Review: A worthy sequel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2011
Libby is back in the sequel in this mummy lit genre. She is pregnant, rich and more determined than ever to survive the 'memeemies' to give her son Max the best prep school education money can buy. Now they don't have to struggle for money, and Libby is head of CCL, the school's charitable arm, surely it is all plain sailing now?This sequel lives up to its title, showing the darker side of Libby's world. When tragedy strikes, Libby feels angry, upset and dare I say it....bitchy?? This once lovely woman strikes out, feeling resentment, jealousy and detachment from those around her as she struggles to find her footing in this new life. It's true what they say, money can't buy you happiness, and as Libby flounders and then freefalls into new territories, she truly becomes a 'mummy misfit.'This book is an excellent sequel, it flows well from the first awesome book, it is another funny narrative in the world of 'mummy lit', once again exposes the cynical world of yummy mummies, and their plethora of botox, nannies, 4 x 4s and designer bitch fests. But this book surpasses the first in my eyes, as it deals with sensitive issues in a tender voice whilst retaining its humour and realistic character progression.I don't want to write a spoiler review, those annoy me and I feel do the book no justice, but if you have not read the first, buy both, take a day off and delve in.Books, like these two especially, prove to me just how much 'mummy lit' is unjustly underrated and written off as not being 'literary' and 'highbrow' enough.I have read a lot of mummy lit, some dire, some unrealistic, but gems like these speak to your heart, head and funny bone, helping you realise that not only are we not alone in our fears, failings, and general mummy mundane lives, we have great voices. Voices who not only raise children, but also have a brain and aspirations outside the home. They take the time to write great works to help us escape, laugh and cry at our own situations, and realise that mummies, when not frozen with botox and ragging on angry (quite rightly) foreign au-pairs, really do rule the world......I adored the first book and bought the second the day it came out, devouring it in a day, as I did the first. There is a character for everyone in this book, and they all blend together in a way that would make Marian Keyes quake in her tiny pixie boots. Not read it, why not?The kids might eat jam and bread for the day and overdose on Cbeebies, but I would say it's worth the gamble......Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review