Book Review- Noelle Crooks' Under the Influence

Thank you to Gallery Books for a copy of Noelle Crook’s debut novel, Under the Influence.

Harper is a recent graduate who is struggling to make ends meet in New York City. She is approached with an almost too-good-to-be-true job offer working for social media superstar, Charlotte Green. The job involves moving to Nashville, a huge change that will take Harper away from her best-friend, Poppy, with whom she has been sharing an apartment. However, in Nashville, Harper will be housed in a company apartment and for the first time, she can see herself able to save money and plan for the future. Poppy is supportive.

Harper is not given much time to decide if she’d like to take the job, as things move fast in Charlotte’s world. Upon accepting the offer, Harper is thrust into the intensity of Charlotte’s company and office space, which is called the Greenhouse. Employees are expected to give everything to help Charlotte succeed and to constantly stroke her fragile ego. She pits coworkers against each other and constantly has them fighting for her favor.

Although Harper recognizes the toxicity of the work culture, she can’t help but be charmed by Charlotte and is soon, drinking the proverbial company kool-aid. What will it take for Harper to realize that both her career and mental health are on a collision course?

I really enjoyed Under the Influence. I think it speaks to much of the current work culture, where employees are expected to give so much with gaining little in return. Such as the way perks are used in place of more important things, such as salary. Company Swag is not salary! Mandatory company retreats or parties are not salary!

The story plays with the perception of power and what power influencers really yield. Charlotte has built a company on branding herself and as it has grown quite large, she is now in a cycle of needing to keep up appearances. Everything in her life is curated and even her young children play along with their mom’s demands. Her husband is tired of the charade and also tired of his wife being in the spotlight, which is doing irreparable damage to their relationship. However, Charlotte cannot stop to try to fix her marriage as she is constantly on a treadmill to keep her company and herself relevant. She has to work overtime to keep her employees convinced of her relevance. If there is a problem within her organization, she always spins it to make herself look good. She cannot have genuine relationships with people or honest conversations. She cannot see how this behavior is harming her image.

Through Harper, we can see how easy it is to be swept away by a popular influencer. I think many readers will find this relatable, as many of us, whether or not we want to admit it, are interested in what celebrities think or the products they pitch. There is a reason why influencers are so popular. Harper has a journey that’s relatable. even if many of us have not been in her exact position.

Harper is a plucky, likable protagonist. You will root for her to make the right choices. The pacing is quick and Crooks’ infuses her story with both humor and heart. In particular, I liked Harper’s relationship with her aging parents who are also at a crossroads in their life.

Under the Influence is a fantastic debut and I can’t to read Crooks’ next book.

Book Review- Beth Nguyen's Owner of a Lonely Heart

Thank you to NetGalley and Scriber for a copy of Beth Nguyen’s memoir, Owner of a Lonely Heart.

At less than a year old, Beth Nguyen left Vietnam with her father’s family to begin a new life in Michigan. In the tumult of fleeing at the end of the Vietnam War, Nguyen’s mother was left behind. Nguyen was raised in a new country with a completely different culture, not meeting her mom until she turned nineteen. Her mother also immigrated to America, but was living in a different state with a new family.

When Nguyen and her sister finally met their mother, the reunion was not as they had anticipated. Their mother was distant and seemed flighty, often abruptly cutting their meetings short or canceling all together.

Nguyen estimates that in her adult life, she has spent less than twenty-four hours with her mom, time spent during those shortened visits. Now, a mother herself, Nguyen reflects on this fraught relationship with her mother and the pain that her mother must have felt at being separated from her daughters.

Owner of a Lonely Heart is a force of a memoir. It’s an emotional, difficult read, but also so very beautiful. The beauty comes from the ultimate kindness and understanding that Nguyen affords her mom. Initially, Nguyen is hurt and struggles to understand why her mom keeps her distance. I don’t think the hurt disappears, however, when Nguyen has her son, she can understand that it’s not because her mom doesn’t love her, it is because the hurt is too great. Her mom is protecting herself from further pain and they might be able to have a deeper relationship, but it will take time.

Nguyen also acknowledges the relationship with her stepmother, who has been part of her life from a young age. This is the woman who mothered her and there is so much love in their family. However, Nguyen has curiosity about her birth mother and their life in Vietnam.

Owner of a Lonely Heart is about exploring unanswered parts of your family and past. I connected with this theme. My father died when I was four and due to the sensitive circumstances, it was not discussed. I’ve always felt there were things unanswered that I want to know. I can fit the things I know about my dad on two hands, so I can understand Nguyen’s jumping at the opportunity to meet with her mom and try to understand her, even though her mom is reluctant.

A truly gut wrenching memoir, Owner of a Lonely Heart is a must-read. One of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in 2023.

Book Review- Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale, 1 My Father Bleeds History

Last winter, on an exceptionally slow day at the bookstore where I work, I decided to read Art Spiegelman’s graphic memoir, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale; 1 My Father Bleeds History.

This graphic novel is based on Spiegelman’s father’s recollections of being Jewish in Poland during WW2, including life in concentration camps. I read the first volume in the series, which flips between Spiegelman speaking with his elderly father and his flashbacks to his father’s memories.

I’m surprised that I had not read this sooner, as it was originally published in the 80’s. I’m not sure when it started becoming part of school curriculum, but I graduated high school in 95 and I did not encounter it in lower education or at the university level. I was really curious about it, because of the recent surge of book bans, with Maus being a target.

Ostensibly, it is banned for adult content, including language and nudity, however, after a read, it seems like a weak argument. The “adult content” is not excessive, even by standards of today’s movies or television. It’s also not gratuitous. It’s fitting to the themes of the book and the storytelling. It is a shame that some that parents and school boards would throw out this important work in an effort to shelter teenagers. Exposure to books and stories helps people develop empathy and gain perspectives. Maus is an excellent educational tool and it seems whatever might be objectionable to some is far outshined by the positive gains from reading it.

I’ve been trying to expand my horizons and read more graphic books. Maus is particularly engaging in this format. I thought the story framing of having Spiegelman’s interactions with his father and flashbacks worked particularly well. There is some humor and comfort that Spiegelman reveals in his interactions with his father which serve to balance the heaviness of the overall story. It also helps with the pacing.

Maus is important and memorable. I highly recommend it to everyone, and if you're a teenager facing school book bans, find a bookseller or librarian that will help you get the books that you should be allowed to read!