When I first read this, I gave it 5 stars. Age & wisdom have bumped it down to 3; it‘s not nearly as funny as I remember. Maybe it‘s because I‘ve seen the movie too many times, where the mom is redeemed just a little, I felt ZERO sympathy for the Mrs. X in the book. My heart breaks for that little boy (& the dog). I hope he gets a happy ending in the sequel
And this line hit like a punch in the gut. I have felt exactly that way in my own career.