Plays Well with Others

DEBUT Brickman’s first novel (after Baby, Unplugged) centers on parenting and mental health, but in epistolary fiction full of warmth, emotions, and humor. Annie was an arts writer for the New York Times, but having three kids in four years means taking a job writing a parenting column for an internet startup. Her editor obsesses about clicks, and Annie’s anxiety about her own parenting skills sends her into occasional panic attacks. Living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side brings its own special kind of pressure; now that her oldest is four, that means getting him into the right school for kindergarten and life. Her nemesis is Belinda, a fierce divorce lawyer who regularly gets her digs in as their kids compete for entry into the top schools. Annie’s husband is busy making money and figures he can start parenting in about a decade, leaving Annie to wonder if she’ll make it until then. Told through her parenting columns, text chains replete with emojis, school newsletters, and more, the story eventually implodes into a glorious, satisfying ending.