Book Review- Tom Perrotta's Tracy Flick Can't win

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t Win.

Perrotta returns to one of his most memorable characters, Tracy Flick, in this sequel to his best-selling novel, Election. In Tracy Flick Can’t Win, we find Flick in her forties, a divorced single-mother working as a high school vice-principal. When the long-time principal announces his upcoming retirement, Flick starts the interview process for the promotion. Her strong work-ethic, high morals, and innovative ideas still can’t manage to eclipse her inability to connect on a social level. Just like in high school, Flick sees her dreams slipping away as more popular/less qualified candidates take center stage.

Perrotta is one of my favorite authors and Election is one of my favorite books. I was thrilled that Perrotta was bringing back Tracy Flick. You do not have to read Election to enjoy Tracy Flick Can’t Win, however, I highly recommend it. This sequel was really written for fans and having the context of Flick’s struggles in her teen years, makes the sequel more poignant. Flick becomes an everyone woman in her struggles, as she faces many micro aggressions and flat-out dismissals from the men in the story. As a woman, reading this felt like a jab from a sharp needle and it make me recall times in my life where I suffered similar treatment. Flick isn’t a likable character. If I met her in real life, I’d find her to be very grating. However, she is also a person who suffers a lot of misfortune and who tries to do the right thing, only to see that she really can’t win. This makes me root for her to succeed.

Tracy Flick Can’t Win is not Perrotta’s finest work, but it is certainly a book that I wanted to read. It was the 2022 new book release that I was most excited to read. Fans are going to be thrilled and if you’re a fan, you must read it. It did not disappoint. I’d love a third Flick sequel or maybe a follow-up to another character from Election.

Book Review- Tom Perrotta's Mrs. Fletcher

Thank you to Scribner for providing me with an advance copy of Tom Perrotta's novel, Mrs. Fletcher, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- With her only child off to college, divorced mom Eve Fletcher is finding herself at a transition. She is in her mid-forties and works as a director for a senior center, but she yearns for something more. To broaden her horizons, Eve signs up for a gender studies class at the local community college and befriends the professor, who happens to be transgendered. Eve begins to reevaluate her own sexuality, including exploring pornography and flirting with both her female employee and a young man who went to high school with Eve's son. Eve isn't quite sure what she wants, but she is opening herself up to possibilities.

On the flip side, we have Eve's cocky, jock son, Brendan, who is feeling the uncertainty of college. He quickly learns that what made him popular in high school isn't working in college. Eve is embracing her change, but Brendan is fighting against the inevitable. 

LIKE- Tom Perrotta is one of my favorite contemporary authors. I've read all of his previous books and I was absolutely thrilled to be granted an advance copy of Mrs. Fletcher. It's not an exaggeration to say that this was the 2017 release that I was most anticipating.

I love Perrotta's complex characters, unexpected plots, and wicked sense of humor. He has a way of making unlikable characters very relatable. Mrs. Fletcher is told primarily in close-third person as it shifts focus between different characters, with the one exception being Brendan. Brendan's POV is told in first person.

I considered why Perrotta chose this and I think it's because Brendan is the character that under-goes the biggest transformation. Although Eve arguably experiences great changes, she is a willing participant and none of her changes are out of character. Brendan doesn't even appear to realize that he needs to change. Early in the story, Eve overhears Brendan having sex with his girlfriend and although she is not shocked by the actions, she is appalled to hear Brendan making crude and misogynistic statements. Even though Eve is upset, she does not confront her son. Brendan is used to living a life where both his male and white privileged allow him to get away with terrible behavior. Until he heads to college, he has never been held accountable, and when finally confronted, Brendan's world comes crashing down. I think Perrotta allows the reader directly into Brendan's brain to make him less of a caricature and slightly more sympathetic when he begins to realize that he is in the wrong. Let's face it, it's hard to have sympathy for an obnoxious kid skating by on his privilege, but I found Eve's lack of confronting her son to be just a big of a transgression. She allows Brendan's behavior because confrontation would have made her uncomfortable. But if you were Eve, would you have said something? It's this type of complexity that draws me to Perrotta's stories. Perrotta allows the readers to climb into the character's shoes and there are never easy solutions.

DISLIKE- Not a single thing. I'm a Perrotta fan-girl!

RECOMMEND- Yes!!! Admittedly, Mrs. Fletcher is not my favorite Perrotta novel, but it was still fabulous. If you've not read Perrotta, I'd direct your attention towards Election, if you prefer comedy, and Little Children if you want a drama. I've enjoyed all of his novels and short stories. Truly with Perrotta, you can't go wrong!