It's safe to say that when it comes to books, I have a type. Give me a book about misbehaving kids and their worse behaving cliquey moms and I'm pretty much sure to love it! 'Are We There Yet?' has these elements and it totally did not disappoint!!

Three friends - Nadia, Alice, and Meredith - connected while their children were in kindergarten. Now in seventh grade, the women have remained close though their children have drifted apart and pursued their own friend groups and interests. As troubles arise for each family, the women must decide where their priorities lie and who they can trust.

Nadia, mother to Donovan, has always been the "bad mom," not that any of the women would tell her that. Donovan is a classic "problem child," often in trouble with the principal, prone to learning difficulties, and in therapy. Meredith and Alice are convinced Donovan is the way he is because of Nadia's parenting - what else could it be?

Alice is the successful working mom to Teddy and Aidy and she's coming to grips with recognizing that though she can have it all, she can't seem to have it all at the same time. Just as her interior design company seems to be taking off and getting national attention, Teddy starts showing signs of being a bully, Aidy's reading levels are shown to be clearly behind, and Alice's relationship with her mother starts to crack.

Meredith, mother to Sadie, is the perfectionist. Sadie is her golden child - a talented figure skater, a team player, highly intelligent. But when Sadie gets wrapped up in some drama with Teddy at school and subsequently makes a poor decision on social media, Meredith quickly sees her perfect life crumbling in front of her eyes while at the same time also compromising her daughter's reputation and future.

As the mothers each push to do whatever they think is best for their children, they make plenty of their own bad decisions along the way. Dealing with current and relevant issues related to bullying and social media and parenting in general, I was totally engrossed with the drama of Elm Creek and felt that it was (terrifyingly) realistic. It really showed what a parent is willing to do for his/her child and how hard it can be to be honest with yourself about who your kids really are.

It was easy to see how the kids' impulsive decisions spiraled out of control in the new age of social media and I often found myself thanking my lucky stars Instagram and SnapChat weren't a thing while I was growing up. Though I was frustrated with some of the decision-making, it truly did feel authentic and I have a feeling these situations happen more often than anyone would like to think.

Funnily enough, I didn't love any of the characters all that much and particularly disliked Teddy, Alice, and Meredith. Everyone felt impulsive, judgmental, entitled, and superior, but for me, that made me enjoy the book even more!

I loved the writing and narration style - we heard from the mothers as well as several other characters including Alice's mom, Teddy, and Sadie. I do wish we had heard more from Nadia to balance out the voices of the three moms and because we didn't hear from her, it felt like her character was sidelined a bit.

Some of the storyline was wrapped up a bit abruptly at the end but I did feel there was good closure to the various plotlines.

Overall, I couldn't get enough of this book and I'm looking forward to reading more by West!!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

West is a great writer, but this is not as good as her debut. Had major issues with how the social media subplot was executed.

This novel provides a relevant look at parenthood through the lives of three modern families. Told from alternating perspectives, we meet Alice, Meredith, and Nadia: three woman who became friends when their children entered kindergarten at the school. Those kids are now in junior high and the woman quickly learn that the kids’ friendships are not the only relationships that are shifting and changing.

I tend to have trouble liking books similar to this one because oftentimes I feel as though the author provides caricatures of people rather than relatable characters. However, in this case I could easily replace the characters’ names with the names of moms I know. I think this book does a great job of truly showing a glimpse of modern life in terms of parenting, friendships, and families.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing an advanced look into this novel for women.
In life, it seems, that once you think everything is smooth sailing, someone can hit you with a humdinger of a right hook from out of the blue...even your own mother.
As in most communities, parent groups have ladies who have a difficult time trying to keep up with each other. They become friends who compare their husbands, children and others, too. In this novel, the surprises are around every corner and you need a mirror to watch your back.

This novel focuses on Nadia, Meredith, and Alice, three suburbia mothers who met when their children were in Kindergarten. Nadia's Donovan is a "trouble child" who has had issues and behaviors throughout school that constantly call for Nadia to defend her child while the other two secretly comfort themselves that at least their children "aren't Donovan." Alice's son Teddy, always an easy-going child, is having a hard time fitting into middle school life and begins bullying fellow student, Tane, who is usurping his spot on the soccer team. Meredith is overprotective of her daughter, Sadie, and has difficulty believing her daughter could send an inappropriate text, and instead convinces herself that Sadie is the victim.

