This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Lisa Spoors
Mums Like Us follows Stella Smith, married
mother of one, as she sets up a club from her kitchen for like-minded harassed
mothers who need a place to vent and eat cakes. Mums Like Us members are fed up
of the unrealistic ‘yummy mummy’ image being thrust in their faces by the media
and want to say ‘hey, it’s ok!’ to scrapping the diet, dirty dishes and
sensible shoes. Over the course of the book the club grows and gains a
following, with Chairwoman Stella being invited to appear on TV, attend meetings
with the Prime Minister and even fly off on a trip to the US to visit the First
Lady to promote her cause. Throughout the book we learn how Stella copes (or
not!) with motherhood and the problems in her marriage and family, as she
relays the week’s events to her fellow club members. We also meet arch rivals, the Mother
Superiors, lead by the hideous Hattie (who is the personification of the
aforementioned yummy mummy image). Run-ins between the two opposing groups are
a highlight of the book as there are some very funny moments!
Mums Like Us is almost entirely written in the first person, from the point of view of Stella. Each chapter takes the form of a club meeting or event, and there is very little dialogue between characters. This means that we only really hear Stella’s voice, Stella’s point of view, Stella’s problems, and after a few chapters, this made me not like Stella very much at all! I found myself questioning why her fellow club members bothered turning up, since they never seemed to get the opportunity to vent. I wondered whether it was the author’s intention to make the main character come across in this way, since near the end of the book there’s a clever little twist that I won’t ruin for anyone planning to read it!
There are also several chapters in the form of emails written by Stella’s husband Matt. I must admit I found it hard to believe that a man would email his fellow football league players with details of his marital problems, however Matt was certainly likeable, in fact I much preferred him to his wife.
Not being a parent myself, I was unsure as to whether I would enjoy this book. Now, having read it, there are definitely parts that I can relate to; I’ve been around enough of my friends’ children to know that simple things need be organised with military precision! Although I wasn’t keen on the narrative, I did giggle in parts at the matter-of-fact manner in which Stella regales her club-mates of the week’s happenings, and I loved some of the mum-isms Stella came up with (Lardies, for one!).
Overall, I probably wouldn’t read this book again. I would, however, recommend it to my mummy friends who I think would have a chuckle reading it.
6/10
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