The Well-Read Commuter Reviews: Divorce Sucks

Book: Divorce Sucks: What to do when irreconcilable differences, lawyer fees, and your ex’s Hollywood wife, make you miserable!

Author: Mary Jo Eustace

What this book is about:
Even if you don’t think that you have ever heard of Mary Jo Eustace, if you have ever watched TMZ, Lifetime or read Star magazine, chances are that you have heard of her. Her husband of thirteen years, Dean McDermott, left her for Tori Spelling. This book is one part tell- all and one part guide to get readers on their feet after a bitter breakup. This hilarious read will fill you in on all the things you never wanted to know about divorce from what a phone call with a lawyer will cost, to how to handle your new replacement, to what Hollywood divorcees are actually thinking when they watch their ex walk the red carpet with a millionaire. Sometimes horrifying, sometimes gratifying, and never merciful, this book will give readers an inside look at one of today's most public divorces while reminding them - hey, it could always be worse.

Did you like this book:

I did like this book. I immediately snapped it up when I saw it and settled in for what I was sure was going to be a gossip-filled and juicy read. It was not the meaty tell-all I was hoping for, but it is a pretty cute pick-me-up for any woman who is knocked for a loop by her recent relocation to the “51 percentile” area code. Mary Jo is inviting everyone to join her on her Divorce Cruise as she takes the reader through reassembling a life and adjusting to their new “single” reality. The book covers a lot of ground with some really funny insights into the demise of Mary Jo’s marriage and just how she picked up all the pieces. The book coaches the reader on how to live for yourself, date again and even think about giving marriage another go around- skipping quickly from subject to subject. Nothing is off limits as she advises women on deleting the porn he had on the family computer, ripping off the wood paneling in the den and throwing out that Bow Flex he had to have but never used. Since her husband left her while they were on vacation with another couple, and while she was holding their soon to be adopted seven week old daughter (the adoption was not even finalized) for a married woman whom he had known for only three weeks, Mary Jo’s life and the way she rebuilt it can serve as inspiration. If you are in the midst of a soul-sucking divorce and not in the mood for inspiration, at the very least a you can look at her break-up which included being dragged through the tabloid ringer, and having to stomach her ex and his new wife ham it up on their own reality show and get a good old fashioned, “thank God it’s not that bad” out of it.

I did bristle at the advice that Mary Jo gave to divorcing mothers on talking to their ex-husbands and make sure that their ex’s were fully understanding their (the mother’s) point of view. She advises the women to use guilt as a tool of manipulation to in essence make their ex-husband’s see things there way and do what they want. This made me cringe. A guilty parent lends itself to a guilty parenting style with no rules, also called permissive parenting, which leads to really bratty, entitled kids that no one wants to be around. Kids are also smart and when they hear mom on the phone controlling dad with guilt, they will add that trick to their toolbox and use it against both parents. Overall a great read and definitely a quick pick me up for those who find themselves on their own Divorce Cruise. This book is part of Joanne’ Kimes’ best-selling “Sucks” series which includes informational books such as Pregnancy Sucks for Men, Menopause Sucks, Dating Sucks, Dieting Sucks and Potty Training Sucks. With so many things about life, well, just plain sucking I am sure the series will enjoy success for quite some time.