There’s a meme that’s been popular for over a decade among Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, a photo of a teenager doing something stupid with the phrase, “Why I’m glad there was no social media when I was a kid.” Yes, we did a lot of the same stupid stuff today’s teens and tweens are doing now, but without cell phones, cameras on those phones, and the internet, most of those moments are preserved only in our memories. But for the Gen Xers who have children posting this stuff, the relief is definitely short-lived. Understanding the actions of pubescent kids is hard enough. But when your kids get in trouble doing things that were literally not possible in the 1980s, how do we know the best way to help them?

Despite its humorous title, Are We There Yet, author Kathleen West’s follow-up to her debut Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes is an earnest thoughtful look at parenting a middle-schooler and being one in today’s social media jungle. For the rest of the review, click on the link below.

Favorite Quotes:

She felt as if she were watching a television show. This poor mother, she’d say if she were. How could she be so clueless?

“Okay, sweetie!” her mom shouted after her. “Dad and I are here for you.” Sadie scrambled away as if escaping a monster in a horror film.


My Review:

I wasn’t sure I was going to appreciate this book after finishing the first chapter, as the characters were not immediately likable, in fact, they were rather obnoxious. But the wryly-witty writing style pulled me in like a duck to water, and my curiosity was well and truly tripped. Ms. West is a divinely clever scribe and laced her tale with deliciously spiky humor, which was keenly insightful and at times cringe-worthily in realistically exposing our shallow tendencies, selfish inner musings, and common family foibles. Her characters were well fleshed out, extremely knowable, and lived and breathed as I read their storylines, which made me greatly appreciate the fact that I am not responsible for a tween or teen in this day and age. I’ll gladly be sticking to fur babies until I take my dirt nap.

If you were ever worried about the effect of phones and apps on kids, then look no further than this book. We get a look into the lives of three women that forged a friendship when their children were in kindergarten, but now they have hit junior high and things aren't quite the same for any of them especially where the children are concerned. This book includes bullying, the influence of social media, hormones in teenage boys and girls, and just life in today's world.

Outside of the mess the children get into, there is friction between these three women because of their children. Alice is very high-strung and a bit of a perfectionist. This trait does not bode well for her when her mother springs a surprise on her that is hard to digest. I did not like her mother, Evelyn, because while I understood how she felt about this situation, Evelyn was very selfish and only wanted what she wanted and didn't take Alice's feelings into consideration. This was actually surprising since Evelyn is a therapist. But Alice does learn something about herself and what she is willing to put up with from her family and even her job.

The kids are out of control in this book - finsta accounts (fake Instagram), bullying, sexting, and so much more. There is a lot that children have to deal with today and this book cuts to the core of those issues. While everything is resolved, it is based on reality and situations are not swept under the rug or "prettied" for the benefit of the reader.

I enjoyed the book and liked how the chapters were from different character's points of view. I felt like we got the full picture versus just part of the story from one perspective.

We give this book 4 paws up.

As the mom of a 13 year old middle schooler, I was absolutely riveted by this book and its theme that it doesn't matter whether you are a helicopter parent or a completely distracted one, your kids are still going to try to sneak around you and try to get away with all kinds of things. And in this age of social media, they now have more ways than ever to do exactly that, which makes this a very timely read.

I enjoyed that the story was presented from multiple perspectives, some being parents and others being the kids who have gotten themselves caught up in some majorly angsty drama involving the middle school equivalent of a love triangle. We get to see what is going on in the parents' heads as well as the kids. I found the kids' perspectives especially interesting, especially since it can be so hard to get kids to open up about how they're feeling.

I found the use of social media fascinating as well, especially the kids using fake secondary accounts to get around parents who monitor their social media use. Those scenes were very eye opening, especially the major fallout after something inappropriate gets posted and shared everywhere.

If you're interested in an engaging drama that focuses on the challenging of parenting in the age of social media, I'd definitely recommend Are We There Yet?

Alice Sullivan is a working suburban mom who seemingly has it all together. Great marriage, two thriving kids, a group of close friends, and a successful career as an interior designer.⁠
⁠
The events of one day threaten ALL of that carefully curated perfection.⁠
⁠
Throw in multiple POVs, plenty of family secrets, nosey neighbors, a raunchy graffiti artist, plenty of Finsta accounts, hashtag wars, and the drama is at a fever pitch.⁠
⁠
There is no shortage of mom drama and judginess weaved throughout this book. I certainly started questioning my own close relationships with my mom friends after reading this one. Could there be a little more room for grace? We’re still several years away from middle school, but this gave me lots of scenarios to keep on my radar. ⁠
⁠
The first half of the book, I was definitely a mom giving some serious side eye to Alice and her parenting choices, and TBH, didn’t feel much differently by the conclusion. She felt extremely selfish to me, but after spending time in her mom’s POV, it tracks.⁠
⁠
I liked seeing character growth for (nearly) everyone in the large cast. I think West does a great job of creating flawed and semi-relatable characters, talking about relevant topics, and proving that parenting too far in any one direction can be ⁠harmful.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for an earc of this title.
⁠

