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A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity
Her own daughter...one of the popular girls?
On the first day of middle school, Lydia Meadows, a former lawyer turned full-time mother, is startled to discover that her daughter Erin is one of the popular girls, a tight foursome whose mothers are also great friends. Lydia has always thought of popular girls as ambitious little manipulators who enjoy being cruel. But Erin is...more
On the first day of middle school, Lydia Meadows, a former lawyer turned full-time mother, is startled to discover that her daughter Erin is one of the popular girls, a tight foursome whose mothers are also great friends. Lydia has always thought of popular girls as ambitious little manipulators who enjoy being cruel. But Erin is...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
February 6th 2007
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published March 21st 2006)
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I loved, loved, loved this book! A friend recommended it to me, and I was hooked almost immediately! It has been a long time since I read a book in less than 24 hours - I just couldn't put it down. I am trying to figure out which part of the book I connected with the most, was it the middle school mean girls, or the mom's friendships affected by their daughters friendships, or the 'politics' of pta moms..., maybe it was all of it, which is why it was so believeable. This book could ring true in...more
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When I was half-way through this novel, I loved it. By the end, I was kind of disappointed and a little bewildered.
This is a story about a mother, Lydia, who has to learn to maintain relationships with her friends when said friend's children begin to mistreat her daughter at school. I was intrigued by this dynamic - mostly the reality that somehow, all women, at heart, still want to be "popular", no matter what their age. The mothers in the story become too wrapped up in their daughter's social...more
This is a story about a mother, Lydia, who has to learn to maintain relationships with her friends when said friend's children begin to mistreat her daughter at school. I was intrigued by this dynamic - mostly the reality that somehow, all women, at heart, still want to be "popular", no matter what their age. The mothers in the story become too wrapped up in their daughter's social...more
I really enjoyed this book, but I'm sure it's due to the fact that I'm about to have a girl. It deals with the dynamics of a mother and her friends, who also happen to be the mothers of her 12 year old daughters friends. (I hope that made sense.) It made me think about things that I'm sure I will be facing in the next 10 or 11 years when my daughter hits the pre-teen phase - like popularity, clothes, self-image, ect.
As a parent of school-aged children with friends, I could really relate to the struggles of the main character. She tries to do whatever she thinks is best for them by getting them into the right schools, onto the right sports teams and getting them together with the right friends. The main character was given a good balance between getting too involved in her children's lives and letting them make decisions for themselves. It is such a power struggle for parent's today regarding parenting and t...more
With this book, I discovered a new genre that I really enjoy and hope to read more of. I am not sure what to call it. The book is about a mother. She's a stay-at-home mother of two and still married to her husband, living in suburbia, managing the household, dealing with carpools, etc.
The books begins with her daughter entering middle school. To be prepared, the mother read many books about teenage girls, and they all warned her about the evils of the popular girls or Queen Bees. Imagine the mo...more
The books begins with her daughter entering middle school. To be prepared, the mother read many books about teenage girls, and they all warned her about the evils of the popular girls or Queen Bees. Imagine the mo...more
I found this book to be very engaging and well-written. As the mother of two girls (who are not yet school-aged), I found some sound "advice" in the author's message to not get too wrapped up in the petty school-aged drama and to focus more on the marriage that will be left when the kids are out of school. Some of the author's descriptions were very on-point. This was more than chick-lit in my opinion and the end resolved most of the issues she covered to my satisfaction.
I read this book on pure whim - plucked it off a shelf in the library. For a light, airy read, it was good. Tells the story of the trials of "tween"-ism through the eyes of the mom. Makes you realize you may not have gotten away with as much as you think you did.
I think most of the reason I enjoyed this book was it's location - DC and vicinity. Seidel details many popular locations and it's fun for a local to follow the journey through the city and nod knowingly everytime she makes an accurate...more
I think most of the reason I enjoyed this book was it's location - DC and vicinity. Seidel details many popular locations and it's fun for a local to follow the journey through the city and nod knowingly everytime she makes an accurate...more
This book could've had a lot going for it. I read the summary which was what pulled me in-the whole tween drama from the mothers perspective. What I didn't foresee was the fact that the mother and her acquaintances were such prisses that no one could relate to. I felt that everything was overdramatized and the fact that the narrator had to keep reminding the reader that they were rich, yes they werepissed me off. The one time I felt somewhat empathetic towards the narrator was when she goes to H...more
This books delves into the cliques that develop so early in childhood, and the impact on the excluded children and also their mothers whose happiness is so vested in the children's. Good read.
