This is another Tom Perrotta masterpiece. Not sure what else to say. Great storyline, expertly written. The only problem is that Mr. Perrotta does not write more books.

This is a book for mature adults. Not for the squeamish. I don't think there is a contemporary societal/sexual issue that is not touched on/dealt with in this book. So glad I was able to go to college 30 years ago and didn't have to deal with all the BS that college students/administrators have to deal with today. Perrotta does a great job discussing the societal issues that our kids deal with in college but in both a very dramatic and amusing way. As far as being a middle aged divorced mom, he nailed it. If you like Perrotta's earlier books, you will enjoy this one.

Tom Perrotta has given us another great examination of domestic life. His protagonist, Eve Fletcher, is exploring her identity now that her son has gone off to college, leaving her with an empty house and lots of free time. Her son is also struggling with his identity now that he is not the popular jock he was in high school. MRS. FLETCHER also makes us consider how porn affects our lives and the conversations we should have with our children about sexuality and healthy relationship. Through his interesting narratives involving characters that reminds us of ourselves, Perrotta pushes us to evaluate our values while also providing an entertaining story. I love all of his books.

Mrs Fletcher is another excellent book by Tom Perrotta. The book deals with themes of sexuality, identity, morality and relationships.

Mrs Fletcher (Eve) is a divorcee in her mid forties whose only child Brendan has just left home for college. She starts this new chapter in her life by enrolling in a community college course on Gender and Society, a topic that runs throughout the book. She also makes a resolution to meet new people and to be open to perhaps meeting a new partner. Unexpectedly, she finds herself with an interest in a MILF pornsite as well as being a willing participant in an unusual threesome.

Meanwhile, Brendan is unhappy at college. He is no longer as popular or successful with the girls as he was in high school and isn't having the party experience that he expected from college.

As usual, Tom Perrotta has created interesting and realistic characters. The book is beautifully written and the story compelling. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This may be my favorite book of 2017 so far. I could not put it down, loved all of the characters, indulged in Perrotta's humor, and really enjoyed the story.

Tom Perrotta is seriously a writer who will be studied by students in future English classes! This is how I first encountered and fell in love with Perrotta's Election. Mrs. Fletcher fascinated me and grabbed my attention in the same way Election had and shed an interesting look on the awkwardness of sexuality and relationships in current society.

I absolutely love Perrotta novels and this latest is superb. So topical and modern and now- with fantastic humanity and humor- and a serious dose of sexual politics- the novel is a marvel.

This is an unusual coming of age novel, about both mother and son. Eve, a 46 year old divorcée is seeking her own sexual identity, while her son Brendan is suffering as he tries to find himself in college.

Eve flirts with both a possible relationship with her co-worker Amanda, as well as her son's peer. Her exploration began with an anonymous text, referring to her as a MILF.

The novel contains a strand about dealing with autism, which makes it very topical. It also explores pornography, and how easily one can become addicted and involved. PERROTTA manages to include a sympathetic and intelligent transgender character who has a meaningful role in the story. As for sexting and use of social media, we see how even Eve is seduced into sending an inappropriate SEXT. Brendan's experience in college is largely unsuccessful because of his difficulties in separating his feelings about women from his actions during sexual encounters.

This is a well-written novel, easily read and very engaging. The skillful inter-weaving of timely issues makes this a great choice for book club reading. The unexpected ending provides closure for both mother and son, as well as a possible answer to the question of who sent the catalytic MILF text?

I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT......for 'mature audiences'! - REGARDLESS of RATINGS!!!!

Between the Blurb, and Larry Hoffer's review- (Goodreads member) - all the important information is at a readers fingertips. Larry's review is EXCELLENT -- covers more than anyone needs to know in order to choose to read this book or not. His rating may be lower than mine -- but if you read his review-- he expresses enjoying this book-- and like me, feels it's always great to read *Tom Perrotta's* work!!!!

My review -is only going to contain random Thoughts - Memories - and Memorable stand-out moments....( trying not to repeat what has already been written).

..... FOR STARTERS.... I'm giving this book the FULL 5 stars. It's at LEAST a 4 star book in my opinion ( but I can understand the FULL RANGE of RATINGS that we might see from this novel).... It gets 5 stars from me for 2 main reasons:
1. I read it in one sitting -- did not want to put it down ---was reacting with feelings and thoughts the entire time - it held my interest!!!!
2. Another reason for the 5 stars: Great book-club discussion pick!!!!

