Jessica Anya BlauRecensioni

Mary Jane is 14 in 1975 and is the child of old school parents who behave like they are in the 50s. The Dad is a grouch who never talks and the Mom does nothing but cook and clean and scowl at people who aren’t like them. They are a stereotypical “nice family” who are really uptight bigots.

She gets a job as a summer Nanny for a neighbor family who is scandalous in every way because they are young, messy, Jewish, pot smokers who are harboring two super famous people while one does intensive therapy for his drug addiction.

Mary Jane learns a lot about people over her summer with the hippies and opens her eye to the world outside her own living room.

What a great coming of age novel that shows us just how far society has come. Mary Jane is far older than her years and makes in my opinion really realistic decisions as she navigates the world outside her 70s suburbia

This book was my cup of tea...coming of age...I really enjoyed the characters and the story..Well written story that grabbed me from the beginning and kept my interest to the end..

When you want to OD on 70s nostalgia, this is the book (she had me at the description of sitting by the stereo listening to the soundtrack from Pippin). Very charming and heart-warming

Hmm. Not really sure what I felt about this book. The story is about a dysfunctional family and the return of the adult children to the fold after the illness of their mother.
The characters were well-drawn, and I did finish the book, but there wasn't a soul in it that I liked. The family itself seems dysfunctional past the point of reality, but I suppose social services were less intrusive at the time of the young family.
Some of the language was just icky. The whole family refer to affairs as "stinky"s which I think is just odd and awful, and overall there seems to be no point in any of the familial writhing. I just don't care!
That said, I finished the book, so the writing must have something to recommend it, but this is not a funny book unless you enjoy laughing at really unpleasant people sitting about thinking about themselves.

Sheltered, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane of Baltimore is an unhip "little momma" type--she loves order and cooks and cleans like an adult. When she gets a summer job as a nanny to a much less conventional family--a psychiatrist, his wife, and their adorable daughter--she changes them, but she is changed by them as well. Moreover, the psychiatrist is secretly treating a rock star with a heroin problem and his movie-star wife, and through them (and an unorthodox "family therapy" session) Mary Jane learns the secrets of adult relationships and sexuality.

Set in 1975, this novel is an easy read, but I didn't believe a word of it. In some ways, Mary Jane seemed far too old for her years, and, in other ways, she seemed too young. The evasion of any mention of child labor laws and any discussion of the ethics of the psychiatrist treating a patient in his (the psychiatrist's) own home were glaring omissions. The adult characters seemed to have been manufactured out of cardboard. Perhaps most importantly, I didn't buy how quickly and deeply the book's "found family" developed. All in all, not a favorite.

This is not my usual type of book, but I was in the just right mood for something different and this totally worked for me. I listened on audio (it was great on audio!!) and it warmed my heart hearing about Mary Jane’s adventurous summer.

This is not a plot-heavy book. Not a lot really happens, but seeing these relationships build and grow was enough for me. Mary Jane comes from an extremely conservative family and moves into the opposite, but neither situation was perfect or what I would call healthy. Her parents were too rigid and unable to really let Mary Jane be a person. The Cone’s were too irresponsible and neglectful. And Mrs. Cone was wildly immature— definitely not ideal mother material. But I did feel the love in this giant found family of the Cone’s, Jimmy & Sheba, and Mary Jane.

The ending could have definitely been more believable and less rushed.

And if anyone sees Beanie- can you please punch her for me?

I listened to this book knowing nothing about it except that it was supposed to be funny. It was. It moved along nicely, focused on a family, and a superstar couple, and a babysitting teen as they face addiction head-on. Adult concepts.½

I whizzed through this in a day, and found it super charming, though I don't think the DAISY JONES comp is at all accurate. Mary Jane was a really believable character, though some times it felt a bit too obvious the points that Blau was trying to make. I felt like the discussion of sex would be incredibly poignant in a young adult book, but here it felt almost mocking. I wanted a little bit more conflict, and for Mary Jane to have a bit more of a struggle in running a house and mothering Izzy--specifically, I wanted a witch!

While it's well written, I found the characters and plot flat, though the undercurrent of prejudice was fitting given the time frame (1975). A fourteen year old girl brought up in old world tradition, she not only comes of age but gets a good look at how open minded types live when the Cone family hires her as nanny. Widening the mindset gap further, Dr. Cone, a psychiatrist, invites a celebrity couple to stay so he can give attention to a drug addict rock star. Were the characters to have had more depth and the plot been more complex, it would yield a memorable story. Unfortunately, it becomes predictable when Mary Jane's parents clash with the Cones who remove her post haste from the position. I enjoyed parts of it, but overall, its at best 3 stars, bordering on 2.5 in my book. Regardless, we're each drawn to different things and this one wasn't to my liking.