As each mother deals with her child's behaviors, their friendship begins splintering and they realize that sometimes "school mom" friendships run their course, also.

This book held my attention from the start, but there were parts in it I could not help feel had a "privilege-y" vibe to them: All were upper middle class, had professional jobs, stereotypically consulted the latest greatest child-rearing philosophies in books and trendy magazines instead of just treating their kids like people and giving them attention. Meredith is quite obnoxious many times when she refuses to admit that Sadie isn't perfect. Alice tries too hard to be perfect and has a meltdown when she can't control everything. Nadia, probably jaded with already dealing with her son's obvious behavioral disorders is the most likable, but allows the other two to treat her rather condescendingly.

Each mother learns a harsh lesson of judging other people's children while ignoring the faults in their own, and that their focus should be on the children not on making the children perfect.

This was my first Kathleen West novel and while there were some things I did enjoy about this book overall, I got a sense of where is this going? and I am not sure we ended up anywhere. There is a lot to unpack with Are We There Yet?

I did like the writing style and that the story is told through multiple points of view, it was an interesting way to keep the story moving and share slices of each character’s perspective. I thought the views from the teenagers were well done and often made me wish the adult characters could understand them a bit better, such as in real life. There are a few concepts that were really interesting, social media on teens, parenting the modern world. Adopted families and how certain things can affect those children through out life. I think the author was just a bit ambitious with all this thoughts to really hone in a couple and showcase them to their full potential.

Which leads to, things that were more of a miss for me include. The number of ideas bouncing around in this book, so many characters to keep track of with several stories lines that I didn’t think were necessary, some never even got addressed by the end of the book. Most of the characters were not likeable, relatable, or even enjoyable. I found our main characters mother’s actions and motivations to be a bit confusing and unrealistic. Every male character in the book was a completely dud. All the friendships were toxic with no chance for characters to redeem themselves.

Never have I read a book with so much going on while the book goes nowhere at all. I like a good domestic drama as much as the next person but unfortunately for me when I reflect on this book I can’t think of a single person I’d recommend it to which for me is the true mark of a good read.

Sadly this book did not hold my attention. I think that is because I am not the target audience for this novel. I think it would be enjoyed more by women who are mothers because they would relate better to the storyline. I read many different novels where the characters lead different lives than me, but for this one it it so heavily focused around the children and the family dynamic, it was hard for me to connect.

It was also hard to keep so many characters straight when so many were introduced in the very first chapter.

The cover is eye catching! And the writing style was great.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West portrays pleasant suburban life... until it's not. Three middle-aged girlfriends have teens the same ages.  The kids have been friends since kindergarten but now that middle school has arrived, they have to contend with fake Instagrams, hashtag bully wars, crushes, and SnapChat pictures (that don't get deleted).  Each chapter is a different character's perspective of similar events, from the parents and the kids.  Kathleen West captures all the drama.  Her writing is believable and the issues could happen in any town.

Alice is someone you think has it all. Never mind the fact her daughter is behind on her reading and her son Teddy is constantly getting in trouble at school, thus getting suspended and putting her partnership at risk having to constantly leave early to retrieve and watch Teddy.
Alice seems to have the support from her “friends”, but are they really friends? The women don’t seem to like Teddy and think he’s a bully. As kids will be kids social media plays a huge factor in this book as well. The parents think they are being socially responsible, but don’t know about the “fake apps” and accounts hidden within their kids phones.
I loved this book! Thank you Berkeley and Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alice looks like a mom who has it all, but it only takes one day for everything to unravel. First, she learns her daughter is behind grade level. Then, her son is suspended for bullying. Her kids aren't the only problem - her mom also has a secret that will shatter the exiting family dynamic. What's a so-called "good mom" to do when her life is falling apart?

Wow. As someone without kids, this book really threw me into the deep end of parenting struggles. Alice and her friends Meredith and Nadia have so many issues to deal with. West gives the reader the perspectives of both the parents and the children, and I liked seeing both sides of the story. The novel is fast-paced, with lots of new drama popping up every few chapters. I wouldn't say this book is relaxing, but if you need a read to help you realize that your problems aren't so bad after all, you might think of picking this one up.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This roller coaster ride of a book had me feeling all the emotions. Alice is a suburban mother to a 12-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. She has a career as an interior designer and a husband who is a lawyer. She has regular coffee dates and walking sessions with girlfriends from when her oldest was in kindergarten. Life is pretty amazing. And then middle school happens and everything goes sideways.

