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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This is a fun light read. The pacing of this novel is fast. You move quickly from one incident to the other trying to figure out the mystery with Heather.
Our heroine Heather Wells is a former teen pop star now trying to put herself through college by working in a residence hall. Shortly after the semester begins, young girls start plunging to their death in the elevator shaft. Heather can't help herself and starts investigating and then finds herself the target of a murderer. The mystery was fun and well plotted. Flowing throughout is Heather's inner monologue in which she ponders everything from vanity sizing, exercise, the miraculous effects of chocolate and even the love of a good pet. This hilarious thought process is what kept me so intrigued, not the mystery. It almost seemed as an afterthought - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, in this case at least. One of my issues with the book, that prevent this being a 5 star read, was how certain phrases or scenarios get beaten to death. For example, it's a "residence hall" not a dorm. We get it. Don't repeat it every other freaking page. Heather's history as a pop star also lends itself to some annoying repeats - everyone seems to recognize her vaguely. It gets old after a while.
All in all a fun read!
Our heroine Heather Wells is a former teen pop star now trying to put herself through college by working in a residence hall. Shortly after the semester begins, young girls start plunging to their death in the elevator shaft. Heather can't help herself and starts investigating and then finds herself the target of a murderer. The mystery was fun and well plotted. Flowing throughout is Heather's inner monologue in which she ponders everything from vanity sizing, exercise, the miraculous effects of chocolate and even the love of a good pet. This hilarious thought process is what kept me so intrigued, not the mystery. It almost seemed as an afterthought - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, in this case at least. One of my issues with the book, that prevent this being a 5 star read, was how certain phrases or scenarios get beaten to death. For example, it's a "residence hall" not a dorm. We get it. Don't repeat it every other freaking page. Heather's history as a pop star also lends itself to some annoying repeats - everyone seems to recognize her vaguely. It gets old after a while.
All in all a fun read!
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Alright, 4.5 stars over all. It's not... perfect. Alright, I'll admit that I'm pretty sure some people would hate this book. It's fairly typical 'chick lit', but I'm not gunna lie, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a book this much? I was super engaged by Heather, which probably helped me enjoy is to much, and I was super interested in the mystery - it was a little predictable. Once the main suspect got tossed out, I figured out who it was, but I didn't really care because I wanted to know how they were going to catch her.
I also really liked all the other side characters in the book too, which is one of a first in a month of reading bland, dry side characters (But i have been reading a lot of YA lately) so that was totally a plus.
I also really liked all the other side characters in the book too, which is one of a first in a month of reading bland, dry side characters (But i have been reading a lot of YA lately) so that was totally a plus.
A nice cozy mystery read by Meg Cabot, in which our main character, Heather Wells, former tween pop star is now working at a NY college as a resident advisor's assistant. When two girls from her dorm fall to their deaths from elevator surfing, Heahter doesn't believe it - girls don't elevator surf.
Unwilling to let the accidental death ruling go, she enlists the help of her roommate and ex-fiance's brother to get to the bottom of the mystery. Along the way, Heather finds herself in danger, more than once and her ex-fiance seems to want to pick up where things left off between them.
Unwilling to let the accidental death ruling go, she enlists the help of her roommate and ex-fiance's brother to get to the bottom of the mystery. Along the way, Heather finds herself in danger, more than once and her ex-fiance seems to want to pick up where things left off between them.
Another cozy mystery series - this one set in "modern" NYC. "Modern" being 2005 - and wow has much changed in 11 years! I loved the idea of a teen pop star turned "normal" but had trouble with her still-in-love ex combined with her crush on the ex's brother. The writing is pretty awful - Twilight bad. A cute story; predictable, but with lots of NYU and West Village references that I enjoyed.
Trigger warning: slut-shaming, fatphobia/fat-shaming, murder
4 ⭐️
Although this book was delightfully fresh and peppy, I would've liked more of the murder/mystery aspect.
This novel is everything chick-lit is supposed to be. The character is a cute girl who tends to speak and act quicker than her brain can work, resulting in hilariously embarrassing situation. The murder is not too gruesome, but our heroine is quick to devise the craziest theories, most of which don't make sense. And, of course, the MC's love life takes more than half the story.
It's not that I'm mad about it. I expected nothing else from Meg Cabot; it's what she'd good at. What I would have liked is a little more on the actual murder investigation. I feel like it was a background story to Heather's life - or, more specifically, her love life. I liked Cooper and I don't mind the romance, but I grew tired quickly of the chapters spent on Heather and Jordan's history.
There was a lot of emphasis put on how size 12 is not fat, and I understand where the author comes from, but it seemed a bit too fatphobic. So what if it's fat? The problem isn't whether or not size 12 can be defined by that word, but the implications that fat is bad. By saying size 12 is not fat, you're still implying 'fat = bad', just that people who are a size 12 are not part of this population. Since the book was written in 2005, I let it pass, but I think we seriously need to stop saying this and that size are not fat, and instead accept that fat is not inherently bad. It's just a state, and it doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy or lazy (which also seemed to be something implied by Heather's personality), just like being thin doesn't mean in you're in great shape.