In Baltimore in 1975, fourteen year old Mary Jane has been hired to be the Summer nanny to five year old neighbor Izzy Cone. Mary Jane and Izzy come from very different households, with the Cones living in a mess, Mrs Cone not bothering to cook and Izzy's coloring book is of human anatomy. Mary Jane has grown up in a strict religious household where her mother controls her every move, which is why Mary Jane knows she has to lie to her mother in order to keep her job, especially when Dr. Cone moves two famous people into the house to treat the rockstar husband for drug addiction.
A coming of age story that focuses on the permissive and sometimes thoughtless parenting of the 70s. The reader has to wonder why the Cones would put a fourteen year old in charge of their daughter, and very quickly, the whole household, as level-headed Mary Jane becomes the housekeeper, cook and sounding board to the four adults in the house. I liked the story more in the beginning when I thought it would focus more on Mary Jane becoming independent of her parents, but it was much more about how the adults in the Cone household were too selfish to protect the children from their disastrous lives. At one point, Mary Jane is forced to take part in a group therapy session about infidelity. I also started focusing on how often these adults were touching her, kissing her forehead, asking about her feelings. Not a winner for me, but I didn't hate it.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Really needed a feel-good book and this fit the bill.

Mary Jane, as told in first person, is a 14-year old girl, an only child, from an emotionally distant household with rigid rules. When she is asked to be a nanny for 4-year old Izzie, her parents agree because Izzie's dad is a doctor, which falls within their norm of an acceptable occupation. Unbeknown to her parents, the dad is also Jewish (not acceptable) and a psychiatrist (marginally acceptable) treating a drug-addicted rock star with a famous wife in their home for the summer. Her parents are oblivious to the members of her new household...until they aren't.

Mary Jane soon becomes an integral part of their family life, even making meals and organizing a disorganized home. For the first time, Mary Jane knows unconditional acceptance and a sense of belonging where she is truly needed and appreciated. She sees and hears things that are beyond her scope of understanding, but she loves the people who make up her new normal. When she is forced to terminate her job, she remembers and retains all she learned from the people most unlike her parents. The ending requires a suspension of disbelief, but we'll believe it because we love Mary Jane.

Mary Jane is not your average coming of age story. The story is perfectly set in the 70's which makes this story more believable. And being a teen of the 70's myself I was transported back to that time in my own life.
Mary Jane is a 14 year girl from a strict household. When she is asked to Nanny for the Cone family she is thrilled. When she enters their house she is shocked by the mess everywhere but she is in love with little Izzy. Although she is only supposed to be the nanny she becomes the housekeeper and cook as well. So she finds it odd when the Cones appear to be fixing up a room. When a recovering addict rock star and his movie star wife move in things only get more interesting. Mary Jane is thrust into a completely different lifestyle than her own and begins to discover who she is and who she wants to be. Such a fun story and I highly recommend this book.

This book was an absolute joy to read. I devoured it in less than 24 hours.

Not a realistic book.

Charming, funny and heart warming story of a 14 year old girl caught between her straigtlaced family and the progressive one she nannies for.
Recommended.

Sweet story about family and famous people set in 1970’s. Felt like a historical novel. Both the children were well written and interesting.½

Sweet book. So much has changed in 5 years.½

this was an utterly charming coming of age story that i couldn't put down. seeing the naive, conservative mary jane being exposed to the loose, liberal cone family and realize that other value systems and ways of life are ok felt so true and was so fun to watch. (it reminded me a bit of my meeting people in college who drank and smoked and skipped classes, but were still good people, unlike what i'd assumed of rule breakers. mary jane learned this before i did.) i loved being inside her head as she navigated this new world and as she both learned and misunderstood so much. blau so perfectly captured this age where she both was a little adult and knew so much but was also still a child and had so much to learn.

mary jane and izzy were especially enjoyable to be around. i feel like, in many ways, mary jane at 14 is a better mother to izzy than i am to my son, and i can learn a lot from both of their attitudes and how everything they do is so full of love. sheba was great, too, but i couldn't get enough of izzy.

i really, really enjoyed everything about this. (the audio reader was great, too. so good that as much as i liked this, i'm not sure i would have liked it quite as much if i hadn't listened to it.) even the ending, which may be a bit unrealistic - would mary jane's mother really have relaxed that much? really changed that much in such a short period of time? maybe. maybe not. but i appreciate the sentiment.

Mary Jane has taken a summer job as a nanny. Her mother is very pleased. It is a respectable job with a respectable doctor and his family. However, this does not turn out to be exactly what her mother expects.

Mary Jane is only 14 and has been raised, as I like to say, in a bubble. Her parents have put a bubble around her and their lives and all their experiences are completely contained. So, when Mary Jane is introduced to the Cone family, let’s just say, it opens up a whole new world.