What I learned the most from this book is that I am so happy that my friends are this anal about our children or their school. We help at the school, but we don't obsess about it!
I also learned or remember that this is the way girls could be at our schools when i was growing up. There were the Populars and sometimes you could feel left out of activities that you so wanted to go to but may not have had the right hair, the right clothes etc... Until we moved to Ocala I can honestly say that this d...more
I also learned or remember that this is the way girls could be at our schools when i was growing up. There were the Populars and sometimes you could feel left out of activities that you so wanted to go to but may not have had the right hair, the right clothes etc... Until we moved to Ocala I can honestly say that this d...more
I surprised myself by picking this up at the library but I have read a real variety of books this year. I guess an odd sort of high school politics chick lit novel from the perspective of the mum (should I say mom?) just gives me another odd genre to include in my wide selection, although I'm not sure what genre I WOULD call it, actually.
I surprised myself again by getting into this. The story of a teenage girl who gets shunted out of her popular group of friends by a newcomer is an old story, b...more
I surprised myself again by getting into this. The story of a teenage girl who gets shunted out of her popular group of friends by a newcomer is an old story, b...more
Lydia is a mother with two children and is very involved in the happenings at their school along with her three best friends. A new student at the school creates problems when she deliberately starts excluding Lydia's daughter. Over the course of a year everything changes but it seems that it might be harder for Lydia than anyone else.
A good read and has some interesting things to say. Some people might even see hints of themselves in there and rethink the way they behave.
As someone who mostly c...more
A good read and has some interesting things to say. Some people might even see hints of themselves in there and rethink the way they behave.
As someone who mostly c...more
Loved this book. A must read for any mother of a preteen/teenager or middle school teacher. Amazing!!
Jan 02, 2009
Silvana
marked it as to-read
It was a delightful novel to read. I am so glad I came across this book. It was humorous and clever.
Though I enjoyed much of this read because of its many similarities to my own life over the years (stay-at-home mom who feels the need to overly volunteer, links between the middle school-aged peer groups and the adult ones), I did not enjoy it whole-heartedly. As well as the mother-daughter relationships were portrayed, I felt that of the private school structure was still pretty stereotypical, with the head of division never really 'drawn in' well. That said, the overall premise was so good th...more
This book seemed like a light read. It is about teen-age girls and their friendships and how important popularity is, including how it effects their parents. It also is about how women can involve themselves so much in the school/social lives of their daughters - that changes in their child's relationships - also mean changes in the adult's relationship (which centers around the other school parents and the fundraising, etc. that happens at school).
It is a very thought provoking book. It makes y...more
It is a very thought provoking book. It makes y...more
I was in the mood for trashy lit, and this didn't deliver. But it is a nice romp through the world of motherhood with a preteen girl. I have yet to live this out, but I do remember being a preteen girl, and the author does a good job of capturing the randomness that seems to make the girls popular. The author hits on some of the main plot problems herself, the main one being that all the girls in the group are the eldest or onlies, when in real life there would be at least one or two, probably t...more
it was definitely a kind-of low point for my beach-blonde endeavors, but i suppose that's kind of to be expected given how happily surprised i was by so many earlier books.
it's a quiet story, about a ex-lawyer, now stay-at-home mom, and the sixth grade year for her young daughter.
it tries to be a story of popularity and what it means, and what effects being popular and unpopular have, how fluid the concepts are in middle school, how things look from both sides. it gets boring and pedantic, and...more
it's a quiet story, about a ex-lawyer, now stay-at-home mom, and the sixth grade year for her young daughter.
it tries to be a story of popularity and what it means, and what effects being popular and unpopular have, how fluid the concepts are in middle school, how things look from both sides. it gets boring and pedantic, and...more
Great read for young girls who are going through some peer pressure and are going through some self-esteem issues of their own.
This story is about three tight knit girls who are all best friends as well as the moms of the girls. This new girl comes into town and the new girls mom takes over and basically excludes one of the girls (Lydia) from the other girls. Shows how easily friends can be made and broken.
Was a very smooth and easy read but I caught myself nodding off and yawning at points.