The competitiveness of moms, the struggle of middle school kids to find their place in the word, the need to provide support for your child when they have misbehaved badly, and the ever-present challenges of technology are all issues in Kathleen West’s newest book. First, we have Alice, a mom, who seems to have it all, a beautiful home, a successful lawyer husband, a rising career as an interior decorator and two children. All is going well, until it isn’t, and it implodes her life. Her husband is out of town at a trial during the week. Her seventh-grade son is caught “pantsing” another boy at an assembly. She quickly learns Teddy is a bully and her beautiful second-grade daughter is struggling with reading and she is forced to miss a meeting with an important client to meet with the assistant principal about Teddy. She has two friends, one with who has a son who struggles with behavior issues. Alice has always thought better parenting would help…that is until she finds herself in the same boat. Her other friend, Meredith has an angel of a daughter, at least on the surface. Even with parental supervision of her phone, young Sadie can do much damage as she eggs on a dispute between Teddy and another boy. And then there’s Alice’s mother, who has just disclosed she had a baby given up for adoption and now Alice has a sister she did not know. As I read this, I reevaluated the use of my phone and how even without young kids, I often use it instead of fully engaging in the present. I also came away with support in my belief that NextDoor app, leads to no more positive results than a phone in a seventh graders hands. While the solution was all but tied up in a bow, and sprinkled with fairy dust, its still a satisfying book to read, and should make us all reflect on how technology has made us its slave.

This story was like a train wreck. I couldn’t stop reading and in some parts it kept getting worse. I kept going because I wanted to see where this wreck would crash. It felt like a TV show of some sort. Most of the characters were not very likable. I’m sure that’s the point. Too many adults acting like children and being way too selfish, while others felt they were better than everyone else. The teens and children acted like how I expected they would and in social situations. In our age of technology and apps, where do you draw the line on trust and monitoring your child? Some part were entertaining.

As a whole, this is an ok read. I wanted to like. I truly did but I couldn’t get past my issues. While I could relate to most of the situations, I couldn’t get past the behaviors of the adults. The writing is good and the cover is cool. This book wasn’t for me but I’m sure others would enjoy it. I invite you to check it out for yourself. I give 3 stars.

Wow, I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I am such a sucker for a book about a group of moms who are friends and are in a clique. We follow three moms in this book and they met when their kids were in kindergarten. Fast forward to present and their kids are in 7th grade. They all learn some things about their kids and you get to see what they are willing to do for their child and who they can really trust.

I give applause to the author for doing such a great job at showing such realistic bullying and just how far parents are willing to go to protect their kids. Not only that but how easy it is for a teenager to do something they didn't think was so bad but for it to spiral out of control really fast. I loved getting so many different perspectives, so you kind of understood why everyone did what they did. Even thought every character was honestly pretty unlikeable, it somehow made me care for them? I wanted to know how everything was going to work out and I was completely engrossed in this book.

It was much more than I thought it was going to be and got much deeper. I really love the cover of this and I hope it gets the praise it deserves.

Alice Sullivan has her hands full with two young children, a full time career and her husband out of town most of the time on business. She’s totally thrown for a loop when her daughter’s teacher informs her that she has a reading problem. Then she learns her 12-year old son is being accused of bullying.

Her first inclination is to make light of the situation because she knows these things can’t be true of her children. However, it’s not long before she realizes things are much worse than she thought.

This is a realistic look into today’s world of kids getting involved in social media, bullying, betrayal and denial. I felt the characters were realistically portrayed although they continued making poor decisions, but that’s part of reality. We don’t all make the right choices and children aren’t always perfect either.

There are other characters in this book, such as Alice’s friends and other kids, but the main focus is on Alice and her family.

Each chapter is written in the POV of a different character. It gives readers a chance to get into everyone’s head. For me, I quickly devoured this book. It was fast-paced and the technique of changing the POV with each chapter worked well for me.

By the end of the book, all the loose ends are wrapped up, although a bit abruptly. Still, it’s a satisfying ending. I was completely absorbed in this story.




FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much to @berkleypub, @netgalley, and @kathleenwestwrites for my gifted copy of Are We There Yet! This book came out this week and if you enjoy teenage drama or drama between parents, this needs to be on your radar. The synopsis is in the comments.

