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Donna C. (Pismo Beach, CA)
A Much-Needed Look at Who Surrounds Us
Dreams and options, hopes and frustrations exist in so many forms for this group of skillfully characterized employees in a retail chain store. The details of both their lives and their work are written with compassion and deliver the reader into a largely unknown and unheralded universe. This is such an important story, told through fiction, but one that generates much needed awareness and understanding for the good of humanity. I laughed and cried, cringed and applauded each of these remarkably created characters as they made their way through the book.
Patricia W. (Desoto, TX)
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman
I loved this book. It was so interesting to read about the people who worked in the early morning to unload the delivery trucks at a retail store. Each had his/her own challenges and life situations that influenced where and when they could work. Some workers had to deal with snafus with social services, childcare problems, lack of transportation, unreliable living arrangements, and relationship turmoil. Some of their hardships were compounded by actions that the retail store implemented, including changes in their work hours, too few work hours to qualify for insurance, and unrealistic goals for each work day.
…more Also, much of management was out of touch with the workers and lacked an understanding of their needs. In contrast, the retail store was up against some new challenges of its own, primarily the need to compete with online stores which have some unique advantages.
Relationships, support systems, and friendships are necessary for people to navigate life. Waldman highlights this while revealing the quirky characters. My book club will enjoy discussing this story. Years ago, we read Nickel and Dimed. Help Wanted is a bit of a fictional version of it. (less)Thank you Bookbrowse and the publisher for sending an advance reading copy of this book.
Using a mundane topic about working in a big box store and turning it into a very interesting storyline in Help Wanted, worked! I enjoyed seeing the relationships between co-workers and bosses, with the myriad of reasons behind each character working for that company, and their exchanges between each other, held my attention throughout this story. In my opinion, it shows every life is worthwhile and every job is important, to both themselves and the people one may work with, as well as the company itself. For a company to
…more survive and thrive within a neighborhood, it is only as good as its employees, no matter what the job description may be. (less)Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman centers around employee interactions in a big box store and deals with the issue of who has the power and who wants the power. It provides a good description of how one uses/misuses their power and the lengths some will go to keep as far away from power as possible. A highlight of this book was the very well-formed characters as they band together in the struggle to get what they want. By the end of the ebook, I felt like I knew the characters so well I could do performance reviews. Wit and insight made this book an enjoyable read. Although a four star for me, I feel this book would
…more be a 5-star for those who have lived the experience. (less)This was not an easy read, and I was reluctant to enter the hidden world of the human beings who support our insatiable desire for more "stuff," IMMEDIATELY. Like many of the systems that provide those of us who have some bit of privilege, I'd prefer not to know about the hidden side of the mega-stores, willfully ignoring the human beings on whose shoulders this privilege rests.
But they are US and deserve our acknowledgement and respect. I will never look at a carefully stacked sweaters in the same way.
Julie Z. (Oak Park, IL)
Help Wanted
Having spent almost twenty years working in a "big box" bookstore, much of this book rang true. While Help Wanted was character driven, making it both interesting and fun to read, the underlying message about what this type of store does to their workers is very realistic. Waldman highlighted the single mom, the ex-con, the student, and others who have not had a shot at a middle management 40 hr per week job, and what their struggles are. The varying schedules where one can never plan ahead or budget, the quotas that are always unattainable, all make for miserable work conditions. I appreciated this novel for
…more both its humor and realism. (less)What a madcap menagerie of retail workers! It's like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest comes to Town Square, the retail giant, AKA, Target?! Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman, dedicated to all retail workers, provides a laugh out loud glimpse into the life of warehouse workers with a pitch perfect, true to life, cast of characters. One of my favorites, Milo, unloads the replenishment trucks by "theme," what he considers his art. The characters in the "Movement" department, formerly known as Logistics, are all jockeying for positions and possible promotions. I'm passing this book onto to some of my family members who
…more serve in leadership positions in the retail industry right now. My only criticism was that I wanted to hear even more from each of the characters. (less)
Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Help Wanted
Team Movement clocks in at 3:55 AM. Under a demanding and self-absorbed boss, they empty the day's truck of merchandise, stock the shelves, and leave.
Then when there is to be a promotion, the Movement band together to ensure their choice wins.
A dark comedy about people living from paycheck to paycheck- their hopes and their fears.
I really enjoyed this book. It is so different from what I normally read. It describes the lives of people who often go unnoticed. The characters are real and their problems and faults are real, but I want them to succeed.
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