Patty's Potent Potion by Robin AlexanderMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very sad thing happened just moments ago – the book ended. I’m sad now.
It is rare for me to think and/or say this but I loved the characters in this book to the point that I want to know them in real life, and if they are based on real life people the author knows, then I’m jealous, I am.
There’s Shawna Haydel, 39, work-at-home (she also has a gas station, and is the reason for the ‘financial services’ shelf since she also works as an accountant) mother of 16 year old Alicia ‘Jet’ Haydel; and there's Ashton Guidry, 39, biology teacher and (reluctant temporary) color guard coach at the same school Jet attends. Both of them are the point of views in this book. And both are darn right lovable. The others, the non-point of view characters, are also lovable – though slightly less so depending on the character. There’s Jet, already mentioned, who is also a member of the color guard; and both of Shawna’s parents (Lou and Will) are also still alive and around (Will being the bald man (but for two hairs) who is there in the story, has a distinct personality, but hasn’t much to do with the book; and then there is Lou, another one with a distinct personality, though shown more through her interactions with her own mother – who just happens to live with Lou and Will), and grandmother (Janice, who had been the principal at the high school and is very prim and proper). Rounding out the first tier side characters is Patty – one of the four who were friends in high school (Shawna and Ashton being two of the others, while Cassie makes the fourth but isn’t around the town any longer). Filling in the second tier are those like the band leader Stiles, who is a pushy dick, his girl-friend Joann (who Shawna and the rest knew at high school – as a stuck up bitch), and . . . well, Janice probably goes on this level instead of first tier. Hmm. I kind of ‘ruined’ my tier system so let’s forget about that. Like, I should have had Meagan (Megan?) on the first tier but, like I said, let’s forget about tiers. Megan is Shawna’s 1) best friend; 2) ex-partner/wife (and referred to by Jet as Mom-Megan – one of Jet’s two mothers).
The book opens with a bunch of 16 year olds giggling and writing on paper while 16 year old Patty made a ‘potion’ (not the drinking kind of potion, luckily, since . . . well, spit and stuff). The potion is some kind of love potion – the girls wrote down the person they loved and/or wanted to love them, and put that paper into the potion. Shawna is nervous about the whole thing because she wants to write the name of one of the other young women there, but doesn’t want anyone to know or see the paper. The ritual is concluded, the page is turned, and it’s now 23 years later.
Shawna works out of her home while overseeing her daughter Jet. The ‘present’ part of the book, which apparently takes place in 2015 based on a comment in the book (which literally said ‘it is 2015’), starts off with Jet being super annoyed. And wanting to drop out of the Color Guard team. Because there’s a new coach and she’s bitchy and mean and stuff. Coach Ashole (or Ashhole, I forget spelling now). I suppose I should interject two things here – Shawna and Ashton haven’t communicated in roughly 20 to 21 years, and Shawna has no clue that Ashton has moved back to the small town, so there’s no inherent reason for her to immediately hear ‘Ashole’ and think ‘Ashton’. And she doesn’t immediately realize this fact. But she does want Jet to remain on the team, for now, because of the promises Jet made (and the money spent on the ‘stuff’ associated with being a member of the color guard).
Ashton, meanwhile, has been forced to become the temporary color guard coach due to the current coach needing to step away for a while for emotional reasons (going through a divorce).
And, um, stuff.
There’s no way I can do this book justice so I’m going to move on from my normal rambling.
The book is super humorous, lovely, great book. Brought tears to my eyes several times (from laughter), and there were many humorous moments/scenes. Some of which are created by having the daughter (Jet) catch her mother (Shawna) doing things. Like dance around.
“Were you backing it up on the fridge?” [Jet]- 24% into the book. Jet catches Shawna dancing for joy when she reconnects with Ashton (and this also might be the scene after Shawna learned that (view spoiler))
“I was…uh…was…removing smudges with my butt. Did you forget something?” [Shawna]
“My laptop. I have a paper due Monday for English. I’ll just go get that now,” Jet said, still looking disconcerted as she left the room.
“I saw a smudge, and I rubbed my butt on it. That’s perfectly normal,” Shawna called after her."
Some of the humor scenes involve just Shawna and Ashton – like the time Shawna catches Ashton sleep walking and (view spoiler), or the time Ashton catches Shawna drinking wine out of a pickle jar due to nerves. Things more humorous in context. Or, I should say, read in the book.
"You're having wine...in a pickle jar. Why is that?" Ashton asked, looking confused.
"Oh." Shawna looked closely at it. "I didn't even notice. I just grabbed it."
Several of the sex scenes are quite humorous as well. For . . . reasons.
I, relatively recently, read two Alexander books close-ish together and labeled one as the best romance book I’d ever read and the other the best humor book I’d read. Well, I’m pushing both books out of their positions and sliding this book here in their place. This book here is both the best romance book I’ve read and the best humor book I’ve read. I wish to put this book on my top tier, but, sadly, I have to wait until I reread this book to do that.
Rating: 5.99 (only rereads can be 6 star books)
May 4 2017
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