Grown Ups

May 18, 2020
British writer Unsworth (Animals) delivers a blistering tragicomic send-up of a life documented on Instagram. For 30-something Jenny McLaine, social media doesn’t come as naturally as it does to her younger colleagues at feminist website The Foof. Perhaps that’s why she spends way too long at her East London coworking space agonizing over just the right filter, hashtag, and caption for a croissant post (“I’ve tweaked it so many times that I can’t work out whether it makes sense anymore”). Real life starts to intrude on Jenny’s online persona, however, when her romantic life, friendships, and financial footing all fall apart in quick succession—and that’s before Jenny’s clairvoyant, busybody mother shows up and moves in. The broad satire with which Unsworth opens her novel quickly gains both substance and shadow, as Jenny’s present-day predicaments alternate with scenes from the heady beginning and truly painful breakdown of a longtime romantic relationship. Emails, internet searches, online posts, and even a screenplay comprise the varied and playful forms through which Jenny’s surprisingly poignant drama unfolds. Though directed squarely at millennials, Jenny’s stumbling journey toward authenticity will resonate with anyone who’s taken the bold, hard step of assessing their life without any filters. Agent: Anna Stein, ICM Partners.

Chloe Massey's nuanced narration is perfect for a story about older millennials whose lives are dominated by social media, feminist principles, and relationships. Jenny's life is falling apart. She's lost her newspaper column, her friends, and her roommates. What's worse, her ex-boyfriend is now with a woman she's been obsessed with on Instagram, and Jenny's mother is moving in to help out. Massey emphatically groans out "ergs" and "args," making relatable moments even more so. A frantic pace puts the listener in Jenny's shoes, adding to the intentionally exhausting vibe of the story. The relief Jenny feels when things go right is palpable. Vicious draft messages never sent and read in aggressive tones enhance this comedic and touching book about emotional growing pains. A.L.C. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine