been great if it had worked, so I applaud author Ali Benjamin for her attempt but THE SMASH-UP is just...difficult to read and frustrating. The characters are unlikeable, the style is opaque and the situation is still too relevant and toxic to feel suitable for satire. It wasn’t a good fit for me as a reader. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Not the easiest book to read, but in saying that it is a fascinating insight of a marriage. The wife angry with the world and demanding womens’ rights, mostly ignoring her husband and daughter. A yes man husband who can’t understand his wife, and into the mix a daughter who is super hyperactive and a young female girl. Namely, Zo, Ethan, daughter Alex and Mandy.

The story takes place around the time of the Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate hearing. Zo, is a social activist and is part of a group that calls itself “All Them Witches”. She often entertains them at her house much to Ethans distress, particularly when they dance and swear within earshot of Alex.

The story also involves Ethan’s ex business partner who gets himself into trouble and insists Ethan has to help him solve the issue.

Alex is a challenging child, and Ethan, her primary caregiver tries his best not to shout at her as she pushes him to his limits. Mandy comes in here as she often babysits Alex, but what else does she do??

I found myself wanting to discover how it would all end, it certainly wasn’t what I expected. A well written book and worth the read. 3.5 stars.

Great story, great concept, great at being culturally relevant, boring and unrelatable characters. The book starts strong at the center of the #metoo movement with the 2018 Kavanaugh hearings. Remember all of the anger you felt then? Well, it will come rushing back as you read this book. Our main character, Ethan, is a middle aged dad and husband who is unhappy with his life, but not enough to do anything about it. He co-founded a media company and then cashed out decades ago and has been living on those royalties in Massachusetts with his very feminist wife, his daughter who is portrayed as having out of control ADHD, and their live in nanny who does questionable things to make extra money.

If you’re a character driven novel lover – this one is for you. I need an interesting plot that has me flipping the pages, and if I can’t have that I at least need characters to fall in love with and root for. That was hard to do with The Smash-Up. As I said before – the concept was wonderful. I loved Zo’s passion for women’s rights amidst the #metoo movement and the example she was showing her daughter with how to be a strong feminist. Even when she got arrested for sticking up for social justice was great. I think a novel revolving around Ethan’s wife would have pulled me in a little bit more instead of it revolving around a mediocre middle aged man. The storyline with him thinking about an affair with the nanny was a bit too cliché for me and I hated the way that the couple seemingly dismissed their ADHD daughter instead of trying to understand her needs more to help. I can see people absolutely devouring this novel if they are into the character driven ones – especially if you loved Cobble Hill, but unfortunately it just wasn’t a favorite of mine.

I wish I had read Ethan Frome, because if I had I might understand this book better.

The writing is decent--good, in fact--but most of it is wasted on describing the experience of a mediocre white man (Ethan), depicting a feminist white woman as a crazy person (Zo), and inserting a caricature of a millennial woman (Maddie) into the story. Yes, the 2016 election, the #MeToo movement, and the Brett Kavanaugh appointment are important and all worth highlighting, but filtering those events through Ethan's lens was unappealing to me.

Again, I should have realized it was going to focus on Ethan's POV more than Zo's, but trying to make this guy "nice" and likeable is futile.

Ethan Frome is not a novel I expected to be updated but here we are. Benjamin has created two pretty annoying characters in Ethan and Zo and I think that's the point. I have to admit that this one just didn't grab me and then, well, I just didn't want to read any more. I'm frankly tired of all of it but some, I'm sure, will appreciate her melding of modern themes with classic ones. It's satire but it's not. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It was a pass for me but I admire Benjamin's sincere effort.

