Book received for free through NetGalley

Read 6% of the way into this book but kept starting and stopping and ultimately forgot about it. Figured it was better to review as is. It was written well just not my cup of tea.

And That Is Why Men Are Terrible

I want to say I enjoyed this book more than I did, there were parts that I did enjoy but it’s not a book that I would pick up and re-read. This book is written in satirical manner, it is about the daily encounters a young woman faces in this misogynistic world. It’s about how women fight with almost everyone just to make a little change in order to find their place in this world but are constantly we are reminded that this will not be possible. It’s not clear what Christopher want to achieve from this book, did Christopher want the reader to sympathise with women’s experiences? Why did Christopher choose to write on such a heavy topic? If I get a chance to ever meet Christopher, I may muster up the courage to ask him myself.

This was a character heavy book, if was funny and conveyed an important message. Eve’s character (MC) in the start of the book was very entertaining she was shown as a strong, confident women who had clear dreams, she moves to New York City for her it’s like a dream come true. But as the book progresses, she realises the picture she painted of a life in NYC isn’t as bright as it once was. Eve then takes up a job at a fertility clinic were her marketing pitch somehow ends up in a trending meme acquiring her a little limelight.

I felt it was a good book given the fact that the subject of women’s experiences was a tough one to write, especially for a male writer. I felt that the book should have been a bit shorter as some parts were just dragging. I went in this book blindly; the title was intriguing; it was the reason behind requesting this book. I look forward to reading this authors future works as his writing was easy to follow.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Christopher Mertic Lewis, Net Galley and Hovering Giraffe Press for offering me EARC for this book.

Had I not been reviewing this for NetGalley, I probably would have quit reading about 20% in. It definitely shouldn't be categorized as humor. It started off with some promise--a 23-year-old heroine moves to NYC on a wing and a prayer (but she doesn't really believe in capital-G God anymore, as she tells us in many, many paragraphs). I related to this, because as a 23-year-old, I moved to another major US city and scraped by, getting victimized in various ways in my work, living situations, and relationships. I also agreed with many of the author's political and social observations, even though, again, not sure why the multi-paragraph digressions weren't incorporated in some other way. And the political stuff was dated to the moment of writing, evidently--during the presidency of TFG, a few months after the Women's March, which already feels so long ago now.

But it soon became clear that this story wasn't really going anywhere. Every character turns out to be disappointing and one-dimensional and you can't really root for anyone. They also don't quite ring true for the present moment. Eve, the protagonist, should be Gen-Z, but sort of feels like an elder Millennial. And the names--Clyde and Alice are 23-year-olds? Anyway, the big reveal is obvious from a mile away, but Eve doesn't see it, and the clues are never even followed through on (such as a flip phone having a *dial tone* after being dropped in paint?!). We're supposed to believe this supposedly smart digital native wrote someone's address on a napkin, rented a car (hard to do when you're under 25 with no job, money, or legal address) and drove there, never having looked at the house on Google Street View or Zillow?

I'm also not sure how I feel about a book with this title and this thesis evidently being written by a man. Maybe it wouldn't have even gotten published by a woman author, but I'd rather see someone with the lived experience write something like this:

“Sweet and creepy aren’t mutually exclusive,” Sarah said. “And they can make a pretty toxic combination. It’s why a good guy will act like a jerk sometimes too. He knows he’s a good guy, so he starts thinking the world owes him something because he’s not as bad as he biologically should be. Then he starts thinking you owe him something because he’s sweet and you’re cute, and suddenly you have a creep saying he can’t live without you even though you’ve only known him for about five minutes. But he doesn’t see that he’s acting like a creep because romantic comedies have taught him that you’re not a creep if you have good intentions. It’s like that friend, every girl has at least one, who you thought was just a friend or coworker or distant cousin, but then he wants to f*ck you, and you say no, and try to let him down gently because he’s ‘such a good guy.’ But he won’t take no for an answer, and he starts using his sadness as a weapon to make you change your mind, which you won’t, because being pathetic is never as appealing as it feels. And you keep trying to let him down gently because you don’t want to be the a**hole who hurt ‘such a good guy,’ but at the end of the day, you have no choice but to pity f*ck him or cut him out of your life completely. And neither will leave you feeling good about yourself in the morning. You know why I don’t want to give this guy credit? Because I’ve never given credit to a guy who proved himself worthy of it.” [Censorship mine, for my dear readers.]

