Publication Date: November 29, 2024
Groomed is a dark comedy coming-of-age story about Myles “Mylo” Gunn, a middle-aged man turning 50 during the 2020 global pandemic and #MeToo Movement. With nothing but downtime with his thoughts, Mylo reflects on what’s next in this new chapter of his life. Little does he know that watching a news exposé about an older politician grooming a teenager to be her husband is going to give him an unexpected reality check. The exposé sounds awfully similar to how his first marriage went, and Mylo realizes that he was groomed, too. Completely shocked by this new revelation, Mylo takes a deep dive into his past. But his trip down memory lane takes an unexpected detour. Groomed is a humorous, intriguing look at how misguided love and misconception can influence growing into ourselves.
Through the eyes of Myles Gunn, a different aspect of the Me Too movement, or at least a reflection into his past, unfolds.
Author Jody Paschall highlights a scenario featuring a 17-year-old Mylo and a 25-year-old cougar in Groomed.
The catalyst is a news story featuring questions about a female politician who was 35 when she met her husband, who was 16 at the time. That 20-year difference certainly would raise eyebrows. However, as Mylo looks at that early relationship with different eyes, he begins questioning what really happened.
What unfolds is a mixture of past and present, as Mylo uses dry humor to tell his story. While the storyline has potential, a lack of cohesion leaves readers feeling lost and disconnected. More development would have made a powerful impact.
Groomed takes a current topic and builds a narrative around a man who discovers a label for his misery.
JODY PASCHAL is a first-time novelist addicted to storytelling and sarcasm. With a soft spot for underdogs, existentialism, and making people feel seen, Jody penned her debut novel, Groomed—a dark comedy, coming of age story that exposes the messiness of trauma, self-discovery and the resilience it takes to reclaim one’s sense of self. When she’s not reconciling being raised in the middle of nowhere by a family of airhorns, you’ll find Jody consulting, creating to-do lists, and finding humor in life’s clutter.
