Sipos's sharp, irreverent narrative explores addiction, reinvention, and the chaos of toxic workplaces-all wrapped in biting wit and unpredictable turns...As she fights to reclaim her career, Jaycee also battles her alcoholic past, exposing riveting family dynamics that Sipos mines with grace...The writing here is bold and inventive, tackling controversial topics with razor-sharp humor, unexpected lyrical sweeps, and striking chapter titles. Jaycee's growing attachment to the town's Hmong residents-descendants of Laotian guerilla fighters resettled in America after assisting US troops during the Vietnam War-adds cultural nuance, and Sipos's prose crackles with energy, packing more into a single sentence than some manage on an entire page. Readers will be eager for the sequel to this striking debut.-Booklife at Publisher's Weekly, Editor's Pick

Sipos writes with wit, introducing a large cast of quirky characters hiding a trove of backstories and deceptions. The dialogue is filled with sharply focused sarcasm, and Jaycee, who narrates the tale, is a feisty protagonist relentlessly trudging through a chaotic swamp of miscreants...Abel Dreaux, the village police chief, adds a bit of offbeat romance, and the aging Happy Lindstrom proves to be a delightful, surprising powerhouse. The relationship between Jaycee and Meredith provides some needed poignancy, as does the developing friendship between Jaycee and the gently rebellious Mennonite couple that tends to her culinary and gardening needs. Even so, acerbic humor is never more than a paragraph or two away. A clever and entertaining read, with amusing, unexpected twists and a sturdy female protagonist.-Kirkus Reviews

A razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud satire that flips the script on empowerment, image, and identity in Middle America...Jaycee Grayson is a bold new heroine-flawed, fearless, and refreshingly unfiltered-as she battles small-town facades and billion-dollar hypocrisy. With prose that zings and a plot full of surprises.-NewInBooks