All Adults Here

Author: Emma Straub
Pages: 356
Overall: 2.5/5
Setting: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Plot and Themes: 2/5
Cheers Factor: 2/5
Pairing: Dirty Martini
Because there isn’t something that seems more adult than basically drinking vodka straight with olive juice.

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Ingredients
-2 ounces Grey Goose Vodka (any good quality works but I personally like Grey Goose the best)
-1 ounce dry vermouth
-½ ounce olive brine 
-2 olives
-ice
-toothpick
Instructions
-In a shaker combine the vodka, vermouth and olive brine together with ice
-Stir together with a stirring spoon
-Strain into chilled martini glass
-skewer olives on toothpick and use for garnish
-Enjoy

Take a Shot: Astrid is a mother to her three grown children with budding families of their own experiences, a life changing event that has her questioning everything about the way she is living her life. In a weird series of events all of her children end up back in their hometown and confront the demons of growing up and the imperfections that life brings about and parenting. 

“For my parent’s who did their best and for my children, for whom I am doing mine.”

I had VERY high hopes for this book. Like the concept is incredible. I loved the idea of reading about real life people who just are genuinely doing their best. I was a little disappointed however, by its delivery. Although I appreciated the honesty and it was fine to read once I don’t feel like I overtly remember anything about it that felt worthy of sharing. 
    Porter is by far my least favorite of the siblings merely for the whole forcing her ex to continually cheat on his pregnant wife with her. It’s not solely her fault obviously he’s a piece of garbage, but still. Her piss poor reasoning behind it being okay is not something I am a fan of. Like props to her for wanting a kid and going for it through using doctors but also I do not feel that she is ready to be a parent and would feel very bad for her future child. 
    Nick is literally so absentee it’s like a joke. His daughter feels abandoned by her parents for doing something that, when it comes down to it, was the right thing to do? I seriously don’t really understand why she was the one punished. 
    Elliot being scared of his own children was actually quite funny. It made me laugh a little and I also liked the addition that his wife is one of those parents who makes up weird dietary restrictions for their children. 
    Astrid annoyed me too because she was seriously misusing another woman’s death as a means for her to reveal all her own secrets. Which, more power to her for coming out and allowing herself to shine, but did we have to literally make someone’s death, by being run over by a bus mind you, about her?
    In the end I understood what happened to the characters as well as even respected what they went through. However, I spent enough of the book hating what the characters were doing and how they were acting that it just wasn’t for me. I’m glad I read it because I enjoyed the examples of flawed and imperfect characters that more accurately mimic those of us in real life who live and make grey decisions all the time, but it was still confusing to me. This title just wasn’t for me.

“Eldest children are treated like glass, then promptly ignored for the cuter newer model.”