My timing for picking this book up was surreal. I start reading this book that begins with a description of the division created by the Trump election on the day his supporters overran the capitol. The Smash Up covers the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation.
Told from Ethan’s perspective, he’s dealing with a newly politicized wife and his old business, his main source of funds, rocked by sexual harassment allegations. Ethan is middle aged, living the comfortable life in small town Massachusetts when it all comes apart. “It was good until it wasn’t. All of it: The town. His marriage. Their finances. The world.”
These were not characters I could relate to. Zo is so wrapped up in protesting the injustices of the world, she totally ignores her child and husband. I spent most of the book wanting to smack her. Ethan just seemed like such a sad sack. I wanted him to grow a pair. And his attraction to his daughter’s babysitter was just a cliche.
Still, every now and then the book really hits the mark , especially at the beginning when Ethan and Randy are starting Brand and they use the philosopher Baudrillard to make a point. Or when Ethan thinks about post-truth society. “It all feels like those choose-your-own-adventure books Ethan used to love.” In fact, the book has a lot to say about manipulating the truth.
I loved the ending and it helped me appreciate the book more. It also helped that the characters do grow and become more sympathetic as the story progresses. The book is unsettling at times, but it raises important issues and deserves to be read.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

The Smash-Up is relevant, funny and moving. It's a smart exploration of the macro- and micro-impacts of political polarization on our country, our community and on our families.
The parallel with "Ethan Frome" is clever, but it's also somewhat limiting. Important insights into key characters came late in the story-- apparently in deference to the framing device. Reading the book, though, I wish the character of Zo was less opaque. I would have been more invested in her story if she were a more fully dimensional character throughout.

A New York City refugee couple are living in a small town in the Berkshires with their 11-year old daughter. The husband is mentally stepping out with the au pair, the wife is angry about the state of the nation and the men who run it. He tries to act as though he is present, but he misses all her cues. What wife hasn't said to a spouse "You've known them for 10 years, how could you not know....? Will the daughter get kicked out of the ridiculously portrayed private school, will the dot.com bust ruin them, or does something completely different unspool them? The book is full of subtle surprises and a left turn ending.

This was a fantastic work of contemporary fiction that reflected the state of the world in a fresh and engrossing way. The writing was beautiful and thought provoking, and the story was compelling from start to finish.

Not my typical read, but the description was intriguing and I was lucky enough to be approved. Story had a lot of contemporary issues included, probably more than was warranted. Takes place during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, which personally were not something that needed to be repeated. A story of privilege, social activism, self awareness. None of the characters were very likely, so it was hard to get through. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The Smash-Up
By Ali Benjamin
12/30/20

As an avid reader, I have repeatedly found that your emotional state, the state of the world and so many other factors contribute to how you receive the book. Right now, in the middle of a pandemic, and political upheaval and so much unrest, this book was way too aggravating for me to enjoy. It is so unfortunate, because the story was so well crafted and beautifully written, but I just could not settle in to enjoy it.

The story is a modern retelling of Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton. I have not read that book, so I cannot compare the stories. Perhaps it would have been more enjoyable if I had that background knowledge. The characters were completely unlikable. Zo was so angry and unpleasant that I could not – and did not want to – connect with her. Ethan was so one dimensional, and his attraction to the babysitter was so cliché. I really only liked the spirited 11 year old daughter, Alex, who reminded me of my own child with ADHD.

I struggled throughout most of the book, but I really loved the last quarter. Benjamin was able to pull the story together by the end and it was deep and thoughtful and beautiful. However, it didn’t redeem the first ¾ of the book for me. Though I didn’t really love this particular book, I will definitely look forward to reading Ali Benjamin’s books in the future!

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

I received this as an ARC through NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.


The story is a modern day adaptation of the classic novella Ethan Frome. The narrative structure and the setting is similar, along with the characters. Additionally, the adaptation was set against the Brett Kavanagh hearings for a position on the Supreme Court and begs the question of what is a truthful telling of events in light of Zo’s actions. . The modern trappings of society are represented: social media, over consumerism, helicopter parents and the desire for something you can not have. Some of these are old themes and were examined by Wharton in her time and throughout more than the Ethan Frome story .

