Erin Clune

I received an ARC of this book for free through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers.

This book did not start off very strong. I wasn’t really into it at first. I got about 50 pages in and was sort of “eh” about it. Part One consisted of a lot of rambling. There was no focus; just a bunch of random anecdotes that were all over the place. It also seemed like it was trying way too hard to be funny.

As the book progressed, it did get better. Once the author started writing about her new home in Wisconsin, there was more of a focus and some funny parts. For example, I did enjoy the bits about the culture shock.

I think the book had an interesting goal in mind: a tongue in cheek “guide” on how to leave a big city. However, I didn’t think this actually needed to be a whole book. The book seemed to repeat a lot of the same ideas about moving over and over again. There just wasn’t a lot of actual substance to warrant an actual book. The whole thing could have been consolidated into a couple of chapters in a larger memoir or even as a magazine editorial.

Overall, this was an interesting read that did have its moments, but would have been better off as a shorter work.… (más)

I thought, as a lifelong Wisconsinite, I would enjoy this. I was so, so wrong. I was ready to discard it by page 2, but forced myself to finish the chapter because I did, after all, have an obligation to review this work. I did proceed onward beyond that, but not happily, and it didn't improve.

I think what I had such a negative reaction to was the tone/attitude/personality first and foremost, followed by my inability to understand alot of what was supposed to be humor (?) or worldliness (?) I couldn't resonate with her love of NY having never lived there, and I definitely think you have to have some experience with NY to "get" much of what she's going on about in the beginning (which seems to be joy in cockroaches, human feces, urine stench, and unaffordable housing).

If the meaning of life for you involves these things plus seeing loads of famous people who don't impress you, and thinking anyone who lives anywhere else is beneath you (and that Wisconsin is a vast cornfield of uncultured inbreds with no doormen, oh the horror!), coupled with a confusing sense of immaturity (I kept having to remind myself this was not a 16-20 year old writing), then you may enjoy this.

[My review comes as a result of winning an ARC from LibraryThing Early Reviewers]… (más)

This book had some funny moments, but overall I was a bit disappointed. I'm not sure whether it was the somewhat elitist tone or the excessive use of bad language, which seemed a bit lazy to me after repeated use (there are other ways to elicit a laugh from a reader), but there was just something about this book that kept me from enjoying it as fully as I expected. I hate to write a negative review because I do find some of her observations to be quite funny, but I don't think I would recommend this book for most. I've moved thirteen times as the spouse of a career special agent, living overseas several times, as well as both coasts of the United States and places in between. Perhaps this simply made me unsympathetic to her great difficulty in adjusting to her move to Wisconsin?… (más)