Book Review: People I Want To Punch In the Throat by Jenn Mann

I know today is Thursday and that is usually Throwback Thursday. However, I’ve decided to change Throwback Thursday to monthly feature that will be on the first Thursday of the month. I look forward to reading your Throwback reviews on October 2!

People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges by Jen Mann
People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: September 9, 2014

Publisher’s Description:

Jen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, What would Jen Mann do?

Jen Mann has a popular blog which is also named People I Want to Punch in the Throat. She rails against stuck up suburban super moms on her blog and this book is more of the same. Each chapter is an anecdote about something crazy that has happened to Jen, from how she met her husband online to wearing pajamas to drop her kid off ant school and then unexpectedly having to get out of her car and walk into school. She is very snarky as you might expect from the title of the book. Sometimes I felt she was over the top. I don’t have a problem with swear words but I don’t like it when comedians use them excessively. They don’t always make a joke funnier and can be used as a way of getting cheap laughs. I think she used them to liven up a story but now and then she ended up coming across shrill.

Most of her stories were amusing but not laugh out loud funny. However, I think most moms will find at least one chapter that they can relate to. I chose this book for review because Jen and I live in the same metro area. I hope she doesn’t read this review and then hunt me down to punch ME in the throat!

(I received this book courtesy of the publisher.)

September 18th, 2014 in Books, Uncategorized
  • http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com rhapsodyinbooks

    I felt the very same way with the last book I listened to by Joan Rivers. A lot of it was fun and funny and snarky, but way too many swear words which I didn’t feel added anything to it. It really alienated me and turned me against it in fact, especially since it was rarely necessary to make the joke funny. I don’t know why comedians think they have to add in that element!

  • bermudaonion(Kathy)

    A little bit of snark goes a long way for me so this probably isn’t the book for me.

  • Sheila DeChantal

    Interesting… I have an ex-co worker that uses that line “I want to punch them in the throat” a lot….