If you're into dysfunctional families, this one is for you!

The main source of dysfunction in this story is Ray, the patriarch with an extremely sensitive ego. Throughout the book you explore the many ways he wrecks havoc within his family, and the toxicity be brings to each relationship.

Admittedly, it was the clever title and eye-catching cover that drew me to this book. I usually enjoy books about dysfunctional family dynamics, so I was sold. However, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and staying engaged in the story. While I was cheering for Lucia to break free and find joy, I didn't find the ending very validating. The writing was fine, there just wasn't anything unique or engaging about it.

2.5

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Charlotte Mendelson for this ARC.

This was not all what I expected. The writing was well done but the story was boring and depressing. I ended up not finishing.

I hate when the cover far surpasses the novel. It’s not that the writing was bad… it was just boring, like a telanovella that has no plot, or character development, not even characters you could fall in love with- just family drama that no one cares about.

2/5

I kept waiting for this book to get somewhere tolerable, but it never got there.

A tale of the family of a narcissistic artist who’s family is destroying themselves to survive him. His wife, an artist and artist herself, struggles through cancer and his inferiority during it, his daughters are emotionally crippled and can only see him as the best or worst. His stepson is unable to stand up for himself.

If there had been some resolution some challenge to his character some glimpse of what made this behavior tolerable , I probably would feel differently.

The premise of the book sounded interesting, but this was one I couldn't bring myself to finish. None of the characters were likable and there didn't really seem to be a plot to focus on. I pushed through the first 100 pages and didn't care how it ended. I don't like leaving negative reviews, sorry.

I didn’t find that this book had much of a plot but it’s always interesting to have a look inside a dysfunctional family.

I’m surprised that so many people recommended this because it was slow and frustrating for me.

This was a book that I normally would not reach for but I really enjoyed it. The dysfunction and chaotic family was strange. I would recommend it to other readers.

This book's title, description, and cover art all intrigued me and I found the novel itself to be fairly fascinating in the sense that it reminded me a bit of James Joyce's Portrait of an Artist or Ulysses, except not as dense and more modernized. I appreciated Lucia's journey which the author did a great job of her seeming to be a side character on the periphery and then bringing her to the forefront. I felt the story was going to be all about Ray and his art career, when really it was about their marriage and both of their careers and the things that so often fall by the wayside because of traditions and sacrifices in marriage... things like sexuality, creativity, self-love, and even healthy relationships with children and peers. I appreciated that the author also included the ways the lives of their children were affected by their marriage and Lucia not allowing herself to be fully authentic throughout their lives together. So many layers in this book. I am glad I read it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a free copy in exchange of an honest review!

⭐️⭐️.5/5

An exploration of darkness that’s at times, felt more gratuitous than thoughtful. Clumsy attempts at social commentary are cheapened by characters whose actions never seem to be in sync with their motivations; or maybe it’s just that their motivations are too opaque for the reader to actually be able to identify them. Will update this space with a longer review, but I need to sit on this one for a while.

I did read the whole thing waiting for someone to have any sort of redemption arc but it didn't ever materialize. This book isn't funny, nor does it make you feel better having read it. A tale of woe.

I was pleasantly surprised by this little story. It started off a little slow but I got completely swept up and it became quite the page turner. My only real complaint is that a bit of the dialogue was choppy, but otherwise a very enjoyable story.

Ok first and foremost, I have to admit that it was that utterly GORGEOUS cover that piqued my interest. I didn’t wind up loving this book as much as I’d hoped but I will 100% still be buying the hard copy as that cover is in my top 5 fav covers of all time!!!

Now, that being said, aside from the cover I really didn’t find anything about the book to be exceptional or unique in any way, feels like a book I’ve read 100x before. The writing was decent, & the character work was ok too, but nothing really stood out to me. I thought the pace was a bit slow at parts, but for the most part it kept a steady base and kept me interested enough to stick with it till the end.

I also have never been a fan of the unlikable character trope, I find it hard to want to read about people that I dislike immensely & that was the case here. The Exhibitionist had one of the most obnoxious characters that I have ever read. Sometimes those are fun to read about, other times it brings down the whole vibe, like in this instance.

I didn’t hate it, but I sure as hell didn’t love it either. 3 stars for a lukewarm response! I wanted to love this so much more than I did.

Mixed feelings about this one. Mendelson can write - her sentences are excellent, her characters are strong. They're also mostly generally awful. Living in a house run by a toxic patriarch, the wife and three children are all coming to terms with how to deal. It was excruciating, and the payoff at the end is decent, but it is a real struggle to get there. Realistic, perhaps, but this book has nearly no humor, making it all very sad/depressing/tragic.

I did not like this book.

There is too much of delusions of Grandeur in the whole book - not only from the Father of the artist family, but also from his wife and children - individually.

It's not, that I was outraged about Ray - the artist that "started it all" with a brute force of ego, and easily to hate from the start.

But also his wife, Lucia, that enabled the egoist and always tried to stay in the background and blind support for her husband, which he did not deserve at all.

And so the "right" to be just as "grandiose" as the head of the family, trickled down the bloodline...and left it's signs of utter and "inherited" egoism to the kids.

And then there's secrets...

I am sorry, but I could not warm up to a single character: I hated them all equally.

The writing was ok, but the story and characters did not give me any pleasure, excitement, or at least the entertainment, I was hoping for.

The twists and turns in this book made it impossible to put down. It is extremely well written with interesting characters and a fantastic storyline.

Not a fan of this...found it to be overly descriptive and not enough of a pull to draw you into the premise. Tried for 47 pages and was still completely lost. Sorry, I tried.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson. This story follows the Hanrahan clan, initially focused on the father and celebrated artist, Ray. His family is gathered for the weekend as he plans to present them with his newest artwork. His three children and wife, Lucia while there, also have issues of there own. His wife, Lucia, is also an artist in her own respect, but not to the caliber of her husband. This weekend gathering begins to shed light on issues within the family that have seemingly been lying just below the radar for some time. I did like this book, but didn't love it. The writing was good, but it felt like parts of the story were a little contrived.

I really appreciated Mendelson's writing., her description and character development are noteworthy. I tried really hard to connect with at least one character in this novel but failed to do so. It is a story about family relationships and self identity and how much each one is tied to the other. This novel would be suitable for a study in character development.

I’ve never been a fan of those novels that confine themselves to a narrow time frame - a day, a weekend - and then cram so much into backstory and retrospect. This is one of those, and it’s generally infuriating. Presented as a comic novel, it’s in fact rather depressing, portraying as it does the oppressed and probably damaged wife and children of a ghastly, over the hill artist named Ray. Ray is as horrible as a person can be, and is thus wholly cardboard. Those around him are victims, and almost as one-dimensional as their oppressor. I was grinding my teeth at the relentless awfulness of everything - home, people, dilemmas - and the stuck pace. Mendelson can write like a dream, but this for me was a nightmare.

This was just not a tale that held my attention, I’m afraid; a bit too all-over-the-place with characters that weren’t relatable.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity.