Woman No. 17

A Novel

By: Edan Lepucki

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Phoebe Strole

“A juice box of suburban satire laced with Alfred Hitchcock” (The Washington Post)—a novel of art, motherhood, and the intensity of female friendships, set in the posh hills above Los Angeles, from the New York Times bestselling author of California

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • San Francisco Chronicle • New York Observer • Huffington Post • The Millions • Nylon • Vulture • Bustle

High in the Hollywood Hills, Lady Daniels has separated from her husband. She’s going to need help with their toddler son if she’s going to finish the memoir she can’t stand writing. From a Craigslist ad, she hires S, a magnetic young artist, to live in the guesthouse behind the pool, take care of Lady’s young son, and keep an eye on her older, teenage one. S performs her job beautifully and quickly draws the entire family into her orbit—but she isn’t exactly who she seems. As Lady and S grow closer, old secrets and new betrayals come to light, jeopardizing what they hold most dear.

Praise for Woman No. 17

“Woman No. 17 is propulsive and moving, and considers vital questions with empathy and sly intelligence. . . . A winning novel. ”—The New York Times Book Review

“Lepucki’s exploration of personal relationships takes on an increasingly noirish tone: Much like Chekhov’s gun, a swimming pool introduced early in the book takes on the shadows of a floating body long before the reader realizes this might be a possibility.”—Elle

“Edan Lepucki’s Woman No. 17 is part family melodrama, part twisty self-reflection. . . . Very funny.”—GQ

“While Woman No. 17 does possess all the trappings of a frothy page-turner—stormy arguments, showy melodrama, and (oops!) an affair—there are some quiet, serious moments, too. It’s the intersection between the two that makes this read both scintillating and thought-provoking.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Meh.

Well written, good character development, but the story lacked substance and appeal. Most of the characters are just self absorbed idiots and it makes it difficult to sympathize and relate to them. It's essentially a story about selfish people making poor choices and barely having to deal with the consequences.

four and a half

I would honestly give it more like four and a half stars but it's raw and beautiful and the story feels so uncut in the most perfect imperfect way. The book doesn't feel like it throws anything into the basket for the sheer factor or shock for those dumb enough not to see things coming like in other books. It's a story, yes. However, it feels like a real one. It's as if Lady stopped writing her other book and started writing this one instead.

Life Can Be Complicated...

An interesting story of souls that are loss due to their paths. To enjoin paths that were meant to be crossed for the outcome was destined in order for the rebirth of their lives took place.

Overall a good read.

Babysitter Gone Bad in Hollywood Hills

Woman No. 17 is a wonderfully weird tale about a babysitter gone bad in Hollywood Hills. Have any of you seen the 1970s noir Three Women with Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek? This book totally has those vibes — female friendships that morph into something strange and sinister. (There’s also an art school side story, which I loved.) Narrators Cassandra Campbell and Phoebe Strole immediately drew me into the story, which doesn’t always happen for me with audio fiction, so it was especially fun to be hooked from track 1.

captivating

I listened to this book non stop. I really enjoyed the reader's perception of lady.