I really liked the generational comparisons because oftentimes we don't always know or understand why or how our parents are shaped the way they are and how their experiences affect how they parent and live. It's always easy to assume that because they grew up into adulthood in a different time, that they can't possibly related to what our current experiences are and this book uncovers the opposite - how 3 generations of women, all having gone through similar experiences with motherhood, and yet are all very different people.

I appreciated the level of detail given to each main character, however I think that due to that something had to give and for me that was the ending. I feel that it was a bit rushed - almost like when a TV show is going to be cancelled at the end of the season and the writers try to tie up 6 seasons worth of loose ends in the last 3 episodes. This detail wasn't make-or-break for me - I loved the book just the same. I just wish that Missy's decision could have been a bit more detailed like the rest of her story.

Three strong woman and rock n' roll what's not to love? You can tell Zoe Whittal is a screenwriter, the writing is cinematic and propulsive. She deals with so many issues from all sides, I couldn't put it down.

This gorgeous novel is an exploration of motherhood through the lens of three protagonists, told in Zoe Whittal's inimitably blunt, honest way, is a must read for her fans. I loved it.

Whittall is a successful Canadian author and television screenwriter. He last novel "The Best Kind of People" was both a Heather's Pick and voted Indigo's best book of the year. This new release is fiction, set in the USA starting in 1997. We are introduced to Missy who is 22-years-old and a cello player in a punk rock band that is hitting the big time. Missy was raised on a commune started by her dad (Bryce) and mom (Carola). Her mom left the commune when Missy was 12 and they have not seen each other since. We then meet both Carola and in flashbacks Ruth (Bryce's mom). The overall them is gender, sexuality, reproductive freedoms and motherhood. It features three interesting women who are willing to challenge society's norms. It is not an easy read, but is a great recommendation for the customer looking for a more complicated story. It releases in trade paperback and has a Goodreads rating of 3.96/5 from 50 readers. (My rating -3.5 stars)

There’s a lot to the synopsis, but it also only scrapes the surface of this book.

When we meet our characters, they are as above, young adult and 40-something in the 90s. As mother and daughter, they have totally different experiences of the lives they’ve chosen in that era, but the perspective of the book allows a reader like me a unique experience. I don’t generally feel a lot of nostalgia, but when I read about the music scene in the 90s, there is a part of me that comes alive again. Memories are refreshed and I’m reminded of people I knew, venues I frequented, relationships I had. I knew Missy. And parts of me were like her, too. Simultaneously, reading Carola’s experience of being in her forties at the same time, and as I am now, the self-realization that comes with being her/my age is extremely relatable.

What isn’t included in the synopsis is that a good portion of the book is set in 2013 and later when Missy is now approaching the age her mother was when we were first introduced to her and experiencing some of the same personal growth that Carola did. Like many of us, she is wading through her evolving expectations for her life and trying to balance the person her younger self envisioned she would be with the reality of her feelings and choices.

The Spectacular is a book that thoroughly explores female relationships in family, love, friendship and especially self while also tackling real topics head on. Sexuality, reproductive freedom and gender identity are strong themes throughout and Zoe Whittall does not back down from any of them. For me, that’s what makes The Spectacular, well, spectacular.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for my honest review. I couldn't fully get into this book. I found the narrative slow and the characters not what I expected from the description. I DNF this book, but I may come back to it in the fall when my reading choices shift to heavier themes.

A wonderful story that is written from three different POV's: Missy, her mother Carola, and her grandmother Ruth. This novel is enjoyable, and will have you hooked as you flip through the pages and find yourself immersed in the storyline.

A novel that I recommend that you add to your tbr.

I loved this compelling character-driven new novel by Zoe Whittall. The story, told from alternating points of view of Missy, her mother Carola and her grandmother Ruth, explores sexuality and gender, reproductive choices, parenthood, love and other life complexities and challenges in a raw and at times provocative way. I found all of the characters’ intersecting storylines to be engaging in different ways, and Whittall’s writing enabled seamless transitions between the the three protagonists. A must read!

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins and author Zoe Whittall for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Save the date - “The Spectacular” will be released on August 24, 2021.

The Spectacular is a story about three generations of women whose lives each take a turn at pivotal moments for them, and their stories are spliced together in a fascinating and perfect way.

Like The Best Kind of People, The Spectacular wastes no time getting into the gritty, raw characters of Missy, Carola, and Ruth. I am such a sucker for strong female protagonists, and watching as each of these women navigated situations that were less than desirable (a terminal illness, an unwanted pregnancy, and a toxic relationship with a romantic partner and motherhood...and a sex scandal!) was a fascinating and rewarding journey for this reader. I felt like I knew these women – Whittall exposes them completely and I adored them from beginning to end (even when I was frustrated with them).

This novel features queer, nonbinary, and trans representation, and a lot of unapologetic sex from the main female characters (something that I find to be rare, but wonderful, in literature). I loved exploring themes of what it means to be a mother (and to want to be a mother), relationships & love (in all its forms – from familial, to self, to friendship, to romantic), desire, and identity. I adored this novel. I loved the way that Whittall explored the expectations placed upon women and how they carefully and intentionally defied them and reshaped them to fit their needs. Missy is a character that I won’t soon forget. There is something that just works when it comes to Whittall’s prose. To me, this novel was propulsive with just enough plot development layered in with the deep characterization that I love so much in my literature.

If you have liked Whittall’s other work, you’ll want to pick this one up.

I really loved this book, so so much. The characters were interesting and believable. Missy'd voice in particular stood out to me The story was unique and engaging, touching on so many different issues. The author used just enough description to really create a picture without slowing down the story.

This is one that I will be buying for my bookshelf once it is released.