I loved how incredibly contemporary this novel is. The taboo topics press against our our morals, judgements, prejudices, thoughts about being privileged and entitled, righteousness, arrogance, anger, erotic thoughts, integrity, ethics, flexible and/or rigid points of view, profanity and crude language, empty sex, and frivolous fantasy vs. conciliatory responsible choices.

Major and minor themes are all worthy of discussions with interesting characters:
.....The Milf.....DIRECTOR of the SENIOR CENTER, DIVORCED, a PORN HABIT, attends night classes twice a week taking a "Gender and Society" class: Eve Fletcher.
.....There is the college JOCK - Brendan Fletcher. --- Lacrosse player ...a lifetime jock since a child... party guy!
.....A High School petite cheerleader -Becca Dilulio.
.....A model employee at the Senior Center, works for Mrs. Fletcher: Amanda Olney:.....
Amanda is covered with tattoos. She has a cobra wrapped around her leg, a grenade on her breast, the anarchist bomb on her thigh, and the meat cleaver---"the only one she truly regretted -- dripping blood on her upper arm".
.....A feminist who was attracted to jocks: Amber: who was involved with an organization for Austism Awareness.
.....A FUNNY SCENE.....( I won't give it away) >> is when Amanda takes a Bikram Yoga class. I was laughing sooooo HARD. Anybody who has taken years of Bikram Yoga is in for a treat. TOM PERROTTA impressed the hell out of me - from the class - to the ladies locker room. He not only knows ...'details' - of details - about the 26 postures -the chatter and looks in the ladies locker room, about the front row yoga goddesses ( hey-- I was a front-row Bikram girl... does that make me a goddess, too...haha), .... but he knew precisely about the sweaty-speedo-men...."dripping like faucets" throughout the 90 minute class. I was in hysterics..... wondering if Tom Perrotta was one of these men? He could NOT have known 'women' any better - if he 'were' a woman!!!
......OH MY GOSH.... THIS BOOK IS A RIOT OF FUN... the more I think about it. My husband was getting a little 'too' turned on with me describing a few of the naughty scenes.... ALL IN FUN.....but a SERIOUS UNDERSCORE worth talking about!!?
.....A transgender Professor,
.....A girl in a wheelchair,
.....A handsome black man
.....A brilliant Indian College Student,
.....A Bro' college roommate,
.....Duct-tape and a Port-A-Potty...
.....Way too many Vodka shots...pizza and beer.
.....A Fat guy, thin college white girls in bikinis with long straight silky hair
.....Julian Spitzer.... an 18 year old skateboarding guy who lusts after Mrs. Fletcher
.....Ted..... Mrs. Fletcher's ex husband ..... ( he has a wife and little boy Jon Jon with autism)
.....More themes ... politics... feminism....racism....rapist...people with disabilities....the
LGBT Community, diversity of all types.
Amber .... for example ....was "a passionate opponent for capitalism, patriarchy, racism, homophobia, transphobia, rape culture, bullying, and micro aggression in all forms"!!!! AMEN AMBER!!!
.....In one scene -- I started singing Katy Perry's song..."I KISSED A GIRL".... then could not stop singing.... so I put on the music for a little sing&dance break!

I LIKED IT!!! Disarmingly brave.....tackles serious topics and is totally engaging!!

Thank You Scribner, Netgalley, and Tom Perrotta

Funny, clever, very entertaining read. Loved the main character and story interested me the whole book.

I started this book with my morning coffee on Saturday and quickly confirmed (once again) this about Perrotta . . . . that boy ain't right.

This is the story of Eve Fletcher, a woman who has just become an empty nester after dropping her son Brock Turner Brendan off at college. After raising Brock Brendan as a single mother for a good portion of his life, Mrs. Fletcher worries that she won’t know how to cope with being alone. But maybe all of her concern was for naught . . . .

“It wasn’t even true that there was nothing new in her life. For one thing, she was taking a class in Gender Studies and actually learning something. And, oh yeah, she’d also gone and gotten herself addicted to internet porn, not that that was anything to brag about.”

It also turns out Mrs. Fletcher is quite the M.I.L.F. and over the course of the book has a sort of sexual reawakening where she not only logs on to the intertubes every night in order to search out the latest offerings on milfateria.com, but also dips her toe in the lady pond, is courted by local meatheads and also becomes a modernized version of Mrs. Robinson . . . .

“You’ve given this some thought,” she muttered. Julian looked at her. His face was serious, full of adult longing. It was like she could see right through the college boy to the man he would one day become. “It’s all I fucking think about.”

