Kogan is witty and her observations are sharp. She writes clearly and sympathetically of the challenges of parenting and being a working mom. She doesn’t hide her insecurities about things like her parenting decisions, the less than thorough decision making that went into conceiving her third child, and her constant worries about money as a mother of three living in NYC who makes her living as a freelance writer. But she doesn’t seem to have much insight about these, either.

Few will argue with the real-life examples Kogan offers of mean other parents, and I bet many could respond with stories in kind; I know I could. But this book shines when it’s relating the events of a interesting woman (Kogan was a photographer and war correspondent in years past) as she tackles motherhood and challenges like a son who really wants to act and daughter who really wants a dog, both against their parents’ wishes. ( )

You can find Bethanne Patrick's thoughts on Hell is Other Parents here at The Book Studio.

If all the other mothers in her Manhattan milieu are Alpha moms, Deborah Copaken Kogan is a Beta mom. Mom 2.0. Mom on the bleeding edge, making up the rules as she goes along, and making me jealous once again since reading her brilliant novel last year that we're not best friends. Containing brutal honesty about the highs and lows of motherhood mixed with lighter moments, it's also got its earthy moments, and I was glad to see tales of Kogan's personal history (work hurdles, former lovers) woven in with her parenting stories. An alpha mom might write a book for the self-help section, but Kogan's book shows all the other smart, strong and still sane moms out there that they have a voice, too. ( )