Thursday, November 17, 2016

Welcome to the Club by Raquel D'Apice

Review based on ARC (Advanced Readers Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review)

This appears to be a blog-turned-into-a-book (and if that's not true, then it certainly reads like one!). I am currently pregnant and read the book as a sort of "welcome" that the title announced. In reality, I think the book would probably be a bit more preferred by people who are already parents, especially those in their first few years of parenting.

What D'Apice essentially does is lay out, in a humorous and often sarcastic way, many "firsts" that new parents experience, such as First Time Baby Accidentally Head-Butts You in the Lip or First Time Your Child Refuses to Eat Something or First Car Ride Alone with the Baby When He's Screaming His Head Off. D'Apice does not generally offer advice, so much as camaraderie. She lets new parents know that all the crazy new stuff they're experiencing is normal, not that crazy, and experienced by others. She thus addresses many new parents' fears and frustrations in a funny, light-hearted way.

I think, for me, although I found it generally humorous and fine, I wasn't really blown away. Although I am a soon-to-be parent, I don't think I'm typical in that I am not really concerned about all these things that could and likely will go wrong... this is likely due to the fact that I'm on the older end of "new parents" and the fact that most of my good friends have children, so I've already "seen it all" (not all, of course, but a lot :)). So, it was enjoyable, a quick read, fine. And I think that a lot of new parents will really appreciate it, but it wasn't my favorite, my most amusing, my most helpful book.

Overall, still, Three and a Half of five stars. Solid and certainly recommended for the new parents who feels overwhelmed and alone.

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