To start, this book is told from multiple perspectives. Once I got the characters figured out, along with who was related to who, everything started to make sense. And boy oh boy, is there a lot to unpack in this book.

As a parent, Are We There Yet? is really making me think about how I plan to handle my boys and their future social media. This book portrayed exactly what can happen when certain decisions are made, and the consequences are so frightening. I thought that West did a wonderful job of showing the fallout and consequences of each decision that both the teenagers and the parents made. It gave me chills at several points!

I also thought that West’s character development was superb. Even her minor characters changed as the plot ebbed and flowed. I loved the difference in the parent-child relationships as well from family to family, and even within the same family.

@MaryChaseWrites made an interesting point in her review as well that I want to bring up here as well. There was a perspective missing in this book, and it was that of the father or male figure in the kids’ lives. It makes me wonder how intentional this was, and what it says about stereotypes and the society we live in.

Those of you picking April book club reads should consider this one. It’s ripe for great discussion in a group!

As a mom of two teens, I noticed my head nodding often in this story. Are We There Yet by Kathleen West invites us into the arc of Alice primarily and how she is trying to cope after her son is to have taken part in what seemed like a harmless and perhaps titillating action that is in fact illegal and harmful. Alice’s husband Patrick travels often for work so she is left to deal with the fallout from her son’s actions at the same time as trying to ensure her daughter keeps up with her reading, that her boss doesn’t have any more reasons to ‘have a little word’ with her and that her friends remain steadfast.

Then Alice’s mother comes in with some rather shocking news that upends any success Alice is having in juggling all her priorities.

Told through multiple POVs, with well drawn characters and a good pace I would highly recommend Are We There Yet.

Any parent trying to navigate their parenting with preteens and teens especially will benefit from this book. The harms of social media and the connectedness that comes through it are explored. Sometimes hard decisions need to made by teens and their parents and support is available. This is all said with the recognition that privilege is prevalent in this story and in its’ solutions/outcomes.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. Go get your copy today!!

When it comes to page-turners, I definitely have a type! A family drama with nods to female friendship, family secrets, and the struggles of parenting? Check! Are we There Yet? has it all! 

In addition to this book being totally engrossing, it is also super thought-provoking and just feels so real! As a mom who is navigating having a middle school student for the first time this year (during a pandemic no less), there is nothing that I find more stressful than figuring out how to parent in the digital age. 
⁣
Kathleen West shines at alternating between adult and teen perspectives so flawlessly and this added so much to the storyline. The characters are imperfect and multifaceted and this story just filled my reading bucket this week. This would make an amazing book club discussion and I highly recommend adding this one to your list! 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really love diving into books that explore the depths and layers within friendships among women. So, I was not sure what to expect when starting to read Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West. There were a few times in the beginning of the book where I felt disconnected from the characters as they were significantly younger than I am... Yet something had me continuing to flip through page by page. As we go through seasons in life (a fancy, somewhat smooth way of writing as we mature..) our friendships evolve. Sometimes they fade away into the distance, sometimes friendships abruptly end, and other times they go through adjustments and hopefully survive the changes that we go through. The longer I read Are We There Yet, the more I wanted to continue reading. I started getting attached to these imperfect moms...and it made me remember all the anguish and joy of parenting.

Are We There Yet by Kathleen West allows the exploration of friendships of a small group of moms with teens in the same grades. Bonding while their children were small was much easier but now it seems like their lives are all going in different directions. Social media, secrets, dysfunction, denial...these are just a few of the dramatic themes that are interwoven into the lives of the women. The friendships reflect many of the issues that we as women and moms deal with in parenting our own children. This is the kind of book where one moment I was hating on a mom...but the next moment I had such empathy and compassion for that same mom! The children are by no means side characters. The multiple points of views shows the lives of the teens and what they are struggling with as well.

I am thankful that I pushed through and got to know the characters interwoven in this drama fest because each of them have aspects I can relate to. They deal with real issues, not just fluff and it is an engaging journey. I would not go through Junior High/Middle School again even if you paid me to...and this book is a good reason why. The high emotions, the drama and the miscommunications are all exhibited not just by the teens but also the adults as they navigate Middle School in the digital age. Well done, Kathleen West for bringing in relatable issues that need to be discussed and opening the doors for those conversations to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley and author Kathleen West for this temporary advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. I did enjoy it very much and enjoyed discussing it with my group at #berkleybuddyreads!!

