This book was great! I couldn't put it down! The premise was fresh and new, which is hard for me to say as I read so much each year! Sometimes it feels as though I keep reading similar stories, but this was a so original!

Would you give up your chance at a career to please your spouse?  How long would you wait?  This story is about the unraveling of a family that has been held hostage by a selfish man.  The author has give us a compelling tale of grief, fear, misguided loyalty and manipulation.  It takes some time to understand the family dynamic and one has to feel that the family has slowly been mentally poisoned.  Why did the mother allow it?  How could she not see it?  Will she ever become strong?  Will her grown children ever be strong?  The novel has a bit of a slow start but gives us satisfying ending.  I thought this was a thought provoking story set in the minor art world.  The story taking place over a weekend is quite clever.  I have seen it mentioned as comedy but I did not find it funny.

"The Exhibitionist" was a book that I was sure I would enjoy but unfortunately, the story failed to hook me.  From what I see in the reviews, people either love or hate this novel and sadly, it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the  publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to enjoy books about complicated family drama, but this book had too many characters swing too hard to the "unlikeable" category for me too really enjoy it. I liked the setting of North London, and I like books written over a compressed timeline, but ultimately I found the characters to be unlikeable.

In The Exhibitionist, Charlotte Mendelson presents a nuanced and perceptive portrayal of the Hanrahan family, as they gather for a momentous weekend revolving around the new art exhibition of the Ray Hanrahan, the patriarch, and also a famous and egotistical artist, Readers get the perspectives of each family member, including Ray's children Leah, Patrick, and Jess, and his wife Lucia,  a fellow artist, Mendelson delivers a complex look at the toxic and dysfunctional dynamic present within the family. A bit slow at times, evasive and funny at others, The Exhibitionist is a deep dive into character portrayal, and the often not so pretty side that reflects. Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinPress for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Well written but the story didn't grab me so it was hard to get into it. Was kind of confusing in the beginning I wasn't sure what was going on.

Another take on the Tolstoy quote on "Happy families are all alike every unhappy family is unhappy in their own way", this novel is about the family of a narcissistic artist and the things he puts his family through as he prepares for an exhibition of his work. Ray Hanrahan is a talented artist but an awful human being. His wife Lucia, also an artist and a rising star in the art world is belittled and criticized by Ray as she struggles to hide her talent and the attention she receives from the art world. I found all of the characters to be awful in some way and not interesting. The writing was very florid and some of it just seemed off, especially the sexual thoughts that were constantly going through Lucia's mind.  

Some things seemed over the top even for a family that dislikes each other. There is a scene where Lucia is at the hospital having tests to see if she has cancer and daughter Leah is crazed with concern that her father might be upset at seeing the mother being tested, seeing anything medical happening and hearing any sort of bad news. Even for someone who favors one parent, I cannot imagine someone who ignores and is angry at a person receiving cancer tests because it might upset the person's spouse. The younger daughter Jess is involved with a man who clearly doesn't care about her and only wants access to Ray and like her mother she puts up with all kinds of behavior one shouldn't expect from a partner.

 I could never quite figure out why so many people would be willing to jump through hoops for a man whose talent has been waning for some time and who has a terrible personality. I was hoping for something to give him his just desserts in the end and while things did happen regarding Lucia and a relationship she was forming with another woman, I wasn't satisfied. I noticed some reviewers stated this is a comedy, but I didn't find many comedic elements. I did like the way the relationship between Lucia and Priya developed and the pacing as each chapter brought us closer to the exhibit date. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

If you're into dysfunctional families, this one is for you!

The main source of dysfunction in this story is Ray, the patriarch with an extremely sensitive ego. Throughout the book you explore the many ways he wrecks havoc within his family, and the toxicity be brings to each relationship. 

Admittedly, it was the clever title and eye-catching cover that drew me to this book. I usually enjoy books about dysfunctional family dynamics, so I was sold. However, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and staying engaged in the story. While I was cheering for Lucia to break free and find joy, I didn't find the ending very validating. The writing was fine,  there just wasn't anything unique or engaging about it. 