At times, I thought the story was a bit muddled and segue into areas that were unnecessary, (i.e. the mushrooms) for telling an effective story. I did not like the characters, they are entirely self-absorbed but I did not like Ethan Frome either for the same reason. The criticism of society, both through Wharton’s examination and in the present work by Benjamin are equally as searing. I would not call this a happy read that you will walk away from feeling a sense of redemption. There is one point of vindication when Ethan does what is the right thing while the rest of the characters fade away and excuse their behaviour. Benjamin does a good job of examining the frailties of present day society while using Wharton’s work as a template for re-telling the conflict that is inherent in human nature. Perhaps that is why Wharton’s story stands the test of time, hopefully Benjamin has the same success.

This one started out really slow for me, and I almost gave up around the 5% mark. But once I got into it, I couldn’t stop reading. What starts out as a seemingly very two-dimensional story and cast of characters slowly morphs into incredible nuance and a highly realistic depiction of the trauma around the 2016 presidential election and its far-reaching consequences. Like Zo says of the word “Weltschmerz,” I found myself thinking, “yes, that’s how it feels” at quite a few points. At times it hurt to read. But there were definite notes of growth and hope and optimism, and I feel good for having read it.

My one complaint is I don’t totally understand how the original Ethan Frome fits into the story. To be fair, I have never read Ethan Frome, so possibly I’m missing something important, but I’m wondering if that was really relevant to the story and message. Mostly I just feel confused by it, though thankfully not enough to detract from my experience of the book.

In a sleepy little town in Massachusetts lives a family in turmoil. Ethan is a nice guy whose friend and business partner just got the company into a huge mess which will disrupt their family income. His wife, Zoe is a wannabe white witch, hellraiser activist, filmmaker model who has jumped on the #metoo movement in their town. Their daughter, Alex is a high-energy child with ADD and is in danger of getting booted out of her private school. Their part-time nanny living with them as a favor to a friend is a blue-haired free spirit who loves hanging out with the locals and sampling whatever drugs they have to offer but she is great with Alex and has surprising insight into Ethan and Zoe's marriage. Ethan is questioning everything he can't control which is basically his life, his marriage, his daughter, and his business. Sometimes it takes a huge event, a smash-up to put things back together. A hard look at how hard life can be sometimes. Perfect for anyone who has felt overwhelmed this year by politics, parenthood, marriage, and COVID. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a book of our time and like our time, I had very mixed reactions to this book. The world seems to be off it's axis since 2016 in so many ways and this story focuses on one particular time and event - 2018 and the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. The hearing was the trigger that sent Zo, already struggling, down a path fueled by anger and an attempt to make a difference. The consequences, of course, have an impact on her husband and daughter and their household already on the verge of chaos. Apparently, the structure of this book is that of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (which I should read now) and it works well. I immediately had to go back to read the beginning after I finished this book. The mixed reactions - do I hate these characters or I do I have empathy for them? I do see the how the crazy of this time is impacting me and those I know and can read this story as one of those ways.

This book never really drew me in. To keep me interested, a story should grab my attention pretty quickly. Unfortunately that was not the case with this read. I was uncertain of the direction of the story for some time and then just bored and the characters were not likeable.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC.

4.5 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 9 February 2021.


Ethan Frome grew up poor but ended up best friends with a very rich kid, Randy, while attending Kenyon College. After college they started a marketing firm that took off and left them both well off. Except the firm needed to move to Los Angeles, and Ethan had fallen for Zo, a documentary filmmaker. Zo was, and is, decidedly independent. Not afraid to say what she thinks or fight for what she believes in.

They marry, Ethan sells most of his shares in his company, and they have a daughter named Alex. Years pass, Ethan never goes on to be a writer. Zo stops making films. Alex turns out to have severe ADHD and social issues. Living in the Berkshires in a small town, they can’t really get Alex the help she needs. Ethan mostly becomes the full time dad. Zo gets heavily involved with a women’s activism group. Alex goes to a private school but still isn’t getting why she needs.