I have to admit, the plot twist surprised me, as I expectedSarah to be the murderer. It made sense though, and there were enough hints throughout the book to link back to that specific person.
I will not be continuing the series, as I'm not a chick-lit reader. But it was entertaining enough, for a one-time thing ☺️
4 ⭐️
Although this book was delightfully fresh and peppy, I would've liked more of the murder/mystery aspect.
This novel is everything chick-lit is supposed to be. The character is a cute girl who tends to speak and act quicker than her brain can work, resulting in hilariously embarrassing situation. The murder is not too gruesome, but our heroine is quick to devise the craziest theories, most of which don't make sense. And, of course, the MC's love life takes more than half the story.
It's not that I'm mad about it. I expected nothing else from Meg Cabot; it's what she'd good at. What I would have liked is a little more on the actual murder investigation. I feel like it was a background story to Heather's life - or, more specifically, her love life. I liked Cooper and I don't mind the romance, but I grew tired quickly of the chapters spent on Heather and Jordan's history.
There was a lot of emphasis put on how size 12 is not fat, and I understand where the author comes from, but it seemed a bit too fatphobic. So what if it's fat? The problem isn't whether or not size 12 can be defined by that word, but the implications that fat is bad. By saying size 12 is not fat, you're still implying 'fat = bad', just that people who are a size 12 are not part of this population. Since the book was written in 2005, I let it pass, but I think we seriously need to stop saying this and that size are not fat, and instead accept that fat is not inherently bad. It's just a state, and it doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy or lazy (which also seemed to be something implied by Heather's personality), just like being thin doesn't mean in you're in great shape.
I have to admit, the plot twist surprised me, as I expected
I will not be continuing the series, as I'm not a chick-lit reader. But it was entertaining enough, for a one-time thing ☺️
Anyone who follows my reading at all (which idk if anybody actually does that), would know that I. Love. Meg. Cabot.
In my opinion, she has the most readable prose out of anyone in the universe (which says a lot because there are actually quite a few people in the universe). Seriously, the longest it has taken me to read one of her books is, like, two days.
Some people don't like Meg because of how casual her writing is, but to me, it's so much fun. This book was no exception. In typical Meg fashion, it's filled with her usual fun, sometimes silly prose, has a super cute guy to swoon over, and has a very relatable female protagonist. What else could you ask for?
Well, actually.... there were a few things that I wish this book had. For one, I disliked how Heather and Cooper's relationship was already established. Even though they weren't in a relationship or anything, I wished I could have seen more of Heather actually falling for him instead of her just telling me she had. I understand why Cooper was introduced like that, but it still made me feel a little distant from him in the beginning.
Another thing was the obsession with size. Like, I get why it's so important. And yes I know that Heather eventually renounces the whole "it's bad to be a size 12" thing. But like.... I'm a size 14 in jeans. Should I feel bad about myself then? Obviously there has been a shift in recent years about the way America views "fat" women, so I can't fault Meg for writing a book that was appropriate for the time period it represented (even though it wasn't that long ago). But it also got a little annoying after a while when Heather constantly felt like she needed to defend the size that she was. She only had peace with her size when she discerned that she wasn't fat. But in reality, who cares? Overweight people have the same capacity to be as beautiful as skinnier people. Heather should just be confident in herself, and not worry whether or not she fits into a category that shifts depending on who you ask! (Just to clarify, I feel like there's a difference between overweight people and, like, morbidly obese people like the ones on My 600lb Life. Obviously those people need to change their lifestyle and lose weight.)
Woooooo that got kind of political real quick. Anyways, back to the review.
This book had it's flaws, as any Meg Cabot does. It's mystery wasn't very complex or anything, but it was immensely enjoyable. Honestly, I really enjoyed Heather's character and I can't wait to read more from her perspective in the second book!
Also, the audiobook to this was, in my opinion, phenomenal and added a lot to my enjoyment of the story! Kudos to Sandy Rustin who did a fantastic job!
Thanks for reading my review! :)
In my opinion, she has the most readable prose out of anyone in the universe (which says a lot because there are actually quite a few people in the universe). Seriously, the longest it has taken me to read one of her books is, like, two days.
Some people don't like Meg because of how casual her writing is, but to me, it's so much fun. This book was no exception. In typical Meg fashion, it's filled with her usual fun, sometimes silly prose, has a super cute guy to swoon over, and has a very relatable female protagonist. What else could you ask for?
Well, actually.... there were a few things that I wish this book had. For one, I disliked how Heather and Cooper's relationship was already established. Even though they weren't in a relationship or anything, I wished I could have seen more of Heather actually falling for him instead of her just telling me she had. I understand why Cooper was introduced like that, but it still made me feel a little distant from him in the beginning.
