Customer Reviews

Welcome to My Planet

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

What a fabulous book, capturing the TRUE essence of being a 30 something female in the year 2000! I read it all afternoon, lying by the pool. It's the first time I have read a book of this size in one sitting. I simply couldn't put it down! I could so identify with the main character, Shannon, a woman in her mid 20's to early 30's, who deals with grad school, credit card debt, a quirky mom she sometimes resents and sometimes clings to, boyfriends who aren't "the one", and trying to make sense of it all in therapy. The realest coming of age story I have ever read. I can't wait to pass it on to my friends to read, and I can't wait for the author, Shannon Olson, to write her second novel.

The reviews I had read of this book, both in People magazine, here on Amazon, and elsewhere had led me to believe that this book was a laugh a minute- sorta like Bridget Jones. Well, it is, but it isn't. The Bridget Jones books are cartoons, really- exaggerations of life.

This book is really more realistic and less extreme. Shannon (the main character here) doesn't obsesses and worry about her body every second, but those worries about her thighs and breasts do exist and are a part of her character.

She is 30, she is single, hates her job, dates a loser who treats her like crap and tries to have sex with her while she's asleep, her younger sister does get married out from under her, she is depressed, she does love Target (I hear ya, sister)- but those are the superficial elements of the story.

The way I see it, this story is best exemplified by this: her mom is sick, and needs surgery. Her mom says to Shannon, "Sickness is a part of life. I look at this as an adventure, an opportunity to learn." And Shannon replies, "I hate learning. I wish we could all be dumb and happy." Really, this book is about Shannon's recognition that you can't just stay dumb and happy- that you have to learn and stop making the same mistakes with men and career because otherwise, you'll have the same unhappiness over and over again.

This book is about growing up and realizing that life isn't fair, and people aren't fair, and you have to quit expecting fairness and trying to control things that you have no control over. And it's about recognizing how you got those expectations. Her mom (Flo), asks Shannon, "Did your father and I do this to you? Is it something we didn't do?" And Shannon replies, "Women's magazines did this to me. Watching Love Boat did this. I did this to myself."

I really liked this book- it's quiet and normal- Bridget is chaotic and drunk and smoking and I laughed my way all the way through Bridget. But I could relate to Shannon because she was real, in a way very much like the character in The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing (except not placed in ubiquitous New York).

This does NOT mean that this book isn't funny- it's hilarious. Shannon's sense of humor is extremely dry, and she is really a great writer. I can't wait for her next book.

I really see this book and "Getting Over It" as sort of the next evolution in what could best be described as the Single/30 literature.

It's hard to say exactly how I feel about this book -- and probably even harder to explain! Welcome to My Planet is a different kind of novel, one that doesn't just jump right out at you with a clear-cut, black and white, obvious storyline. It's a thinker novel, not breezy or light-hearted. While there are many funny moments, the dark tones outweigh the light ones by far.

Welcome to My Planet is told in parts and interspersed with many counselor sessions that tend to ramble on about the intricate workings of an under-stimulated mind. The heroine, almost-30 Shannon Olson (oddly the same name as the author), is very disappointed in life. She expected everything to be easy and the opposite of what she's gotten so far. Beginning with a no-good boyfriend, a meaningless job, and a obsessive dependency on her mother, Shanny's story seems very miserable and lonely. Her counselor sessions start fairly soon with expectations that maybe she can work her depression out, but the progress is very long and drawn out. Reading this novel was very stressful at times. Shanny was a very unpleasant character, very self-absorbed, never taking care of herself and always obsessing about those around her. While this does not necessarily make this a bad novel, I think for me personally, it made it a little unattractive to enjoy.

Good points about the book: Shanny has a very wry sense of humor which I always enjoy. When reflecting on her growing up years, Shanny and her sister deliver some funny moments. Also Shanny's mother, Flo, is an absolute scene-stealer. I believe the humorous parts is the saving grace of this book -- without them it would be far too depressing.

Sounds like I don't have much good to say. Welcome to My Planet is just a little hard to explain. It's vagueness bothered me, as well as the continuous gear-switching -- going back and forth in time was a little tough to get used to. For those who enjoy a mix of pleasure and pain (psychologists would have a field day with this one), endings that leave room for interpretation, and a diversity in characters, I recommend this book with two thumbs up.

It took me less than a day to read Welcome to My Planet as I simply couldn't put it down. The main reason the book is so enjoyable is that the narrator/central character is wonderful. Shannon Olson (the character, not the author, which caused me some momentary confusion about the blurry line between fiction/non-fiction) tells the story of her life, her relationship with her family, her mother and men, her experiences in therapy (boy does she have a good counselor) and graduate school, with humor and insight. As a reader, I felt as though I was peeking into a real life because the details and writing is so engaging.

