Desperate in DC
by Phoebe Thompson and Crystal Walker
SmashWords
"Frankly, I'm a little perturbed at how much parents are expected to do for their children here in DC."
Crystal Walker just moved from Kansas City to Washington, DC with her husband George and their four children including a newborn baby. Her friendship to Phoebe Thompson, a former BBC correspondent with twins of her own, is seemingly all that keeps her sane when dealing with a constantly travelling husband, rebellious children, and the odd residents of their exclusive upscale community The Village. Crystal is struggling to adapt to well-to-do socialite lifestyle of DC and is preparing to start a new job as a lawyer with prominent firm Sterling Morris. Friction between the family's needs and George's absentee work schedule are leading to family tensions though, while the inverse is true for Phoebe: Her inventor husband Brad is around the house all day while their savings dwindle rapidly.
The narration in this title is very unique in that it takes place entirely in digital locations. The vast majority of what the reader takes in is through instant messages, text messages, emails, and social media posts between Crystal and Phoebe. When these characters are messaging their husbands or neighbors, we see only their side of the conversation and are able to glean the details through their responses. This modern approach to storytelling lends itself to a unique read broken up by monthly newsletters, blog posts, and post-it notes around the house, giving a very accurate depiction of how family communication is carried out in this hectic, detached day and age. The story is serious but the details are ridiculous, and this combination of serious familial drama with quirky new age humor was difficult to put down and thoroughly enjoyable.