Full disclosure: I am a Courtney Maum fan. I follow her Substack and the advice she imparts in it. I enjoyed her memoir and craft book, which inspired my own journey into pursuing publishing. That said, I hadn't read any of this author's fiction. Huge mistake on my part. The same insightful (yet not preachy) wit, turn of phrase, and most of all uncanny ability to identify trends and tap the zeitgeist Maum generously shares in her other outlets is doled out by the excavator-bucketful in ALAN OPTS OUT. This book manages to dance with so many topical partners--over consumerism, capitalistic greed, disconnectedness, even a dash of magical realism--it reads as fresh and of the moment. With relatable characters—most quirky and endearing; some you'll love to hate--and ubiquitous themes like belonging, knowing one's true talents, and valuing the important things in life, ALAN OPTS OUT will resonate with all variety of readers: from over-the-top posh gated community members, to nomadic vanlifers, barebones commune dwellers, and everyone in between. You know it's a worthwhile read when you recognize in the final chapter how much you'll miss the characters, and start hoping for a sequel.


I received a free ARC from Netgalley and Little Brown. My review is voluntary. Publishing date: June 3, 2026

I love getting lost in a Courtney Maum novel because her writing effortlessly blends sharp humor with thoughtful insight, creating stories that entertain while quietly encouraging reflection. Alan Opts Out does this beautifully!

Through a witty and honest lens, Maum explores modern consumerism, suburban social climbing, and the many pressures that come with raising children. Her observations are smart and often laugh-out-loud funny, yet there’s an underlying sincerity that gives the story real weight. If you’ve read her before, you know exactly what I mean. I especially appreciated how the novel never feels preachy, instead allowing its themes to unfold naturally through the characters and their choices.

This is one of the most relatable novels I’ve read in a long time, and it left me thinking about my own life well after I turned the final page. Alan Opts Out is an easy five-star read and a book that I highly recommend!

Gosh I loved this, it reminds me a lot of Tom Perrotta's work but with Maum's distinct humor, dry wit, and a real ability to pull out some shocking plot twists when you've let the somewhat bonkers premise lower your guard. Even though the title focuses on Alan, Vivian is such a star of this book that she's the one who truly sticks in my mind. I genuinely laughed aloud at some parts of this and uh may have decided against a few purchases from a certain online retailer thanks to this.

In this this delightful, joyous, adventuresome romp, Courtney Maum explores what "keeping up with the Jones's" does to the Anderson family.

Alan Anderson is partners in a top NY ad agency with a dynamic ambitious wife, two darling teenaged daughters, and a gorgeous home in the gated seaside community of Belleport. Despite his many awards, Alan's going after the biggest ad campaign yet: - DAIRY. Not one to worry, Alan's enlisted a real -life dairy farmer to do his pitch certain it will land. His wife, Vivian, already has plans for how to spend the extra money - a pool in their backyard. Vivian is a true rags-to-riches story determined to become a member of The Queen Annes, the ultra exclusive women's social club in their community. Memberships are rare and a pool would definitely increase her chances of winning over the Annes. Alan and Vivian's daughters, Bailey, a buddying playwright, and Sunny, an animal-lover, are brought unwillingly along on the road of their parents desires and ambitions.

But all does not go according to plan. When Alan loses his bid for milk, the words of a cowboy slowly unwind his insides, sending him to live in his daughters' extravagant backyard playhouse exploring, "What does a person really need to live and be happy?"

As Alan sheds his capitalist skin and his shoes, Vivian digs in determined to keep up appearances and the pool while passing Anne tests like sauce-making, Bailey hawks her mother's discarded wares on eBay to put on a play, and little S deepens her connection to the wild things. When the facade finally explodes three ways to Sunday, the outcome is more than the Andersons, or this reader, could have dreamed for the family.

A lobster is saved, the rich are building an underground haven, children can talk to animals, neighbors watch and are influenced, and no matter what advertisers write, nobody really needs body deodorant, in this charming cautionary tale which reminds us...the most important thing we all really need is love.

I was given an advanced copy of the novel for review.

