Synopsis

A smart, personal, darkly funny examination of what it’s like to be at the crossroads of a midlife crisis, from the New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat.

Jen Mann had what appeared to be the perfect life: a successful career as a bestselling author and award-winning blogger, a devoted husband, teenage kids who weren’t total jerks, and a badass minivan. So imagine her surprise when, at forty-seven years old, a midlife crisis kicked her straight in the ladybits.

In an attempt to deal with the resulting range of emotions and physical changes in midlife, Jen posted a completely honest now-viral post, “Anyone Else Falling Apart Or Is It Just Me?” The response was instantaneous and overwhelming. Women from all over the country flooded the comments section, glad to see they weren’t the only ones experiencing this feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction. It was the beginning of a movement. Midlife Bites encompasses these important conversations and observations and creates a space for women to navigate through this major point in their lives together, offering valuable insights and takeaways.

Jen shares her own story as well as advice and wisdom from the online community she built. Please note, this is not your mother’s midlife crisis. Different from the typical self-help author, Jen tackles everything that bites about midlife, and nothing is off-limits with her no-nonsense approach. Subjects include: raging hormones; sex (after forty); finding your purpose; learning to make new friends (yes, even as a grown-up); moving out of your comfort zone; having conversations that count, no more small talk; and how to deal with rogue chin hairs (and other nuisances).

Midlife Bites is Jen Mann’s call to action. She is leading the movement to create a new space where middle-aged women can share openly and honestly with one another. This no-BS collection of essays will help start the conversation and keep it going, because as women, we all have a right to be happy, fulfilled, and whole, no matter what stage of life.

Review

Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me? by Jen Mann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hilarious and relatable. I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program. I’d recommend it to anyone who feels they may think they can relate to the cover for self-assessment, anyone looking for a good laugh, as well as a book club pick as it would be a fun one to read alongside with others.

The Story
I was not familiar with the history of the blog or previous writings but the title is what grabbed me and was not disappointed.

It’s not an exhaustive or clinical perspective self-help type book, which was the strong appeal for me in reading this book and staying engaged with it because offers a bit of more relatable appeal with sass and humor that makes for a play on characterization, exaggeration, but with preciseness to make the point all the much more accurate.

Love the Jen’s Gems, great for a kitchen table discussion amongst friends or a book club.

Shares enough redemptive qualities that are relatable as well as failures that are equally relatable. Ups and downs of life depicted in a nonjudgmental but comparable asking of yourself of the same, if that makes sense?

I think of course every woman goes through these sorts of changes and what makes this book unique is that it speaks to this generation of now with references of how it relates to the mental, emotional, social, physical changes along the way in this day and age.

Some language was a bit crass for my taste, swearing like a sailor, a drunken one at that but I appreciated the humor that came across.

The Writing
It’s very straightforward, casual, yet self-reflective enough without being aloof or dismissive in the details. A great story teller in that way.

I would look forward to a future book, an approach of the elderly, because here we come!

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