This takes satire and dials it up to 11. I have to say, it's almost impossible to like Jack Cooper. I half expected to find him shaking his fist and yelling at kids to get off his lawn by the end. He's a caricature of someone who isn't able to keep up with changing times, or new generations creating their own culture and influencing pop culture. He comes dangerously close to acting like a boomer quite a few times, but he is an older gen X'er so that's not too surprising. At times, I was rolling my eyes at his self-pity and anger so hard I thought they were going to get stuck there. If this wasn't satire, it wouldn't be readable, honestly.

Couldn’t even get through the first page of this book. I guess from the tone of the book, it’s obvious that there’s some generational disconnect here, haha. And maybe that’s just why I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t care for the pretentious language that appeared right from the very first sentence.

Jack Cooper’s life has gone to hell. He is divorced, his ex and him despise each other. He is still paying the mortgage on the house along with his apartment. He doesn’t understand his son’s choice of living like a bear and so much more about his life. So he spends his day drunk at a bar near his place. His daughter manages to find him a job at the company Sweet but it’s clear that Jack is in over his head.

Jack is now in the new world of technology being everywhere and people obsessing over emoji’s and internet statuses. If that wasn’t bad enough, he is a manager over a group of people that are not held accountable for their work and spend most of their time on their phones. But an encounter with his boss becomes a turning point for Jack. He’s either going to be able to grow with his new role or go the way of the dinosaurs.

I had to laugh about this book. I am right at the end of Generation X and can relate to most of what Jack is. His whole view of this new world filled with technology is hilarious. And the behaviors of this younger generation irk me right along with Jack. But I loved how he decides to take the leap of faith and try to straighten his messed up life out.

Jack is not the best of characters and I admit that at times I downright didn’t like him. But I could relate to his situation and found myself laughing at his different situations. I think this book will appeal to those of us that are older and feel like a dinosaur stomping around in the technology age. But there is hope in the end. At the very least to find someone that feels the same way about our world makes this book a little gem.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

4☆ A Quirky, Fun, Entertaining Read.

XYZ certainly is a quirky, humorous read that will get you thinking. I definitely haven't read anything quiet like it before!

Jack's life is on a downward spiral, you could say he is on the path of self destruction.
So when he lands himself a job at a new IT company, he is overwhelmed by how much the younger generation rely on technology and media for literally everything.

He is out of his depth and had enough of the lack of structure and work ethic. No one communicates unless it's through messenger or status updates. Let alone the use of emojis.
But will Jack Sink or Swim in a world overrun with Millennials?
Can he repair his fraught relationship with his family?

Jack is a brilliant character, he is witty, grumpy, sarcastic, and simply perfect for the story.

XYZ is a very witty, quirky, laugh out loud and entertaining read.
I'm not even sure where I would place myself in regards to Gen-X as I'm a little bit of both a Gen-X / Millennial.
This is definitely a book that will be so relatable to many people. It certainly got me thinking about technology and how much we rely on it and the use of social media.
It's scary how much we rely on predictive text, or how it's easier to text or message rather than have a face to face conversation.... oops sorry yes you can do that over video chat/face time 🙈

So if you are looking for a book with a satire edge, that's quirky, fun and relatable then give XYZ a read.... and discover whether you are a Gen-X, Gen - Y (Millennial) or a Gen - Z (Zoomers)..... Enjoy!!


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

XYZ is probably the most ridiculous thing I've read all year. And I mean that in the best possible way. It's full of humor and satire and absolutely over-the-top crazy characters. I'm not a Gen-Xer. I'm not a Zoomer. I'm considered a Millennial (turning 35 next month), but I don't really think of myself as relating to any one specific label. However, I have never related harder to a main character than I have with Jack. Even though he's older and a bit rough around the edges, I felt like he was my spirit animal.
His daughter has this hipster punk vibe. His son is a Furry with a name that I suppose would be considered offensive and/or culturally inappropriate (if you're into being butthurt about such things). And his wife is, well... relatively normal, save for the cheating. But Jack isn't all rainbows and sunshine. He drinks like a fish, likes to involve himself in random hook-ups and flirting with younger women, and he's depressed. He's also so not with the changing times.
The new job Jack takes... Ooh, boy. Those characters were quite frustrating at times. They came off as pretentious hipsters who wouldn't know what real work entailed if their lives depended on it. They were fancy coffee drinking, gender-neutral oddballs who believed in over-using emojis, socializing via IMs, and taking work breaks to maximize creativity (or something along those lines).
I really enjoyed XYZ. It hits hard at the labels society likes to slap on people. It showcases the gaps between generations and how they handle them/react to them. It makes fun of the craziness of life in general. It was amusing and entertaining. And I may have snort-laughed at quite a few of the scenes. By the end, I had a huge smile on my face. Jack definitely comes a long way from where he starts, and it was nice to see he'd survived the gauntlet of insanity.
I'd recommend this book to everyone (Gen-Xers, Millennials, Zoomers, and everyone in between). It'll make you laugh. It'll make you shed a tear or two. And it'll drive you nuts.
4 stars from me!

