Book Review: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 16, 2020
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

Jessica is a high powered attorney who lives in Los Angeles. She and her teenage daughter Emily are embarking on a weeklong tour of East Coast colleges. Jessica hopes the tour will be a chance for her to reconnect with Emily, who has been pulling away the further along she gets in her teenage years. The book alternates between Jessica and Emily’s voices so the reader gets to hear both of their interpretations of the same events, which is usually humorous. I really like when story is written that way and you can see inside both characters heads to see what the motivation for their actions are. While the book is mostly about their relationship, the supporting cast of the other parents and children on the tour add even more humor.

I read this book at just the right time in my life. I’m the same age as Jessica and I have a sixteen year old son. Unlike Jessica, I don’t work and I have a husband and three younger children but our lives are still very similar. My son isn’t quite as snarky as Emily can be but I can empathize with the bittersweet emotions of knowing that this is time that your child is supposed to be separating from you but wanting them to stay with you and remain close to you forever. And thinking that you know what’s best for them and then finding out that sometimes you don’t. I think Abbi perfectly captures this time in a parent and teenage child’s life.

However, even if you’re not in Jessica or Emily’s shoes, I believe you will still find this book to be delightful. It’s a quick read with the right mix of humor and seriousness. It’s a great summer read, especially if you’ve been having trouble reading lately what with the world being on fire and whatnot. It’s quick and doesn’t require too much from you, although it still has substance. After loving The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and now I Was Told It Would Be Easier, Abbi Waxman is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.)