Welcome to My Planet

Life just isn't The Love Boat for nearly-thirty Shannon, the tongue-in-cheek heroine of Welcome to My Planet. Credit cards don't pay themselves, no obvious mate has appeared with her name pinned to his collar, and a job doing new-product research for a fledgling software company doesn't quite make ends meet in the meaning-of-life department. Then there's the loser boyfriend, another boyfriend, her therapist, and unforgettably, Shannon's mom, Flo, with her unrecognizable leftover casseroles and quirky advice for her daughter. In a fit of debt and with a bruised heart, Shannon moves back home to witness the day-to-day tremors of her parents' own marriage. This is a dark-and-light tale-freshly witty and poignant-told by a young woman with a universal touch.Olson's tongue-in-cheek humor makes Planet as quirky and clever as its main character. —People

A funny, feeling novel...you'll find Olson's coming-of-age chronicle winning and uniquely real. —Glamour

Witty, warm and delightfully topical. —Chicago Tribune

One of the best mother-daughter acts of all time. I stopped reading it only to laugh my head off, quote passages to my friends, and to make it last. —Melissa Bank, author of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

Shannon Olson, author of Welcome to My Planet, has taught creative writing and literature at the University of Minnesota.