I Was Told It Would Get Easier

By: Abbi Waxman

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan, Bailey Carr

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

“Abbi Waxman is both irreverent and thoughtful.” (Number one New York Times best-selling author Emily Giffin)

Squashed among a bus full of strangers, mother-daughter duo Jessica and Emily Burnstein watch their carefully mapped-out college tour devolve into a series of off-roading misadventures, from the USA Today best-selling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it's a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she's sure she even wants to go to college, but let's ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school....They have to, right?

For Jessica, it's a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn't even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn't sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers - and two familiar enemies - Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

©2020 Abbi Waxman (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Waxman shines at creating characters that feel like best friends, inspiring compassion, laughs, and cheers, and fans of Katherine Center and Linda Holmes’ Evvie Drake Starts Over (2019) will adore this. (Booklist, on I Was Told It Would Get Easier)

“Funny and insightful.” (BookRiot)

“Waxman expertly navigates the fraught shoals of college admissions in this spot-on tale...Waxman’s alternating first-person narration from Jessica and Emily rings true, while a memorable supporting cast…provide excellent support…This sweet treat doesn’t require a college-bound child to enjoy, though anyone who has helped their offspring weather the admissions process will definitely appreciate this sharp send-up.” (Publisher's Weekly, on I Was Told It Would Get Easier)

Helpful anc entertaining

This book actually helped me understand my teen better - in an entertaining way. Good read.

A must read for any parent with a daughter looking at colleges

This story was entertaining and reassuring that all parents go through similar mood swings, doubt and teenage battles especially during the college exploration process.

Basic

This feels basic, and reminds me why I lean towards non fiction most of the time. It was a nice story, but predictable.

Mother / Daughter Relationships!

An uplifting story of the nuances of a mother-daughter relationship and the many complexities that exist in such a bond. Jessica Burnstein is a career driven attorney, a single-mother raising her troubled sixteen-year-old daughter Emily when difficulties at work make it a perfect time for the two to take a college tour in the northeast.

For those who may remember, the relationship between a mother and teen daughter is usually a love /hate relationship, often fraught with drama, histrionics, and screaming matches. Emily is not the best student and feels her mother’s example is a lot to live up to. Jessica has lived such a regimented life for so long she has forgotten what it is like to be young and carefree. The trip proves to be the catalyst that opens the lines of communication between the two. They travel with a group of other parents and students and along the way there are more fights, humor and revelations bringing the two closer together.

This was enjoyable book about coming of age for both the daughter and the mother and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Delightful!

The cross-communication between Mother and Daughter in this book is so rich it's ridiculous! I have waffled back and forth between wanting to share this with my now adult daughter and being mortified that she might say. "yep! covers it!" That said - what a great book for the interpersonal plot. The premise of the "scandal" fell short and was a little weak when all was said and done. There was room to fully develop both.

yes, please!

another cute book from this author! mother daughter stuff, yes, but so much more! I'm so glad I got this...

I wasn't told it would be this helpful! But it was

I loved the 2 points of view - the mother and her work/life problems, and the teenage daughter who is mostly oblivious to these and only sees herself, but not even considering that her mother can help her deal with her own problems.
It also met me at a point where I really needed this book, so I got more than I expected :)
I didn't LOVE the narrators - especially the "teenager" - but hey, I don't LOVE listening to MY teenagers whine all day either, so.
I recommend it like all of Abbi Waxman's books.

I just loved this story!

Anyone that is raising or have raised teenagers will love this audiobook (or book.) Some of the instances between the parents and their children exactly mirrored the instances between my son and I, although in a more humorous setting.

Fun, easy listen

I liked the 2 viewpoints of the mom and daughter both describing their college tour and hearing each perspective, often on the same event. This was a fun listen!

Terrible tale of a terrible mom

I tried to like this book but I just couldn’t. From the beginning, it was a story about a confused high school junior and her single working mom. I don’t know anything about the author, but I hope she doesn’t have kids because the mom is this story is a train wreck. If it was a story about surviving a terrible mom, it might have worked. If it was a story about NOT surviving a terrible mom that might have worked. But it was a story about a terrible mom who was supposed to be really smart but never with her daughter and in the end everything is wonderful! All is forgiven and happily ever after. All the disrespect and lack of trust that causes huge problems gone. It should have had a magical fairy with a wand. It’s a formula boiler book. Definitely not worth your time or money.