This book was a bit of a difficult read for me. I found the actual plot interesting but the way we went about it a bit tedious and boring. I understand why the author made certain choices, I just wasn't sure I necessarily agreed with them. She wanted to create a novel akin to Ethan Frome, using Ethan as the main protagonist looking outward and not understanding it. But that lost me in parts because I wanted to understand different people's motivations (and not necessarily from the eyes of the white man protagonist). I also felt the book built up our hatred of Zo through her actions, and then tried to make her likeable at the end and it just failed on me. Overall, the book felt a bit one-note, a bit of trying to make sure we saw HOW BAD the left can be when someone puts their own anger and feelings over the needs of others. And, of course that's true, it just lacked a bit of nuance on it's way to hitting that message. I also didn't care for the descriptions of what was going on in politics. The way it was described was trying to set the scene for me, but it did it in such a vague way, and it almost wasn't as important in this book than the people watching. It just lost me. I will say that the end of the novel was incredibly interesting and helpful, and was the best part. I was often just skimming through the first 80%.

I was moved and at the same time confused about the book. While I agree with almost every issue, concern, and position that Zo and her group of female supporters stood up for, I found them insufferably strident and kept wanting to talk with them about a better way to communicate their views across to others. Frankly, the book frustrated me. In the end, I felt very dissatisfied with the resolution, or lack there of. But it did make you think!!

Though this book is set in 2018, the political themes and cultural shifts are still so resonant today. The couple at the center of this story is dealing with financial crisis, resistance against a controversial Supreme Court nominee, and a millennial who may change their lives forever. For fans of Meg Wolitzer and J. Courtney Sullivan.

A fun, modern twist on Ethan Frome,' set against the backdrop of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in a small, rich, white, suburban town. Fans of Wharton's novel will appreciate all of the subtle and overt nods to her original work, but I think this book stands on its own for those who have not read the inspiration.

It's a less than likable cast of characters. Ethan is a sad sack with little awareness of his own agency, Zo is essentially all the problems with white feminism personified, and Maddie is a walking millennial stereotype wrapped up in a blue-haired bow. While they frustrated me at times, I really enjoyed the parts they played in highlighting the unrest around current events.

The #MeToo movement was its own character in a way, but wasn't the only thing the characters grappled with. This was only one lens through which we saw the characters struggling to fit into their own lives. Ethan's backstory, and his reflection upon it given the current climate, was one of the most engaging parts of the novel for me.

There were a couple plot points that didn't quite land for me - for example, I found the way the Randy storyline played out a bit too neat and clean, given his characterization throughout the rest of the novel.

However, I LOVED the writing style - it was quirky, witty, and unsettling at times. I will absolutely read whatever Benjamin produces next.

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

Rather than ramble on, I'm going to keep my review brief for a change. I appreciate the author incorporating relevant subjects into the story such as the #metoo movement, the political climate, the Kavanaugh hearings, etc., but unfortunately I never got into a good reading grove with this book. The writing style just didn't click with me and I knew that fairly early on. I'm not sure if quirky is the best way to describe it or not. Regardless the characters just didn't come alive to me and I didn't feel invested in them. And that's a shame because this book is a bit of a modern day retelling of Ethan Frome which is one of my favorite reads.

Not every book is a perfect fit for every reader, and that's okay. Judging by the some of the early reviews, this book was a great read for quite a few people. You never know what will turn out to be an awesome read unless you try.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

This is a book you can love or hate, it's not an easy read but once you are hooked you don't put it down.
The story is a satire that talks about our times and it's really realistic.
You can love or hate the characters but I don't think you can feel nothing.
The background is political, a realistic and bitter description of USA that reminds life in other countries.
I liked the style of writing and was fascinated by the charachters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A lot of other readers have mentioned that the book is hard to get into. I completely agree with that - it was a struggle til about halfway through the book for me. But I was very happy that I kept reading. The Smash-Up is a very moving and thoughtful novel. The writing is excellent. This is definitely an important book that delves into a lot of the anger, frustration, helplessness, and other emotions felt during the Trump presidency. You do find yourself frustrated and almost irritated with a lot of the characters, especially Zo and Ethan. Once Zo and Ethan start to be more honest with each other and most importantly themselves, the story really starts to come together. You are left with unanswered questions - but this is definitely a book that makes you reflect back on everything that has happened over the last 4+ years in a different light. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this novel.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author.
Unfortunately, this book was too slow for me and I could not get into it.
It was unfortunate since I liked the premise when I was Invited to red this book.