Anyway, not my cup of tea. Maybe someone else will dig it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

“And That is Why Men are Terrible” started off strong, with a poignant humour that made me snicker. Nobody and nothing was spared. The overall absurdity of the situations the main character, Eve, found herself in was very entertaining. The chapters felt like episodes from a sitcom! Despite its soapboxiness, I loved the book, and I genuinely thought Christopher Mertic Lewis got it. I’d have sung the praises of every good point the book was making at the start, but it all took a very bad turn.

The chapters lost their humour, the set up that made them so unique at first, and the respect the book once had for women. There’s a limit to how much you can dumb your previously clever female character down before it starts becoming extremely distasteful. The way Eve was portrayed at the beginning soon had no correlation to the utter fool she was made into. And finally, in the penultimate chapter, a woman’s naked breasts were described as “impossibly perfect” and “enthralling” even though nothing warranted these adjectives — the male gaze was plain disturbing.

In comparison to these lowkey misogynistic matters, mentioning the structural issues feels minuscule, but I think that’s necessary to provide a real feedback. At first, even though I liked how the chapters were set up like absurd anecdotes, just how disjointed they were made it difficult to really get into the flow of the book. However, the later chapters suffered from much worse: dragging, and stifling repetitiveness. The same conversations and situations happened again and again, and there was still almost half of the book to go! A few chapters could be taken out entirely, and there’d be no difference in the book! Some situations were needlessly emotionally taxing for a book categorised as humour. What made reading this all the more difficult was how whole essays were inserted in quotation marks as if they were a dialogue, but literally no one converses like that, and I had no interest in reading opinion pieces when I was lead to believe I’d be in for a funny ride.

This could have been a very good book had it not strayed from its initial format, absurd and poignant humour, and character depiction. It would have worked better as a much shorter book — maybe then Eve wouldn’t have been dumbed down, and we wouldn’t have gotten the bizarre remarks about Melanie’s breasts in Chapter 39.

[DRC provided by Hovering Giraffe Press and NetGalley.]

I tried to find something relatable, like-able, or interesting in the main character, but it just didn’t work. She is staying on a friend’s couch and wandering the city at night getting drunk. She’s without a job, but volunteers? This does not sound like it would work. Her inner dialogue is long, drawn out and so full of political idealism to the point it just turned me off. All of this and being a nice “Christian” girl? This book did not grab my attention and I feel this could have been the writer’s apology diary to the family she left behind, stuffed with justifications and excuses for not making good choices. Sorry, but I could not find a positive spin for this story.

So the title caught my eye, of course. The book almost felt forced, kind of unlikable characters and the writing style was definitely different..

Not my cup of tea but it may be yours!

I have no idea where this book was going.. and I didn’t care. I actually didn’t mind the writing style, but it was just boring. I honestly have no idea what Lewis is trying to do… it’s a strange concept to take on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book!

I thought it was an interesting premise. This book is full of different types of men that women interact with on a daily basis. It was hard for me to read because I hate interacting with misogynistic men like the ones in the book. I think the thing that I struggled with was that I kept hoping she would find a semi-descent man but (SPOILER!) she never does.

This book isn't what I expected from the title (I LOVE the title!). I think I expected more of a Rom-Com book but ended up with a more realistic version of life as a 20-something woman. Then again, I should have expected this based on the title!

It takes a lot of energy to put together a book. I imagine it takes many hours and tireless dedication. With that said, this is the only reason I gave this book 2 stars. I did not care for anything in this book. I didn’t like the characters, the settings, or the storyline, it felt very forced and cliché. As I read it, I imagined a very naive child writing this as if they knew everything about the ways of the world. This is truly sad, as my love for all things literary usually helps me find something of value no matter how much I may not like parts of a book. I just could not find it here. All fickleness aside, you may find this book quite brilliant and I wish you all the best.

