Welcome to my review of Mammy Banter: The Secret Life of an Uncool Mum by Serena Terry. I listened to the audiobook of Mammy Banter. After that, I felt like I had good company while doing various things around the house.
She used to want it all.
Now she just wants a nap.
Tara Gallagher is knackered. She used to dream of being Beyoncé but suddenly she’s thirty-six – with three kids, a loving husband, a very boring job – and instead of headlining Glastonbury, she’s in her pyjamas on a Friday night, watching Gogglebox.
It’s time for a mammy makeover. She’s going to show her teenage daughter she’s still cool. She’s going to show her husband she’s still an absolute ride. She’s going to show her colleagues she’s still a Boss Bish.
But most of all, she’s going to prove to herself that she can still be a mum, still work full time, and still be Beyoncé…
The debut novel from viral TikTok star, @MammyBanter
Up and coming comedy content creator, writer, actress and public speaker, Serena Terry, known as Mammy Banter, has taken the social media world by storm after her hilarious videos started going viral across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Serena’s down-to-earth, ‘tell it like it is’ realness has resonated with fans around the world. She now has over 650,000 followers on TikTok, 135,000 on Instagram and 100k on Facebook, with more than 20 million views across all platforms.
She lives in Derry with her husband and two kids. She’d love a nap, too.
You can follow Serena as Mammy Banter on TikTok @mammybanter Instagram @mammybanter and on Facebook mammybanterfb
The plot flows beautifully. The narrator, Serena Terry herself, has an excellent Irish accent that’s so delightful to listen to. I couldn’t turn it off if I wanted to!
This is a laugh out loud, hilarious account of the life of Tara, a married, 36-year-old mother of 3. The trials and tribulations of being a mother, wife, friend, and colleague come through so well and hilariously.
This is a very clever book that takes joy in everyday life of Tara and her family. Her 13-year-old daughter makes her feel old and tells her she is old and out of touch so much too; it’s a very real, raw, and honest account of life as a mother alongside some great banter.
It is obviously well written; you find yourself instantly in the middle of this chaotic, messy, busy and unpredictable family life. Poor Tara feels so uncool from her daughter Gemma’s comments through to her husband’s banter. She wants to tackle this and channel her inner Beyonce, which is very funny. She wants to claw back her old self without embarrassing her children (I don’t know why, but that’s part of the point of having children? No?)
There are plenty of cringe-worthy moments, like when the youngest poo’s and the many mentions of poo with her youngest two will gross you out and make you chuckle with laughter.
The chapter titles are also brilliant, for example, ‘That’s not Nutella [on the sofa]!’, ‘I’m not cursing, I’m Praying’ and ‘shove your organic parenting up your hole, Janice’.
My only criticism is that I wanted Tara to realise that she was the problem. Her thoughts, self-belief and self-esteem needed some working on. I know that wasn’t the premise of this book. Still, it would have been lovely to see her realising and making some necessary changes rather than pulling down the other women (in particular) around her to make herself feel better.
I loved this audiobook. I would highly recommend listening instead of reading, The book is just as good, but Serena Terry’s delivery is excellent. This will brighten up your day and make you laugh out loud!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing an advanced copy of this, the review is of my own choice and opinion.
| Title | Mammy Banter |
| Author | Serena terry |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC / Audiobook |
| Page Count | 345 Pages |
| Genre | Family Relationships / Parenting |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Release Date | 3 March 2022 |
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