If you can’t tell from the above, this isn’t a book for everyone. Perrotta definitely is a polarizing author and if your M.O. is to bitch about him and all of the offenses he commits in any given novel, I have this to say to you . . . .

SIT YO ASS DOWN.

Perrotta owns his shit. He doesn’t write anything that’s warm and fuzzy. He doesn’t even bother attempting to provide an “unreliable” narrator in order to pull his punches– he flat out gives you the worst of the worst. And this time he (a man *gasp*) comes face to face with the subject of sexuality and gender and dares to write about it from both a male MC’s perspective, as well as a female’s. I have a feeling that simple fact alone will be what “triggers” various readers. However, that’s the exact thing that put him on my “favorite authors” list. He’s not for everyone, but he writes characters that feel genuine . . . even with their many flaws. If he’s not for you, then he’s not for you. Just don’t ruin everyone else’s reading experience with your tunnel-vision point of view.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

There is no author that can make me smile and giggle in the middle of a story, even serious moments, like Tom Perrotta. I always enjoy his books and his newest, Mrs. Fletcher, is no different. I spent all of yesterday reading this one and couldn't put it down. He does it again-tremendous read!!! Five stars, easy.

I loved Mrs. Fletcher in the same way I loved The Abstinence Teacher and Little Children: lots. Tom Perrotta has such uncanny insight into human nature. His characters are always quirky, fun and interesting. His plots and stories are usually off-beat, like the characters, and unpredictable. I always look forward to his books.

Mrs. Fletcher, or Eve, is the divorced mother of a teenaged son, Brendan, who is entering his freshman year of college when the novel begins. Eve is the successful director of a senior center who determines to make a new life for herself now that her son is away at school. After one of her son's friends refer to her as a MILF, she begins a period of self-examination and sexual exploration. She makes new friends and tries to figure out who she is and what she wants. Meanwhile, Brendan is not as happy as he thought he would be away at college. He is no longer the popular jock he had been in high school. He isn't as successful with the ladies as he had once been and doesn't quite understand why he is failing. He gets depressed and no longer cares about his studies.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced ebook.

I have no clue how to rate this book. I'm just gonna go straight down the line with a three.
It's one of those that have characters that you really don't like..but you cannot look away. I wanted all the juicy dirt on them.
Eva is sending off her son Brendan to college. She is facing a empty nest since she was recently divorced and is unsure of what to do with herself. She gets a text one night that says "U R my MILF!"..so she googles. And ends up on a porn site called MILFateria.com, that she promptly becomes addicted to watching every night.
You also get viewpoints of her son Brendan. Who is a total little turdhead. He has so much white privilege going that I just wanted to jump in this book and smack the snit out of him. For example, his teenage girl friend (that he recently broke up with) shows up the morning he leaves to go to college for a surprise blowy. His mom over hears him saying "suck it bitch"..among other things.
Now if that triggers your feminist rant..just stay away from this book. You ain't gonna be happy.
This book takes on all kinds of hot topics, including one story-line of a trans-gendered professor. She has became a woman after many years of denying who she really was. (She was one of the few characters in this book that I actually liked)
She is very open about her transition and is open to talking about her experiences. AND she faces some small minded flack because of it.
See that's something I see as real world. I think that talking about this sort of thing makes it more acceptable. I'll get bashed for that I'm sure, because a few years ago there was someone who was undergoing changes on frigging GR and if someone asked a question they got their internet hand smacked? I kept wondering why????! That's how people learn! You can't ask questions..it's all just supposed to be accepted from the get go even though the whole thing gets twisted and confusing. They can talk about it but no questions can be asked?
I wonder about the world sometimes. There probably needs to be a stamp that you get...
This book breaks some of those barriers about several subjects. AND it does a good job of making you question your preconceived notions. Even when some of them are sorta dumb (and yes, dumb happens in this book also.)
Throw that shit to the wind and dive into this book. Some of the stuff in it will make you cringe and some of it will make you think. AND thinking ain't bad. This was my first Tom Perrotta book and if this is how the guy writes line me up for some more.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

With books like Election, The Abstinence Teacher, The Leftovers, and Little Children, Tom Perrotta has proven to be a master commentator on the foibles of society, on people's attitudes toward love, sex, relationships, religion, parenthood, and morality. He has a wry wit and isn't afraid to expose his characters' flaws, and he does so again in his newest novel, Mrs. Fletcher.

