Everything Here Is under Control: A Novel

I won’t lie: I chose to read and review Everything Here is Under Control because, well…, nothing is under control these days, and the title made me smile. The book follows two lifelong yet estranged friends, Carrie and Amanda, who are thrown together again after Amanda has a new baby and feels like she doesn’t quite know what she is doing.

Amanda returns to her hometown, where she seeks the comfort and advice of Carrie, who became a mother when she was very young. Everything Here is Under Control expertly weaves together the narratives of these friends as they figure out their relationships with each other, their children, their lovers, and themselves.

This book was a delight to read. The author seems to really understand the true sense of what it is like to be a new mother, with all the self-doubt, worry, and pure love that come along with that role. The relationship between Carrie and Amanda has depth and strength that lend even more complexity and nuance to their friendship. The book is easy to read, because you want to know and understand the characters better. In the end, you do understand them, and maybe understand yourself a bit better as well.