Review of The Social Climber's Handbook by Molly Jong-Fast

The Social Climber’s Handbook

By Molly Jong-Fast

            Upper East Side socialite Daisy Greenbaum is accustomed to the finer things – designer clothes, summers in the Hamptons, elite private school educations for her daughters, and a staggeringly expensive Park Avenue apartment. But Daisy find her well-heeled lifestyle on precarious footing after her husband, master of the universe Dick Greenbaum, learns about some shady dealings that threaten his position at The Bank.

            Daisy refuses to allow her family to slip down the social ladder, so she devises a madcap plan: anyone who jeopardizes her place to the top will simply have to be dispatched – six feet under. From Dick’s arrogant boss to his scheming former mistress to a pair of nosy bloggers, Daisy’s hit list is a who’s who of big names with even bigger secrets. But with the body count rising as the Dow Jones falls, can Daisy really get away with murder?

I was expecting so, so much out of this book but it fell flat – COMPLETELY flat. This was one of the biggest disappointments I have read in a long time.  I hated the language through out the book. It wasn’t that there was just swearing in the book it is just that pretty much the only swearing in this book is the F word! So it was stupid and just looked like she was adding it to just look ‘cool’. So it came off as childish.

It was not a funny or witty book at all despite the claims of such. I really usually enjoy books like this but this just didn’t turn out like the premise indicates. It could have been a really great story if it was more thought out and the characters more developed. I did love the main character Daisy Greenbaum and all of her secrets but it should have gone into that more and it didn’t. After all isn’t this about her and her serial killer-ness?

So I am giving this book 2 stars just for trying but that is being generous. I did receive this as an advance proof so maybe, just maybe the actual book may be improved upon before it published. I am just glad I didn’t have to pay for this book.