The Smart One by Ellen MeisterHave you ever read a contemporary novel and so connected with one of the characters that you could imagine him/her as a friend? That’s the way I feel about Bev, the main character in Ellen Meister’s The Smart One. Bev is the middle of three sisters - the Smart One, eldest is Clare – the Pretty One, youngest is Joey – the Wild One.
Meister writes in Bev’s voice; we read all the self-deprecating and self-doubting asides that are in Bev’s head, as well as share her outward joys and struggles. She is smart, cynical and ironic – just the kind of girlfriend I’d like to have over for a cup of coffee, to wit:
I never really understood the whole sitting-on-the-lap thing. To me, it was about as sexy as getting weighed, and made me nearly as self-conscious … the more I tried to get comfortable perched on [his] thighs, the more I realized how undignified I felt. It made me wonder if other women felt as I did. Would Clare and Joey feel infantilized on a man’s lap? Or would they throw their arms around his shoulders and snuggle into his neck? I cursed the roll of the DNA dice that bestowed my sisters the flirting gene and not me. Granted, I had gifts they lacked. But what good was a talent for getting the fifty-point bonus in Scrabble when you were trying to score in a different way entirely?
The novel opens as Bev returns to her parents’ Long Island home at a pivotal point in her life – she has divorced her cheating husband, decided to change careers to elementary eduction (after spending more than a decade in a series of entry-level jobs related vaguely to her graphic arts eduction), and is interested in relocating to Las Vegas in order to put as much distance as possible between herself and the shambles her life has become. Clearly, her self-esteem is low.
Bev’s parents have been visiting their next-door-neighbors, the Waxmans, at the Waxman’s “snowbird” residence, and have extended their trip to Florida due to her father’s broken ankle. Bev is asked to assist with some maintenance issues at the Waxman’s home, as their son Kenny is unavailable, busy with his job as a comedy writer in Los Angeles. In Kenny, Ellen Meister has created a character who is the perfect vehicle for the delivery of her best puns and wordplay.
The novel centers around Bev and her sisters, but the extended cast of characters interact with the three women in a way that adds compassion, excitement and romance to the mix. The discovery of a body stuffed inside an old industrial barrel is the proverbial “tip of the iceberg” in the long list of mysteries and conflicts to be sorted out.
I have to confess that when I saw the bright “girly” cover and read the synopsis I thought, “oh, good, this will be a quick light read … I’ll dash off the review in no time!”. Well, The Smart One turns out to be a deeper read with real/true personalities dealing with real/true situations. Yes, there are light moments of over-the-top humor and some situations that seem less than realistic, but these lighter moments temper the tough decisions that Bev has to make as she finds her path to the next steps in her life – career, romance and family relationships. Despite the cupcakes on the cover, this novel packs more “meat” than “sweet”, confronting such issues as infidelity, love versus lust, aging/ailing parents, the power of addiction, and the strength of the stereotypical roles we play in our own families.
I was pleased to be invited to review this novel as part of the author tour on Blog Stop Book Tours; many thanks to Mary Lewis for introducing me to the work of Ellen Meister, a talented and clever writer! I’m going to add her debut novel, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA, to my wish list. If you’d like to learn more, visit the author’s website or check out other stops on the blog tour: Mom Is Just A Nickname, Virtual Wordsmith, Musings From The Mitten, The Book Faery Reviews, Maw Books, Fighting With Writing, Book Room Reviews, Presenting Lenore and Anything That Pays… A Freelance Writer’s Blog.
I promised a small surprise for one lucky reader – here it is! I think that we have a bit of the pretty one, the smart one and the wild one in each of us. I have a little gift package with a cosmetic bag (with mirror, perfect for corralling lipstick, a comb and hair ties in your handbag), a brain-teaser puzzle (should be a cinch for the smart one in you!), and some rub-on tattoos (that rebel phase isn’t permanent, is it?). Just leave a comment about The Smart One (your take on sibling “labelling”, perhaps?); enter by midnight on Thursday September 4, I’ll announce the winner next Friday!
I’ve been seeing this book pop up on lots of blogs. It looks like something I’d enjoy!
Julie – I did enjoy it! I’ll have to pick up a copy of Meister’s previous novel …
No need to enter me, Dawn. I’m just letting you know I posted about this over at Win a Book. Your review is awesome!
It would be interesting to me to read about the relationship between the sisters since I’m an only child. Glad to hear you liked the book so much, I’ll have to put it on my wish list!
