Crystal, the main character, is at financial and career odds with her life. Mix that in with a test environment for a bot, while trying to write a book, and you’ll get a quirky story. Half of the book is depicted in text messages, which honestly, adds to the length with labeling of the speaker on each line. It’s a strategy most commonly used to lengthen the book without adding any real content. Add emails with headers, and you lengthen it even more with multiple lines of To/From/Subject line headers. Zero points awarded for this.
It is in fact a quirky read; a light one. I would argue that the full potential of the estrangement of Crystal’s boyfriend in the story was not developed more. All of a sudden, he comes back, and is talking marriage after months of limited contact?
I would recommend this book as a breather between more serious, in-depth novels that rip your heart out and stuff it back in. As a book on a pillar of quality, I wouldn’t put it there.
Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Maria Semple, a smart romantic comedy about mothers and daughters, told in an addicting, fast-paced style.
Crystal has trouble saying no to her lonely, single mother. For 25 years, it wasn’t a problem. But when one small mistake leaves Crystal jilted, homeless, and unemployed, she has to move back in with the person who caused it all: her mother.
Soon Crystal is sucked into her mother’s vortex, partying with boomers and hawking homemade marshmallows. Desperate for some independence, she hatches a foolproof plan: get an experimental android to play her mom’s “perfect” boyfriend. It’s only a matter of time before her mom finds out, and Crystal will never live down the hilarious and disastrous consequences.
A story told through emails, texts, and journal entries, Mom’s Perfect Boyfriend is a humorous yet deeply honest portrayal of the complicated friendship between mothers and daughters. Sometimes the people we want to rely upon the least are those who can help us the most.
