Castoro paints a clever portrait of a dedicated mom, desperate to provide a good life for her daughter, who can’t seem to catch a break. “Good things never last for me,” Eddie worries, though she still takes the risk to nestle into a new home and try to blend in with her fellow suburban soccer moms, all in the name of love. She quickly runs afoul of Shelia’s temper during a play date between their two kids; that sets the stage for a dizzying slew of epic showdowns, betrayals, and Shelia’s unlimited capacity to dig up (or make up) dirt on anyone standing in her way. The antics continue, until Eddie—so emotionally reactive to Shelia that she doesn’t recognize herself any longer—puts her foot down.
Though Eddie’s undoubtedly in over her head, she quickly calls on her friends, both old and new, to turn the tables on the town’s biggest bully, pulling the school board into the fray and exposing Shelia’s destructive behaviors. Castoro’s structure —framed as a series of descriptive monologues that Eddie records as part of a research study—is unusual, but so is this memorable protagonist. Offbeat, ill-fated, but with a heart of gold for her loved ones, Eddie—and her story—will stick with readers long after the last page.
Takeaway: Quirky mom meets messy suburbia in this entertaining tale.
Comparable Titles: Jenny Jackson’s Pineapple Street, Laurie Gelman’s Class Mom.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