From only a few pages in, I couldn't help but laugh at Jack's view of life. Being Gen X with a background in IT, I totally understood his frustration with modern times. His new role at Sweet as a squad master who was not required to 'manage' his team was hilarious, aided and abetted by glorious chunks of sarcasm. Jack came across as believable, and pretty decent, if somewhat set in his ways. But why not? When his ways were tried and tested, and generally worked (there was an element of "touché" at the end of the story that brought some much-needed reality to his life and work). Sweet was one of those workplaces where social media dictated the pace of everything. Nobody actually spoke to each other, preferring to send messages via Lazy IM ( ;) inspired naming) and employees were allowed to work on their own projects on certain days rather than get the job done for the company. There were many nods to the way in which such flexible working practices have infiltrated the workplace, the relaxed atmosphere and 'unmanageability' only emphasising the mess that Sweet as a company would soon encounter.

His relationship with his daughter, Em, was (for want of a better word) sweet, but when it came to his wife and son, things got a little dark. It was clear Jack still had feelings for his wife, and that his son's lifestyle choices were a major issue between them. The early humour in the book vanished for a while during the middle of the story, and Jack himself succumbed to a mid-life crisis that he wasn't in control of, bringing much more gloom and doom to the tale but without the sarcasm.

Readers who enjoy dry humour, with lashings of sarcasm and a hefty dose of satire will undoubtedly enjoy XYZ.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Rachel's Random resources for my copy of this book which I have reviewed voluntarily.

XYZ covers three generations of people and the author determines the generations as these:

Generation X: ‘Gen X’ Born 1964-1980
Generation Y: ‘Millennials’ Born 1981-1996
Generation Z: ‘Zoomers” Born 1996- Present day

These years of generations vary based on who you talk to. I was born in 1980, so I am fortunately NOT a Millennial in this case! I like to define myself as Generation Confused: I don’t fit in with GenX’ers, but I am definitely NOT a Millennial! I thought Millennials were younger (IE: in their 20’s and not as old as they actually are, what a shock to me).

This being said, I am not the target reader of XYZ. I would say the target reader would be a male middle ager/GenX’er, same as our protagonist Jack. Any male reader of that age would identify with him: Reaching middle age and feeling alone and all of these younger ‘workers’ and the things they do with their phones: emojis, ‘jazz hands’, constant need for social media connection versus real life connection, etc. Jack 100% does not fit in! Besides work, Jack’s family life is in disarray. Until this book I had not heard of ‘jazz hands’, so this was a new one on me! Am I already out of touch at 39!?!?

It can be a funny novel and reading about the younger workers, I just rolled my eyes. What is the world coming to!?!? Are younger people all about the digital age, and forget about ‘real life’ where we all actually exist!?!?!? Omg…… I AM getting old! XYZ is an entertaining read that will appeal to the older Gen X’er, and maybe those younger.

Fair warning: There is foul language throughout the novel, so that might deter some readers.

But don’t give up hope for Jack: There is a satisfying and happy ending!

You may start this book laughing at Jack and his throw back ways, but pretty soon, you realize the author is spot on with exactly how the current job market is going, and how the much younger generation really does ACT, and think. Part satirical farce, part cynical look at odern life, it also takes the reader on a trail of acceptane and acknowledgement that taking the best parts of all three, just might be the best solution of all! This is a quick read, and if you're dealing with the younger generations, it just might give you needed insight!

Gen Y approved! Hillarious, witty and good-natured sarcasm! I am not an avid reader of books in this genre but I'm glad I picked this one up. It gave me a healthy dose of laughter and also got me thinking.

Jack Cooper's life is a mess. His marriage to his soulmate Caroline has broken down, he's addicted to internet hook-ups and he's extremely embarrassed his smart son Oscar chose to ditch the career he thought he was destined for and live life as a bear - Geronimo. Following a lot of friction at home, Jack moves out to an apartment and finds excuses to drown his sorrows in a glass of bitter at the local bar very often. When Jack starts at the new "millennial-infested" company Sweet, he finds it increasingly difficult to fit in and make sense of the company culture all his young team members are into. He finds fault with everything in the company and is not keen on continuing. Jack risks disappointing his daughter - the only one he's closest to, by losing his job. Will he adapt and improve with Sweet? Or will he remain a dinosaur stuck in the 1980s? And will he halt his slide into loneliness and repair his family relationships?

Jack is incredibly cynical and so damn witty. He often has conversations with himself in his head and it's highly entertaining to see his thought process. I'm very happy with the way the story shaped up. I liked the way all the characters interacted and it was very interesting to see the way Jack navigates through his relationships with various characters of the book! I am a fan of wit and this book is filled with so many quips and banter- courtesy Jack, I could not stop myself from ROFLing! I'm very glad I picked up this book and gave it a go! Yay! Jazz Hands!

Thank You, NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and William Knight for an arc!

