Unfortunately this book just wasn’t too my taste.

It was written well but sadly the content was a bit too American.

DNF at 10%

An interesting story that questions things that we may do .
Written well. Flows well,
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me this book

What a great read! Sharp, witty and packed with fabulous 8nsight into family dynamics and how current affairs d8crate how they play out!

The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin

Sorry to say I didn’t enjoy this one enjoy to finish it. Just not my kind of book at all.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Despite the very positive reviews, I did not finish this book. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.

I made a mistake with this novel, I think. From the marketing, I believed this was going to be a feminist novel about a group of women who form an activist group called All Them Witches. So imagine my surprise when I opened the book to discover this is really a novel about Ethan, the co-founder of a lucrative start-up business in Trump's America, and a literary retelling of Edith Wharton’s 1911 novella 'Ethan Frome.' (Which I haven't read.) I tried, I really did, but I was actively looking for that feminist novel, and despite this covering in part the #MeToo movement and Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing, it was more about the unravelling of a family and the male perspective was never going to let me in in the way I wanted. So this one is on me, with huge apologies, and many thanks for the arc copy.

I haven't read, nor am I familar with the book that this is based on/retelling, but it's well written with a lot of relevant observations about current society that ossilate between amusing and sobering.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

I had not read any of this author’s previous works so do not have much to compare it to. This book, in my opinion, is clever. It talks of politics both good and bad and families good and bad. The plot is fascinating, and I loved all of the characters. Tackling the issues behind the #metoo campaign was brave but it did so beautifully. I will definitely now be reading the other books.

In the white, middle-class suburban household of Ethan Frome, things are at breaking point. Based on the novella by Edith Warton about a love triangle, The Smash-Up is a modern satire that meditates on the effect that political events can have on an everyday citizen’s life and psyches. The couple fled New York for the suburbs after the 9/11 attacks and now Ethan’s wife, Zenobia, has been distant and angry since Trump was elected as US President. The action starts in the middle of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation, the spark that lights the fire for the #MeToo movement. On top of that, the marketing startup ‘Bränd’ that Ethan and his obnoxiously rich friend Randy co-founded as pretentious Gen X’ers is being accused of sexual harassment.

The manipulation of truth, in all political, domestic and business arenas converge to make the action of the book disarming and chaotic. There is a point being made about the importance of context and how current medias and groups on both sides of the political leaning leave out or include factors that influence opinions. Ethan is at the centre of several storms, his self-defined good-guy character holds in his own head, but he fails to see his complicity in his company’s abuse of power. Meanwhile, Zo and her angry, activist coven, All Them Witches, support each other through the hearing, which Ethan’s finds absurd, inconvenient and insignificant to his wife’s mood.

Firstly, this whole novel is a great work of subtle satire. Although Ethan is presented sympathetically, that’s more to do with the fact he’s our narrator than anything else and he seems himself with the self-assurance of the fortunate white man he is. He is blind to his privilege and impatient with his wife who is the epitome of female rage, as well as the pity-parties he throws for himself as the temporary primary caregiver of their child. He may be the all-out househusband and Dad to a hyperactive pre-teen with ADHD, but that doesn’t mean he should get a gold medal for being a decent Dad. He accuses his wife of treating him like one of the bad guys, while simultaneously agreeing to clean up his ex-best-friend/ex-business-partner’s sexual misconduct mess and flirting with their babysitter. Ethan is repeatedly oblivious to the coven’s shared trauma (which includes his wife), seemingly triggered by the Kavanaugh hearing and their attempts to feel less powerless. It’s soaked with irony and his dry, self-deprecating humour is offset by his ability to be a doormat with overly sensitive feelings. The slightly cliche cherry on top of the family dynamic is Maddie, the blue-haired live-in Millenial babysitter (a legal but not entirely appropriate age) who Ethan has an obsessive, creepy crush on.

