Momzillas: It's a jungle out there on Park Avenue, baby! [Paperback]

Jill Kargman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2008

A hilarious and deliciously scathing send-up of motherhood as practiced in the upper echelons of Manhattan society, from the coauthor of The Right Address and Wolves in Chic Clothing.

The mothers on Manhattan’s chic Upper East Side are highly educated, extremely wealthy, and very competitive. They throw themselves and all of their energy and resources into full-time child rearing, turning their kids into the unwitting pawns in a game where success is measured in precocious achievements, jam-packed schedules, and elite private-school pedigrees.

Hannah Allen has recently moved to the neighborhood with her New York City–bred investment banker husband and their two-year-old daughter, Violet. She’s immediately inundated by an outpouring of advice from her not-so-well-intentioned new friends and her overbearing, socially conscious mother-in-law, who coach her on matters ranging from where to buy the must-have $300 baby dress to how to get into the only pre-pre-preschool that counts. Despite her better instincts and common sense, Hannah soon finds herself caught up in the competitive whirl of high-stakes mothering.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Right Address:

“It’s impossible to resist the charms of this modern Manhattan fairy tale.…What makes it all so enticing is watching those evil society stepsisters get their deliciously just deserts along the way.” —People

“Offers playful insight into a world…as catty as it is rarefied.” —Vogue


Praise for Wolves in Chic Clothing:

“A gossipy, Saturday-afternoon treat.” —Glamour

“For those who crave diamonds and Manolos with their fairy tales, this confection hits the spot.” —People

About the Author

Jill Kargman, who grew up on the Upper East Side and now lives there with her husband and two daughters, is the ideal chronicler of the lives of New York’s ultra-rich and ultra-ambitious. She captures the mores, the conversations, and the backstabbing with supreme ease, and creates in Hannah a wonderfully sympathetic heroine. A wickedly funny and spot-on portrait of some decidedly over-the-top moms, Momzillas is the perfect follow-up to The Right Address.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (April 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767924797
• ISBN-13: 978-0767924795
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #771,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cute Mommy Lit, January 28, 2010

By 

Amanda Bailey (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Momzillas: It's a jungle out there on Park Avenue, baby! (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book. What a fun escape it brings from the daily grind of cooking, cleaning, and changing diapers! No, Momzillas is not a literary masterpiece, but it IS a light, fun book that I believe fans of chick lit and "mommy lit" will love to read.

The main character is Hannah, who has just moved to New York with investment banker husband and two-year-old daughter, Violet. Hannah is immediately thrown into a world with super-competitive and not so friendly "momzillas" and forced to see her disapproving, socialite mother-in-law far too often. Lonely for her old friends and missing her husband who is having to work way too much, Hannah gets caught up in the ways of the other moms and finds herself crazily scheduling appointments at the best pre-pre-preschool and buying $250 designer baby blouses.

It is fun to see Hannah come full circle and re-discover what really matters. Everything comes together in the end and even the meanest momzilla of all gets what's coming to her. Even if you do not have kids, I think you will enjoy reading about New York City and its silly, stylish, over the top mommies.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jill Kargman Obessed, July 26, 2009

By 

R. M. Berk (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Momzillas: It's a jungle out there on Park Avenue, baby! (Paperback)

I have now read the full Jill Kargman collection - Superb! Perfect mix of sassy and sultery New York City Society Life coupled with intelligent and biting prose. Can't wait for the next one. What am I going to read now?? Hope there is an NYC mom in the early years coming up.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun and light weight read, December 21, 2008

By 

Annie1 (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Momzillas: It's a jungle out there on Park Avenue, baby! (Paperback)

I enjoy chick-lit books, and I think this book would fall pretty safely into this category. The story of a young mother moving to NY and encountering the elite echelon of NY society and all their snobby ways when it comes to children and raising children. How much of it is true to life? Don't know and wouldn't want to know people like this in real life, but its entertaining enough to keep reading about them on paper!

I did not expect any more than a fun, quick read with this book - and so for me it delivered exactly what I wanted. And I recommend it for those who are looking for just an amusing, no brainer read.