The First Bad Man

August 25, 2014
July (No One Belongs Here More than You) successfully transitions from short stories to her first novel, introducing eccentric 40-something Cheryl Glickman in a tale about role-playing. In addition to sexual fantasies featuring her senior co-worker Phillip, unmarried Cheryl also imagines a perennial connection with babies. Her world is flipped upside down when Clee, her boss’s 20-year-old daughter, moves in until she can get on her feet. Cheryl’s fantasies soon involve Clee with any man that passes by, and she becomes aroused when Clee plays along with self-defense scenarios. When Phillip starts a relationship with a 16-year-old girl, Cheryl grows closer with Clee, switching between roles as her enemy, sparring partner, mother, grandmother, aunt, and girlfriend. Other characters give, or refuse to give, their own performances, including Clee’s parents, who refuse to act as grandparents when she gets pregnant, and Cheryl’s therapist, who plays mistress to the other office doctor. Cheryl and Clee’s simulated fights in the first half will remind readers of July’s peculiar short-story style, but the book hits its stride in the second half when Cheryl helps Clee through her pregnancy. July’s writing is strange and beautiful, with enough cleverness woven into the characters’ strange fantasy lives to keep readers contemplating the family roles and games adults undertake.

September 15, 2014

July is a quirky creator working in many media, so much so that she was the subject of an Onion article titled "Miranda July Called Before Congress To Explain Exactly What Her Whole Thing Is." She has an award-winning short story collection (No One Belongs Here More Than You), films (The Future), and performance art pieces under her belt, but this is her first novel. The author's protagonist is Cheryl, a lonely middle-aged woman invested in her work for a company that produces self-defense exercise videos. Cheryl's incredibly regimented life is interrupted by Clee, a young, irresponsible houseguest who won't leave. Cheryl's problems start out predictably, but her inner monolog and way of coping with loneliness and alienation are anything but typical. Her obsession with an older coworker leads her to explore her sexuality and gender identity, and through Clee she learns about herself and fulfills a lifelong desire to care for a child born to the "wrong" mother. VERDICT This well-written, compelling novel will delight the open-minded reader looking for something new. It will satisfy July's fans and win her many more. [See Prepub Alert, 7/7/14.]--Kate Gray, Worcester P.L., MA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 2, 2015
Middle-aged, quirky, and socially awkward Cheryl leads a solitary life and has
an unusual imagination. In addition to sexual fantasies involving her senior coworker Phillip, Cheryl, who is unmarried, also imagines a connection with babies. When her bosses’ ask her to
temporarily take in their hostile, selfish 20-year-old daughter, Clee, Cheryl’s life fundamentally changes—negatively at first, but ultimately for the better. July’s original and distinctive writing style is matched by her highly entertaining narration: she embodies the character completely, making her very sympathetic, and her wonderfully understated tone of voice highlights Cheryl’s quirkiness and makes it funnier (saying bizarre things in a very calm, neutral voice, as though it’s all perfectly normal). Listeners with a taste for whimsical humor and eccentric characters will love this memorable audiobook. A Scribner hardcover.