It’s not a good book to read if you need to like the characters, they are frustrating and dislikable, no more so than the narrator Ethan. Through his eyes, we see Zo a militant, middle-class feminist who cries wolf, bending truths and wrongly believing her problems and injustices to be gravely important and her coven as inconsiderate house guests. But the whole point of the book is that the characters suck, the novel is about a family at breaking point, cracks showing even before the book starts. The writing is excellent but doesn’t let you identify with the characters until the final plot points of the book, which honestly escalate almost to absurdity. The character arcs are redemptive, but only through the extreme events that unfurl in the final pages. It probably tries to do too much, touching on children’s mental health, toxic masculinity, white suburban activism, privilege, marriage, trauma on top of the million other things. I don’t think I could say I enjoyed reading it necessarily, but it kept me gripped, maybe not so much plot but examining for the author’s intended message.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books / Riverrun Books for an advanced copy of this.

This is a VERY modern story, centered around the #metoo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. I'd say make sure you are up to reading about those topics and immersing yourself with what it feels like to be on the internet before picking this one up. I don't mind reading about these topics, but it definitely requires a certain headspace.

Overall, I liked this book, especially the way things came together in the ending which made the story for me. I thought it was an interesting choice that Benjamin chose to tell a story about #metoo through the perspective of a male main character. I liked it at times and at other times didn't like it. I also found it hard to be so immersed in the idea of cancel culture for the entire book.

Middle-class student Ethan falls in with exuberant rich-kid Randy at college and joins him to found an innovative media company. Twenty years later and Ethan is living in the New England countryside with his family. Daughter Alex is hyper and struggling with school, she has few boundaries. Wife Zo is avoiding her work as a filmmaker and is becoming more involved with her activist group. Also living with them is Maddy, the daughter of an acquaintance. When Randy is accused of sexual harassment, he asks Ethan to help him out and Ethan feels obliged as his only source of income is the company that he founded. Against the background of #metoo and the increasingly splintered social media, Ethan tries to remain true to himself.
Whilst this is a very pointed book, it is also very entertaining. the scene of Ethan taking mushrooms if particularly funny. However also at times I felt the author tried just that little bit too hard. It's a fun read but almost feels a little too conscious of itself at times.

Huge fan of this author and this is another absolutely superb read. I have nothing negative I can say about this book. It has been a great read filled with interesting characters and a unique plot.