This was a fast read despite not much happening in the first half. I was surprised to see the multiple POV’s because the synopsis, to me, made it seem more of a single POV, and it took some time to remember what child belonged to what parent. I didn’t really like any of the parents, they all had a “my kid would never do that” mindset and they went into denial quick. It ended up putting stress on their relationships and I just didn’t like how they treated one another. There was a lot a negativity throughout, even with Alice’s mother and how she handled the bombshell she dropped on Alice. But the way Alice reacted in one scene had me laughing.

One thing that the author did a very good job with was portraying social media and some of the dangers that come along with it for children in the middle school age. I do not have children and didn’t have social media until high school, but I couldn’t imagine having to go through this with my child. I wanted to know what happened with the children and how it shaped them, I feel like we got to see that with one of them but not the others.

If you enjoy family drama with unlikable characters or teen drama, I think you would enjoy this read. Overall I liked it, it was well written and kept my attention.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the gifted ARC

Competitive/helicopter parents, social media and 13 year olds in junior high...piece of cake 🤣

It’s not only hard for children transitioning to the teen years but it’s also not easy for parents. This family drama told through multiple point of views touches on some relatable and realistic topics on the challenges of parenting teenagers nowadays.
Alice has a good start to her day until she doesn’t . Her daughter is not at the reading level she should be at. Her son is misbehaving and bullying, she can’t talk to her friends for advice because they all suffer from “ I’m a great mom and my kid is better than yours” syndrome and on top of that her mother has some sort of epiphany she needs to address and last but not least who is spray painting male genitalia all over their neighborhood?

An entertaining sometimes frustrating read with an interesting premise and characters you’ll love to hate. I think you’ll enjoy this book especially if you like domestic drama.

One day, you’re driving along, thinking everything is fine, and then you hit a bump in the road. Or in the MC’s case, you hit a huge pot hole and your car spins out of control!

Alice Sullivan thinks she has it all together - great kids, wonderful husband, good friends, and amazing career. Then one day she finds out her kids aren’t so perfect, her husband isn’t around to help her parent, her mom friends aren’t really friends, and her career isn’t going as planned. To make matters worse, she also finds out her mom has been keeping a secret for over 30 years and decides now is a good time to come clean. How did Alice go from having an amazing life to becoming one of “those moms”? Will she ever get to a point where she figures everything out?

This book was like a train wreck! Finstas, family secrets, suburban moms one upping each other, and middle school angst - drama, drama, drama! It’s hard enough to be a teenager without cell phones and social media added into the mix. Kids are kids and they do stupid things sometimes. No kid is perfect, no parent is perfect, and life is full of ups and downs!

West presented a realistic yet highly entertaining glimpse into the trials and tribulations of parenthood. Although the moms in this book are the extremes, I could definitely see parts of myself in each of them and sympathize with their struggles. There’s the mom who’s distracted, overwhelmed, and obsessed with appearances; the judgmental, perfectionistic helicopter mom; the “bad mom” with the “problem child”; and the mom who psychoanalyzes everyone. The story is told from the POVs of the moms and a few of the kids, but it mostly focused on Alice. I wish there were more chapters from the other moms and the kids. The ending also felt a bit rushed and left me with some questions. Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun read! 3.5⭐️

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, entertaining book full of modern suburban family drama, then definitely pick this one up!

<b>ARE WE THERE YET?</b> by Kathleen West is a timely and often far too realistic view of parenting and family dysfunctions in a contemporary society that seems to put self and appearances before all else. Three friends, three families with their own set of problems open to judgement and one mother will have her perception of perfect crushed as her “issues” are exposed in a world where the ugly warts and raw frailties of humanity and selfishness as those who judge are now judged themselves.

I almost stopped reading this one as I found very few of the many characters likeable, yet as the story unfolds, I hoped for some great change, some great revelation and for the focus to be where it belonged, on the children, as opposed to how society viewed the parent.

Edgy, highly charged with angst, for many, this will be an in-depth view of how mothers push their children hard on one end, yet ignore what they need most all for the sake of appearances. I found myself never able to connect.

