Customer Reviews

Carpool Diem

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Funny premise. Annie Flemming, a high powered woman, has always felt that her life was darn near perfect. Her husband and daughter have no problem with her choosing her career and travel over them, the baby-sitter takes up the slack and other things are adjusted for. Annie leaves notes and detail daily plans - what could go wrong. That is until it all comes crashing down.

Well, the unthinkable happens and Annie is forced out of her high powered career. When she returns home and sees her life and family for what they are her life starts to spin out of control. Her husband isn't nearly as tough as she thought and her daughter Charlotte doesn't seem to have the same type of drive that mom does. Well, that will soon change if Annie has anything to say about it.

So, what does take-no-prisoners Annie do, she applies her know how and becomes a soccer mom. If she can organize and motivate a boardroom how hard could this be. Little did she know that the cut throat atmosphere of the elite level of travel team soccer could do her and her daughter in.

Very funny moments, but I did take it a little personally when a comment was made about "if you think soccer is bad, have you ever tried to talk to a hockey mom". If it wasn't so true, it would have been funny.

Great book if you do or have ever had kids in highly competitive sports. More than one character will have you spinning down the hall of memories and certain parents and coaches that made you want to scream.

I have always enjoyed Nancy Star's work, but this novel blew me away. My children are grown, they didn't play in a travel league, I didn't think I would really care about soccer mom issues - and I was blown away anyway. This book has a much wider scope than I expected. The "do-ers" out there will easily relate to Annie, and if they are like me, they will be envious of her transformation. The scene with the coach standing on a mound in a thunderstorm evoked King Lear! Bravo!

You don't have to be a soccer mom to enjoy Nancy Star's hilarious satire on the youth soccer scene. The writing is extremely sharp, and her ear for on- and off-field dialogue is pitch perfect. The cover of this book makes it seem like "chick lit," but this should be required reading for every suburban dad who coaches any youth sport, or just watches from the sidelines.

I finished this book in a few hours sitting at the pool. It is perfect summer reading. It's funny and it's a great way to lighten up after the intensity of club soccer tryouts. I think the team parents could have used more character development but they were interesting in that you may find people you know in some of the characters in the book.

The coach is characterized perfectly as the horror every parent wants to avoid but will find ways to justify teaching their child. His character and newsletters provide the most fun and fascination of the entire book. At times I found myself wishing the book was more about him than about Annie.

All in all the book is quite enjoyable except for the last couple of chapters which just seem to give up and fall into place without warning. If only life, especially club soccer, were that easy.

I loved this story of Annie Flemming, who finds herself washed up in the suburbs and a stranger in her own life. Star is a fabulous writer who brings biting wit, deep insight, and masterful storytelling to the task I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out just how far these soccer-crazed people would go. First-rate satire and a great pleasure to read. Highly recommended for those who have known the competitive suburban scene, or really anyone who wakes up one day and says "how did i get here?"

Nancy Star gives us another of her witty takes on the world. This time it's suburbia and kids' sports, as Annie Fleming brings her change management skills home and tries to apply her corporate standards to her child and her soccer "career." This is a complex project that ends up requiring adaptation from everyone involved in unforeseen ways. Star is as compassionate as she is clever. The newsletters from the coach are unbelievably funny. Great writer, great book.

This book didn't promise anything deep and recently I really needed something NOT deep. I will admit that the title pulled me, it is such a cute clever little title. I find myself sometimes not only judging books by their cover/title, but also pitting them against books that aren't even in the same genre. This one was really cute for what it was. I felt there were some holes in the story line, things would change without too much explanation (especially with her husband, I felt like we didn't see enough of him when she first lost her job - how did that conversation go? Also with some other parts with him). The writing was pretty good though, overall - it was quirky and fun. I laughed out loud a few times when the author was realizing how little she knows about what goes on in her own house, I could have easily interjected myself there at times around my own home!

I liked the weaving of her life and the soccer bulletins along with the soccer culture and home life. The author did a good job of making me smile several times. "Oh, he's THAT coach" - cuz you know anyone that's had a kid in sports knows just who THAT coach is!

Well worth a weekend read or when you just need something to read that's a little on the lighter side.

I'm not a fan of 'mommy lit' but I really enjoyed this book. It has broad appeal and anyone can relate to the this book--kids or not. The writing flowed well and it was easy to get into the story. My only criticism is the back cover leads a reader to believe the story is about how Annie goes from corporate executive to soccer mom...but that's not what the book is about...the book centers more on the coach and his crazy antics than is does on Annie. Otherwise, fun read.

I would actually give this three and a half stars. It was a cute take on corporate-wonderwoman-turned-stay-at-home-mom, set against the backdrop of a competitive girls' soccer team. While the subject was light (think chick lit without the sex), every suburban mom will be able to identify with the challenges and characters Star describes.

A bit wacky at times (a jealous dad sabotages the soccer field in hopes one of his daughter's rivals will get injured; the over-the-top soccer coach makes the girls practice during a severe thunderstorm and gets his little toe blown off by lightning), it was extremely easy to read and fast-paced. I particularly enjoyed the eyeroll-inducing weekly memos from the obsessed coach).

High-powered corporate Mom is downsized out of her demanding job and channels her energies into her daughter's soccer career. Annie "finally understands that the disparate worlds many moms straddle, crazy work and crazy home, are not really different at all. And in the end, all anyone is trying to do is find her way." The depictions of life on the sidelines will have soccer moms everywhere laughing and cringing at the same time.