CAREFUL-ISH (Slow Burn Marketing) by Honey Parker is a “ridiculous romp through COVID living as seen through the eyes of ridiculous people.” Author Honey Parker captures the irony of living in our current pandemic situation, including wearing masks, stocking up on toilet paper and Purell, social distancing, face-time and zooming while dressed from the waist up. It’s 2020 and six friends are quarantined in various states of living in New York City. There’s no way out, but it’s not the end-of-the-world, or is it?
The Joy, not just Joy, is a hairdresser who has taken in her friend, unemployed florist, Kimi. She’s given her a recliner in the corner of the apartment and a shower curtain to give her privacy. Unemployed restaurant worker, Benji is roommates with finance guy, Shad who works remotely in his underwear from their apartment. Steph works in television news and is on the brink of being fired. Jackson is a good-looking unemployed actor who never works. The novel follows their new downtime lives, while they struggle not to lose their minds. Once a week they all zoom in for cocktails and gossip.
I started reading CAREFUL-ISH with some skepticism wondering if it was too soon to laugh at how we’re handling life with this pandemic. My doubts were quickly mitigated. Honey Parker is a clever writer who knows how to put to paper tight-humorous dialogue. You’re still laughing at one joke when you read another. The scenes are pithy and witty. The characters jump off the page.
Don’t be surprised if you’re humming ABBA's “Waterloo” when you finish this book.
8 comments:
During the pandemic, we have been eating almost exclusively at home and saving money that way.
Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
More time for reading.
I eat a lot less junk food.
I think twice about going shopping for non-essentials
I was reading more.
more time to read
I have more time at home and with my girls being in college most of their classes were remote so they were able to be home more frequently, which is a pro and a con.
I would like to say it has given me more time to write but I haven't written at all. Because my adult daughters live at home I have had the opportunity to spend more time with them, playing games, etc. as they were both laid off.
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