I have had to sit with this book for a little while after reading to try and figure out what I want to tell you about it.
⠀
First of all, it is a really good book.
⠀
Second, it comes out this week, actually tomorrow, so preorder or plan to grab it.
⠀
Third, if you have PTJHS - Post Traumatic Jr.High Syndrome- from your own Jr High (6th-8th) days or your kids, be prepared. This book is all too real!
⠀
Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West follows Alice, her small group of mom friends, and their kids who just entered Jr.High. Alice leaves coffee with her friends feeling pretty good about her day. A school conference for her daughter that is always a breeze and a meeting with a client who can really put her design business on top. It doesn’t take long for that confidence to crumble when the meeting with the teacher starts going south just as she receives an urgent call from her son’s jr. high, causing her to miss her big appointment and plunge right into Jr. High hell.
⠀
Kids dealing with new emotions, impulses and feelings added to the allure of social media can just be a lot. Judgemental parents, work stress, and trying to juggle it all can be a lot. This book is entitled Are We There Yet? but could equally be entitled Can We Make It Through?
⠀
I know people, kids and situations just like the characters and what they face in this book. I bet you do too. I think that is one thing that made this book simultaneously so good while still giving me some anxiety when reading it. It is well written with great characters. I would have liked to see some stories carried a little further but that is what my imagination is for.
⠀
The whole book gave those of us who read it with #BerkleyBuddyReads a lot of great discussion points and a few of us a little of the PTJHS I mentioned. Don’t let it scare you, moms who aren’t there yet. I made it through with all four of mine and you can do it too!
⠀
Thanks @Berkleypub!
⠀
**PTJHS is a totally made up syndrome in my own mind, my jr high years were tough!! It does not lesson or reflect on the severity of PTSD and those who suffer from that very real disorder.
⠀

I received a gifted galley of ARE WE THERE YET? by Kathleen West for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

ARE WE THERE YET? follows several points of view of the mothers and kids linked to some new, problematic behavior at the junior high. At the center of the story is Alice who begins feeling very confident in her good kids and her successful parenting. That confidence is shattered when she learns that her daughter is struggling with her reading and her son has been labeled a bully.

As the story progresses, the moms soon learn they really don’t know as much about their kids as they though! Fake Instagram accounts, neighborhood app scandals and a strange rash of graffiti around town have everyone on edge. Alice’s whole family is in turmoil as even her mother has surprises to reveal.

This was a wild ride! I really enjoyed the author’s MINOR DRAMAS & OTHER CATASTROPHIES last year and this book followed in a very similar vein. There are definitely more problematic behaviors from the kids this time around, but adults behaving badly is a familiar theme. Some of Alice’s reactions were a bit over the top but I definitely felt for her throughout the book. She is a mom who is stretched too thin and between her kids, her absent husband, her mother (who I did not like!), and her job, it seems that everything in her life is melting down at once!

The author did a good job of fleshing out very different characters with very different approaches to motherhood. I could absolutely see this cast of characters at a PTA meeting bumping heads. Each had their own eye opening moments which were to my mind much needed!

This was a fun read and one to look out for!

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley books for allowing me to read this eARC!
This book had so many buzzwords and started so strong for me, but as the book went on it got a little redundant and dramatic in a way that was less fun after 300 pages. This book is about 3 mothers who have been friends since their kids were in Kindergarten and now they're in 7th grade and the mothers' roles and identities are thrown into question. We have Nadia who has always had the "problem child", Meredith is a perfectionist with a perfect daughter (Sadie) and Alice (the character we follow the most) has Teddy who has always been a golden boy but now is accused of being a bully. Alice also has a 7 year old daughter who she was just told is way behind in school and with both of her kids not acting as she would like, she feels like her world is in a tailspin. She puts her whole identity in herself as a mother so when they are doing less than great things, she feels like that reflects on her and honestly, it does among her friend group. The roles of the 3 women are challenged and they start turning on each other in a way that I felt like was tragically realistic. I LOVED Nadia and want her story! She has been outcasted for years because her son has learning and emotional issues and she seems to take it in the healthiest way. Alice and Meredith both meltdown when their kids are involved in this bullying situation. This book attempts to tackle a lot of different topics. The majority of the book is focused on a bullying situation that becomes a legal issue when pictures of a minor are distributed on the internet. We also have the storyline of the moms and their identity crises. Then finally we have an adoption storyline and a secret baby. One of the characters has a potential eating disorder but that went nowhere and I don't know why it was mentioned at all. All of the mama drama and cattiness got old after awhile and then the ending wrapped up super quick after starting all of the different storylines I just mentioned. I felt like there were many times when we were told things and not shown and overall this is just a 3.5 stars. Still enjoyable if you like domestic dramas and kids acting out and their moms reactions to that.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Alice's son Teddy is involved in the "pantsing" of another kid that they've been friends with for a long time. Meredith's daughter Sadie starts dating the other kid and Teddy gets jealous so theres lots of ugliness that happens. He calls her a slut and then distributes a topless picture she sent to the other kid and gets in a ton of trouble. He's remorseful I guess but we're told that more than shown. Sadie may or may not have an eating disorder and her mom tries to trick her into eating stuff and I didn't like that at all. Alice was adopted and now as she's middle aged her mom tells her that she has a biological daughter and they all reconnect. She is a therapist an they end up going to therapy with someone in her office.