I've been lucky enough to join in with the buddyread for 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕊𝕄𝔸𝕊ℍ-𝕌ℙ by Ali Benjamin, with the final session tonight. Thank you to Riverrun and Quercus for organising and facilitating this brilliant buddy read, and for sending me a copy of the book.
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𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕙𝕒𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕠𝕗 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤, 𝕛𝕦𝕞𝕡-𝕔𝕦𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤 ... 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤, 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕤𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥, 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕦𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣, 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕦𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕. (𝕆𝕣 𝕥𝕠𝕠 𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕟: 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖. 𝕎𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪. ℙ𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕤.)
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It took me a long time to write this review, because The Smash-Up is such a complex book in terms of the themes and topics it contains, and because it stayed with me long after I put the book down.
It's a very timely book, especially with some of the comments it makes about modern society and online communities. And it felt especially poignant reading it over International Women's Day 2021, and the awful misogynistic upsurgence we've experienced during the days that followed.
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𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒 𝕓*𝕥𝕔𝕙, 𝕒 𝕔*𝕟𝕥. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕝𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕨 ...
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕔𝕥, 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕪. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕗𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, 𝕝𝕖𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕥𝕠 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥 ...
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕘𝕦𝕪𝕤 ... 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕠𝕞 𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕓𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕥.
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Some of the themes explored in the book include politics, human rights issues, and feminism (in particular white feminism), as well as female rage.
I do feel like this is a challenging book, especially as none of the characters are particularly likeable.
Some of the sentiments in the book really spoke to me, and though I disagreed with some of what she stood for, I could empathise with Zo's rage and her sense of injustice.
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𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥, 𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕝𝕪, 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕪 𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕖?
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤, 𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕟𝕠𝕨. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕤, 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕘𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕗 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣.
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I do think that Zo's character, and the collective group of All Them Witches, will challenge some readers' beliefs of feminism and activism, and I think that can be a good thing.
Without giving away any spoilers, there was a moment in the book where Zo antagonizes a police officer during, what I would say, was a rightful altercation. Immediately my thoughts were 'who is this helping?' I think the character of Zo accurately depicted the fact that some privileged people genuinely don't recognise their privilege even when they are trying to show support to disadvantaged or abused communities, and when they act with outrage they shift the focus away from those they are supposedly trying to help.
In this way, The Smash-Up is a very worthwhile read, as it will help to encourage a change in this pattern of behaviour, and reshift the focus to where it should be.
We are all doing our best and trying to learn, but we need to maintain an attitude of self-reflection and keep learning.
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𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕠𝕗𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕤. 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥, 𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕞𝕒𝕤, 𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕝-𝕥𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪'𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕛𝕠𝕓𝕤, 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕜𝕚𝕕𝕤, 𝕧𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕣.
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The topics of family and relationships are also highlighted and scrutinised throughout the book, with Alex, a neurodiverse child thrown into the mix, and a spotlight on gender roles.
The resentment that can result when one person in a relationship perceives themselves as doing 'all the work' was well articulated and presented from Ethan's perspective throughout the book. This was especially interesting to me because this was presented from the male perspective, which isn't often where this resentment lies.
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𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔼𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 ℤ𝕠 𝕨𝕒𝕤, 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝 ... 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 ℤ𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕨? 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕦𝕞𝕠𝕣, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣 ... 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕪, 𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖, 𝕠𝕣 𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕠𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕣𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕦𝕥 𝕒 𝕙𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖𝕕. ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕗𝕦𝕣𝕪, 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕤, 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕟 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕.
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I think Alex herself was my favourite character, as she was the only character who seemed unburdened by the judgements of other people.
In many ways she was a much more authentic character than the others, because she was living in the moment and doing things for herself more than for other people.
The only times that she seemed unhappy were when outside influences, such as her Father Ethan and other girls from her school, inferred that there was something wrong with her, or that she was unlikeable.
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𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕔𝕙 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕝𝕖𝕩 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝔼𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘? 𝕀𝕥'𝕤 𝕒 𝕕𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖.
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There is a lot I could say about Ethan's character, who I disliked immensely, but who I do think was a very realistic character.
His character does have a good arc, with him making better decisions towards the end of the book, but he is forced into a position where he can't avoid having to make a decision  rather than making the decision through an autonomous choice.
I think Ali Benjamin is an expert at crafting believable characters like Ethan, and in really drawing out the worst traits in people, while keeping them realistic.
Ethan's character is the most important in my view, given the time that we are living through, as he is reflective of so many men who see themselves as 'one of the good guys' when they actually aren't.
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𝕀𝕗 𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕙𝕚𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗, 𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤: 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕤. ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘-𝕒𝕘𝕠 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕤 ... 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕠𝕠.
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There are other peripheral characters that are very realistic, including Randy and Maddy.
Both are integral to the plot, but did not feel as well-rounded to me as the other, more prominent characters.
Maddy in particular reinforces some of the issues in Ethan's character, and her beliefs and choices will likely challenge a lot of readers to consider their own opinions. In this way she did have a purpose, however, I felt like she was a portrayal of a pixie dreamgirl type character rather than someone who felt real.
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𝕄𝕒𝕕𝕕𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕕 𝕡𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝕐𝕠𝕕𝕒, 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪-𝕥𝕨𝕠-𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣-𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕋𝕠𝕪𝕠𝕥𝕒 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣'𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕠𝕣. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪'𝕕 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 - 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘, 𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕚𝕕-𝕓𝕝𝕦𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕚𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕥-𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕡 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕘𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒.
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The impactful ending did contain some important messages, and overall it left me feeling hopeful as a reader.
I do think that the only way we can move forward as a functioning and successful society is by coming together, rather than being combative and divisive.
I would encourage readers of all ages and genders to read The Smash-Up, and would encourage them to stay open-minded while reading it to allow for some self-reflection.
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ℍ𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕, 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕, 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖-𝕥𝕠-𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖, 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕪 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖'𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕖.
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Overall I would definitely recommend The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin, and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