In comes Maddy, a live-in nanny for Alex. Maddy is a wild twenty-something who dropped out of college and isn’t quite sure where her life is headed. Ethan is a bit taken with Maddy, Zo barely has time to notice Maddy. Alex responds well to Maddy. Perhaps Maddy is going to be the shake up this family needs. Or will Zo’s obsession with activism shake them to the core?

Wow and holy cow is all I can say. This story seems to move along slowly with day to day chaos. It’s like riding a roller coaster. You keep slowly climbing uphill, reach the top and then come plummeting down rapidly. Benjamin has written a novel that incorporates the unbelievable events of the last four years with the realities of parenting, working, and marriage. It is a story that will leave you laughing and crying and occasionally wanting to shake the characters. I didn’t expect to feel this way about this book when I finished it. I expected to feel rather ambivalent about it. For some reason it rocked me. It may not have that effect on everyone, but it’s worth reading to find out.

Part of this hit a little too close to home--and some of the trauma Zo experiences feels too soon. None of the characters were too terribly sympathetic.
I may revisit this book when the 45 years are further in the rear view mirror.

If a book can serve as a pre-COVID time capsule, this is the one. It does a terrific job of depicting the rage and frustration felt by privileged (but well-meaning) white women during the “me too” movement and Kavanaugh hearings, as well as the confusion felt by men who are trying to be supportive, but often failing. Added to all of that is the struggle of parenting a “challenging” child attending an expensive private school. I found the book both humorous and sad, at different times. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for review.

Topically Applied

Zo and Ethan left Brooklyn to lead a simpler life in cozy New England town Starkfield, raise a family, maybe some chickens while working remotely. A dozen-odd years later, during the Bret Kavanaugh hearings, they find themselves shadows of the optimistic, loving, creative people they once were, lost among many of the materialistic New Yorker assholes they attempted to move away from and dealing with a medicated daughter with ADHD at a private school they can’t afford. Ali Benjamin’s political modern-day retelling of Edith Warton’s Ethan Fromme is a lively read especially when paired with the 2020 presidential election and Zo’s conscious-raising group named All Them Witches--a reminder that frustration, fear, and gathering with casseroles isn’t a thing of the past. Sub-plots of the gig economy, cam-girls, and protesters rioting protests will no doubt be as topical in 2021 when this debut novel is released.

Wendy Ward
http://wendyrward.tumblr.com/

This book is awesome for an young adult novel. I totally enjoyed the story and characters. I recommend reading this book

A #metoo story told from the point of view of a man who must decide whether to support women who are being mistreated, attempt to say neutral as bad things happen around him, or be complicit in the abuse of women. A modern retelling of Ethan Frome that takes on current issues in contemporary America.

THE SMASH-UP by Ali Benjamin is a novel about a family living in small town America. The main character, Ethan, struggles to live his life when his former business partner faces MeToo allegations and his wife gets deep into political activism. I found the premise compelling and the family dynamics were very interesting to read. I couldn’t connect to Ethan at all especially when he entertained the idea of having an affair which seemed so cliche. His wife Zo was the more dynamic character. I liked the witty writing style and the pacing as I read it in 24 hours but I felt there was more closure needed in the end.

I loved this realistic, über contemporary view of the Frome family in fictional Starkfield, MA: faithful-ish Ethan, angry Zo and their hyperactive 11-yr old daughter Alex. True to the original Ethan Frome, Ali Benjamin's is also attracted to a live-in Maddy, this one a babysitter. The season of the smash-up is summer rather than winter, and there are plenty of other more radical departures, but I really like the parallels to Edith Wharton. I also love the way Benjamin bases her story in the #metoo movement, the tainted Supreme Court nomination, "this dumpster fire of a president" and "his disgusting kakistocracy."

This story has action, backstory, humor, tropes, redemption, agony, and so much of what marriage really is, and parenthood, and aging, etc. Here's a great summation of what home feels like, "which is to say comfort and shame and anger and love and failure and hope, all together, all at once.

This was an ok read for me. I didn’t really like any of the characters so I didn’t engage in much of the story. The plot was good though and I am sure that many will enjoy reading this.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.