A smart, funny and insightful book- Rage against the Minivan is this and more.

I am a mother of two and was looking for people like me- whose homes are a mess and their lives even messier, filled with immense love and guilt thanks to their kids- when I came across Kristen Howerton's account on Instagram. I began to follow her there and.knew that I wasn't alone in feeling like a pendulum as far as my kids were concerned- loving them in an instant and wishing to wash them off my hands in another. So of course, I had to get to her book the instant Net Galley and publishers offered it here.

I had no doubts that it would be a book that I would love but I was not ready for some of the emotional rides it took me upon. Kristen has four kids ( I don't know if it matters that two of them are adopted black kids)= she does write about them and her experiences bringing them up but also shares some stories about struggles with infertility and miscarriage.

Written in a very intimate style- humroous and conversational, you feel as if you are listening to a friend is sharing with you her adventures of a day. On occasions, it feels surreal to know that someone, miles away has gone through exactly the same stuff as you have and felt about it/ dealt with it in eerily the same way. It not only talks about parenting struggles but also about social justice. A portion. of the book is dedicated to her being a white woman raising two black kids and I think more and more people should read this book for just this bit, if not her approach to parenting or the funnies.

The book helps you give yourself a wider berth. It may teach you to be compassionate to one and all but first to yourself and as a parent you do definitely need to know it as the only trick that ever works wonders.

When I started reading this book, I thought it was a book about ideas to simplify parenting and kids' childhood experiences. It turns out, that it is more of an autobiography or memoir. It is an interesting read, but definitely not a useful book. in the traditional "self-help" sense. It is helpful to broaden your perspective about what a family looks like and how race plays a role in everyday interactions.

I did not care for the rather abundant use of profanity nor the table or "Christianese Translations" (which ranged from spot-on translation to cynical dig to completely off the mark).

As someone who experienced a miscarriage, I appreciate any recognition of the great loss and emotional and psychological toll that are entailed in that.

Overall, I would recommend this book for recreational reading.

This was a great book and totally relatable for me as I used to be a soccer mom minivan driver. As a single mom of 3 I definitely had my vision of being a perfect mom and raising perfect kids. This book is a great reminder that life can suck and so can your kids. It was funny, heartfelt, and a great reminder that you're not alone on the parenting journey.

As a mother of two, with one divorce, and one failed adoption under my belt, I felt everything she wrote deep down in my soul. This book was ev. ry. thing (insert claps between periods) mothers need to hear. To say I loved it is an understatement.

When you regularly listen to someone on a podcast, follow them on Instagram and get their newsletter, their book is often a let down. Their stories have been trotted out so often you know how each chapter will play out. In Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen Howerton defies the norm and share a story that is unique and engaging. She weaves together stories of motherhood, Christianity, marriage, divorce, and friendship. I recommend this book for women of all ages.

I really enjoyed reading about the author’s parenting experiences. She uses humor and honesty and it’s fun to read about. The actual parenting advice is interspersed between all her personal life and I’m not sure how helpful it actually is as a parenting book. The author is someone I would like to be friends with though!

I found this to be an engaging read and very vulnerable, which is refreshing and admirable. The author is hilarious. There was a negative tone that turned me off, however. It seemed like the author had a perspective that she is a more enlightened Christian having grown away from the values of the traditional church. Some of the language came across as divisive.

I enjoyed this book way more than I anticipated. Right from the start I appreciated that she made note that although this book was about her experiences with parenting, that even if you didn’t have, or plan to have, kids that “life is nonlinear, imperfect, and complicated. This book is, too”.

And it’s true.

I’ve had my own experiences with child-rearing as a sister and an aunt and I could relate and chuckle along with a lot of what was said. The parts I couldn’t relate to I empathized with.

In short, this book is funny, endearing, honest and worth the read.

This is for the modern mom, the one who has been told that she needs to do it all and make it Instragram worthy on top of it. This is for the mom who tried that, realized it is impossible to live authentically with the unreasonable expectations social media norms dictates. This is for the moms, and all women really, who decided to honor their true selves, parent in the best way they can, who honor their desire to know they are raising the best humans possible in a world that makes that challenging. This is for the corporate moms, the side-gig moms, the stay at home moms, the work from home moms, the traditional moms, the break-all-barrier moms. This is for all of us who are just trying to get through the day, week, month, year in the best way we know how. This is for the women who color outside the lines. This is for us.

I used to regularly read Howerton's blog, and was pleasantly surprised to see a book written by her. I loved the tone, and felt myself resonating so many times. I will be highly recommending this book to others!

Blogger Kristen Howerton shares topics she's touched on in her blogs over the years. She has the space to flesh out the subjects that really touch her heart and uses that space to spur parents on to seeking out the important things--how well do our kids love? Are they good humans?--rather than getting caught up in the whirlwind of the Pinterest-perfect Moms. As Howerton herself reminds us," Everyone has had that moment of everything is going wrong despite your very best intentions,” We have to loosen up and enjoy our kids!

Real, at times bluntly honest and affecting, "Rage Against the Minivan" has tears, laughter and life lessons etched inside. If you're familiar with Howerton's work, you will love this book. Great gift for a Mom in your life!

I had somewhat low expectations for this book but was completely compelled by it. Honest writing, wonderful insights and a relatable narrator - you can't ask a lot more from a memoir!

This is the parenting book that every parent needs to read. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end and actually felt I learnt a lot from it too.

Kristen wrote openly and honestly about her life so far, including fertility issues, being an introvert, adoption, marriage, , making friends as an adult, religion, race and parenting. I laughed and cried at this book. The chapter on being an introvert really taught me something about my own personality and has actually led to me making some adjustments and realising I am not some miserable meanie for feeling as I once did! I also learnt a lot about race and racism which is currently a really huge topic in the world, and her words give some great insight.