Aside from Shannon, the other characters are incredibly well-developed, particularly that of her mother, Flo, with whom Shannon has a very intense connection. Despite the fact that all the information provided comes through Shannon's narration, you still get clear picture of the other characters, who in the end seem just as real as Shannon.

This is not a book with lots of action or an intricate plot or any surprise twists or ending. It is simply about one character's life and experiences and her interaction with the people around her. But it is utterly delightful, stocked with characters so real and wonderful that I sometimes felt as though I was reading about someone's life. However difficult a time I'm having conveying what I liked so much about this book, what it boils down to is that it's great and everyone should read it. Perhaps I should have found a more coherent way to say that!

This is a fun book; it sort of reminds me of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing. The book is about Shannon (I wonder if this book is an autobiography disguised as a novel), a neurotic young woman who has no idea what she wants in life. She attends graduate school --subconsciously postponing her life. She's also struggling with boyfriends, careers, and an identity. The heroine seems to have a rather unique relationship with her mother, Flo. The mother and daughter share a common desire: the need for true intimacy. Flo doesn't know if her husband truly loves her. Shannon, like her mother, doesn't know if the men in her life have loved her or used her. This is a great contemporary read, very funny and quite touching. A great piece of fiction. I highly recommend it.

When this book arrived in the mail I unpacked it and stood at the kitchen counter reading the first few paragraphs - I found myself quickly drawn into Shannon Olson's very intelligent, honest writing style. Her approach is refreshing and engaging without being pretentious. My weekend was quickly consumed - "I'll read just one more chapter, and one more, and one more..."

During a time when there is a lot of "bubble-gum" literature out there, it is wonderful to have a piece of work that is full of so much substance. Shannon Olson truly has an NPR mind in an MTV world!

I can't wait for her next work!

I bought this because the Wall St. Journal recently recommendedit as this year's "The Girls' Guide to Hunting &Fishing", and it lives up to that billing. I read this book over the last two days, and I loved it. Now maybe it's partly because I was raised in Minnesota (which means I am also Lutheran and Norwegian) that this Midwestern coming of age tale rang true for me, but I think that any chic in her 20s/30s will relate to Shannon's story. Men, Moms, mood swings -- it's all here. Bottom line is I loved this book... It's a fun read, a lot more interesting than Bridget's Diet Diary and almost as good as Otherwise Engaged.

About this time of year there always seem to be a rash of books which chronicle the lives and loves of 20, 30 or 40 somethings. Over the past few years readers have been introduced to characters from books such as The Diary of Bridget Jones, The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, The Diary of Bridget Jones, Until the Real Thing Comes Along and this year Dating Big Bird, Jemina J and Getting Over It. Now there is another new entry into this genre which I most heartily recommend. The title is Welcome to My Planet by first time author Shannon Olson and certainly a welcome addition to this genre.

Shannon, tha main character in this book is a refreshing 30 something with considerable agendas in her life. She already has had one major failed relationship which she describes for almost half of the book along with a less than interesting job and mounting credit card debts. Further complicating her life is her mother who also seems to question her marriage and life as well as Shannons. And as if questioning Shannon's life isn't enough then her mother Dorothy always offers her unsolicited advice as well. Along the way we find Shannon attending graduate school, finding a new lover, traveling with her sister and brother-in-law during their honeymoon and finally resloving how she will change not only herself and her life by not telling her mother too much.

Although I am well past this stage of my life, I still enjoy reading these types of books. And I also find that I can still relate to some part of the angst the main character is going through. Welcome to My World is a humorous and clever book which I really enjoyed. At times I even found myself laughing out loud which is always a good sign.

Thanks for a good read, Ms Olson. I think you have a bright future ahead of you and look forward to reading your next book.

I completed agree with Jilly Bean's review. I kept reading this book even right up until the end expecting to find the purpose. Some portions were enjoyable but I never really felt that it was going in a clear direction. It was quite a disappointment overall.

Ugh!! Reading Ms. Olson's book was not a fun ordeal. The story was extremely fragmented. I know it's a little "in fashion" right now to write in an off-the-wall style but at least give us some adventure and some laughs.

I kept reading and thinking "The next section will move the story along. The next section will not be so hum-glum. The next section will be funny."

It just didn't happen. I read one review that compared this book to Bridget Jones. I don't think it even comes close in the humor department.

I love reading and I'm usually open minded. This book made me feel I'd been really wasting my time.