“Fran thought about the shampoo effect at moments like this, and the way it applied to so many interpersonal dynamics- the way that in these old relationships nobody was every really working from a clean slate, new feelings were built on old feelings.” – The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
The shampoo effect is the residual drug or alcohol phenomenon after a binge when only a small amount of the substance is needed to re-activate your buzz. Think about “rinse and repeat”. Much less shampoo is needed the second time to achieve a full sudsy lather.
After reading the book jacket blurb of The Shampoo Effect, I expected a different story. The blurb mentioned Caroline so a reader expects her experience. It was a surprise to turn the page to a new chapter and read another narrator. The story is told by Caroline and three girlfriends from the friend group, Bailey, Augusta and Fran. Four narrators changed the reading experience and made it richer and more layered.
Caroline is a twenty something writer who moves to a small seaside village in Massachusetts trying to escape the shadow cast by her bestselling novelist mother. She meets Van and he introduces her to his tight knit group of friends. One of them is Van’s longtime friend with benefits. The new girlfriend, Caroline, is unwelcome especially when the friend with benefits announces her unexpected pregnancy with Van’s baby.
The friends are so unlikeable. In fact, all the characters are unlikeable. These characters are in their mid-thirties with families living like they are single twenty-one year olds. At least, the reader is in the four female characters’ heads. I will not say that makes them more likable but it helps with insight.
In an act of desperation to write something, Caroline crafts a story from an outsider point of view based on Van and his friends and only changes their names and a few minor details. When her short story goes viral, it is like a bomb is dropped in their small seaside town where everyone knows everyone. Some things are meant to be kept secret while others are never ever mentioned.
Check out The Shampoo Effect to learn how the friends navigate the fallout and what happens to Caroline.
What I am Reading: The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins
What Audiobook I am Listening to: Dear Dealer: A Memoir by Nadia Bowers
What Podcast I am Listening to: A Certain Age with Katie Fogarty
Look for books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent bookstore each week.
Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to inspire you to become one, too. For more recommendations or to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.
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