MOMZILLAS

West Coast transplant does battle with Manhattan’s über-moms—Kargman’s first solo after co-authoring two books with Carrie Karasyov (Wolves in Chic Clothing, 2005, etc.).

When Hannah Foster’s husband, Josh, announces he’s been offered a dream job in New York City, Hannah supports him completely—even if it means uprooting her two-year-old daughter, Violet, and leaving behind her close-knit group of San Francisco friends. Hannah dutifully packs up their home and heads cross-country. Despite the sterile temporary apartment, Hannah’s determined to make the move work for her family and give Violet an amazing New York experience. Josh, a native New Yorker, won’t have time to help Hannah transition into this strange world. The best he can do is to connect Hannah with a high-school chum, Bee—now the queen of the “momzillas,” or New York’s elite mothers. These size-two gals inhabit Manhattan’s Upper East Side and make it their mission to look flawless while rearing the next generation of Ivy Leaguers. Perfectly groomed and hyper-connected within New York society, Bee and her cohorts can make or break Hannah’s acceptance into this world of $18,000 private preschools. Hannah’s Nine Inch Nails concert tees and Converse sneakers don’t mesh with cashmere twin sets and pearls, but since Hannah wants the very best for Violet, she’s willing to play their game. Making her way in this alien world where moms outsource the dirty work isn’t a snap, and the outwardly helpful Bee has it in for Hannah. Navigating the playground politics of this privileged crowd nearly breaks Hannah’s spirit. Fortunately, she’s able to shake off her naïveté and claim the city in her own way.

The author has strong ideas but relies too heavily on acronyms and abbreviations and fails to create a multidimensional villain. Still, a decent effort that debunks the myth of the perfect mommy.