Roper’s premise, by her own plotting, hangs on a slender tampon thread ... The novel is obsessed with personal appearance ... Kat is a mean girl masquerading as a milquetoast, and an equal-opportunity offender in trashing men’s looks, too ... The Society of Shame is often clever and inventive, charged with plenty of zingers, railing against Big Tampon. But cleverness can quickly wear out its welcome. At 368 pages, the book might have benefited by being shorter, brevity being the soul of wit and all.
Roper’s latest is a hilarious romp through cancel culture, performative activism, and politics. She manages a fine balance between quippy humor and genuine emotion, and as Kat steps out of her husband’s shadow, the book becomes a woman’s journey of self-discovery and a mother-daughter story.
The humor gets its teeth from author Roper's eye for just the right details ... Astutely written, with the perfect balance among humor, heartbreak, and understanding.