"Alan Opts Out" by Courtney Maum is a fantastic read on multiple levels. Let's first look at the world Maum builds. I love the depth and nuance in Alan's advertising career, the details of his character built around a love of advertising and a committment to making people buy things. As an ad woman myself, the bells here all ring true. Maum's wry wit and insights add to the pleasure of reading about a world I inhabit with skepticism.

Then the wholeness of each character. Even the children, seemingly bit players but with big emotional roles, are drawn with stunning clarity. The children's dialogue is rich and full and interesting. Alan's business partner, who appears only a few times, is similarly a complete person with a backstory I can easily imagine. Tiny details bring life to each character and make me feel as if they are real people. So vivid.

Maum's sentences are muscular. Every word brings heft. Every idea is there for a reason, and leads the story forward. The opening pages felt over-burdened by intention, as if workshopped a bit too hard. But once past that minor speed bump, the story flowed beautifully and I could hardly put it down.

Wow, what a really unique voice in suburban fiction. Alan and Vivian are living the dream, the ad agency that he founded manages keep them in the most luxurious suburb of New York, modeled on Greenwich, Connecticut. Vivian has a chance to join the Queen Anne Society, which is an elitist ladies group for entertaining.

Then Alan loses the bid for the latest milk campaign. He has sort of a lightning bolt moment, and decides that his entire industry, the idea of capitalism in general, and over consumption, to be lacking. He stops showering, starts eating off the land, and sleeping in their backyard.

“Mom come home. Dad is having a menty b.”

This book is well written and wildly entertaining, even if at times it is heavy-handed in the messaging. I truly enjoyed the family characters and found myself relating heavily to Alan’s dilemma. Not long ago, I went with my high school aged son to visit the top university for creative writing in the country. When we were in the breakout session with other students and parents interested in the writing major, one of the parents asked about job rates post graduation. And most of us parents were also thinking the same, am I going to spend all this money for my child to become educated, and then they can’t get a job? The head of the department said something that stayed with me. She said, without really answering the question, “well, 60% of all jobs in the United States are marketing.“

I think it was her way of saying that, although our children may spend for a year studying writing at the best college in America, they would probably end up selling. Alan’s advertising firm and really his whole existence is driven by the prospect of getting people to over consume. This book could almost be a companion piece to Pixar’s Wall-E. It’s helping the reader think about that same lesson.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the ARC- Book to be published June 3, 2026.

Thoroughly surprised and delighted with how much I enjoyed this one. It was clever and a bit on the nose, and struck a balance between lampooning the overconsumption and silly hierarchy and the opt-out, and how ridiculous the rules that we play for social acceptance are. A little unsubtle, but I liked the breezyness of the writing.

Alan Opts Out had me laughing, commiserating, reflecting, and examining my own relationship to the objects and people in my life. It’s a hilarious investigation into human motivations, what we value, and how our environments influence what we prioritize in our lives. Maum is a skilled and thoughtful writer and I knew going in that I was going to love this book, but I couldn’t have anticipated how much I’d love it. It’s the balm we all need in 2026 and I can’t wait to see it on every bookstores shelf and in every friend’s home. If you do one thing in 2026, read Alan Opts Out.

This is such an entertaining and relatable story. Alan is like my spirit animal since he wants to go away from capitalism and live off the land in the suburbs where he lives. There are so many funny and entertaining aspects to his plight. His wife of course is going down a different path all while Alan and his wife raise their daughters who are very likeable characters. The plot basically is an entertaining ride as the family navigates life and so much of it is relatable to our current times. This was a nice little hopeful glimpse of someone else’s life escapades. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review will be posted on Instagram and Amazon on pub day and links added to NetGalley.

Maum is one of the most interesting, precocious and hip novelists writing today. She’s got style, she’s hilarious, she is full of wisdom, and she can write a damn good story. ALAN OPTS OUT is a thoughtful read (while also being a page turner), perfect for our present moment. Maum strikes again! I hope I see this book everywhere in 2026.

I enjoyed this humorous yet poignant take on modern problems with consumerism and phone habits/addictions. The one thing that seemed a little bit hard to believe, however, was what caused Alan to opt out. I'd think it would take a bit more than some random person's diatribe to set someone off this much?