2.5

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Charlotte Mendelson for this ARC.

This was not all what I expected. The writing was well done but the story was boring and depressing. I ended up not finishing.

I hate when the cover far surpasses the novel. It’s not that the writing was bad… it was just boring, like a telanovella that has no plot, or character development, not even characters you could fall in love with- just family drama that no one cares about.

2/5

I kept waiting for this book to get somewhere tolerable, but it never got there.

A tale of the family of a narcissistic artist who’s family is destroying themselves to survive him. His wife, an artist and artist herself, struggles through cancer and his inferiority during it, his daughters are emotionally crippled and can only see him as the best or worst. His stepson is unable to stand up for himself. 

If there had been some resolution some challenge to his character some glimpse of what made this behavior tolerable , I probably would feel differently.

The premise of the book sounded interesting, but this was one I couldn't bring myself to finish. None of the characters were likable and there didn't really seem to be a plot to focus on. I pushed through the first 100 pages and didn't care how it ended. I don't like leaving negative reviews, sorry.

I didn’t find that this book had much of a plot but it’s always interesting to have a look inside a dysfunctional family.

I’m surprised that so many people recommended this because it was slow and frustrating for me.

This was a book that I normally would not reach for but I really enjoyed it. The dysfunction and chaotic family was strange. I would recommend it to other readers.

This book's title, description, and cover art all intrigued me and I found the novel itself to be fairly fascinating in the sense that it reminded me a bit of James Joyce's Portrait of an Artist or Ulysses, except not as dense and more modernized. I appreciated Lucia's journey which the author did a great job of her seeming to be a side character on the periphery and then bringing her to the forefront. I felt the story was going to be all about Ray and his art career, when really it was about their marriage and both of their careers and the things that so often fall by the wayside because of traditions and sacrifices in marriage... things like sexuality, creativity, self-love, and even healthy relationships with children and peers. I appreciated that the author also included the ways the lives of their children were affected by their marriage and Lucia not allowing herself to be fully authentic throughout their lives together. So many layers in this book. I am glad I read it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a free copy in exchange of an honest review! 

⭐️⭐️.5/5 

An exploration of darkness that’s at times, felt more gratuitous than thoughtful. Clumsy attempts at social commentary are cheapened by characters whose actions never seem to be in sync with their motivations; or maybe it’s just that their motivations are too opaque for the reader to actually be able to identify them. Will update this space with a longer review, but I need to sit on this one for a while.

I did read the whole thing waiting for someone to have any sort of redemption arc but it didn't ever materialize. This book isn't funny, nor does it make you feel better having read it. A tale of woe.

I was pleasantly surprised by this little story. It started off a little slow but I got completely swept up and it became quite the page turner. My only real complaint is that a bit of the dialogue was choppy, but otherwise a very enjoyable story.

Ok first and foremost, I have to admit that it was that utterly GORGEOUS cover that piqued my interest. I didn’t wind up loving this book as much as I’d hoped but I will 100% still be buying the hard copy as that cover is in my top 5 fav covers of all time!!! 

Now, that being said, aside from the cover I really didn’t find anything about the book to be exceptional or unique in any way, feels like a book I’ve read 100x before. The writing was decent, & the character work was ok too, but nothing really stood out to me. I thought the pace was a bit slow at parts, but for the most part it kept a steady base and kept me interested enough to stick with it till the end.

I also have never been a fan of the unlikable character trope, I find it hard to want to read about people that I dislike immensely & that was the case here. The Exhibitionist had one of the most obnoxious characters that I have ever read. Sometimes those are fun to read about, other times it brings down the whole vibe, like in this instance.

I didn’t hate it, but I sure as hell didn’t love it either. 3 stars for a lukewarm response! I wanted to love this so much more than I did.

Mixed feelings about this one. Mendelson can write - her sentences are excellent, her characters are strong. They're also mostly generally awful. Living in a house run by a toxic patriarch, the wife and three children are all coming to terms with how to deal. It was excruciating, and the payoff at the end is decent, but it is a real struggle to get there. Realistic, perhaps, but this book has nearly no humor, making it all very sad/depressing/tragic.