People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges

I really enjoyed Jen Mann’s hilarious tales of life as a young mom in Kansas City with her blunt-bordering-on-rude, cheapskate husband Ebenezer and her sensitive son Gomer and precocious daughter Adolpha (names have been changed to protect the guilty). Because we know the same competitive moms. You know whom I’m talking about. The perfectly coiffed and dressed mom whose child never has a meltdown and who doesn’t understand why you don’t have time for Pilates or enough money for Le Ploutocrate, her favorite three-Michelin star restaurant. Sometimes she’s a stay-at-home; sometimes she has one of those jobs where you can actually go out to lunch. She will always be blonde. She is better than you; you know it, and she knows it. show more Her kitchen is clean, she made her kids’ Halloween costumes, and instead of the simple frosted cupcakes you made (or, as likely, bought at Kroger), hers are shaped like Minions or My Little Ponies. Unless her children never touch gluten or refined sugar. Then she somehow made admittedly delicious cupcakes out of carrots, kale, dates, and agave syrup. Yes, I’m bitter.

I don’t know if it’s being a real-estate agent or a blogger or just a freer spirit than I, but Jen Mann says all of the things that we sweatpants-clad, scruffy moms are thinking. Only more articulately. And funnier — much, much funnier. You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges, as it’s hilarious, but parents will laugh especially loudly.

Note: Jen and I have to part company on parents who do their children’s homework. Her son is only in second grade, and somehow has not yet been assigned Homework to See How Smart Your Parents Are. I’m frankly amazed that hasn’t happened yet to young Gomer.

My daughter was 7 and in the second grade when we got our first assignment to create a three-dimensional model of the State ‘o Maine. (We live in Kentucky — but, hey, why not be cosmopolitan?) We were supposed to make up a batter for this play-dough-like substance — I’m not making this up — and then shape it and bake it in a slow oven. Really, second-graders and ovens: What could possibly go wrong? Then we were to paint the state, its surrounding states (and Canada, in our case), include the capital (I was still OK with it thus far), all the major cities, the mountains, all of the rivers and lakes, and the major tourist attractions. Did I mention my daughter was 7? Or that she is a high-functioning autistic? Or that, at the time, her language development was such that she sounded like Bob the Minion?

At 1 a.m. the day it was due, we were still working on this project. I had already had to slice the Allegheny Mountains and relocated them where they actually belong. My daughter and I were both crying. I finally sent her to bed, and finished it myself. I even added a tiny moose with a flag of Maine clutched in its jaws. You won’t be surprised when I tell you that mine wasn’t the fanciest state there. Missouri was just awesome. show less

I want to be Jen's friend, even though I don't like having friends because it's hard work keeping friends. This book was hilarious, and I don't even have kids or pets or plants. I get her, but I really hope some of these mom stories are made up. If they aren't, I pray for humanity. I want to punch them all in the face!
Review: Listened to it on audio, laughed out loud in my car, people stared at red lights.

A cross between Irma Bombeck and Lisa Lampanelli, humorist Jen Mann waxes vulgar on life as a suburban mom somewhere in Kansas. Mann tries to live up to the expectations of normalcy as defined by those she regularly encounters, but is a counter-culture child who just can't quite fit in. From meeting her husband via an internet hookup to child play groups to aristocratic room mothers, Mann encounters many people who seem to demand some sort of entitlement but instead get her scorn and derision -- even if only in a passive-aggressive manner.

Her style of humor is often vulgar, and rather than refer to her husband, son and daughter by their actual names, they are Ebenezer, Gomer and Adolpha respectively, adding to the irreverent humor. show more Mann writes a blog where she apparently discusses such things on a regular basis...as a new parent myself, I might check it out once I start having similar encounters. Or maybe start a similar blog myself if catharsis is needed. show less

I don't think there was a single mention of punching someone in the throat, which is one of the weirdest things I've ever been disappointed by.

Recommended: for a selective crew
For those who already know they like her style of writing, for dry snarky moms or people who expect to be a dry snarky mom

Thoughts:
So. This. I had read a short collection of a few of her stories in [b:People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Volume 1|25358964|People I Want to Punch in the Throat Volume 1|Jen Mann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438121658l/25358964._SX50_.jpg|56762885] and those three stories gave me enough chuckles that I thought I'd spring for her main, full book here.

Unfortunately for me... these two writings show more are quite different. The brightly colored series above, which is multiple volumes with a few stories in each, is more about general life observations and recollections. This one here, that you're reading a review for, was more like her current life and life story, focusing on moving to Kansas and having babies. While she tells her stories with a snarky dry wit, the focus of them was largely about being a mom. As a young lady with zero maternal instinct, limited experience with kids, and no intent to ever have children, this read for me like a well-told story about something that could not possibly hold my interest.

For the right person, this would be great (example: my friend Emily, who I recommended this to, LOVED it even though she is also a young lady with no intent to have children). So it definitely isn't a minus for everyone, but for me was one that dampened the whole experience. I was promised threats of throat punching, and instead I got PTA meetings and grocery shopping.

In short, I might recommend reading some of her other writing to see if you like her style (on her blog or in the collection like I mentioned above), and then if you do, commit to this one since it's a longer read. show less

This book cracked me up and after reading a few serious books in a row it was just what I needed, I laughed out loud many, many times while reading this book and saw people and situations that I recognized as my own. And how could you pass up this title!

One of the chapters that cracked me up was ‘Just some of the reasons the neighbors always hate us’ this one made me laugh because at my house we are a bit anti-social and seem to have major differences politically plus have a hard time not commenting on things like “You paid thirteen grand for a dog to have surgery?” this chapter hit close to home!

As a mother and grandmother I also have to wonder about these theme birthday parties and spending hundreds of dollars to throw your show more kid a party, whatever happened to birthday parties at home with a cake and pin the tail on the donkey now it can’t be at home and it has to have a theme why?? When did this start?? This chapter hit home too.

Oh who the hell am I kidding this book is full of snarky goodness and sounded like all the things I say inside my head but don’t always have the courage to say out loud!

If you are a fan of Laurie Notaro and/or Celia Rivenbark then this is a must read!

4 Stars

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review. show less

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley!
Thank you Net Galley. It was a pure pleasure to read this!

Hysterical! I couldn't stop reading! I only wish this book could have been longer so I could keep reading it-I didn't want the laughter to end.

I loved the humour and the everday mishaps that happen in life. It was refreshing to read about it happening to someone else for a change. I could relate to many of things that happened in this book. I would definitely read a second book by this author, if there ever is one. It made me want to write a story of my own crazy life...maybe I will!

First I want to thank the author, Jen Mann, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the longest déjà vu moment of my life.

OMG; I just gobbled up the book! This knee slapping, laugh out-loud funny book looks at the Stepford family life-style through the lens of a devil may-care free spirit mother.

I am a transplanted Yankee living on a dirt road deep in the heart of Dixie. About out of place as a pair of ballet slippers at a barn dance. My neighbors don't know what to do with me so they just assume I am crazy, smile, wave and leave me alone.

Before I moved to my "wilderness", I lived in the carefully crafted sub-division theoretically controlled by the home-own association despots. I worked many long years assisting show more the Moms and darlings depicted in these stories.

Thank you, Jen, for letting me see your life through your wonderful wit and humor...F-bombs and all. Sometimes only a good F-bomb will do under the circumstances.

Warning! If you can't laugh at yourself and life around you when it gets too crazy, then this book isn't for you. If you see Helicopter Moms and Two Year Divas as the polar opposite refection of your family, dig in and enjoy. show less