Where'd You Go, Bernadette [book review]

So this is a book review. I've stayed away from book reviews from a long time because I thought I'd have to use phrases like "a novel that subverts conventions" and "affecting characters" and all sorts of phrases that actually tell you nothing about the book and why you should wanna read it. But this is my version of a book review.

The book is called Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Here's the cover.



Here's the basics: Fifteen-year-old Bee got good grades in eighth-grade. And what did her parents promise her? A trip to Antarctica. Yep, that's right. The only smallish problem is that Bee's mom (Bernadette) is agoraphobic and pretty much hates people and socializing and being in public. To her, spending time on a cruise ship is just too much to handle. So Bernadette disappears and Bee has to go halfway around the world. To some, Bernadette is crazy, but to Bee, her mom is her best friend.

Why you'll love this book: It's so funny--but intentionally. It's like it's smart funny and it makes me feel smart that I think it's funny. There's a lot of dry humor and sarcasm and that's just splendid. This book is very creatively written too. The book is made up of all of Bernadette's emails, receipts, journals and instructions to her virtual assistant in India (who turns out to be in the Russian mafia) and more that Bee "compiles" to make the book.

My favorite quote: “This is why you must love life: one day you're offering up your social security number to the Russian Mafia; two weeks later you're using the word calve as a verb.” --Bernadette

Basically: this book is funny, involves Antarctica, the Russian mafia and drama. Please, just read it. It was a great book.

Awkward book review done.

Over and out.