All at once, Alice finds out that her daughter is not reading at grade level and really, they should be reading together every night as part of Adrian's homework, and Teddy has been bullying a boy and is being suspended for a pantsing incident that happened in front of the whole 7th grade. And her boss is kind of pushing her out of the spotlight at work. And her husband is hardly ever home because his work has him traveling for days at a time. And did I mention that her mother tells her that she put her first child up for adoption 43 years before and guess what? they are building a great relationship and wouldn't Alice love to be a big, happy family?

The story is told from many different points of view which is a great way to tell it when so much is happening to so many people. The chapters were pretty short and it was a fast read - great for those of us who maybe have to steal moments in order to read a book. I really enjoyed Ms. West's first book and this second novel doesn't disappoint.

My thanks to Berkeley Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Are We There Yet? is such a fun follow-up to West's debut novel, Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes. Like her deubut, this book features suburban drama, misbehaving kids, and possibly worse-behaving parents. The book follows a set of suburban moms and their 7th graders as the kids find themselves in all kinds of trouble when they each get smart phones and social media accounts along with it. As the lives of each of the families unravel, the book explores themes of motherhood, family, friendship and growing up. It is written from several different points-of-view, and while most of the characters are deeply unlikeable, I still felt like I could understand and empathize with them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the glimpse it gave me into the family drama each of the women in this book had to deal with. I would recommend, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for West's work in the future!
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<b>The Short of It:</b>

This book originally came out in January 2019, way before our own pandemic hit and yet, the pandemic detailed in this story could have been taken right out of the headlines of today, minus the sleeping illness, of course.

<b>The Rest of It:</b>

The story takes place in the fictional town of Santa Lora, California. Santa Lora is a sleepy little college town (pun intended). Many of its residents work at the local university or at the very least know someone who goes there. In the dorms one day, Mei notices that her roommate is still sleeping although morning has come and gone. Her attempts to wake her are futile. The girl will not wake.

In another part of town, people are falling asleep where they are whether that is in the middle of a jog or walking the family dog. As more and more victims are discovered, the government is called in along with several medical professionals to determine what is actually happening. Is it psychological? Is the water contaminated?

As the story unfolds and the situation becomes more dire, Walker introduces us to the survivors as well as those who will eventually succumb to the sickness. What does it all mean? Why do some wake and others don’t and why are they different after surviving?

So much of this story resonates with me, given the pandemic that we are currently living with. The way the sickness spreads, the lack of understanding in the early days of the sickness, the conspiracy theories hinting at government control. The true winner here is the way Walker plays with dreams and memory. Some of the survivors remember vivid dreams that they had while sleeping. Some feel they are premonitions of the future, others believe they are memories from the past. What’s real anyway?

There are a lot of characters but they are all so distinct and their situations unique enough where I never felt confused over who was who or what was going on. It’s very well done. I cared enough about each of them to worry about their survival and that says a lot.

If you can tolerate a book about a pandemic, and I must say a sleeping sickness sounds a lot better than what we are dealing with now, then pick it up. Someone on FB said that when they read fiction now, they feel uncomfortable when reading about gatherings without masks and the like since they are so conditioned now to meet safely. Well, you won’t have that issue here because masks are the norm in this story.

For more reviews, visit my blog: <a href="http://bookchatter.net">Book Chatter</a>.

I loved this book! I found myself getting emotional about the characters. It’s clever, witty and relevant. You raise your children thinking every mistake you make happens to you only. This author gave me permission to let myself off the hook.. Nobody is perfect and the more you try to come off perfect the worse things are.We all have flaws and everything will be ok. I haven’t read the author’s first book but I plan to remedy that immediately

This story contains good drama and kept me entertained. It's an easy and quick read. I really liked the succinct chapters and unique, bizarre characters.

Let’s face it - raising a family can be challenging. Raising a family in the era of social media is even more challenging. Are We There Yet is the story of one woman who changes her perspective when life throws her several curveballs.