This story is about three tight knit girls who are all best friends as well as the moms of the girls. This new girl comes into town and the new girls mom takes over and basically excludes one of the girls (Lydia) from the other girls. Shows how easily friends can be made and broken.
Was a very smooth and easy read but I caught myself nodding off and yawning at points.
Hadn't heard of this book therefore no expectations, just found it on the new books in at the library. Surprisingly I was so impressed with Seidel's fictional story which read as a sociological study of girls and mothers. Sure there were stereotypes, but that was so affirming in recognizing how to "cope" with similar personalities and situations as the mother of a girl. Seidel's descriptions observations were stinging, humorous and poignant in a non-sappy way. I will recommend this book to frien...more
This was an annoying read. A PTA-like over-involved mother complains throughout the book about her own varying degrees of popularity among her friends and the school atmosphere, along with her daughter's varying degrees of popularity. Told with little wit it was a superficial novel. The protagonist was very unlikeable and judgmental most of the time. I find these mothers unlikeable in real life so it's a drag when the protagonist turns out to be the same kind of character.
In spite of the dodgy narrative arc and its failure to live up to the premise detailed on the jacket (what do you do when you learn that your daughter is the popular girl?), Kathleen Seidel's novel is nonetheless a charming read. Simultaneously lighthearted and insightful, A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity is a rare look into the thoughts and struggles of the modern mother, and a must-read for anyone who is proud to call themselves a "Soccer Mom."
I don't know why I picked up this book at the used bookstore. Looked interesting I guess. It was nice to take a break from the murder mystery novels that I usually read. The characters were interesting and most certainly ones you could relate to. I could totally see moms behaving like that. As well as the teenage girls and middle schoolers in general. There wasn't anything profound about this book, better as a lazy summer read.
Really good. Lydia lives with lawyer husband Jamie, 2nd grader Thomas, and 12-yr-old Erin. Stays at home. 4 girls are best friends at private school. Their mom's are best friends too. Erin gets left out of the girl's clique and it affects the moms. Lydia's whole life is the school. Thomas and Erin switch to Sidwell school and they all hope for a better future. Can really hit home!
My kind of book. Very Jane Austen but very today. Meritocrats vs. Aristocrats. Great depiction of modern momhood, marriage and friendship.
Very insightful look at middle-school girl 'issues' and the importance of social engineering. Validating for those of us who believe in nurturing relationships of all kinds.
No murders or tearing of hindflesh but my kind of social thriller!
Very insightful look at middle-school girl 'issues' and the importance of social engineering. Validating for those of us who believe in nurturing relationships of all kinds.
No murders or tearing of hindflesh but my kind of social thriller!
Lydia discovers at the beginning of the school year her daughter is one of the popular girls, that is until a new girl in town joins their group and forces her daughter out. This follows the lives of well to do soccer moms and does a decent job showing how mothers want to intervene on behalf of their daughters and keep their distance at the same time.
surprisingly enjoyable ... it is another chick lit book, but it was from a mom's perspective on rearing a queen bee, and i thought the plot was pretty interesting, but maybe because i just like gossip. the title is from jane austen's emma, which immediately hooked me, but there's really no other reference to austen in the rest of the book, which is okay.
I enjoyed this book a lot - former lawyer mom who sews and has a husband who is gone a lot... (wait, that's MY life!) I think I enjoyed it because the protagonist was a lot like me. I enjoyed the friendship story going on simultaneously between middle school girls and their moms, as well.
And I almost didn't read this one because it's cover and title didn't grab me.
And I almost didn't read this one because it's cover and title didn't grab me.
There were parts in this book that felt like I was the main character, more than any book I've ever read! (How she felt about recently becoming a stay-at-home mom, having a hubby that is rarely around) For that, I really-really loved this book! The story, was okay. It was a little ho-hum for me, but gave some good insight about a being a mother of a tween and not having your children define who you are.
Ugh- trite. I made myself finish this book so I could write an honest review about it. I lived in DC for three years and the people that this book is about the people I stayed away from (not that they would have come near me, but you know what I mean). The heroine of this book was difficult to identify with. She seemed very "woe is me" about a lot of things, when she really didn't have much to be concerned about. This book seems to highlight helicopter parents and how all of their children's dra...more
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| What's The Name o...: funny look at upper class dc private school moms and their daughters [s] | 7 | 138 | Nov 14, 2012 08:13pm |
