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cmj124's review
2.0
It was ok. Had heard of it before, I didn't realize that it was made into a book series. I probably wouldn't pick up any of the other books.
barbrattybooks's review
2.0
The movie was better and I could have done without the casual homophobia.
megs_k's review
3.0
Everyday I receive a lesson that teaches me that I can’t let what others think of me define me. ~ Trisha R. Thomas
mellabella's review
3.0
I have mixed emotions about Nappily Ever After. It starts with Venus cutting off her long relaxed hair. For most that have made that transition (such as myself), it's a big deal. You either love it or hate it. It changes the way you see yourself. It can also change the way others see you. At any rate, her and her live in, long term boyfriend Clint are breaking up after his procrastination to propose. Clint is a catch. He is upwardly mobile, a handsome doctor. Venus is a nuanced character. Sometimes identifiable, sometimes not very likeable. It was a fast read. I guess "Chick Lit". I am interested in seeing how things go in the rest of the series.
meesha_mo's review
1.0
This book is ridiculous. I skimmed most of it. There was no action. And it was hard to follow all the trains of thought because there are no visual/written cues that you're about to be in the head of a different character. The characters are one dimensional. It's not written like a story. It's written like someone's notes for the story they want to write.
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I've managed to read during The During (not quite Quarantine since we can still go out for groceries, solo daily exercise, etc). It's gentle enough to listen to during this distressing time, with enough intrigue to keep me interested. I enjoyed Lisa Reneé Pitts's narration.
While it still feels very modern and relevant, the book is 20 years old, and the nostalgic feel makes it some very pleasant escapism. It takes place before 9/11, people hug freely, and it's still considered cool for teenager so say "boo-yah!"
Even though is my absolute least favorite trope, this book handled it well, and I found the ending very satisfying. Besides, the book was rich with family, friendships, and personal soul-searching.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a light-but-not-too-light read.
While it still feels very modern and relevant, the book is 20 years old, and the nostalgic feel makes it some very pleasant escapism. It takes place before 9/11, people hug freely, and it's still considered cool for teenager so say "boo-yah!"
Even though
Spoiler
love trianglesHighly recommended for anyone looking for a light-but-not-too-light read.
bookgirlmagic's review
4.0
This book drew so many thoughts and emotions from me, starting with how much weight my hair holds in my life. I mean, our hair, our crowns affect us every day of our lives. Sometimes you just want to pull a Venus and shave it all off. I completely understand why she did so and sympathize with her. She has become a prisoner to her hair. Confined in so many ways.
I felt bad for Venus and all the things she endured throughout the story. It seemed like she just couldn’t catch a break. From not getting engaged after 4 years to the man she loved, to receiving threatening letters at work, to being sexually violated by a coworker, to being told to take some time away from work to gather herself. It was a cycle of chaos that continued to repeat itself.
Through all of this turmoil, Venus decides to make a liberating statement by chopping off all her hair. She no longer wanted her hair to define who she was. And for a while, until she fully embraced it, her new hairstyle continued to do so. She went from being loved for her hair and looks to being stared at awkwardly because of her hair (or lack thereof) and looks. She needed to find a way to get out of her slump and gain her confidence back.
The other part of this storyline was Clint and Kandi’s love story. I hated them together. Kandi was nothing but a gold digging rebound that ended up getting wifed up. I found her to be quite crazy and unattractive because of her jealously. I detest home wreckers and didn’t think she deserved that come up after dating a married man for years. I, however, was more in shock that Clint actually fell for her like he did. He couldn’t see through it.
At the end of the story though, I felt more comfort at the fact that Venus found her happily ever after too by getting engaged and evening up the scoreboard. After the years she put in with Clint, I felt she really deserved a happy ending.
The overall message (for me) was to not let a man nor my hair and looks define me. Self love is the best kind of love. If you don’t fully love yourself, it will be impossible for anyone else to do so. I gave this book a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.
Movie Comparison:
Like most people had said to me beforehand, the movie was NOTHING like the book so I didn’t enjoy it as much. There was no Kandi, no sexual harassment in the office and the course of events happened very differently than what took place in the book. The movie was cute but just not based on a good chunk of the books contents.
I felt bad for Venus and all the things she endured throughout the story. It seemed like she just couldn’t catch a break. From not getting engaged after 4 years to the man she loved, to receiving threatening letters at work, to being sexually violated by a coworker, to being told to take some time away from work to gather herself. It was a cycle of chaos that continued to repeat itself.
Through all of this turmoil, Venus decides to make a liberating statement by chopping off all her hair. She no longer wanted her hair to define who she was. And for a while, until she fully embraced it, her new hairstyle continued to do so. She went from being loved for her hair and looks to being stared at awkwardly because of her hair (or lack thereof) and looks. She needed to find a way to get out of her slump and gain her confidence back.
The other part of this storyline was Clint and Kandi’s love story. I hated them together. Kandi was nothing but a gold digging rebound that ended up getting wifed up. I found her to be quite crazy and unattractive because of her jealously. I detest home wreckers and didn’t think she deserved that come up after dating a married man for years. I, however, was more in shock that Clint actually fell for her like he did. He couldn’t see through it.
At the end of the story though, I felt more comfort at the fact that Venus found her happily ever after too by getting engaged and evening up the scoreboard. After the years she put in with Clint, I felt she really deserved a happy ending.
The overall message (for me) was to not let a man nor my hair and looks define me. Self love is the best kind of love. If you don’t fully love yourself, it will be impossible for anyone else to do so. I gave this book a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.
Movie Comparison:
Like most people had said to me beforehand, the movie was NOTHING like the book so I didn’t enjoy it as much. There was no Kandi, no sexual harassment in the office and the course of events happened very differently than what took place in the book. The movie was cute but just not based on a good chunk of the books contents.
rebeccalm's review
2.0
This story is certainly of its time and contains a few questionable scenes and language that is offensive (bi-phobic and fat-phobic). Overall, it was an ok story. I appreciated the author's intention around the importance of figuring out how to love yourself first and foremost, but the book felt kind of shallow overall. The book did a good job of conveying how hard it can actually be to go on a journey of self-discovery and breaking free from societal norms (with hair, appearances, relationship status, etc.), especially when everyone around you isn't really on the same page. But a lot of the book really focused on the drama in the two main female character's lives due to their relationships. It felt like the book was even being contradictory at times where one moment the women would feel empowered in themselves and their decisions and then turn around and be fully consumed in the drama they were having with the men in their lives and trying to define themselves by those relationships and how well they were or were not going. The author was certainly trying to tackle a lot of topics at once, but I felt like that muddled the waters a bit. It was an okay book, but I didn't come out of this really wanting to delve-deeper into any other characters, so I was surprised to see that it was part of a series. I don't think I'll be reading any more of them.
tariqah's review
2.0
I stood by the principle that the book is always better than the movie until I read this one. It was too soap-opera for me with little emphasis and justification for why Venus cut off her hair. The characters weren't very enjoyable or meaningful in my judgement. I think the Netflix variation actually bumped up what the book lacked.