Susan – thank you!
Janel – Yes, sibling relationships are interesting; I’m the youngest of three ….
My view is this: I am the baby of the family of a brother who was 14 years older than me and a sister who is 10 years older. My brother was extremely intelligent and got straight A’s his entire school career. He was even the Valedictorian of his Veterinarian class! My sister has a Master’s degree in education and I have a degree in Psychology. When I was young, I thought I am not even going to try and keep up with my brother and sister. Please enter me in your delightful drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
The Smart One? Well, when I was younger, I always thought she got everything — as in more attention and stuff. But basically it was because she needed it first (obviously). She got the first laptop, printer, car, etc
I might have minded it then, but it doesn’t bug me anymore. Thanks for the chance! 
this looks like a great read!
I have been a bit of all three. I was the pretty one in high school, the wild one in my 20′s, and as I pass 40, I am (hopefully) the smart one.
Still along way to go and still learning a lot!
I’m the oldest of five girls, yes, I had four baby sisters to look after. And I adore them all to this day.
There are other traits too, like the one who always gets away with stuff, often the youngest. The one who tattles on everyone; the bossy one, oops, that would be me. It’s great having sister though. I really want to read this story. Thank you for giving me a chance.
i’m the youngest of four, two of my siblings never lived with us they always lived with their mom, they are my half-siblings only my fathers son and daughter, while i, and my older sister, have lived with our parents. we are pretty close to our older half siblings though, they both already graduated from college and have a masters in something or other : ), both of them and my older sister who i’ve lived with all my life are very smart, and i’m pretty slow at times so it has made me feel egh! at times. many times i have been compared to my older sister, the math whiz, because she is so good at anything dealing with school, always getting good grades mostly straight a’s or sometimes a b or two, while i had been trying to get by with very few a’s some b’s and a few c’s here and there everynow and then, and i had failed a math class, algebra, so that made me feel pretty bad.
would love to get to read this book : )
What an awesome contest!
Honestly, Bev sounds like me, sufferers of the Middle Child Syndrome. My older sis does sound like the Pretty One, while my younger bro is definitely the Wild One out of all of us. That only leaves the “Smart One” for me? Hahaha. Okay, I guess that doesn’t sound so bad…
Interesting review. (=
I recently read Secrets of the Applewood PTA, and LOVED it! After reading this review, it sounds like I’ll enjoy this one too, so I’m off to buy it!! LOL! Thanks for the info! Oh, and here’s my official contest entry!
LOVE Ellen! Ive read all her stuff and I must agree with you on this one! Its easy to find a way to relate to all the sisters!
I truly enjoyed this book as well. The sibling dynamic is well (and humorously) illustrated, and insightful. Ellen really ‘gets it’, and reading her books is a pleasure! A great way to spend the limited “me time” of which I am so protective.
This as been one of the best books I read all summer. While it is not my normal type of book, I was pulled into the story ao quick. I also felt like this could be a friend you would sleep now with over a cup of coffee. Ellen’s fun and wit ready came thru in this book as well as her Smart side. I can’t wait till 2009.
Hugs,Ellen.
That quote you chose really struck me when I read it too. I don’t have sisters (just brothers). What a fun idea for a contest!
Enter me please! Thank you!
Sibling labeling – a new coworker and I have become friends. She is a sister to many with a large ‘hybrid’ family. We recently talked about her brothers and sisters. She told me how there will always be an extra bedroom in her home for one younger sister who has Down’s. It was quite touching that she shared such a personal detail.
I have an older and younger brother. Continuing to talk with my coworker, she had me pegged as the oldest child and certainly not the middle child. When I asked why, she couldn’t quite put it into words. It makes you wonder what personality traits carry to stereotyping and why. . .
The stereotypes: oldest = wisest; middle = ?; youngest = ruthless, rule-breaker. However, what is the stereotype for the 4th child? Or is there one? Also, does the stereotype blend when there are only 2 children? And lastly, in looking at “an only child” – does that mean they can have cycles of wiseness, middle-child traits, and ruthlessness or is that called teenage moodiness?
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[...] This little gift package is based on the characters in Ellen Meister’s The Smart One (reviewed here). It was interesting to read what you all had to say about birth order personalities and the [...]
Thanks so much for the great review, Dawn, and for running this terrific giveaway! Fab idea and so much fun!
Thanks to all who entered and congrats to Nicole for winning the prize.
xoEllen