Review: Recalculating - Jennifer Weiner

Review: Recalculating - Jennifer Weiner - October 2011

If you’re used to Jennifer Weiner’s usual heartfelt chicklit , buckle up, because this one takes a sharp turn into psychological thriller territory

We meet Maureen, a woman who is finally living life on her own terms. Her husband, Tony, has passed away, and she’s beginning to find her footing in her new-found freedom. We’ve all been there, right? That big "garage clean-out" phase where we try to reclaim our space.

While sorting through the clutter of her old life, Maureen discovers a wrapped gift addressed to her from Tony. Inside? A GPS system. It feels a bit vintage for 2026, but she plugs it in anyway. At first, it’s just a helpful gadget. But then, the tech starts to glitch. Or does it?

The GPS begins speaking to her, not in a generic robotic tone, but in Tony’s voice. And he isn't just giving her directions to the grocery store. He’s calling her names ,the same belittling names he used when he was alive.

The story takes a dark, cinematic turn when the GPS stops "recalculating" routes and starts "recalculating" the truth. It begins accusing Maureen of murder. Suddenly, this cozy domestic setting evaporates, replaced by high-tension "I Know What You Did Last Summer" vibes.

As someone who values the "sacred" and peaceful side of life, reading about Maureen’s psychological haunting was a total jolt to the system. It’s a story about the baggage we carry sometimes literally in the form of a dashboard accessory and how the past has a way of screaming at us when we’re just trying to move forward.

It’s a fast-paced, eerie read that you can easily finish in one rainy afternoon with a big pot of tea. It didn't quite hit the 5-star mark for me, but it was exactly the "itch-scratcher" I needed between my heavier non-fiction reads.

"Sometimes the directions we're given aren't meant to lead us home , they're meant to lead us back to the things we tried to bury."

 Amazon: https://amzn.to/4brJgwV