Quick synopsis: This book follows a woman named Eve who moves from a small town to pursue her dreams of living in NYC. Underqualified, unemployed, and rendered homeless, she doggedly tries to survive through a strange mixture of hope and self-delusion. However, she very quickly finds herself in an extremely humiliating position and ends up a trending meme. She gets flooded with death threats on the daily and becomes a minor celebrity who does not want any of the attention. As a whole it was somewhat reminiscent of Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation.

NGL I thought this was going to be nonfic until I realised it wasn’t. Then I thought it was going to portray women through a misogynistic lens, but it didn’t either. What you can count on is for the protagonist to consistently but hilariously get disappointed by men from all over society, be it the dating pool, the journalism industry, theatre, or the activist/volunteer groups. I liked the part where she meets some men’s rights activists, but what I liked best was probably her growing friendship with someone she met at work. Wish it was developed more fully.

The plot is predictably kooky and Eve does not grow as a person, in fact coming full circle to where she begins, but it is nevertheless a fairly entertaining read. The pacing is breakneck and the caricatures sufficiently unlikeable to highlight the satirical element. The dialogue also tends towards monologues (on Eve’s part) that are surprisingly sensible, considering whose mouth they are coming out of, so the wall of text does come off a little clunky albeit well-meaning. Overall it is a valiant effort by a man at producing a feminist text.

Thanks NetGalley for the e-ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4747772363

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Both the title and description of this book sounded interesting and funny to me, but unfortunately, the contents of the book just didn't live up. I struggled to finish it. Eve was extremely unlikeable, and none of the supporting characters were any more interesting than she was. Everyone was just super self-possessed and convinced that they were each the most important person on the planet with the most important views—and not even just the terrible men that the title refers to. I had a hard time feeling any sort of pity for Eve, and did not find myself invested in her story at all.

The book felt like a collection of long-winded diatribes against various problems in the world without offering any sort of realistic solution; which ironically, the book makes fun of individual characters for doing.

This one wasn't my cup of tea.

A wry and knowing look at the challenges of being a young politically idealistic woman in a new city. With great pacing writing and beautifully drawn and awful characters this novel kept me reading long after bedtime! A very sly and bleak take on performative politics and allyship which is comedic but maybe at times slightly patronising or lecturing. A very entertaining storyline, overall, I really enjoyed this novel and will re-read it. It captures the naivety and yet world-weariness of Eve perfectly.

20 year old Eve moves to NYC with no job and no apartment. She couch surfs for a while finally lands a job and room for rent, both crappy. All the while contending with terrible internet dates and her own lofty political ideals about saving the world.

I liked the writers writing style and enjoyed the book overall. It was a unique story told in a way I’ve not read before and it’s refreshing to read new things. It read like a political manifesto had a baby with a satirical rom-com. Every possible bad trope about men is stuffed into this book in one format or the other. There’s not a single decent man in the book, which I guess is the point. There were funny moments, and it was enjoyable. It leaned a little too heavy at moments to really be a rom-com, but the “romantic” aspect helped even the heavy moments which is one of the things that makes it such a unique story. One of the things I didn’t like was every single character in the book is absolutely obnoxious and irredeemable. Eve, the main character, is an entitled, obnoxious sh*t who needs to hop on a bus and go back to the Midwest.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
A satirical take on a young woman’s encounters with everyday misogyny while she wrestles with her desire to be a good person and change the world, and how she comes to realize that that goal seems a bit impossible. It’s bouncy and absurd and quick. Not a perfect book by any means, but fun and worth a read if you fit the target demographic if only to figure out how you disagree with the book’s talking points.

Pre-reading:
I know nothing about this book. What a title though, right?

