A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

Title: A Tiny Bit Marvellous

Author: Dawn French

Released: June 2011

Everyone hates the perfect family. So you'll love the Battles. Mo is about to hit the big 50, and some uncomfortable truths are becoming quite apparent: She doesn't understand either of her teenage kids, which as a child psychologist, is fairly embarrassing. She has become entirely grey. Inside, and out. Her face has surrendered and is frightening children. Dora is about to hit the big 18 ...and about to hit anyone who annoys her, especially her precocious younger brother Peter who has a chronic Oscar Wilde fixation. Then there's Dad ...who's just, well, dad. "A Tiny Bit Marvellous" is the story of a modern family all living in their own separate bubbles lurching towards meltdown. It is for anyone who has ever shared a home with that weird group of strangers we call relations. Oh and there's a dog. Called Poo.

Rating: 4 stars

So overall A Tiny Bit Marvellous was a good book. Maybe the chapters were a little short, and Oscar's storyline a little unbelievable (how many people seem to be channelling Oscar Wilde?) but it was still a good read. 

Dawn French seems to have captured the family dynamic fairly well with us seeing the stroppy teenage daughter Dora whose parents can never do anything right, Mo the mother who's a trained child psychologist but can't understand her own children, Peter more commonly known as Oscar the effeminate gay son and then there's Husband. Not only this but we are privileged enough to see the inner workings of each family member due to the diary format. 

So what did I dislike about this book: the awful swearing that comes from Dora, whilst it is inventive to a fault with insults such as twatwanker the swearing is over the top. Near enough every other word is a swear word. 

And my favourite part: there's recipes in the back of the book for each character's favourite cake. 

So would I recommend this book: I would say that its a lighthearted summer read, but not the type of book to pick up if you want something challenging and stimulating.