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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
There were parts that made me smile...and the 1st/3rd voice switches were interesting. I kept reading b/c I wanted to know what the heck was up w/ Brad, since Miss Omnipresent kept hinting at it. I didn't like conclusion of that storyline, and the end was pretty predictable. So...it was alright.
I don't read chick lit anymore, but there was a time. That time was 2001.
I really think this book could be a model for the genre - not just because the story isn't cloying and obvious, but because of the narrative style (there I go again, wanting a book to be well-written...). This one is excellent because Green uses the third person omniscient narrator, making the narrator into a character unto itself. It comments on what people are doing, knows when someone is thinking the opposite of what the other characters are thinking, etc.
The other draw to this book is that the characters are full-fledged - no one is evil, no one is a stereotype, no one is altogether good. Everyone behaves in the way that you expect a real person to - not the way you expect a character in a novel to behave. That's pleasantly surprising. As is this entire book.
I really think this book could be a model for the genre - not just because the story isn't cloying and obvious, but because of the narrative style (there I go again, wanting a book to be well-written...). This one is excellent because Green uses the third person omniscient narrator, making the narrator into a character unto itself. It comments on what people are doing, knows when someone is thinking the opposite of what the other characters are thinking, etc.
The other draw to this book is that the characters are full-fledged - no one is evil, no one is a stereotype, no one is altogether good. Everyone behaves in the way that you expect a real person to - not the way you expect a character in a novel to behave. That's pleasantly surprising. As is this entire book.
I was so annoyed with Jemima J that I just wanted to yell. She is a size 14, which is overweight, but she is not as fat as she makes herself out to be. This book was completely shallow and has the message that fat people should be sad and unhappy, but if they lose weight they will get everything they want. So many things wrong with that, not to mention the fact that it appears to promote eating disorders. I also found that the book has not aged well. Since it was published in 1999, the references to how new and exciting the Internet is make it very dated and not at all quaint. I also found it to be a very unrealistic book. Reading chick lit, I am not asking for realism, but the shallowness of the book makes the unreality even more glaringly obvious. I found no reason to like Jemima J and I'm not sure others will either.
I generously gave this book 2 stars because I quite liked the characters. However I hated the authors descriptions of them.
At the start of the book Jemima is overweight, the language used, "thighs that rub together" "enormous breasts" "chubby fingers" every description is negative.
What annoys me most though is when she joins a gym and gets weighed she's 14 stone 8, which isn't a weight which would match up with the woman who has been described.
She then goes on a regime of barely eating and over exercising, and except for one line that the gym instructor is worried about her there's no mention of the fact that this extreme weight loss is unhealthy!
Once she loses the weight suddenly she's gorgeous and everyone adores her.
The characters do thankfully have some insight into their lives and realise appearance isn't everything, but the authors descriptions make it such an uncomfortable read that I very nearly gave up several times. I only continued in the hope it would get better.
I've read a Jane Green book before and found that as difficult a read. I hoped this might be better but I don't think I'll bother with this author again.
At the start of the book Jemima is overweight, the language used, "thighs that rub together" "enormous breasts" "chubby fingers" every description is negative.
What annoys me most though is when she joins a gym and gets weighed she's 14 stone 8, which isn't a weight which would match up with the woman who has been described.
She then goes on a regime of barely eating and over exercising, and except for one line that the gym instructor is worried about her there's no mention of the fact that this extreme weight loss is unhealthy!
Once she loses the weight suddenly she's gorgeous and everyone adores her.
The characters do thankfully have some insight into their lives and realise appearance isn't everything, but the authors descriptions make it such an uncomfortable read that I very nearly gave up several times. I only continued in the hope it would get better.
I've read a Jane Green book before and found that as difficult a read. I hoped this might be better but I don't think I'll bother with this author again.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book is really really fatphobic throughout I strongly recommend valuing yourself and your time by avoiding this at all costs
The end of the book read really well, and I HAD to finish it. But I had a really hard time getting into the book... the author chose a bazarre narration schema, and I really was not settling into it well. I almost gave up reading the book.
I like the so-called "chick lit" books, but I have a hard time giving any of them higher than a 3-star rating. This book is an exception. The writing is hilarious and the main character is genuine.
So, I did an internet search for “books like Sophie Kinsella”, looking for a light beach read and came across this book. Don’t make my mistake.
I think I wish I had read this book in 2000, when it came out. I think I probably wouldn’t have realized how problematic it was. (Also, super weird structurally.) it still would have been problematic, but it would have been 18 years ago and I would have forgotten about it and wouldn’t now feel bad about writing this goodreads review.
Unfortunately, I also would have been 12 and a 12 year old definitely shouldn’t read this book. Other reviews have said it better than I did but... yikes.
I think I wish I had read this book in 2000, when it came out. I think I probably wouldn’t have realized how problematic it was. (Also, super weird structurally.) it still would have been problematic, but it would have been 18 years ago and I would have forgotten about it and wouldn’t now feel bad about writing this goodreads review.
Unfortunately, I also would have been 12 and a 12 year old definitely shouldn’t read this book. Other reviews have said it better than I did but... yikes.
I really enjoyed this book I found it entertaining and a little different.