Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Author:  Maria Semple

Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date:  August 14th 2012

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads:

Bernadette Fox is notorious.  To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, mom.  Then Bernadette disappears.  It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward:  a family trip to Antarctica.  But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands.  A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.  To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.'

---------------

Wow, I just loved Bernadette.  She's quirky and quite a likable character.  Her idiosyncrasies are funny, and heartwarming.

There are so many aspects of Where'd You Go, Bernadette that blended so well together, and made for a enjoyable fun read, which is why it got a 5 star rating from me.  The characters are so creatively done, and the plot...where did she go, has you turning the pages well past bedtime.  A lot of the story is told through email exchanges, letters, and transcripts, which made the story go by much quicker.  Bernadette is a creative genius, who doesn't have the patience or like to be around people, especially the gnats (mothers from the school her daughter goes to).  The gnats are annoying to Bernadette, they want her to participate and volunteer at the school, and look down at her for not.  Obviously she doesn't care about her child..I mean, she doesn't bake anything for the bake sale. *eye roll*  She does quite a few things to show her dislike of the gnats, all which lead to some laugh out loud moments.  Did I mention I love Bernadette.

I really don't like giving away much, even non spoilerish things. So I will end the review with "Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a fun book, with so many great moments".  Read it!