A divorcee in her mid-40s, Eve Fletcher is at a bit of a crossroads. Her only son has left for college, leaving her completely alone for the first time. As she starts trying to figure out how to fill that loneliness, she gets a random text one night from a number she doesn't recognize, which tells her, "U R my MILF!" The text throws her for quite a loop, and as she tries to figure out who might have sent it to her, she suddenly finds herself on the internet, following an interesting chain which leads her to milfateria.com, a porn website she can't seem to tear herself away from.

"What that meant, Eve realized, was that you couldn't really say, I'm not a MILF, because a MILF was in the eye of the beholder. The other thing she'd learned was that you shouldn't google the term if you didn't want to find yourself swimming in an ocean of porn."

As Eve tries to fight her growing porn habit (or is it an addiction?), the videos she watches every day sends her mind into territory she had never thought about before, territory which has the potential to make things difficult in her job as executive director of a local senior center, as well as make her look at people and situations with a very different eye. She isn't sure which end is up, or with whom she wants to end up.

Meanwhile, Eve's son Brendan, a jock and, quite simply, a bit of a douchebag, is having a tough time adjusting to college. He's the type of guy who has multiple shirtless pictures of himself on his Facebook page, because if you look good shirtless, shouldn't you show your body off? Brendan had thought college would be an endless parade of parties, drinking, drugs, and, perhaps most importantly, sex with a wide assortment of women. But with his roommate mostly AWOL, and most of his friends into their own things, it turns out girls don't like it when you call them things like "slut" and "bitch," and college doesn't go so well when you barely concentrate on your classes.

Eve and Brendan both find themselves confronting the after-effects of mistakes they make, mistakes which cause both of them to despair in very different ways. Can Eve overcome her porn habit and find her way to a "real" relationship? Is college the right path for Brendan, and if so, will he find people who think the way he does, or will he need to be the one who changes?

Mrs. Fletcher is a fascinating, fairly explicit look at how our attitudes toward sex, sexuality, relationships, and morality are formed, and how they change. It shows that when sex is all you think about, and you think with your libido instead of your brain or your heart, the direction you move in is probably going to get you in trouble. It's also a book about finding happiness with yourself before you can find someone else.

I love the way Perrotta combines humor with social commentary. While his books have dealt with sexuality before, this was a pretty frank book, and it touched on some very interesting territory, territory which may make some uncomfortable. It's definitely very thought-provoking.

These characters, particularly Brendan, aren't particularly sympathetic—they make a lot of stupid mistakes and sometimes don't even realize they're doing so. I found myself amazed at what Eve got herself into, and how she thought, but at the same time, she wasn't willing to speak up to her son about the way he was behaving.

I enjoyed this book, but I don't think this ranks up there among Perrotta's best. Still, he writes like very few other authors out there, and it's always great to read his work.

NetGalley and Scribner provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Mrs. Fletcher
Tom Perrotta
Available: August 1, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I usually tend to stick to women authors, but since I loved “Little Children” and “The Leftovers” I had to give this a try. I empathize with Eve a lot – I’ll be sending my only child off to college in 18 months; it was nice to see how she felt when daying goodbye and how Eve coped and adjusted to her new normal.
What I loved: The Gender class at the local community college is one of the more original aspects in the story. I think that I would love to take a class like that since I am probably boring, typical, “normal” but then I may end up feeling guilty or horrible for not having gender issues or anything else that people seem to have issue with others these days.
What I didn’t love: The entire will she/won’t she story line with him got old after a while – the wishy-washyness of Eve, the persistence of a young adult, the entire creepiness of it all. But if it was between two consenting adults, I really couldn’t care less. I’m just going to be me over in the corner.
What I learned: I’m not looking any of my daughter’s male friends in the eye ever again. EVER!
Overall Grade: B-

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

I'll keep it simple. I enjoyed this book a lot, as I have Perrota's other works. If I Am Charlotte Simmons was written by Perotta, was more topical and conscientious in terms of gender and sexuality, and was funnier, you'd probably end up with this.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything that Tom Perrotta has written, and Mrs. Fletcher doesn't disappoint! Perrotta has a strong understanding of human psychology (and a penchant for the dirty), and both are provided in spades in this book. Mrs. Fletcher follows Eve as she undergoes a sexual awakening and her college-age son as he realizes life isn't all he thought it would be. The examinations of gender, sex, and sexuality are very relevant to today. A must read for Perrotta fans!

Tom Perrota's books always puzzle me a little, but in a good way--he seems to be simultaneously mocking his characters but also treating them with respect and compassion. I enjoyed this book--it was a quick read, interesting to consider.