Alice Sullivan feels she has it all. She has a great job as an architect and interior designer, is married to a successful man who she adores, and has two perfect children. She displays her perfectly designed home and life on her business instagram page with pride. She has great friends who meet regularly and discuss the local gossip. That is, until the one day her perfect world starts to fall apart. At a parent teacher interview that takes place while her husband is out of town, she’s told that her seven year old daughter is not reading at the level she needs to be at in order to move on to the next grade. During this interview, she’s called by twelve year old son Teddy’s middle school regarding a situation that must attended to immediately. All this on the day she was to meet her wealthy, new potential clients she’s hoping to impress.

Alice quickly determines that Teddy’s behaviour this day is actually part of a pattern she wasn’t aware of. The school community, including several of Alice’s friends, soon begin to gossip about Teddy and question Alice’s parenting skills. Through a series of events surrounding Teddy and his peers’ access to social media, a perfect storm of events transpire which questions everything she thought she knew about Teddy.

Alice’s chaos does not stop there. As if life wasn’t stressful enough for Alice, her mother drops a bombshell that she’s been holding for more than thirty years. This new development has Alice questioning her own relationship with her mother as she tries to determine her own new normal.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were well developed and the story insightful. I found the book to be entertaining, and it flowed easily. I felt empathy for Alice and followed with interest how she would manage to reconcile all these stressors. The author highlights parenting in the age of smart phones and presents relevant information for all parents to consider. I highly recommend this book to all that enjoy Women’s Fiction or Fiction involving Family Life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

"Are We There Yet?" was an unique, lively, and fast-paced story. The multiple perspectives is something I look forward to in novels; I like seeing all POVs. I thought this was a very realistic story about what families experience, especially mothers. Kids can be so hard to raise and West shows the ins and outs of raising decent humans.

Overall, I liked this novel, it was a relatable story many families can relate to.

This book is a hard one to classify. It read a bit like satire to me, but is classified as women’s fiction.

Are We There Yet? tells the story of three mothers and their children. The three women have been close since their kids were in kindergarten, but that all falls apart when one of them starts bullying another student.

At times, the drama was completely over the top, but it was also unfortunately relatable. Alice is struggling to balance life as a working mother. She thinks she has everything figured out, but life has a way of throwing curveballs.

Mostly, this book made me appreciate the fact that my kid is still little! Teenagers are scary y’all!

(Also- my kids name is Teddy and the bully in this book is also a Teddy. I don’t like that! Ha.)

I’m going to give this one three stars! It was fine, but not my preferred genre.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Alice Sullivan is the type of wife and mom who portrays a picture perfect life, but is unraveling inside. I love reading about women like this; when they figure out that perfection is boring, it always makes for a great story.

When Alice discovers her daughter struggles with schoolwork and her son is on the wrong path, she begins to question her parenting. When her mom reveals a serious secret she’s been keeping, all hells breaks loose.

I thought this was an interesting, fun, and fast-paced story. The multiple perspectives made this a super quick read, and I usually don’t like reading from the perspective of so many characters. It didn’t feel bogged down or confusing, so that’s a plus. Alice’s husband seemed like a “good guy” but he was so absent he might as well not have been in the book at all, although I know that’s the reality for many working moms who do it all, even with a spouse. While Alice was greatly concerned about the issues her kids were having, we really only see her deal with her son’s issues. Granted, his problems were much more serious and pressing than her daughter’s, but it was still frustrating to read about.

This was a solid story.

Alice is kicking ass and taking names. She is great at her job, and has two amazing kids. Until the day her son gets suspended for pantsing another student during the assembly, and she finds out her daughter is very behind in reading comprehension. In working to get to the bottom of Teddy’s issue, several parents realize their kids have finsta accounts they hide from them. Will Alice be able to keep herself together with everything going on?

I know I have said this before but I would die if I was a teenager right now. AIM was bad enough during my middle/high school years, if I had to deal with instagram and snapchat as a teen…I can’t even imagine.You also know I love some adults behaving badly. This book was more kids behaving badly and parents reacting badly to the bad things their kids did. It was so frustrating that Teddy seemed to get all the hate from everyone (not saying the things he did weren’t messed up) but why was Tane all good and never in trouble? He was just as bad. Much like Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, so many woman that care more about what people think of them than anything else. Overall I really enjoyed this one!