Thick of it:
I'm on board. it’s a little clunky. But I’ve been spoiled with the last few books and their management of clauses. Lord knows I like wordy books. I like Eve. I like this religious commentary. I can't imagine it going down well with the general, religious public. I’d scrapbook paste the monologue but I can’t do that with this copy, and it’s way, way too long for me to type it myself. Where’s the panic about him not paying though? Also, she walks alone at night? I’m afraid for her. I can’t picture her clothing off this description. It’s getting a little preachy. It’s not just misogynistic men. It’s all of society that breaks down women. I feel like this is the love child of Sally Rooney and Fredrik Backman, but not as good. It’s just bonkers enough that I’m into it. I don’t know. It’s really a book kind of out of left field. I didn’t expect it to be this entertaining. It’s got Rooney‘s preachiness and Backman‘s quirk. Papa John’s. I really like unreliable narrators. Oh baby, that refund policy isn’t constitutionally protected, Jesus. I mean it’s bad to say, but I don’t think it’s stop a subway train bad. You know it’s my experience that men have complained about cancel culture the most. Interesting that they really hate being held accountable for their actions. Alice isn’t doing anything wrong. I really hope it’s just Eve’s perspective coloring everything and not the author’s actual take on her. It’s getting a little less satire and a little more hateful. Maybe not hate hate but spiteful at the very least. It’s becoming more obvious that it’s written by an older man looking at my generation and it doesn’t feel great. Eked doesn’t look like a real word omggg. The idea of hiding natural beauty with makeup is inherently male, and I don’t like it here. It chafes. Cliché but I like a title drop at about 50% through the book. I like Sarah. This book does feel hypocritical at times because it’s like men writers only ever talk about sex, and then they go on to tell about Eve‘s female friend who apparently is a chronic masturbator and that’s her only description. I don’t think anyone’s first instinct with an acronym is a sex act, sir. I do wish I could quote pull this book though because there are some gems in it. It’s just such a hassle when you can’t copy and paste. So much fisting in this book. I don’t know, there’s just something off where it’s trying to be from the female perspective and critical of men, but it’s still coming across as like very written by a man. I like this pool banter. They’ve really muddled this lesson of morality. And I don’t even think it’s a good one or an especially unique one. And male writer talks about boobs again. Bad ending for me; women would worry about being killed.

Post-reading:
I think it’s a romp of a book that needs a heavy female edit. I want to like it more than I do because I enjoy the premise. What I don’t like is that it’s supposed to be from a female perspective, but it really misses on some of the points it’s trying to make. It’s got male douchebaggery down, but we don’t get a break from the awfulness, and yet somehow it’s supposed to be empowering and hopeful. That doesn’t come across. There are points where it’s lovely and satirical and then other parts descend into preachiness or will annoy you just because it’s like missing the bigger issue. And yet I still kind of like it? Parts of it are just fun. I think it just feels a little unfinished. I really struggled to rate this too because Goodreads doesn’t do half stars. I do not think it is the four star level of My Year of Rest and Relaxation or Book Lovers. I think it’s a high three bordering on a very low four. I think with some editing, and perspective adjustment, it would be a four.

Who should read this:
Young women on the left who like satire
Feminists? You’ve gotta be willing to pick through it though.

Do I want to reread this:
Weirdly, yes.

Similar books:
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-quirky, bouncy, snarky writing
* My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh-very different mood, but also a satirical take on aspects of my generation

To be completely honest, I couldn't make it through this book. I read about 40% of the book before I couldn't stand to read any more of the story. It sounded so fun and like such a great idea, but the book was a huge disappointment. The plot centers around Eve, who moved to New York City with a dream of joining the political movement against the Trump administration. But she quickly finds out that living in NYC isn't as fun as she planned, and the men there are less than stellar. The first few pages were very engaging, but then, in an act of desperation, Eve takes a job with a scam fertility clinic and then goes viral for her marketing pitch? It did not make any sense and was so strange to read. Also, it was obvious that the author was trying to write a book that sympathized with women's experiences living in a world that is not always safe for women alone. But it was very poorly executed and often felt patronizing as it was evident that the author lacked the experiences necessary to write about such an important topic. In all, this was an incredibly disappointing book, and I would not recommend it.

This was a fast read. I was able to read it in a day. The author paints a great satirical lens on the problems of performative allyship. I do think that it could be better if it were condensed. I felt that there were so many small plot points and side stories going on that at times it was difficult to follow. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will like this one, as I felt it had a very similar style of writing. Ultimately, a worthwhile read.

When a twenty-something girl packs up and moves to New York City, she expects a lot of things: excitement, glamour, and endless opportunities for adventure. However, she probably doesn’t expect those adventures to involve flirtations with homelessness, viral internet notoriety, or a revolving series of dead-end survival jobs. Great characters, great storyline. I kept turning the pages instead of turning off the light!