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!

Maybe I dont understand comedy but this was not funny to me in any sense. I thought it was actually boring. There was a lot going on and not a lot of depth to the story. It felt very basic and there were moments of confusion. The characters were soo boring and stereotypical and whole PTA mom is something I loathe, sorry to say. I really tried to like it but I just couldnt.

Rating: 1/5 Stars

Shelly Means is a stay at home Manhattan mom and former (disgraced) head of the PTA who dreams of her perfect beach home in the Hamptons. When Shelly and her husband purchase a plot of land on the east end of Long Island, what should be Shelly’s dream home quickly turns into a nightmare as her new neighbors get involved in the construction process and her husband starts to lose work through his voice over career.

This book was rough. The main character was extremely self involved and extremely unlikeable - even for satire. The narrative was trivial and slightly erratic - it felt more like Shelly was having a mental break down more than trying to keep up with her affluent peers.

I unfortunately DNF this. I got about four chapters in before I couldn’t stand to hear Shelly complain about another thing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books and Amy Fusselman for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was different than I expected but still gave me the same vibes I was wanting. If you love reading about the rich and privileged you won’t be disappointed but don’t expect this to be like every other Rich lady book you have ever read.

This is an exercise in comedic writing, but I was not a fan of the main character, a "have-not" housewife consumed with the mission of acquiring a beach house in the Hamptons for herself and her family. She is so shallow that she risks everything in pursuit of this dream. Painting a damning portrait of the "haves" who live in the Hamptons, manage the HOA's and are also shallower than shallow, the author scores a moral victory with her comment on the society of today. What do you lust after? Will it be worth it? How far will you go, leaving hurt and sorrow in your wake? My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

This book was not for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and when I reached the middle I found myself really bored.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

An enjoyable satire with an interesting plot. However, I didn’t fully engage with the characters.
Many thanks to Mariner Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Is it breezy and comedic or is it just kind of sarcastic? I really thought I'd enjoy it more than I did. It started out strong and then faltered. I feel like I have read better versions of this same story before.

Shelley and her husband George want to build a home in the Hamptons--a concrete sign that they've "made it". The Means is a fairly quick read that has some humor and satire, but I wasn't compelled to return to the story like I am when reading something I"m really enjoying. I did finish it and am not sorry that I did but it won't make my best of the year list. All in all a fine read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unexpected and kind of hilarious. It felt like a great parody but also just an odd slice of life book! The main character is kind of insufferable but in a weirdly relatable way? I don't know who I would recommend this book to, but I would definitely love for more people to read it.

This satire had me laughing out loud numerous times. Shelly means is a stay-at-home mom who just wants to build her Hamptons dream house. Even if she can only afford a container home.

But her plans to build her dream home quickly go south, especially when her husband, a voice-over actor, loses his job. Her antics as she tries to compete with the other rich New Yorkers were thoroughly entertaining. This is one quick read that’s worth picking up.

This was a quick, easy read, but….it was quirky. That’s the best word I can come up with… At first I enjoyed the humorous tale of how Shelly and family lose the lake house and were now wanting a beach house. The ins and outs of marriage, money and parenting in NYC was also interesting. Many of her issues were definitely “first world” problems but then they just sort of became rants and whining. Who needs page after page about a shower caddy? Really?! That’s when she lost me …, along with the talking dog. Thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy.

I was really excited about this book, which is why it pains me that I didn't enjoy this. I just felt like there was a lot of rambling/whining but very little plot movement - and I normally love character driven books! I wish I liked this more than I did. I hate writing bad reviews, but I just left this one feeling so disappointed.

This book was not for me, I’m afraid. The premise was intriguing—Hamptons real estate, keeping up with the Joneses, a satirical look at the elite—but it didn’t live up to that for me. It was a little too wacky (a talking family dog?) and I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the characters. I was hoping for more of a gossipy beach read with neighborhood drama. Just not my favorite.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Means by Amy Fusselman from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I was so excited to read this as my dream is to own a beach house! I found this book to be funny in many parts and really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

This was an interesting yet fun story about a family with wealth. Overall, it was an enjoyable book. I will have to keep this author on my radar as I enjoyed the writing style of this one.

Very funny, entertaining, and original. I would definitely read more from this author. I could also envision this book being made into a movie comedy.

A sarcastic, funny novel about a woman that is obsessed with building a beach house in the Hamptons. Her inner thoughts are hysterical and something really resonated with me while reading this book.

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Amy Fusselman for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
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I was really looking forward to reading The Means, but something simply didn’t click for me. Despite how short it is, I struggled to finish it. While there were parts where the satire and the sarcasm came through, the characters and the events simply weren’t enough to carry it out successfully. I got lost somewhere between the Japanese toilet and Twix carrying a conversation. I think some people may find this interesting, but it simply wasn’t for me.