Blurb:What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved?
Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out. A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all.
Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story.
Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads—and pages—across the land. It’s also popped into Kim’s inbox—for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be
moving on and up, she begins to
question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.
.....
“No way! No fucking way! You had drinks with Hannah Marshak. A girl who probably enjoys sticking it to you more than she likes a guy sticking it in her! Unbelievable.”
I remember Schorr's words hosting her cover release...
I thought it would be fun to write a book spotlighting the book blogger instead of the author for a change.
I am basing my review on the above words, assessing if really the book did as Schorr promised (You might have to stick around longer to find that out).
All my life I've have been a big fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Jessica Parker. And I thought Kimberly Long was so well portrayed that if this becomes a Big Screen Adaptation I wouldn't be surprised to see Jennifer Love Hewitt and (a younger Sex and The City series version of) Sarah Jessica Parker taking her role. Much like these two actresses, reading about Kimberly Long was like a breath of fresh air. Her character was young, bubbly and had a fresh voice (much like a portrait of Schorr looking all girl-next-door with her effervescent smile and her Blair Waldorf headband). And really, who wouldn't want a blogger like that to review their book. It's a good thing this blogger was given a nice rack-which was a vision to read about.
Pastel is the New Black is a major success, but Kimberly Long doesn't feel on top of the world only less successful being a "measly secretary in a law firm". Despite her parents' creativity, she's really not 'long' as her surname suggests, a bit over four feet (and more thanks to Louboutin). Aware of the fact that she'd be damned if she ever slips her feet into flats, Kim has gotten over the daily jests on her height. These jokes I found very funny, I should admit. With her friends Bridget the bully slayer (since high-school) who can't control herself after a little drinking and Caroline the chick-lit fanatic, days in her office two-timing her boring job with her blog, dealing with her tolerating boss, lusting over the Nicholas guy, and going over to her fuck buddy, Jonathan's apartment for a good shag (with her on top. Always) are thrilling.
Until Hannah Marshak writes a book.
The excitement gets even better.
Everyone is talking about this book the high-school nemesis has penned. From family, to friends to other blogs, until the dreaded email from Hannah's agent requesting a review lands in Kim's inbox.
Through all the Hannah drama and the looming reunion, Nick (haha! Not even him can stop me now!) and Kimberly are developing a romance amidst his busy schedule sexting constantly (strictly text) and taking turns in each other's apartments.
Enough of the spoilers! Now to why I loved, loved this book.
Hannah Marshak! The girl is a bitch! I just didn't take a liking to her despite Schorr and Kim's change of heart towards the end. You should see the way she makes all these snarky comments disparaging our lead girl and belittling a whole lot of others. It's no shock whilst everyone has left the high-school phase she hasn't broken out of the shitty queen of mean attitude with all her 'fake body parts'. Such detest, reeled me into the book even more and I was always on tenterhooks for her to make an appearance (now that's what I call tough-love no matter how I don't want to reach the conclusion). This hate-love relationship earned the book it's first star.
My second star will go to Nicholas though every time he showed up I felt a constant itch on my chin. It had to be his scraggly jaw. The romance between Nick and 'Kimmie' was mind-blowing (from a guy's point-of-view, you know I mean the sex, don't you?). Their relationship kinda reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw's Big Love, though I'd be mindful comparing him to Chris Noth since he was more of Mr. In Good Shape.
The fact that for a long while I didn't make out who'd be Mr. End Guy despite the limited options won this book another star. One moment I was so sure she'd end up with one guy that I bet with my brother (who doesn't read but is always thrilled to listen). For a long while my sights was still on this guy, then Schorr proved me wrong, making me doubt my prescience and teaching me an important lesson that sometimes (in her chick-lit, of course) the most obvious guy might just be happily-ever-after guy and reading in between the lines too much doesn't help. The inability of me to predict right to the end was what kept me going on. One moment I'd be so sure I have seen this scene in a movie before and the blog post would go up before she can stop it, and everyone would be reading the truth about one character on Pastel is the New Black, then the next moment the situation takes an unexpected turn leaving me thinking: Smart move, Schorr.
Oh you would love the humor in this book, all the long and short puns, the funny sexts,
the incident in the the Eastern European Bathhouse and I could go on and on. I really laughed at a lot of these moments including the story of the 'Shitter'.
But I have to slash half of the remaining star for the end of this book. Being the guy who adores chick-flicks with perfect endings, although I did love the karaoke thingy, I felt that should have come later on in the book. When I say perfect ending, I mean total fulfilment with Kim publishing a title that rocked the chick-lit world with her turning from Blogger Girl to Writer Girl, becoming famous going for book signings, tours, an interview on Today, her walking on the streets with people coming over telling her they loved her book and how it impacted their lives. You know, that end. I didn't even like the first draft of the book she wrote, I would have been happier if she had written Blogger Girl itself.
I guess you can't have all you wish for in a book if you want something left for a Screen Adaptation.
Other characters I enjoyed will be the two friends Bridget and Caroline and Rob the boss who contributed most to the funny long/short puns. There's her mum, and a-man-of-very-few-words dad I would have loved to know more about and Erin the sister who has a such a big crush on Hannah I found irritating.
So from all the above, I am awarding the book
a 4.5 star rating.
And indeed this book did put the spotlight on bloggers not the writer for a change. Though I must add that it will help winning a few points with Bloggers (me for sure) as Schorr grows from success to success.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has the zest for the genre and anyone who doesn't want to feel left out when every blogger is raving about the soon-to-be-released movie adaptation (hopefully). You could also pick up the title if you want to add a little humor to your sexts. Or if you are curious about the hip and fascinating life of a big-time blogger pick it up. If you are good in reading between the lines you would learn how to pitch to a blogger, how to host blog tours and so much more to grab the attention of well-recognized bloggers. If you'd ask me, that's too much of a good deal for a kindle.
Blogger girl is available on Amazon on the 28th of this month in both kindle and paperback.
P.S: I didn't even get the title of the book (Eat your heart out Hannah Marshak!).
Can't wait for the buzz this title would create and looking forward to Schorr's next.
My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.