Kristen talks realistically about being a parent and all that comes with it. That includes the hardships and the positives. She invites us to read her story and allow ourselves to do less, abandoning the idea of perfect parenting, learning from her many challenges and accomplishments. Memorable, poignant, funny and full of advice, one of my favourite reads so far this year.

Rage Against the Minivan is a fun and heartfelt read. The author's professional background as a marriage and family therapist allows her to weave important aspects of family dynamics into funny, enjoyable, and relatable stories. She is able to boil down these aspects of families into easily digestible bites for parents everywhere. She speaks from the heart when writing about and the highs and lows of her marriage and adoption in a way that is so relatable that it feels like talking with a good friend. This book examines being a "good enough" parent and frees us to do so without the pressure of perfection. I highly recommend this book to anyone in any stage of parenting!

Kristen is a wonderful writer. She tells hilarious stories and gives all okay mom's a confidence booster. All moms fear they aren't enough, don't do enough, don't volunteer enough.... Kristen makes sure we all know we are doing what we need to be doing. No two families are exactly alike and it's okay to parent differently than your best friend. Mother's need to stop holding other parents to a higher standard and judging them for not reaching it. As long as we are raising good humans, we are enough. During this time of George Floyd being murder, BLM movements, peaceful protests, and rioting, it is extremely informative to read about a white momma's story while she is raising black men, a white man, and a white woman. They are still kids, but they will be men and women and it sounds like she is the perfect mother for the job. Very enlightening and highly entertaining.

Rage against the Minivan written by Kristen Howerton is a great book to read! It is very easy reading and it sucks you into her story so easily and you don't want to put it down. She describes in great detail her route to motherhood and talks about the highlights and low lights that we all experience. Motherhood doesn't always look like we thought it would, and we don't always get there how we thought we would, and Kristen conquers this with humor and heart. She makes a parent feel seen and known, and you will revel in the knowledge that you are not alone and life with children is an adventure that we can all commiserate together in.

Open, honest and some extra sass, Kristen shares her heart through her story. Woven through the stories of motherhood, adoption, finding oneself are lessons she has learned and encouragement for moms, women, caretakers, etc. I had to grab my tissues a few times, but also was soothed with joy and hope!

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. I found Kristen’s blog 10 years ago and have been a follower since. This parenting memoir had me feeling all the emotions. As a mom with three small children, I laughed at her recounting of moments with toddlers (a stage I’m currently in). I cried along with her explaining the struggles of motherhood. I felt anger along with her as she described her fears for her two black sons. And, I feel hopeful with what is to come in my own journey as a mother. This is a really wonderful book full of honesty and makes me feel less alone in my own internal dialogue on motherhood. Thanks, Kristen for sharing your journey with us all.

After following Kristen for years I was very excited to hear she had written a book and then was even more excited when I was able to nab an ARC from #netgalley and read it early. I have always loved the voice Kristen holds and how she stands up for the "okayness" of parenting. She admits her stumbling and is transparent when she has struggled. She speaks openly in this book like she does in all areas of social media and doesn't sugar coat things.

If you enjoy her blog, following her on social media or are new to hearing about her - I would recommend reading this book. She speaks about adoption, racism, religion, etc all areas she is deeply rooted and walking through. I often times feel like she's sharing her life like a friend who just speaks from her heart and this book does not disappoint in continuing that.

Coming back to write my review. I needed time to process this one -- with parenting books of this nature, I often like to see how much from the book I recall and/or put into practice. Some of the books that I've enjoyed, don't stick. Others, I find myself coming back to and using tips/implementing things, etc, way more than I thought I would!

For me, the latter is the case with Kristen's book. Let me back up a little and give a disclaimer/background. I know Kristen -- and love her -- and we have a lot of similarities (yay Enneagram 3, broadway forever, foster care advocate) and we are very different in some ways too.

The book. I loved how easily this book goes down. It's a very quick read, and it's fun and sarcastic. Very sarcastic ;) Which was fun and made me laugh, there were also a few times that I felt my glass half full was colliding with paragraphs of complaints. Motherhood is hard and kids are hard -- but the complaining (even in jest) just got to be a little much for me. I find that if I go there, it impacts so much in my life. I also don't have teens, so ask me again in a few years ;) I may read and yell AMEN through the paragraphs that caused me a little :/ The chapter endings are usually a "tweetable quote" - and some just felt a little cheesy for me. But they almost always resonated with me - regardless of cheese.

Now here is where Kristen gives gold: okay is great. Okay is awesome. Be okay with okay. I love Kristen's laidback way of intentional but also hands-off parenting. Being present, being there -- and in the same breath, stepping back and letting her kids sit in discomfort, sit in the decisions/choices they've made, learn how to do things themselves. Even before this book, I found myself using various suggestions she'd randomly share. No bedtime if the kids are reading? we do that because of Kristen. And my oldest is known to read HP novels in a day -- and stay up way too late in the process, but eh. C'est la vie.

My favorite suggestion from this book is the Circle of Trust. I am so thankful for the way my kids communicate and talk with me, but I also know it'll probably change. Hearing the real impact of how this circle of trust has opened doors of communication for the kids was powerful. Still navigating my kids' ages and how this rolls out, but I definitely plan on using.

Kristen is raw and real in this book -- even down to her divorce. She shares from the heart throughout, and she will have you laughing and even tearing up perhaps at moments. A fun summer read -- and fun quarantine read to let you know you are not alone in the messiness, overwhelmingness, nuttiness, everythingness of parenting. :)