Rating: 
Summary: There's only one word for this book...
Review: ...and there's no way to avoid it. OK, the word is CUTE! There, I said it. Well, actually it is, mostly. Set in a pretty, prosperous city, the fairly well-off characters deal with marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth. (No raw, rude, crude slice of life here.) It concerns Brooke, a tired young mother married to a man who plays a computer game called "Realm of the Elf", 24/7, and shows little interest in his family. This isn't good, of course, but Brooke admits they sort of rushed into marriage and pregnancy. Brooke's best friend, Mary Rose, is knocked up by Brooke's shirt-tail cousin, who is still technically married. This book is quite witty,often funny, and the characters seem like people I would love, yes, love to know. And there is a surprise near the ending. There is much about pregnancy ,which some people may find informative, but some people may also find the joy 'n wonder Brooke finds in her child's every gurgle a mite tedious. Be patient, this book is worth it as a pick-me-up any day! It's the type of book you could lend to an elderly aunt and she would tsk-tsk-these-young-people-nowadays, but she would also say with perfect truth that she loved it, nonetheless. I'm giving it 4 stars because there is a lot of yadayadayada about basketball which I don't understand or care much about, but that's my own personal shortcoming. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Humorous light tale that is laugh out loud witty
Review: A great read if you are looking for something light to read. The author weaves the trying tests of motherhood into this story; her humorous perspective on situations all mothers have encountered will make you laugh out loud! As a reader you may miss many nuances if you are not a mother or have not spent a significant amount of time around children. But if you know what it's like to care for an infant and attempt to maintain your sanity....you will love this book!
Rating: 
Summary: totally enjoyed this
Review: An upbeat rendition of real life as a mom/wife. It's kind-of like a fictional story/plot of Men are from Mars- Women are from Venus. I've been married over 21 years, and this fictional book made me realize--Hey, he's just like that, don't take it so personal. The pregnancy and child birth brought back so many memories that I laughed at but way back then--I didn't think were so funny. And the parts about being the mother of a toddler....very true. really a fun book and makes light of serious-real-life situations--the way we should all be to start with. It sure put me in a better frame of mind on the homefront. Just plain fun to read. I sure needed it after reading a very depressing Oprah pick.
Rating:
Summary: a great read, not just for Moms
Review: I got this as a present at my baby shower and read it in one sitting. This is not just a novel for moms, but for anyone who really wants a good novel that makes them laugh....and think!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for new moms!
Review: I have never read a book where you feel as if the author is taking thoughts directly from your heart and writing them down until I read this novel. Ms. Karbo's writing is witty and emotional, once I picked it up I had to just read it all the way through. If you want to read a great story with a terrific insight into the thoughts and fears of a new mother get this book!!
Rating:
Summary: Fun and Truth
Review: I loved this book. I found myself looking forward not just to what was going to happen next but how Karbo was going to put things-- as when the narrator is nursing her baby girl and the doorbell rings and she says: "What to do? Unceremoniously unhook her, giving her more material for her eventual psychotherapy, or race to the door, bent over, baby held to my ribs, knees bent, like a participant in one of those wacky races popular at company picnic?" This is potent, tasty writing, both a fun read and truth-telling.
Rating:
Summary: Now I get it!
Review: I read this book a few months before I became pregnant with my now two-and-a-half year old son. Then, I recently read it again as a mother of a toddler. I really liked the book then, but now I identify with Brooke much more. This is an excellent depiction of motherhood and how it changes women's lives drastically. True, Brooke's voice is frequently reveling in martyrdom, but she also accurately depicts the indescribable love and fear felt by a new mother. While her husband is a bit of the stereotypical loser of a man (I would have thrown him out within weeks of the birth), the ending brings hope that he will reform soon. I always tell expectant first-time mothers that they cannot possibly even begin to understand how simultaneously joyous and difficult motherhood is until the baby is born. (I think that it takes a little longer than that for most dads, and for husbands like Lyle it takes much longer.) My perspective of reading this book twice- before pregnancy and again after having a kid- confirms this for me. Some of us are more shell-shocked than others, but are lives are never the same- for the better!
Rating:
Summary: Very funny, very real...
Review: I read this book just before my son was born, and laughed my (...) off! Its so absolutely dead on with respect to the strange transitional period between pregnancy and early motherhood, and such a fun story! (...)Pregnancy, labor, deliver and postpartum hormones make you insane. The infantilized treatment of men in this story might be off-putting to some, but it really only serves to underscore that women really, truly go through the journey toward becoming a mother alone. It makes for a funny story, as you can imagine. Definately read this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I really wanted to like "Motherhood Made a Man Out Me" by Karen Karbo. I had heard good things from a friend (who has a two year old) but just couldn't get into this self-righteous and unfunny book. Karbo eagerly adopts the "all men are pigs" attitude as each of her male characters lies around watching sports, failing to take care of his child and or wife in a suitable manner, most also invariably run into trouble keeping their zippers shut. While men can obviously be giant dufuses (is there a correct plural to "dufus?") when it comes to fatherhood and/or romance not every man is an oversized five year old unwilling to do his part. I also can't recommend Karbo's whining female leads who are SO absorbed in their children's neediness they fail to recognize that there is a world outside their babies dirty diapers or fathom that not everyone thinks their child is the center of the universe. (I don't much like woman who are like this in real life either.) I kept wanting to shake Karbo's protagonist "Brooke" and say, "Listen lady, you're not doing yourself or your kid any favors by totally ignoring your own life and turning yourself into the cloak of bitter complaining martyr. Take of the hair shirt and join the real world why don't you?" Perhaps if I had some little ones underfoot I'd feel differently, but I just can't recommend this version of "Motherhood" to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very funny and light. The criticisms I have read here, of this book, are perplexing to me. This book is not meant to be taken seriously- some of these readers need to get a life. While this novel did not actually comment on motherhood as much as I thought it would- I loved reading it for its humorous characters and cute, surprise ending.
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