There is so much I want to say about this novel. I love Mary Jane! I loved seeing her grow and form her own opinions. Plus, I fell in love with the whole Dr. Cone world. Add in Sheba and Jimmy and this book exceeded all expectations.

I have loved every single one of Jessica Anya Blau’s books. And this one is my favorite…and that is saying something because I never thought anything would top Drinking Closer to Home. This author can take any character and turn them into someone you know, want to know or must know!

The narrator, Caitlin Kinnunen, did an outstanding job. All the voices were amazing, including Izzy, Dr. Cone’s daughter. Some narrators can make a kid sound fake. Caitlin nailed it!

Now, I received and ebook copy from the publisher. Well..I am behind, as usual, so I got it on audible. So, that is why I reviewed the audible book. (I also purchased a signed copy…so I have 3 copies of this book…but who is counting!)

Need an all around good book which will make you smile and cringe all in the same chapter…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

full of joy and love½

An exuberant coming of age story set in the summer of ‘75. Fourteen year old Mary Jane steps out of her sheltered world for a summer babysitting job in an unconventional family’s home and learns a lot about love and life. Such as how there are many different ways to be a family and that adults, even famous ones, can have problems too. Main character Mary Jane and her young charge Izzy are both adorable and their bond feels so genuine I couldn’t help but smile as I pictured them out and about or together in the kitchen making birds in a nest for breakfast. I don’t want to say much about the other characters because, well, spoilers but they are all delightful too.

(BTW, The book’s dust jacket compares this to Daisy Jones & The Six but I don’t agree, it's much lighter and far more upbeat. I’d say Julia Claiborne Johnson’s Be Frank With Me is a better comparison.)½

Wow. It's been awhile since I've read a fun book so quickly. I felt like I was going down a fast and wild race course with all the suspense.

The year was 1975 with a wide generation gap between the conservatives and liberals. Mary Jane's was an only child at 14 years old and her parents were on the top list of old-fashioned values. Everything was about image. They lived in a nice home. Her father worked as a lawyer while her mother took care of the home. The family went to church every Sunday. They were members of a club in Baltimore. The father read the newspaper while her mother cooked dinner.

Mary Jane decided that summer camp wasn't her thing. She would rather spend time taking care of a five-year-old, Izzy, as her nanny. In just a few months, this experience changed her from being an innocent young girl to one that was exposed to a family that was the total opposite of hers. They talked freely about sex, the house was messy and unorganized, the mother didn't cook, and love was affectionally shown.

There's more: Izzy's father, Dr. Cone, was a psychiatrist taking care of one patient in his home, a rock star, Jimmy, addicted to drugs for the summer. His wife was a famous actress, Sheba. She said, "We're all addicts of some sort...Part of being alive is to figure out the balance between what you want...,and don't have." Of course, Mary Jane's parents had no clue that their daughter was being exposed to this group of free thinkers.

I loved this book. It made me laugh, cry and brought back memories of the past in so many ways. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released in May, 2021.

It's 1975, and 14-year-old Mary Jane takes a job for the summer babysitting 5-year-old Isabelle "Izzy" Cone. Mary Jane lives a happy, sheltered life controlled by her mother, who is a 1950s caricature of an orderly Stepford wife gone mad. Mary Jane likes to cook, clean, sing show tunes, and sing in church. But the Cones are a 1975 caricature of laid-back grooviness, and Izzy is a live wire. Mary Jane immediately takes to Izzy and providing some order and good home-cooked meals to her home. Meanwhile, the Cones, with the help of psychiatrist Dr. Cone's rock- and TV-star resident patients, Jimmy & Sheba, return the favor by opening Mary Jane's horizons to possibilities she never imagined, starting with objects strewn about the house and ending with free love and talk therapy and beyond.

Mary Jane is loveable and sympathetic. The other characters, however, are one-note; Izzy's being a particularly shrill note. She is always shouting, being lovable, loving anything Mary Jane wants her to do. She never gets cranky or difficult.

Even so, I liked the story. I like how it showed that Mary Jane's orderly well-trained background was a plus as well as a sometime hindrance to her; she both contributes and takes from her relationships with the others. As things come to a head with her parents at home, she realizes and tries to explain to her mother that much of what is so loveable about her, Mary Jane, why the others love and need her, are things that came directly from her upbringing; her mother should be proud. And eventually, she is. The father's another story.

Blurbs on the cover draw apt comparisons to the movie ALMOST FAMOUS. There it's a sheltered, controlled male who comes into the orbit of rock stars, whose Mom back home has to be made to realize that his growing up and apart is necessary, and that she can not "approve" but still be proud of who he is.