Jack Cooper is 55 and feels as if he could be a century more. He is divorced and hence trying to keep his head above water for his two children and two households. He has just started a new job. His field is IT however this is where the extra century fits as everyone around him appears to be young and carefree with a language of their own. Gender neutral is not something he has come across before which makes him feel, well, old and odd. 'XYZ is for every Gen-Xer who ever struggled with a device, and for everyone else who loves emojis ... said no one ever." Generation X are born 1964-1980, Generation Y 1981-1996 and Generation Z “Zoomers” 19965-present day. ' This is a short easy read with lots of smiles along the way. A tongue in cheek look at modern culture and how we adapt or not to it. I think perhaps best appreciated by those of a certain generation - maybe X or Y who have seen the changes and remember pre technology. An almost nostalgic read of a potential grumpy “old” man who can laugh at himself. a very entertaining read.
(rest of links as part of blog tour)

Hilarious. I read the preview of this book on Kindle and I was so amused that I had to download the entire book. As an “elder millennial,” I can relate to many of the protagonist’s struggles at work. In a world where social media and technology have come to dominate the landscape, how do we relate to one another? When are innovations helpful and when do they cross the line to absurdity? If you’re a fan of dry humor or wry satire, you’ll find something to laugh about in XYZ. Geronimo the Bear was my favorite character. I had to find out how it ended and I read the entire book in just two days. Lots of fun and highly amusing.

Jack is cynical, really cynical. He has split everyone into 3 generations X,Y and Z. X is 1964-1980, Y is 1981-1996 and Z is 1996-present day. He is from generation X and is just starting a new job in IT as a 'Squad Master', which I think is what most of us in IT know as a Scrum Master. His work is full of people from generations Y and Z and he has a hard time getting used to how they function.

I think I really enjoyed this book because of the use of metaphors/similes that simply made me laugh, for example

"The whole thing suits me worse than a tutu in a snowstorm."

"It would be like taking the stabilisers off a three-year-old’s bike and laughing as they set off. Slowly and surely, the bike would tip over and dump the kid into a crying heap."

"The anger runs through me like shit through a sewage pipe, and it rears its head at ridiculous times by helping me to duck out of difficult situations."

For me this book was just a really quick and fun read because I can relate. My boyfriend is generation X just like Jack, I am generation Y and our kids are generation Z. I can clearly see the difference between these generations and how we think and act and use internet and devices for instance. He hit it spot on when he said:
"I’ve found the propensity to use thumbs to use a mobile instead of a finger increases the younger you are."

I had a good laugh about his whole work situation and what goes on there and how he is treated and his thought process as I also work in IT, and one of my job roles is also being a Scrum Master. So when Jack said:
"It makes me wonder what the point of my role is..."
after asking what his team was working on and when they thought it was done and he was accused of not trusting them.

Summing it up, this is the story about Jack who has basically made a mess of things. He is separated and just starting a new job, one he may not want to or be able to keep. His son is estranged and his relationship with his daughter is also not always the best. He seems to have few or no friends and drinks way too much. In XYZ we discover whether he actually succeeds in getting a grip on his life, both personal and work life and have a good laugh while doing so.

I loved this book, being Gen X I can sympathise with the protagonist about just wanting things to work, and not having to update, agree, opt-in or opt-out of something before you use it, technology is good, but it's a lot better when you just turn it on and it works.

The main character was believable, and more importantly likeable, you are right there every step of the way experiencing his highs and lows along side him, empathising as he despairs of the modern workplace and cheering for him when things go well.

All of the characters are well rounded, and feel real, you have more than likely met a few in real life or work with them.

One of the best books I've read so far this year.

I got a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. I loved the book, maybe because I can relate a lot with the lead character Jack and how he thinks about the culture around him. I enjoyed the book so much that I read the entire book (not really a Long one) over the weekend.

It was satirical, funny & insightful, all at the same time.. I know that a certain section of the audience will love this book and another might hate it.. isn’t that what books are supposed to do? Elicit strong emotions? So, I would think that the author had done a brilliant job at that :-)

Congratulations on a book well written!

I'm sorry but it's a no for me. This book was all over the place and I felt like the writer was just trying so hard to be funny and he really wasn't. In better terms? It was a stupid book, and waste of time.

This is my honest opinion.

Rating 0

What a disgusting book! Had I not been grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity of a free read, I probably wouldn't have gone past the first page.. especially not the first chapter! The profanity started in the second sentence and just proceeded to get worse & worse & worse! I found myself speed reading to get through it and don't feel like I missed anything. At 70%, my Kindle refused to open it again, so I'm thinking it was protecting me! I hope none of those vile expressions stay imprinted on my mind.

PS Sorry, NetGalley, I do hate leaving a bad review here!

This is a funny and quirky novel about a Gen Xer who starts a job and has to deal with Millennials and how the times have changed. I do think it was a little over the top and trying a bit too hard as a few others mentioned in their reviews too. It was entertaining though. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

In my opinion, XYZ was just... "trying too hard" i guess.. It was meant to be satire/humor, but it just.... wasn't good i guess.. a little too much for me.

I feel like the book was trying too hard to relate. I tried my best to be open minded but it was beginning to become hard to do so.
Thank you for the copy but this book was not to my taste.

I guess XYZ was trying hard to be hilarious, but it was a bit over the top for me. That was my opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy for my honest review.