After the events happened in the UK, this book is a poignant and timely satire of modern times.

The many layers and the multiple themes, made my thoughts even more uncomfortable yet necessary: the #MeToo movement, red pilling, consent, feminism and fake news are at the very heart of The Smash Up.

Without spoilering the story, the book is a crescendo of brilliant characters’ build up and development.
The story initially confused and intrigued me at the same time, making me supporting first one character and after few pages, another one.
The power of the author lays in making the reader upset, outraged, confused about who to support, ending with him/her/them feeling compassionate for the protagonists of the Smash Up.

A sad but truthful and honest portrayal of a world that is not sadly based on fiction, but on real events.

Bravo Ali!
Go and get your copy, you will truly enjoy #TheSmashUp
Thanks to Riverrun Books and to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

The Smash Up centres on an American family, Ethan, his wife Zo and their eleven year old daughter Alex. They've left New York City behind to settle in a non descript town Starkfield, where not much happens. Once, they had it all and cool jobs, but now in their forties, they're not sure where they should be, or even be with each other.

Ethan does most of the parenting while Zo focuses on her feminist action group All Them Witches, who wear pink balaclavas and use social media to put the world to rights. They are angry at the President, the politicians and all the men who get away with it. Zo is actually a really unlikeable character and I didn't have any sympathy for her until the epilogue, where she becomes more human and we see things from her point of view. Throughout the book she's trying to make things better, but she's doing it from a place of privilege and there is an awkward scene involving the police that made me uncomfortable, it's so well done by the author.

I thought Ethan was a likeable character even if he did want to sleep with the nanny. He doesn't have much competition in the book to be seen as a good guy, the bar is set low. And there is an interesting #metoo storyline involving an old friend and business partner, where maybe Ethan turned a blind eye to unacceptable behaviour. The book culminates in a rally organised by All Them Witches which will put Starkfield on the map.

Fabulous writing and a clever witty premise. Characters are well written - you might loathe or love them.

This book has been praised very highly and I can understand why.

No matter what, I’m just not going to root for the Dad who wants to do the babysitter over the angry feminist shrew. It’s not in me. Meh.

I really love a good literary satire and I knew I’d be in for a great, thought-provoking ride with this one. I had no idea until after I’d read it that this is actually a retelling of the Edith Wharton novella, Ethan Frome. I haven’t read that, so I didn’t pick up on all the connections but I guess you will, if you’re familiar with the story!

Ethan and Zo have left their successful careers in the city for a quieter life in the suburbs with their daughter Alex. Before long, they take in a stray twenty-something Maddy as a lodger. When the 2016 election results and the #MeToo phenomenon hit, the divides between the couple make themselves known and Ethan begins to question what he really wants.

Alex is definitely my favourite character in the book. She has ADHD, which is very clear although it’s not mentioned explicitly. She is incredibly smart, sensitive, considerate and she often puts the adults around her to shame. She is also so savvy to the big issues of society in a way that I certainly wasn’t at 11 and it struck me that this is probably pretty typical of the current pre-teen generation. They’re growing up in a world where information, both true and false, is everywhere and there’s simply no shielding them from anything now.

