The Means family are like so many of us -- somewhere between the Haves and the Have-Nots, depending on the day of the week. In this engaging story, Shelly, the stay-at-home mom, has ambitious plans to build a beach house in the Hamptons. She manages to pull it off, but her vision (and her vision board) are constantly revised downward. Delightful characters, plenty of humorous observations on American life, and a story that keeps readers engaged. I look forward to recommending this itle.

I did enjoy the writing of this book. It was fun, and I was excited about the following sentence. I just wasn't very interested in the overarching plot. I couldn't really connect with the main character, and I just thought, maybe you shouldn't get a beach house! Thank you, NetGalley.

This was a hard book for me to get into, not quite sure why, but I think my expectations of the book were different than the reality of the book. It's a light and casual read, but not one that I ever connected with the way I had wanted to. This might be a good read if you're looking for a something on the lighter end of the literary spectrum. .

An enjoyable experience! The story's characters are gradually filled in and the reader has a very good time trying to separate the facts from the gossip! An ice cream fantasy of a party is the backdrop for a locked room murder! Very detailed with lots of misleads! Outstanding job!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC: 2.5 rounded up for debut--Fusselman is attempting to write a satire exploring class and money, but her central protagonist is a stay at home mother who is obsessed with building a beach house in the Hamptons and shows no empathy or deep concern for her family or friends. She has anger management issues and interacts with a number of briefly sketched characters as she attempts to build her beach house out of shipping containers while ignoring the fact that her husband has lost his job. There are some humorous moments, but overall, the book was somewhat tedious. The protagonist shows no insight or capacity to learn: when she finally gets a job she immediately just wants more. Very important topics, but an unlikable and unreliable narrator don't translate into a cohesive whole. Her telepathic dog has more insight.

It read like a really bad memoir. Shelley wants the house in the Hamptons but can't afford it. The entire book is the story about her trying to build her house in the Hamptons. I struggled to get through it. It is not a page turner or a lounging in the sun book. It's average at best.

This is a funny, funny story with witticisms galore and so very relatable. I laughed out loud several times at the sidebars on life in general and on diaper changing in specific. The story about a couple trying to build a container beach house in the Hamptons is fraught with problems and loaded with characters. I enjoyed it immensely.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I so wanted to love this book but it was just meh for me. I felt like it was trying to hard to be something it wasn’t. I did appreciate the fast pace of the story.

This is a novel about money, how it can define our outlook and lifestyle, and what it feels like to have more, or less, of it. The main character, Shelly Means, is a stay-at-home mother whose job is to spend money on things her family needs. One of those things, she's decided, is a beach house, to provide a getaway from their cramped apartment in their unglamorous neighborhood. The fact that they can't really afford a beach house is not going to be an obstacle if Shelly has her way.

The Means is a fun read, with a memorable narrative voice and plenty of humor. I found the main character relatable, if not always likeable, and enjoyed her acerbic wit. It was a nice change to read a book about a woman in which her romantic relationship is not at stake and in which the labors of love that define modern parenthood are just that - labors. However, the book doesn't have much in the way of character development or plot, and even though it held my attention I never felt fully invested.

My impression of this novel was that it was trying to be something along the lines of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? And, while there were some funny bits, overall, it just didn't grab me. Primarily because I couldn't quite empathize with the main character here.

I received an ARC of the "The Means" as as really looking forward to what I hoped was an engaging summer read. Instead I found myself skipping sections, then skipping pages, until even after 100 pages in, I wasn't engaged with the story of the characters, couldn't sympathize with Shelley's buying a beach house in the Hamptons plight. And I wanted to. I think I just expected, or wanted, more: more substance, more depth, more plot.

Not for me. I wanted a breath of fresh smart narrative, but instead I found Shelley weird. She knows she’s weird, but I never really settled in.

I enjoyed bits and pieces of this novel. The underlying story is about Shelly, a wife and mother, who is not particularly likable. She is an at home mom, has anger issues and has a lack of impulse control. She has always wanted a beach house and they have already bought the land. Her husband has asked her to put the house build on hold as he may be out of work soon. Rather than wait, she goes ahead with plans anyway. The book does not have a “flow” to it. It reads like vignettes of someone’s life. Yes, there are some funny laugh out load paragraphs but not enough to make it a good book.
Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review..

In this debut novel, Amy Fusselman writes about 'rich people" problems, but in Shelly's case, lack thereof. Shelly wants to be a "rich" New Yorker and a have a place in the City as well as a. place in the Hamptons. Growing up in the Midwest, I would never have such an opportunity for this, except for perhaps, having a lake home.

Shelly is burning through money faster than her voice over husband, George can earn. Granted they are not poor, they do have luxuries such as a house-cleaner, dog walker etc. George repeatedly asks her to stop spending money, however, she lacks impulse control.

To me, Shelly was not a likable character, she is all about status, and not what is best for her family. Due to the extreme budget on the house, they start building what is known as a "container" house.

Fusselman did tell a great story in the fact showing that some people will go to any length, and I mean any length to have a second home.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of The Means.

A bit disappointing. Rich people problems. I just couldn't get into it. Nonetheless, I hope the author continues to write.

Thanks for the free ARC for review!!

This is a fast pace quirky light read. It features a stay at home mom who dreams of scoring a beach house in the Hamptons. She dreams big and ultimately finds herself compromising on what she envisions for her home which serves as a parallel for her life.

There are a few laugh out loud moments and I found myself relating to the main character when she loses her cool at some frustrating every day scenarios most moms face.

The author pushes the narrator to the brink (example: she has full conversations with her dog) which will be a hit for some readers and a flop for others. I was somewhere in the middle. I was hoping for a little more substance, but overall did enjoy the humor in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If Amy Fusselman ever tires of being a novelist, she could easily make a living as a stand-up comedian. The Means starts off so laugh-out-loud funny that I had to keep close to a bathroom. The dialogue, mostly internal, tells of a well-to-do New York City Housewife, mother of two and dog owner. Shelly is married to a voice-over actor who has run into some problems and not making much money.

Shelly, however, has begun to fulfill her dream of building a beach house after the hilarious racoon fueled demise of her country house. Fueling Shelly's dream is a Toto toilet. This is a seat-warmed bidet with wonderfully automated functions, including remote control flushing. (Think of the fun you could have with that!)

She finds a triangle of land just outside the Hamptons she calls the tick farm, and, without her husband's knowledge or approval, hires an architect to design a shipping container house. All this time, she is doing therapy with a Cognitive Behavior Therapist cum real estate agent, to control her occasional angry outbursts. (Don't ask.)

Confession here: I can't abide reading about people who self-destroy by taking drugs, drinking, or refusing to behave in a way that would solve their problems. It irritates me to the point where I want to shake them and say, Stop it!" And all this goes on while Shelly has conversations with her dog, Twix, also hysterically funny.

So here's my problem: How can I divide my opinion between enjoying a comedic book which is fun, and the personal annoyance with the idiotic behavior of the central character? The answer is, I don't. So i rated The Means 3 stars where other might give it 5

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to read and laugh in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was cute! A family living beyond their means, and their name is Means. Shelly dreams of having a beach house and works many "jobs" to acheive this goal. The one thing I didn't like about this story was the fact that Twix the dog had full conversations with her. It would have been plenty funny without this silly imagined voice. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A cute story that was full of humor. I had many shake-my-head moments while reading about the stay-at-home mother who has a weird relationship with money and status. I enjoyed it. Not bad for a debut author.