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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Smart sassy narrator who feels like the inspiration for the TV show "Girls." Any book that cracks me up gets extra stars.
Each chapter is like a little novella, and it's up to the reader to infer where our leading lady is in the the flow of her life. Sometimes it takes a few pages (or more) but I enjoyed the minor challenge.
Highlights: comic timing and great voice.
Each chapter is like a little novella, and it's up to the reader to infer where our leading lady is in the the flow of her life. Sometimes it takes a few pages (or more) but I enjoyed the minor challenge.
Highlights: comic timing and great voice.
Great voice - sharp and real and warm. Chortle-worthy one-liners. And loved the dynamics between the characters, especially the Rosenal family.
I was lured into reading this book because of its title and compelling cover. However, a more accurate title would be "A Girls' Guide to Tennis and Sailing." The story is about Jane, a poor little rich girl with problems finding love. Hmmm, will I find love at a wedding following 'The Rules?' Will I find love with an alcoholic 28 years my senior? And Jane really did play tennis and sail in the book and never once picked up a rifle or a reel. The title instead came from Jane's lament that she may never find or hook a man.
A great read, other than a strange chapter most of the way through the book that doesn't ever seem to get tied back into the main story.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed the mood and the writing style of this book. Jane was an easily relatable character, and while I was reading I felt like I knew her, but once I put the book down she was somewhat forgettable. There seemed to be little, other than the characters' names, tying the stories together - this felt much more like a short story collection than a novel. I enjoyed the book and was glad to have read it, because it felt more substantive and thoughtful than a stereotypical girl-finds-love story. But the characters weren't particularly memorable or distinctive. It's just a nice, cozy end-of-summer read that drives home a strong "be yourself" message.
Admittedly when this was chosen for our Whatsapp book club, I thought it would be superficial ‘chick lit’ (urgh, sorry feminism, but I can’t think of a better term) that I’d race through in one sitting. I did devour it, but because these loosely interwoven stories are sharp, waspish, witty, perceptive and moving.
It has some impossibly cool teenagers and suave one-liners, but that seemed to be part of the point for me, as the book is set in the literary world of editors and lunches and bon vivants. The stories roll on, all amusing like a Dorothy Parker piece, and then suddenly you get a gem such as this, describing the narrator’s older brother bringing a girlfriend to the family home for the first time: “I thought maybe she’d look older than Henry, but it was Henry who looked older than Henry.” Perfect.
It has some impossibly cool teenagers and suave one-liners, but that seemed to be part of the point for me, as the book is set in the literary world of editors and lunches and bon vivants. The stories roll on, all amusing like a Dorothy Parker piece, and then suddenly you get a gem such as this, describing the narrator’s older brother bringing a girlfriend to the family home for the first time: “I thought maybe she’d look older than Henry, but it was Henry who looked older than Henry.” Perfect.
I'm not a big fan of the writer's style. In fact, during the first chapter, I thought that I was going to give up on this book because the style was distracting to me in a bad way. However, I stuck with it and after reading a third of the book, I couldn't put it down.
It's not the usual fluffy chick lit book. The character goes through real problems that happen to everyday people. In fact, one of the last tales in the book was so real to me that it brought me to tears. And not just tears, I was sobbing.
I would recommend the book to a friend but only in they are in a situation where they can quickly read through the book.
It's not the usual fluffy chick lit book. The character goes through real problems that happen to everyday people. In fact, one of the last tales in the book was so real to me that it brought me to tears. And not just tears, I was sobbing.
I would recommend the book to a friend but only in they are in a situation where they can quickly read through the book.
I found this somewhat disappointing. Not that it was a bad book - but it really meandered and it wasn't as enthralling as I had hoped. It had moments but over all not what I thought I was getting into.
3.5 stars. The last chapter when she is channeling the two authors while dating is hilarious!