Some of Alex’s classmates’ parents have a problem with the fact that she’s in mainstream school and start a campaign to get her removed. Although, we’re now in this ‘woke’ world of acceptance and difference championing, things like gender stereotypes and mental health stigma are still very much alive and well. This seems to be one of the few matters that Ethan and Zo are truly united on and watching them fight for their daughter’s right to attend school was really beautiful to watch.

Ethan’s former business partner Randy (I laughed at his highly appropriate name) is accused of sexual misconduct towards some of their female clients and the media agency is on the brink of collapse. A scandal like this coming to light could be its final nail in the coffin. So, Randy tasks Ethan with tracking down an actress named Evie who Randy is afraid will come forward with her story and convincing her not to. Randy is very reminiscent of Harvey Weinstein and other press fatcats who definitely have a wealth of dirty secrets that #MeToo threatens to spill. Ethan is in two minds about saving his company and allowing what he knows to be the right result to play out.

Zo is the ringleader of a group of politically charged women named All Them Witches. They stage protests against the injustices of the world and hold heated discussions from the Fromes’ living room, meaning that Ethan, Alex and Maddy are more than privy to their meetings. When Zo becomes the subject and catalyst of one of their protests, Ethan starts to question the authenticity of their cause. Although her morals appear to be noble, Zo is an incredibly unlikeable, untrustworthy character and I feel like she is the embodiment of the ‘extreme left’ that is on the rise, not only in the US but in much of the Western world.

The sexual tension and tentative will-they-won’t-they between Ethan and Maddy is so incredibly palpable. Maddy is very much a disenfranchised millennial and I didn’t really believe for a moment that she was genuinely interested in Ethan but I certainly didn’t put it past her to play with him. Things got a little weird towards the end of the book but Ethan’s growing, forbidden interest in Maddy was very exciting to watch.

There is a consistent theme of a dark force that has long been silently bubbling under the surface of society and it has all finally broken through, resulting in the riots and corruption. This sudden eruption of anger, demolition and relentless fight for justice is applied not only to the political situation in the States but within Ethan and Zo’s marriage, within Alex’s school environment and within how regular people like the Fromes have always lived their lives. The metaphor for an earthquake finally hitting can be applied to so many real world events. It’s incredibly timely to read about it in the wake of a pandemic on a planet that has been screaming out for help for decades.

The Smash-Up is an engaging, thoughtful book that captures the zeitgeist of America. There are several story strands running at the same time and most of the characters are thoroughly unlikeable. However, there is enough intrigue and a very powerful ending to look forward to. Give it a try if you’re looking for a literary family story that has so much to say about the current state of America.

Ethan and Zo are married and have been for a long time. When we meet them, Zo is fighting all the fights. She’s fighting with the #MeToo movement, she’s a pillar in the feminst group she has created for the neighbourhood women, who meet regularly to stay up to date with the Kavanaugh confirmation and she’s angry. She’s really angry because the world has made her that way.

Through all this, Ethan is trying to deal with issues of his own. His ex-business partner, Randy, has found himself at the centre of allegations and demands Ethan’s help in resolving them. As he tries to navigate looking after his daughter while being on the receiving end of phone calls from Randy and constant anger from Zo, Ethan begins to question everything. And honestly, so did I.

Ali Benjamin has done a great job in beginning to explore the political polarities that have emerged over the last few years and the divide this is beginning to cause. As a world community, we seem to be losing our empathy, compassion & ability to communicate because we’re more interested in demanding that everyone is on a side. She has also done a brilliant job in exploring the concept of truth in its wholeness. We’re living in a world where a lot of people hear one perspective and immediately jump on the bandwagon without conducting their own research or thinking critically for themselves and I am here for it. Where are all you free thinkers?


It was a little slow to start and I’m not so sure about the ending but the middle makes it worth it. If you want to read something sharp, satirical and topical, you’ll want to pick this one up.

This was a good book, it wasn’t quite to my taste but I appreciate that it has good quality writing. I hope others thoroughly enjoy this!

Thank you for the ARC