Independent Ireland calls this book, "Venomous. Bitchy. Brilliant.". I would add, "Raw. Honest. Devastating.".

No one can love you like a sister... and no one knows how to cut you like a sister. There is a very specific, acidic animosity and tension that can arise between even the most loving of sisters, and I would not exactly call Marthe and Ida loving. Their relationship is clearly fraught with complication and as we move through the story we are gifted with flashbacks which help us to understand key moments throughout their history which have played into this dynamic. Of course we only see these moments from Ida's point of view, so they give us less if a complete understanding and more as if Ida has handpicked these memories as a showcase to justify her own feelings and actions.

*Spoilers*
When we part ways with Ida, she has essentially burned her life to the ground. She has shown us that withholding, or lack of action, can do just as much harm as actively doing something hurtful. We are left without a resolution. Will Ida have a phoenix moment and rise from the ashes, or will she continue down a path of drinking and desperation? There's no way for us to know (unless there is eventually a sequel) which for me causes this book to linger longer in my mind. There is no tidy resolution, no clear indication of either a bright or dark future. There is simply possibility.

*I received an Advance Copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

The writing was less polished than I am used to; it was somewhat stream of conscious with lots of run-on sentences. Once I got used to this, I enjoyed the story and how the author explored complicated family relationships. The main character’s inner dialogue was entertaining and sassy, which made this a fast read. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a refreshing quick read.

The cover and “Venomous. Bitchy. Brilliant” pull quote on the cover drew me in! This was an enjoyable, incisive, and quick read.

Ida, our protagonist (or antagonist, depending on your perspective) is a 40-year-old architect. She single and thinking about freezing her eggs. Grown Ups takes place over a few days at Ida’s family cabin where she is joined by her mother, her mother’s partner, her younger sister, her sister’s husband and his six-year-old child. Ida was as venomous, bitchy, and brilliant as the pull quote promised, and was also sympathetically portrayed as someone struggling with loneliness and feeling overshadowed by her attention-grabbing sister.

Read this if you are looking for a well-written (and well-translated) novel about a flawed/human character trying to figure out her life.

Found the mc to be unbearable. Normally, I love a flawed character but this wasn't charming. Couldn't relate to characters, it's a family so I guess I understand why there's not a diverse cast.

Grown Ups by Marie Aubert is about Ida, a single forty-year-old architect hoping for a shot at motherhood. Then she heads off to meet her family for her mother's 65th birthday, where her sister reveals some news of her own, which unfortunately sets off Ida.

I am in love with this novel. I read it in one sitting. It may be a short novel but it completely captures the complexities of familial relationships. That you can be jealous, hold grudges, be petty towards each other -- and still love and be supportive of each other.

There are many ways for us to live our lives. It doesn't have to look the same as everyone else.

I absolutely love this book. It’s basically a story or a slice of life of a family. The pettiness, love, angst in minutia. I was absolutely engrossed in the entire book. Highly recommend!