Cover Image: The Means

The Means

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Member Reviews

This mostly entertained me. I don't recall reading another fiction book that was on this theme - money, money, money - stuff, wealth, wanting more - every sentence was about what something costed, and all about the narrator's journey to buying a beach house made of shipping containers on a small plot of land on Eastern Long Island. There was a little too much talk of toilets and literal toilet humor. This felt campy, over the top, and satirical, and it made me laugh at times.

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This story was OK, but a lot of times I just felt like I was wasting my time since it felt like something I’ve read before.

The main character, Shelly, was annoying sometimes but I do have to applaud her stubbornness to get what she wanted.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read and don’t care much about a plot.

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"The Means" by Amy Fusselman is a thought-provoking exploration of identity, morality, and the human condition. Through a series of interconnected stories and vignettes, Fusselman delves into the lives of her characters with honesty and empathy, challenging readers to confront their own beliefs and values. With its lyrical prose and unconventional structure, "The Means" invites readers to contemplate the ways in which we navigate the complexities of existence and the choices we make along the way. Fusselman's novel is a captivating and deeply affecting read that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

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This was a fun book about wealth and family dynamics. I really enjoyed this one! I liked the way we saw the family and the way money impacted them.

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Amy Fusselman's The Means follows Shelly Means, a stay-at-home mom who is driven by ambitions of owning a second home in the Hamptons. She lets the ambition for achieving that goal cause chaos in her life.

There are comedic elements in this novel, but it's a deeper commentary on materialism and the cost of comparing oneself to others.

It's a book about keeping up with the proverbial Joneses that will leave readers pondering the lengths one will go to "have it all," With a somewhat rushed ending, it may leave some readers wanting more, but it has some satisfying moments for sure.

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I think this was trying to achieve camp energy but it just felt too over the top with its messaging and trying to get its point across and it really turned me off.

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This was a very middle of the road book for me. I enjoyed the scenery and summer vibes but this will not be a memorable novel for me.

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The Means is a satirical take on a stay at home mom's intense focus on owning a beach house in the Hamptons, and the extreme lengths she goes through and puts her family through to achieve her goal. The book is very fast-paced and funny, but I did not enjoy the characters or connect with them. All in all it's a fun book and would make a great beach read.

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Good satire about Shelly Means, a stay at home mom who wants a house in the Hamptons and is willing to do almost anything to get it. Parts of this book were so funny and out there I just had to shake my head and laugh out loud. Light and easy to read (although I still don't get the talking dog business), I found it to be quite enjoyable.

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This book had an interesting premise that made me want to pick it up. The language was a little overwrought for my taste, though. I did not finish it. I felt that it was not different enough from other books in the genre to hold my attention. At the same time, the writing style made it feel less readable than its peers. I think if I had stuck it out I may have found more to enjoy about it, but I just wasn't able to get into it.

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Shelly Means is too worried about "keeping up with the Joneses". I found the premise of this book difficult to swallow. In today's day and age with all of the opportunities for women to choose to work outside the home or be stay at home mothers, Shelly acts like she has no choices and the PTA is the biggest opportunity in her world.

Her fixation with owning a beach home in The Hamptons under any circumstances puts her need over all the other members of her family. The Means have a relationship that lacks proper communication and their children are watching their example.

The story itself lacks cohesiveness between chapters.

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I tried to get into this book. I gave it 15% and forgot about it so I never finished it, Just wasnt for me,

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This book was HILARIOUS. Perfect beach reading. It really makes you think about your life and value what you have. I can't wait for her next book.
Thank you so much for my copy Netgalley.

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When I come across a shorter, easy-to-read contemporary story, such as The Means by Amy Fusselman, I grab it with both hands and don’t let go.

Honestly, I read The Means in about a day and a half. It wasn’t really the subject matter, or the characters that kept me reading… it was the storytelling, and the obsessive behavior of the main character that I found endearing.

Shelly Means is a stay-at-home mom. Her husband makes pretty good money, and she’s been on the PTA for years. That is, until she disgraces herself with the PTA, and her husband loses a lucrative voice-acting job.

Shelly decides that the one thing she wants in life, the one thing that will give her life meaning and contentment, is a beach house in the Hamptons. She sets her sights on having her house, despite lack of money, lack of planning, and especially lack of understanding from the homeowner’s association.

Shelly’s obsession with getting her beach house, and the lengths she goes to in order to get it, are pretty insane. Funny, but insane.

Even though her husband struggles to provide for them, Shelly is so determined to elevate their status through a “house in the hamptons” that she ignores almost everything he says. She hires a realtor/architect who convinces her to use storage crates (you know, those big metal pods on the barges?). While she thinks it a great idea, the history of the containers means way too much to her. If they didn’t come from a fancy location, and hold something really interesting, she doesn’t want to use them to create her dream house.

Seriously, you should read The Means. One, it’s funny. Two, it will honestly make you feel better about your own life. I struggle to market my business some days, and I struggle to write blog posts on time most days, but at least I’m not struggling to build the perfect house on the beach made out of shipping containers.

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I truly loved The Means. Amy Fusselman crafted such lively, vibrant characters, full of quirks. What a wild ride! Brava!

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This book was awful. Had no plot and I could not get into it. It was so boring and I hate that I wasted time reading it.

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Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

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If you enjoy sarcasm and snark, then this is a fun little light read. I like characters who don't take themselves too seriously.

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I really didn't understand the purpose of this book. In the beginning I enjoyed the snarkiness in the writing, but unfortunately that didn't follow through to the end. Overall a miss for me.

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Amy Fusselman's The Means is a laugh out loud, witty satire about wealth in America and one woman's desire to build a beach house, even when all the cards are against her. Fusselman's stream of thought dialogue and inner thoughts brought forth by Shelley Means are so spot on, I had to read many of the sentences a few times just to fully appreciate their truths.

A fabulous and enjoyable novel!

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