4.5 stars - I really enjoyed this book. I see that from other reviews, some people really didn’t like the character of Olive, but I found her very relatable. I thought the story was a realistic look at adult friendships and the trials that can occur as people move into other seasons of life. ( )

Olive is a thoughtful woman in her early 30s going through some major life changes. She has shared everything with her three best friends since they were tiny but they are becoming distant since she is walking a different path. In the 30s women must make their decision of whether to have children or not.

One of her. friends has three children, one is pregnant, and one is undergoing expensive and painful procedures to try to conceive. Olive has never wanted children and society gives her the impression that something is wrong with her. Women without children are to be pitied or not trusted. If you don’t want them now you will later. There’s constant pressure to have a real family. To make matters worse, Olive's boyfriend of 10 years wants to have children and he’s shocked to find out she seriously is committed to being parentless.

The book explores societal pressures on women to bear children, even pressuring each other. The book explores how life changes affect relationships as we watch the young women struggle with demands of their families, society, and their own needs. It is a thought-provoking book and will elicit a lot of great discussion for book clubs.

I thought it odd though that twice in the book, out of nowhere, she takes shots at vegans. It seemed really out of place. It was a minor diversion though.

She has a casual first person contemporary young voice. Easy to read, like listening to someone telling their own story.

I recommend it for anyone who is pondering the idea of whether to be a parent or not, or wants to understand the dilemma of 30-year-olds trying to decide. ( )

Although way older than Olive, I identified with her independence, her anxiety, her friendships, and her feeling of being adrift as her friends after college graduation have new families and babies. She is single and has a rising career in an online beauty magazine. She’s right in her observations that society looks down on career women who are self-centered. Listening to the audio version I was at times confused at the back and forth in time and getting lost in when the chapter was taking place. And do friends really quarrel that much?