Every Other Weekend

Rating: 2 Stars

Forty-ish hipster dad Jake is happily settled down in the politically progressive, urban, and notably self-satisfied community of Greenwood, working at his not-so-interesting job, playing guitar in his band, and enjoying domestic life with his beautiful and accomplished wife Lisa, with their two charming daughters, and the beloved family dog. When Lisa rocks Jake's world by telling him she wants a divorce, their story unfolds from multiple points of view including those of other family members, Jake's self-absorbed divorce lawyer, the cranky family court judge who presides over his custody case, his polyamorous millennial girlfriend, and the eighteen-year-old babysitter who also happens to be his lawyer's daughter. Throughout Greenwood, in the coffee shop, the yoga studio, and the basketball court, lives intersect. Choruses of friends and neighbors gossip, dissect, and weigh in. A surprise witness upends Jake's custody trial. Things are not always as they seem, and there is no one truth about a marriage.

I have a lot of opinions on this book and some of them are sort of spoilery but I also think they are a necessary spoiler, because reading the summary of the book, I did not expect what I got. So if you don't want spoilers don't read further. Basically Lisa, has decided she is tired of carrying the weight of the relationship and dealing with Jake's lies, so she tells him she wants a divorce. Jake, is insufferable and unable to take any responsibility for his actions, like nothing at all the entire book is his fault. They both agree at first to split custody of the children on a weekly basis. But, the major case takes place because the youngest tells her mother Jake and his girlfriend slept in the same bed with her naked and rolled around a lot.

I just felt completely blindsided by this part of the story because nothing was hinted at. And honestly watching Jake's actions the entire time prove disgusting. I won't talk more on the plot, other than to say zero consequences exist at all in this book. Like nobody is forced to face the consequences of their actions. It almost felt like the author was trying to make the characters unlikable and insufferable the entire time. The 900 different points of view are unnecessary and don't really add anything to the story at all. Most of the characters are all self-righteous while doing things that they shouldn't feel great about. I really did not like this book and think that it should have been made clearer what was actually taking place... I also think there should have been a different ending. Like it's no mystery what took place, but the author tries to make it a legal thriller... it is not.