Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

De: Kathleen West

Narrado por: Julia Whelan

Perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Small Admissions, a wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is Liston Heights High - the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and the students caught in the middle - and the fallout for each of them when the bubble finally bursts.

When a devoted teacher comes under pressure for her progressive curriculum and a helicopter mom goes viral on social media, two women at odds with each other find themselves in similar predicaments, having to battle back from certain social ruin.

Isobel Johnson has spent her career in Liston Heights sidestepping the community’s high-powered families. But when she receives a threatening voicemail accusing her of anti-Americanism and a liberal agenda, she’s in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Julia Abbott, obsessed with the casting of the school’s winter musical, makes an error in judgment that has far-reaching consequences for her entire family.

Brought together by the sting of public humiliation, Isobel and Julia learn firsthand how entitlement and competition can go too far, thanks to a secret Facebook page created as an outlet for parent grievances. The Liston Heights High student body will need more than a strong sense of school spirit to move past these campus dramas in an engrossing debut novel that addresses parents behaving badly and teenagers speaking up, even against their own families.

©2020 Kathleen West (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A cutting and witty examination of modern parenting that excels in suburban relatability, West's debut novel will pique the curiosity of fans of Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette." (Booklist)

"Just as good as Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies." (Kirkus, starred review)

"Helicopter parenting and high school politics at their worst--and funniest. A smart, fast-paced, and deliciously entertaining debut!" (Meg Donohue, USA Today best-selling author of You, Me, and The Sea)

So much deeper than at first expected!

On the surface, this appears to be a light, rather satirical view of a privileged community and the school located there. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the author has so much more to impart. She has created multi-faceted characters, The kind of people we have all encountered in our every day lives. Their trials and tribulations, hopes and dreams, echo those of every person existing in the world today. This is a poignant, powerful story, one I am eager for the world to embrace.

Good read.

I loved it! At first it was hard to keep up with everyone but once I got them all down I loved it! such a good little story!

Great pace, never dull

Enjoyed the fast pace and witty story line. Fun read. It's clever & very engaging

A reflection of my experience

This story reminded me that I am not alone in my experience as a high school teacher. I quit because of intrusive parents, inept administration, and a rampant culture of "teaching to the test." At many points in this novel, my jaw dropped at the similarities. Perhaps this is not the deepest exploration of the human experience, but it made me feel heard. Julia Whelan is a masterful narrator as well. My only complaint is the clunky sentences with too many details and adjectives. Someone should tell the author that she need not be so descriptive.

No, Ms Whelan can not just read a Phone book to Me

Thank heavens this was a $5 sale book. I am going to have to try this at another time, as I have restarted this a couple of times and still can not get into the rhythm of it. Thank goodness,the chapter menu had the names of the characters. If you set it on the that you can zone out a bit and check who is providing thoughtful insight. As I do not have kids and I am not accustomed to today’s thinking teenagers or so called helicopter mom’s, this book narrative is escaping me. At least the young man involved in the school play drama realizes his mother has the “attention of a hamster “. Of course I am a newly minted Ms Whelan fan so when her reads are on sale, I take a chance on the author. This story is a satire on the kids lives today when a parent goes too far out of bounds . I have found Ms Whelan has her own style which is very appealing per her fans, but now I am starting to figure out, no reading a phone book to me is not going to cut it. Check out her read of Delicious and Girl Underwater. Flat out was also a very well done book.
Were my comments of help?

When helicopter parenting meets entitlement

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, the title I don't understand even after finishing the book, is worth the read, especially if you have ever attended high school. In a nutshell, this book is a worst-case scenario when parents are too invested in their children's academic lives for the furtherment of their agendas (read: these parents are elitists and are determined their children will be the best at everything). When you add in a liberal-thinking teacher whose ideals are pressed upon her students under the guise of free-thinking, things are going to get heated. And they do.

There are several underlying themes at play here and author Kathleen West has brilliantly kept all the balls in the air as she tells the story from multiple perspectives. There is the over-the-top mother who is equal parts cringeworthy and savage, her children, her husband (the poor fella), the liberal teacher, her peers, and a few students. The cast is vast and all-encompassing.

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes will have you shaking your head and chuckling while feeling sorry for the players, rooting for the underdogs, and empathizing with all of them.

A wonderfully well-written thinker in a fun, quick read.

Narrator makes up for a very mundane plotline

The exceptionally talented Julia Whelan does a phenomenal job narrating the boring day to day drama of a typical helicopter mom, a tenured liberal teacher, and a fresh faced new teacher of an upper middle class high school. The book takes place in a predictable and stereotypical western Minneapolis suburb with a focus on the town’s private/charter high school’s drama department. Ironically, the book lacks significant drama and with only a few slight plot twists, it was difficult to continue to the following chapter. Saved by Whelan’s talent and expression, this book is a straight up snoozer with a very LITERAL title.

I did enjoy the attention to detail from the author in regards to the different social media platforms and just how ridiculous they have become and how pivotal of a role they play in modern society.

Fun!

This was such a fun listen! I devoured it within 24 hrs. As a former teacher, I recognized a lot of the characters. The author did a good job of making each character's voice unique and clear; it was even easy to empathize with the "bad" guys in the story. I would say this has a similar feel to Big Little Lies, but just lighter.

Loved!

Must read for fans of Big Little Lies. Though there is no murder here, I loved the author’s use of the different points of views.

Moms Behaving Badly

With multi layers, entertaining characters, insightful social commentary and sharp-witted dialogue this was a really SOLID satisfying read. The narration was perfect, Julia Whelan is always on point!! If you’re looking for a “smart”ish escape, this one is such FUN!!!!