The Adults

A Novel

By: Alison Espach

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

From the author of the Read with Jenna pick The Wedding People, a ruefully funny debut novel that deftly dissects matters of the heart and captures the lives of children and adults as they come to terms with life, death, and love.

At the center of this affluent suburban universe is Emily Vidal, a smart and snarky teenager, who gets involved in a dangerous relationship. Among the cast of unforgettable characters is Emily’s father, whose fiftieth birthday party has the adults descending upon the Vidals’ patio; her mother, who has orchestrated the elaborate party even though she and her husband are getting a divorce; and an assortment of eccentric neighbors, high school teachers, and teenagers who teem with anxiety and an unbridled desire to be noticed, and ultimately loved.

An irresistible chronicle of a young woman’s struggle to grow up, The Adults lays bare a world where an adult and a child can so dangerously be mistaken for the same thing.

Took awhile to get started but good story

I liked this story but it didn’t hold a candle to “Wedding People” so I was a tad disappointed and surprised at the style of writing. I enjoyed listening to it once it got going. The beginning is slow but gets better. I’d recommend this book but felt the author used superfluous flowery language that couldve been left out and made the book more genuine.

Erudite coming of age story

The author’s character dialogue is unmatched. This story is a brutally honest take on childhood and taps into human melancholy with a dark humor.

Tedious. Hard to get into

The ending was so disappointing. I kept listening hoping it would be worth it. It was not.

Very conflicted

I am very conflicted about how to rate this book. On one hand, it was well written and kept me on my toes (I finished it in one day). On the other hand, I didn’t find it humorous. I was looking for the type of humor found in The Wedding People (which I loved), but I didn’t get that here. In fact, the teacher-student relationship that developed throughout the book was very sad and disturbing, in my opinion.

I was not a fan of the ending and was somewhat upset that there were no consequences for Mr. 🏀.

I’m giving it 4 stars, but honestly, a rating of 3.5 -3.75 would be more accurate.

The garbagey first third...

Not what I had expected. Girls didn't talk like the girls--Emily and Janice, particukarly--loke longshoremen. A lot of unfortunate garbage in the first third, and in the seduction of a 15-year-old student by a 24-year-old teacher, a so-called love that went on and on until it was over. I vehemently disliked the book, Allison Espach is much better than this. the blurbs on the back of the book are misleading. a lot of it is cheap and ugly and overly sexual.