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A family is upended when their small-town life becomes the latest battlefield in the culture wars in this of-the-moment novel for readers of Meg Wolitzer and Fleishman Is in Trouble
Life for Ethan and Zo used to be simple. Ethan co-founded a lucrative media start-up, and Zo was well on her way to becoming a successful filmmaker. Then they moved to a rural community for a little more tranquility—or so they thought.
When newfound political activism transforms Zo into a barely recognizable ball of outrage and #MeToo allegations rock his old firm, Ethan finds himself a misfit in his own life. Enter a houseguest who is young, fun, and not at all concerned with the real world, and Ethan is abruptly forced to question everything: his past, his future, his marriage, and what he values most.
Startling, witty, thought-provoking, and wise, Ali Benjamin’s exciting debut novel offers the shock of recognition as it deftly illuminates some of the biggest issues of our time. Taking inspiration from a classic Edith Wharton tale about a small-town love triangle, The Smash-Up is a wholly contemporary exploration of how the things we fail to see can fracture a life, a family, a community, and a nation.
Story Locale: Small town in Massachusetts
BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Ali Benjamin is the author of The Thing About Jellyfish, which was an international bestseller, a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and was optioned for a film in development with Reese Witherspoon’s Pacific Standard.
THE DEBUT ADULT NOVEL by the bestselling YA author.
TIMELY SUBJECT: Polarizing social and political stresses on an ordinary family: an activist women’s group outraged about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a distracted wife, a hyperactive daughter, a husband left out—and what is that millennial babysitter really doing there?
BOOK CLUB THEMES: Themes of family, love, identity, marriage, and sexual and financial challenges in an age of political unrest, social reset, male confusion, and feminist empowerment.
SPELLBINDING STORY, WRITING, AND VOICE: The smash-up of values today, captured with humor, insight, elegance, and a sense of the absurd.
Ali Benjamin is the author of the young adult novel The Thing About Jellyfish, an international bestseller and a National Book Award finalist. The Next Great Paulie Fink was named a top children’s book of the year by Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, the New York Public Library, and the Los Angeles Public Library. Her work has been published in more than twenty-five languages in more than thirty countries. Originally from the New York City area, she now lives in Massachusetts. This is her first adult novel.
Author Residence: Berkshires, Massachusetts
Author Hometown: Berkshires, Massachusetts
Marketing: Pre-pub buzz building campaign
Online marketing
Social media campaign
Targeted email marketing
Bookstagram influencer campaign
National advertising campaign
Random House e-newsletters and websites
Book club outreach
Reading group guide online
Library outreach
Publicity: National media attention
National/local review and feature print attention
National/local radio attention
Online review and feature attention
NPR campaign
Local author promotion: Berkshires, MA
Book & author festival outreach
Author Website: alibenjamin.com
“Sharply funny, perceptive, and surprising at every turn, The Smash-Up is a story that’s acid-etched and full of heart. Ali Benjamin is Edith Wharton with fresh eyes.”—Amy Bloom, New York Times bestselling author of White Houses
“A contemporary reflection on power and sex…Benjamin’s immediately engaging writing captures the complicated emotions and biting humor of these bruising times and their impact on relationships.”—Booklist