Another thing was the obsession with size. Like, I get why it's so important. And yes I know that Heather eventually renounces the whole "it's bad to be a size 12" thing. But like.... I'm a size 14 in jeans. Should I feel bad about myself then? Obviously there has been a shift in recent years about the way America views "fat" women, so I can't fault Meg for writing a book that was appropriate for the time period it represented (even though it wasn't that long ago). But it also got a little annoying after a while when Heather constantly felt like she needed to defend the size that she was. She only had peace with her size when she discerned that she wasn't fat. But in reality, who cares? Overweight people have the same capacity to be as beautiful as skinnier people. Heather should just be confident in herself, and not worry whether or not she fits into a category that shifts depending on who you ask! (Just to clarify, I feel like there's a difference between overweight people and, like, morbidly obese people like the ones on My 600lb Life. Obviously those people need to change their lifestyle and lose weight.)
Woooooo that got kind of political real quick. Anyways, back to the review.
This book had it's flaws, as any Meg Cabot does. It's mystery wasn't very complex or anything, but it was immensely enjoyable. Honestly, I really enjoyed Heather's character and I can't wait to read more from her perspective in the second book!
Also, the audiobook to this was, in my opinion, phenomenal and added a lot to my enjoyment of the story! Kudos to Sandy Rustin who did a fantastic job!
Thanks for reading my review! :)
If I had to pick favorites, the Heather Wells trilogy is probably my favorite adult Meg Cabot series. It’s frothy and fun, and just damn enjoyable. Heather’s an engaging character in her own right; she has a lot of the good girl qualities of a chick-lit heroine, but you really see her faults and frustrations. She’s been burned in one fell swoop—by both her ex and her record company—but she’s genuinely trying to move on and become something more than a twee-pop singer. Of course, she’s still insecure about how people view her, but given her backstory, it feels genuine. A lot of her attitude is shaped by her pop star past, and I like that she still sees singing as something good.
As far as love interests go, I like Cooper, but whenever I read him, I know I’ve read his character before. (Meg Cabot is big on the dark, bossy, black-sheep types.) I like his character; again, he’s fun, a lot of his dialogue with Heather feels natural, and you can see that he really looks out for her. It’s just that I’ve read the character in other Cabot books, and it becomes a little boring after a while. On the other hand, I love Jordan—not as a love interest, but as blatant comic relief. For starters, it’s so obvious that he’s the guy who’s always got what he wanted, so Heather striking out on her own is intriguing. The whole “I still love you, baby!” act is just that, but it’s so over-the-top that everyone in the books know that it’s fake. He’s hilarious, I crack up every time he shows up.
Like Cooper, a lot of the supporting cast are characters I’ve seen in other Meg Cabot books—the know-it-all wannabe psychologist, the supportive best friend, the kooky work friend—but a lot of it almost feels like she’s parodying her own stereotypes. Sarah’s pretty much a grown-up Lilly Moscowitz, and Magda…well, Magda’s Magda. She’s funny, but I will say that she’s my least favorite character in the series. (Not that I don’t like her, she just doesn’t do much.)
As for the murder mystery plot, I generally like. I have some problems with the motives of the killer, but it does seem like a bit of a surprise. The lead up with Christopher Allington has been done before, but the way Heather approaches the case and her suspect is interesting. I would have liked not have seen the “cops are useless!” trope—like, why wouldn’t they check up on a strange mark on both victims? (I’m trying not to spoil the murderer and their weapons, sorry.)
I really like this book—it’s one of my favorite comfort reads. The writing and characterization are solid (for the most part), it’s funny, and the twists still surprise me a little even after the nth millionth time I’ve read it. This is what I expect from Meg Cabot—frothy, yet still very filling.
As far as love interests go, I like Cooper, but whenever I read him, I know I’ve read his character before. (Meg Cabot is big on the dark, bossy, black-sheep types.) I like his character; again, he’s fun, a lot of his dialogue with Heather feels natural, and you can see that he really looks out for her. It’s just that I’ve read the character in other Cabot books, and it becomes a little boring after a while. On the other hand, I love Jordan—not as a love interest, but as blatant comic relief. For starters, it’s so obvious that he’s the guy who’s always got what he wanted, so Heather striking out on her own is intriguing. The whole “I still love you, baby!” act is just that, but it’s so over-the-top that everyone in the books know that it’s fake. He’s hilarious, I crack up every time he shows up.
Like Cooper, a lot of the supporting cast are characters I’ve seen in other Meg Cabot books—the know-it-all wannabe psychologist, the supportive best friend, the kooky work friend—but a lot of it almost feels like she’s parodying her own stereotypes. Sarah’s pretty much a grown-up Lilly Moscowitz, and Magda…well, Magda’s Magda. She’s funny, but I will say that she’s my least favorite character in the series. (Not that I don’t like her, she just doesn’t do much.)
As for the murder mystery plot, I generally like. I have some problems with the motives of the killer, but it does seem like a bit of a surprise. The lead up with Christopher Allington has been done before, but the way Heather approaches the case and her suspect is interesting. I would have liked not have seen the “cops are useless!” trope—like, why wouldn’t they check up on a strange mark on both victims? (I’m trying not to spoil the murderer and their weapons, sorry.)
I really like this book—it’s one of my favorite comfort reads. The writing and characterization are solid (for the most part), it’s funny, and the twists still surprise me a little even after the nth millionth time I’ve read it. This is what I expect from Meg Cabot—frothy, yet still very filling.