This One is Mine by Maria Semple

From the Publisher:

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. This One Is Mine is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.


My Thoughts

I read this book but I didn't really enjoy it. I felt next to no sympathy for Violet.
How does someone who is living the perfect life make such bad choices?
She was this extremely capable woman who following the birth of her child...packed up all her self confidence and threw it out with the trash.
I guess that it fits the image of a woman on the edge......someone who behaves erratically wih little regard for those around her but the book felt too contrived to me and made me uncomfortable.

I can understand some of her choices like looking outside of her marriage when David was treating her so badly but she jumped out of the fire into the frying pan with Teddy. He was treating her worse! Why would she put herself into that situation?

I enjoyed the references to Jeremy with his Aspberger's syndrome. This is a timely diagnosis that is becoming more relevent daily. Many children in the school system are currently undergoing testing for this little known type of autism.
2 out of 5 stars